Saturday, July 30, 2016

Review: Gorsenia Sheilla, a padded 1/2 cup style

After my surprising success with my first attempt at Gorsenia, the very comfy Solange  a non-padded 3-part balconette, I wanted to try a padded style. 



Beauty

Opulent. From the satin luster to the swirling embroidery to the subtly detailed straps. Sheilla is stunning.








Comfort & Fit

Band.  Based on my experience with the fit of the Solange, I went down a band size, and kept the same cup. Unfortunately, the description did not specify that this bra has a power mesh band. I have always found them to run tighter than other fabrics, and this one does as well. So the 38 fits like a snug 38 in a UK brand like Curvy Kate or Panache. I don't care for mesh bands (or bras, really),  'power' mesh in particular, which is just a rougher fabric that I don't enjoy on my body. This mesh isn't worse than any other power mesh though, so it's not a deal-breaker, just not as comfy as the satin microfiber of its sister, Solange.

Cups.   I can't really compare it to the fit of the non-padded balconette, as the shape is completely different: a shallow 1/2 cup with two vertical seams, but without the wide wires often found to accompany that style. The fit felt most like a cross between a Freya 1/2 cup and a Comexim plunge.

Lined with comfy soft fabric. No irritation.

 
 The padding was only slightly thicker than Freya's and Comexim's and the wires much lower than Freya's, but a little taller than Comexim's.

Wires.  Narrow, which is rare in a 1/2 cup. Soft/medium gauge. Medium-low; a perfect height for me. 

I get a very soft tack, less than I get with Comexim; far more than I get with Freya 1/2 cups.






Shape.  Very boosted and round. 
Very projected. 

Very similar to Comexim's. But I find it more comfy. In part, due to....

Straps.  Slightly wide, not too stretchy; they are doing their share of the work, but no more. I would choose this above Comexim or Parfait Casey for longer of hours of comfort. 

Compromises

  • Power mesh band
  • Shallowish cups
  • Non-versatile shape won't work under some clothes
  • Comfy-ish, but not truly full-out comfortable like the non-padded balconette style

When Do I Wear It?

When I would normally wear a T-shirt bra or a 1/2 cup, or I just want to wrap my boobs in opulent Baroque gorgeousness, just because. For say, 4 - 6 hours. The embroidery doesn't show under clothing, at least not to a degree that concerns me. 

Size:  38H  This fit me like a 38 G/GG in UK sizing. This style runs true in band size and one cup size large, in Euro sizing. So, while I would normally wear a Euro 38I, I was able to drop a cup size in this style. That's consistent with the cup size of the non-padded 3-section style, however that style also runs large in band.

Review: Gorsenia Sheilla, a padded 1/2 cup style

After my surprising success with my first attempt at Gorsenia, the very comfy Solange  a non-padded 3-part balconette, I wanted to try a padded style. 



Beauty

Opulent. From the satin luster to the swirling embroidery to the subtly detailed straps. Sheilla is stunning.








Comfort & Fit

Band.  Based on my experience with the fit of the Solange, I went down a band size, and kept the same cup. Unfortunately, the description did not specify that this bra has a power mesh band. I have always found them to run tighter than other fabrics, and this one does as well. So the 38 fits like a snug 38 in a UK brand like Curvy Kate or Panache. I don't care for mesh bands (or bras, really),  'power' mesh in particular, which is just a rougher fabric that I don't enjoy on my body. This mesh isn't worse than any other power mesh though, so it's not a deal-breaker, just not as comfy as the satin microfiber of its sister, Solange.

Cups.   I can't really compare it to the fit of the non-padded balconette, as the shape is completely different: a shallow 1/2 cup with two vertical seams, but without the wide wires often found to accompany that style. The fit felt most like a cross between a Freya 1/2 cup and a Comexim plunge.

Lined with comfy soft fabric. No irritation.

 
 The padding was only slightly thicker than Freya's and Comexim's and the wires much lower than Freya's, but a little taller than Comexim's.

Wires.  Narrow, which is rare in a 1/2 cup. Soft/medium gauge. Medium-low; a perfect height for me. 

I get a very soft tack, less than I get with Comexim; far more than I get with Freya 1/2 cups.






Shape.  Very boosted and round. 
Very projected. 

Very similar to Comexim's. But I find it more comfy. In part, due to....

Straps.  Slightly wide, not too stretchy; they are doing their share of the work, but no more. I would choose this above Comexim or Parfait Casey for longer of hours of comfort. 

Compromises

  • Power mesh band
  • Shallowish cups
  • Non-versatile shape won't work under some clothes
  • Comfy-ish, but not truly full-out comfortable like the non-padded balconette style

When Do I Wear It?

When I would normally wear a T-shirt bra or a 1/2 cup, or I just want to wrap my boobs in opulent Baroque gorgeousness, just because. For say, 4 - 6 hours. The embroidery doesn't show under clothing, at least not to a degree that concerns me. 

