Saturday, July 2, 2016

Review: Comexim Basic T-shirt Bra

Nutshell: This is a very surprising bra, but not my holy grail.

I have it in two sizes: Beige in 40H (which is a cup size too small) and Bronze in 40HH. Let's analyze:

Beauty

This style is very plain. The only element of beauty is in the satiny lustre, I mean luster of the fabric. (Three years of living in the UK still pops out at odd times, even 20 years later, like when I say 'hy-dranj-ya' instead of 'hy-drain-geeya') 

40H
40HH

 Comfort & Fit

Cups.  Cotton-lined, which is an unusual find. Now, the cotton is not particularly soft - far less so than the linings of the Parfait Casey or the Natori Pure Allure - but it is breathable. It is lightly padded: a bit more than Pure Allure, but far less than Deco or Casey. There is serious projection here, and plenty of room for a full-on-top shape, yet also slightly compact. Yeah, I know - projected...yet compact. This is odd magic. The cups are not too tall, which I really appreciate since I am high-set.


Straps.  Very average and not restricted stretch, which allows a bit of bounce.

Gore.  This is a plunge, and is intended to soft-tack. So the gore causes no issues for close-set boobs.


Wires.   Very narrow indeed. On the flexible side. And wonderfully low. More narrow than Natori, which is medium-to-narrow.  


And definitely more narrow than Ewa Michalak. There is basically zero danger of any armpit-stabbing or side-wire chafing. 

I really enjoyed having my boob sovereignty respected by allowing them to remain where they belong, which is: completely on the front of my chest. I am not a believer in 'tissue migration'.

I am pretty clear on tissue that is boob vs tissue that is, er, fluffy bits. I have no wish to corral side-chub into the cup. I prefer it to remain in its homeland: my back and sides. I just want boob in my cups. 

But that's me. If you feel differently, or are shaped differently, Comexim is probably not your brand. 




Band.   OK. Describing the band as 'running tight' is the equivalent of saying my hair is 'slightly wavy'. Uh, no. The sizing of the band bears no relationship to actual measurements in our dimensional universe. This 40" band does not even come close to stretching to 36 actual inches. When I say I need an extender with this bra, I don't mean I need a standard non-stretch version that adds an extra 2", such as I would wear with a Cleo. Noooo. I mean I require a full-on 3" extender - complete with a large elastic inset - and even then, I can only fasten it on the loosest hook. I don't think even a 42 band would allow me to actually close the bra. Perhaps a 44.....maybe.

Shape.  Gorgeous. Truly. Because the cups are so projected and front-and-center, I feared a serious jacked-up boob tent effect under loose, flowy tops. But that is not what happened. At all. Here is the bra under two very different fabrics:

A loose airy open-weave knit, with a very floaty, open shape:
 Yeah, I don't know how they accomplished that, either.




And tight-weave knit with a draped, boxy silhouette:


Compromises

OK, this one makes me sad. It stops this Comexim from being a full day of comfort bra, and relegates it to a special occasion bra.

Underband.  This is not a bandless style, but the underband is very minimal. Due to the projected shape of the cups, and the non-restricted stretch straps, the full weight of the bust is suspended like a shelf - centered directly above the underband. And it simply doesn't have enough structure to take the weight comfortably, so distributes a lot of it to the bottom of the wires. Basically, the effect is the same as a heavy wall shelf suspended by two small horizontal braces, rather than L-brackets. To be fair, I am at the upper edge of their size range, so if you are below say, a UK 36F, this may not even be an issue for you.

When Do I Wear It?

When I want the girls to look their best under flowy tops or very low necklines. Formal wear or a special occasion. The bra is a lot more comfortable for standing than sitting. So while it would give the perfect look for the opera or symphony, I would hesitate to wear it to a much longer event like a protracted wedding, unless I was going to spend a lot of time standing or dancing.
Size: 40HH (true size more like a 42H)

2 comments:

  1. It gives a great shape under clothing!!

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  2. Right?! I was really surprised by that. I expected an awkward boob tent a'la Cleo. They do make a long-line, which is not an intuitive choice for me, being short-waisted. But it may be that it solves the structure issue.

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