Size:  38H  This fit me like a 38 G/GG in UK sizing. This style runs true in band size and one cup size large, in Euro sizing. So, while I would normally wear a Euro 38I, I was able to drop a cup size in this style. That's consistent with the cup size of the non-padded 3-section style, however that style also runs large in band.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Review: Curvy Couture Cotton Luxe Unlined Wire Free Bra

Nutshell:  a potentially wonderful wirefree option, ruined by a single serious design flaw.





Note: these pics are more terrible than usual since they were taken during a 3 week period during which there was no sun, just endless rain and gray skies. Which makes me oddly perky. This climate is not for the faint of heart.

 Beauty 

It is actually quite pretty. The deep lace embellishment helps to break up the visual space, so it doesn't read as frumpy as it otherwise might. It also comes in a warm cream-beige, and a pale rose, which is difficult to find.

Comfort & Fit

Fabric.  Fabulous. A silky smooth cotton blend that feels like your favorite high thread count T-shirt sheets.

Band.  Runs snug, which is standard for the brand. I went up a band size and got a good fit. The band is covered in very soft satiny fabric, so the underbust area is non-irritating, which I really enjoyed. The uplift and shape are decent.


Cups.   I find Curvy Couture does not run particularly generous in the cup. They are shallow, whereas I need some depth, especially in the center. For an underwire, I would have gone up a cup, but in this wirefree style I had sufficient room. Still, even for a wirefree, the gore is really standing away from my chest.


Fatal Flaw

Straps.  Absolutely terrible. I can't imagine how this design ever seemed like a good idea - to anyone. I only wore the bra for 5 minutes - of deep discomfort - at the end of which I had deep, red grooves that took awhile to fade.

The straps are the type that have a ring connector. In this case, that ring is designed to sit right smack on top of the shoulder - you know, the place where ALL weight will be concentrated. But wait, that's not all. The fabric is doubled over, right next to the ring, forming a hideously uncomfortable wadded up, seamed knot of fabric. This wadded up knot and the metal ring beside it, are where all the pressure is concentrated. Digging into the top of your shoulders. 

I wish I was dexterous enough to get a pic from directly overhead, but this gives some idea.

When Do I Wear It?

Yeahhhhh. About a quarter past never. I returned this the same day. Which was a real disappointment as the fabric is wonderful and the underband so nicely designed. I just can't imagine how the idiotic strap (mis)design snuck in there.

Size:  42G  (I sister-sized from my usual US size of 38I. The 42 band fit like a regular 38 or a loose 40, so quite small. The cup runs 1/2 to a full cup size small.)

Review: Curvy Couture Cotton Luxe Unlined Wire Free Bra

Nutshell:  a potentially wonderful wirefree option, ruined by a single serious design flaw.





Note: these pics are more terrible than usual since they were taken during a 3 week period during which there was no sun, just endless rain and gray skies. Which makes me oddly perky. This climate is not for the faint of heart.

 Beauty 

It is actually quite pretty. The deep lace embellishment helps to break up the visual space, so it doesn't read as frumpy as it otherwise might. It also comes in a warm cream-beige, and a pale rose, which is difficult to find.

Comfort & Fit

Fabric.  Fabulous. A silky smooth cotton blend that feels like your favorite high thread count T-shirt sheets.

Band.  Runs snug, which is standard for the brand. I went up a band size and got a good fit. The band is covered in very soft satiny fabric, so the underbust area is non-irritating, which I really enjoyed. The uplift and shape are decent.


Cups.   I find Curvy Couture does not run particularly generous in the cup. They are shallow, whereas I need some depth, especially in the center. For an underwire, I would have gone up a cup, but in this wirefree style I had sufficient room. Still, even for a wirefree, the gore is really standing away from my chest.


Fatal Flaw

Straps.  Absolutely terrible. I can't imagine how this design ever seemed like a good idea - to anyone. I only wore the bra for 5 minutes - of deep discomfort - at the end of which I had deep, red grooves that took awhile to fade.

The straps are the type that have a ring connector. In this case, that ring is designed to sit right smack on top of the shoulder - you know, the place where ALL weight will be concentrated. But wait, that's not all. The fabric is doubled over, right next to the ring, forming a hideously uncomfortable wadded up, seamed knot of fabric. This wadded up knot and the metal ring beside it, are where all the pressure is concentrated. Digging into the top of your shoulders. 

I wish I was dexterous enough to get a pic from directly overhead, but this gives some idea.

When Do I Wear It?

Yeahhhhh. About a quarter past never. I returned this the same day. Which was a real disappointment as the fabric is wonderful and the underband so nicely designed. I just can't imagine how the idiotic strap (mis)design snuck in there.

Size:  42G  (I sister-sized from my usual US size of 38I. The 42 band fit like a regular 38 or a loose 40, so quite small. The cup runs 1/2 to a full cup size small.)

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Review: Gorsenia Solange

Gorsenia is a Polish brand with an aesthetic that is closer to Kris Line than Comexim. Solange is a non-padded balconette and they have 'semi-soft' (padded lower cup, mesh upper) and padded (1/2 cup shapes) as well.

Beauty


Deeply gorgeous. A lustrous misty-cloud grey satin with silvery embroidery that catches the light. 

Solange wowed the BF while drying on the line. (I always, always wash a bra before the first wear to remove any fabric starch and processing chemicals.)


 Comfort & Fit

BandStretchy & runs loose. This is sized nothing like ultra-tight Comexim, very tight Ewa Michalak, or snug US bands. It is a comfy non-mesh band with 3 hooks. It is arched under the gore, which makes it more comfy to sit in and doesn't put pressure on your diaphragm if that's something that bothers you.

Cups.  Very generous and very deep. Again, runs much larger than Comexim. I tried my usual Euro size of 40H and the cup was actually 1/2 to a full cup size large on me. The fabric is high quality and feels soft.

This is visible in the gapping on my smaller left side; though there is still slightly gapping on the larger side, it is not as visible. 

There is plenty of room for top and center fullness.

The mesh upper portion is a double layer, with a bit of give, but not stretch. The satin lower cup is very silky - not rough & 'laminated'. Yay!

Wires.  A little higher under the arm than I prefer, but this may be due to the cup size being a little too large for me. The wires are a softer gauge, like other Polish & Euro brands I've tried (exept Ewa) and they are narrow-medium width; just a smidge narrower than Natori, but not as narrow as Comexim


 
Tacking.   Unexpectedly, I am getting a perfect tack here: full, complete contact - including the top of the gore - that falls at a natural place between my boobs. It's more than a soft tack, but nothing like the harsh hard tack of a Panache or Tutti Rouge. It is perfect. And comfy. And oh so rare.

Something I get from very, very few brands. 




This means the gore is narrow, the wires are medium-narrow, and the cup is very deep. 


  
Shape.  Great!


Rounded, but not overly projected. 

Solange does not suffer from the pointy shape issues that can plague deep, seamed cup shapes.

The shape is like most Polish brands: centered, with boobs on the front of your chest. No arms bumping into the sides of your boobs a'la Panache.

The profile is lifted, but not overly boosted.  

Natural, not overly orb-like.
 
(The tag is on because I hadn't decided whether to return it for a cup size smaller. I opted to keep it for the one week of the month I experience a 1/2 cup size worth of swelling.)



Compromises

Stays.  There are the hated side stays, and they are not flexible & flat, but the rounded, thick type. But they were very easy to remove, i.e., not sewn into the band a'la Freya. 

EdgingThe edging beneath the wires is not the softest and tends to roll under a bit. Hopefully, it will soften a bit with each wash and even so, it is far softer than the La Isla bra, which has become quite wearable.

Straps.  The straps themselves are great: a smidge wider than average, and something between regular and restricted stretch. They are comfy and not taking on too much weight the way Comexim can. However, they are a bit too widely spaced - and I have broad shoulders, so... But I am reserving judgement until I try a band size down to see if it scales well and eliminates this issue.

When Do I Wear It?

Under pretty much anything. The shape is moderate and very versatile. Gorsenia is basically what Curvy Kate should be. Not just a great aesthetic, but a great shape. And at the far better price point of $30 on amazon. The brand is very promising for balanced or full-on-top boobs that like narrow wires and lots of projection.

Size:  40H  Which was basically a cup and a band size too large. I am trying a 38H next. The sizing is different from other Polish brands, and runs more generous in both cup and band. A good place to start is with your Euro size: go with the tighter band size you normally wear, and also go down a cup size. 

For instance, my usual Euro size is 38I (& I usually have to sister-size to the more commonly available 40H). So for Gorsenia, I would try a 38H. If you're trying to convert from your usual UK size, then either keep your normal band, or drop down one, & go up one cup. E.g. 38GG to a 38H

Update! 

After a second laundering, the underband scalloped edging is a non-issue. I have since worn Solange for an 11-hour day - longer than the usual 9 hours I wear an underwire, and she was extremely comfortable right up to the time I took her off. 

She provided very comfy support during PMS swelling, when my skin is at its most sensitive. I experienced no irritation from the materials during a mix of a long day at my desk followed by a mile of walking. 

This puts Gorsenia Solange into my top three bras: for comfort, she is #3, behind Natori Satin Fleur and the unbeatable Anita Twin. In price, Solange reigns supreme at $30 (the regular, non-sale price). In shape, she is #1, with the Anita a distant 3rd.  

Here is how she looks under clothing. For comparison, I'm wearing the Comexim under the same shirt, here: Comexim T under floaty top

  



 

Review: Gorsenia Solange

Gorsenia is a Polish brand with an aesthetic that is closer to Kris Line than Comexim. Solange is a non-padded balconette and they have 'semi-soft' (padded lower cup, mesh upper) and padded (1/2 cup shapes) as well.

Beauty


Deeply gorgeous. A lustrous misty-cloud grey satin with silvery embroidery that catches the light. 

Solange wowed the BF while drying on the line. (I always, always wash a bra before the first wear to remove any fabric starch and processing chemicals.)


 Comfort & Fit

BandStretchy & runs loose. This is sized nothing like ultra-tight Comexim, very tight Ewa Michalak, or snug US bands. It is a comfy non-mesh band with 3 hooks. It is arched under the gore, which makes it more comfy to sit in and doesn't put pressure on your diaphragm if that's something that bothers you.

Cups.  Very generous and very deep. Again, runs much larger than Comexim. I tried my usual Euro size of 40H and the cup was actually 1/2 to a full cup size large on me. The fabric is high quality and feels soft.

This is visible in the gapping on my smaller left side; though there is still slightly gapping on the larger side, it is not as visible. 

There is plenty of room for top and center fullness.

The mesh upper portion is a double layer, with a bit of give, but not stretch. The satin lower cup is very silky - not rough & 'laminated'. Yay!

Wires.  A little higher under the arm than I prefer, but this may be due to the cup size being a little too large for me. The wires are a softer gauge, like other Polish & Euro brands I've tried (exept Ewa) and they are narrow-medium width; just a smidge narrower than Natori, but not as narrow as Comexim


 
Tacking.   Unexpectedly, I am getting a perfect tack here: full, complete contact - including the top of the gore - that falls at a natural place between my boobs. It's more than a soft tack, but nothing like the harsh hard tack of a Panache or Tutti Rouge. It is perfect. And comfy. And oh so rare.

Something I get from very, very few brands. 




This means the gore is narrow, the wires are medium-narrow, and the cup is very deep. 


  
Shape.  Great!


Rounded, but not overly projected. 

Solange does not suffer from the pointy shape issues that can plague deep, seamed cup shapes.

The shape is like most Polish brands: centered, with boobs on the front of your chest. No arms bumping into the sides of your boobs a'la Panache.

The profile is lifted, but not overly boosted.  

Natural, not overly orb-like.
 
(The tag is on because I hadn't decided whether to return it for a cup size smaller. I opted to keep it for the one week of the month I experience a 1/2 cup size worth of swelling.)



Compromises

Stays.  There are the hated side stays, and they are not flexible & flat, but the rounded, thick type. But they were very easy to remove, i.e., not sewn into the band a'la Freya. 

EdgingThe edging beneath the wires is not the softest and tends to roll under a bit. Hopefully, it will soften a bit with each wash and even so, it is far softer than the La Isla bra, which has become quite wearable.

Straps.  The straps themselves are great: a smidge wider than average, and something between regular and restricted stretch. They are comfy and not taking on too much weight the way Comexim can. However, they are a bit too widely spaced - and I have broad shoulders, so... But I am reserving judgement until I try a band size down to see if it scales well and eliminates this issue.

When Do I Wear It?

Under pretty much anything. The shape is moderate and very versatile. Gorsenia is basically what Curvy Kate should be. Not just a great aesthetic, but a great shape. And at the far better price point of $30 on amazon. The brand is very promising for balanced or full-on-top boobs that like narrow wires and lots of projection.

Size:  40H  Which was basically a cup and a band size too large. I am trying a 38H next. The sizing is different from other Polish brands, and runs more generous in both cup and band. A good place to start is with your Euro size: go with the tighter band size you normally wear, and also go down a cup size. 

For instance, my usual Euro size is 38I (& I usually have to sister-size to the more commonly available 40H). So for Gorsenia, I would try a 38H. If you're trying to convert from your usual UK size, then either keep your normal band, or drop down one, & go up one cup. E.g. 38GG to a 38H

Update! 

After a second laundering, the underband scalloped edging is a non-issue. I have since worn Solange for an 11-hour day - longer than the usual 9 hours I wear an underwire, and she was extremely comfortable right up to the time I took her off. 

She provided very comfy support during PMS swelling, when my skin is at its most sensitive. I experienced no irritation from the materials during a mix of a long day at my desk followed by a mile of walking. 

This puts Gorsenia Solange into my top three bras: for comfort, she is #3, behind Natori Satin Fleur and the unbeatable Anita Twin. In price, Solange reigns supreme at $30 (the regular, non-sale price). In shape, she is #1, with the Anita a distant 3rd.  

Here is how she looks under clothing. For comparison, I'm wearing the Comexim under the same shirt, here: Comexim T under floaty top