Sunday, November 26, 2017

Review: Wacoal Women's How Perfect Full Figure Wire-Free Bra

Wacoal is not really one of my favorites - with the exception of the few styles that have the glorious foam-wrapped underwires - but in my quest for more wire-free options (that can be worn outside the house) I gave the How Perfect a try. 


The details are always tougher to see in a black colorway, so here's a view of the dreaded beige (which you know I did not buy, hah):
 https://images.prod.meredith.com/product/f2f0f4e0d2e5c3a7926b9c67c69ce88d/1503129462599/l/wacoal-womens-how-perfect-full-figure-wire-free-bra-naturally-nude-38ddd

It's quite plain, but the crossover style is 'faux', so there is no gaping or possibility for boobs to make like escape artists. 

Comfort & Fit

Fabric.  A very thick, smooth microfiber, with -unfortunately- only a small amount of stretch.

Cups.   Due to the lack of stretch in the fabric, the cups really have reduced capacity. 


And very little ability to mold to your shape. 




The top of the cup is surprisingly closed and is definitely cutting in on the top.




There's also a whole lotta uniboob smooshing going on.


And forcing of my full-on-top shape into a  downward ski-slope droop.





Shape.   Pretty lackluster, though not terrible. 



It's kind of compressing the boobs in from the sides, rather than lifting from the bottom.












Dealbreakers


Side Stays. They are the thick clunkers and oddly taller than the sides of the cups, so they are decidedly digg-y.


 
Straps.  It's not the straps themselves -those are actually nice and wide and fairly soft. No. It's the slider which is just obnoxious:

I tried to balance it over the curve of my hand, to give an idea of how it lays against the skin of your back, and for scale.

So you can see just how big this honker is. 

The sharp edges of that huge metal slider extend well past the strap...and cut right into my back. 

Even when I was just standing still.





When Do I Wear it?

You guessed it. Never. I really can't see who this style might work for. My back is not super fleshy, and has a fair bit of muscle, i.e. the straps are not sinking into any fluffy bits. Yet, due to the size of the sliders, they are still cutting into my skin and highly irritating. If you do have a bit more fluff on your back, then I imagine this issue would only be exacerbated. But if you don't have sensitive skin, and you are a shallow, full-on-bottom shape, this could be a workable wireless option with decent shaping. Full price is around $55.
Size: 42DDD (fits like a UK 38FF)

Review: Wacoal Women's How Perfect Full Figure Wire-Free Bra

Wacoal is not really one of my favorites - with the exception of the few styles that have the glorious foam-wrapped underwires - but in my quest for more wire-free options (that can be worn outside the house) I gave the How Perfect a try. 


The details are always tougher to see in a black colorway, so here's a view of the dreaded beige (which you know I did not buy, hah):
 https://images.prod.meredith.com/product/f2f0f4e0d2e5c3a7926b9c67c69ce88d/1503129462599/l/wacoal-womens-how-perfect-full-figure-wire-free-bra-naturally-nude-38ddd

It's quite plain, but the crossover style is 'faux', so there is no gaping or possibility for boobs to make like escape artists. 

Comfort & Fit

Fabric.  A very thick, smooth microfiber, with -unfortunately- only a small amount of stretch.

Cups.   Due to the lack of stretch in the fabric, the cups really have reduced capacity. 


And very little ability to mold to your shape. 




The top of the cup is surprisingly closed and is definitely cutting in on the top.




There's also a whole lotta uniboob smooshing going on.


And forcing of my full-on-top shape into a  downward ski-slope droop.





Shape.   Pretty lackluster, though not terrible. 



It's kind of compressing the boobs in from the sides, rather than lifting from the bottom.












Dealbreakers


Side Stays. They are the thick clunkers and oddly taller than the sides of the cups, so they are decidedly digg-y.


 
Straps.  It's not the straps themselves -those are actually nice and wide and fairly soft. No. It's the slider which is just obnoxious:

I tried to balance it over the curve of my hand, to give an idea of how it lays against the skin of your back, and for scale.

So you can see just how big this honker is. 

The sharp edges of that huge metal slider extend well past the strap...and cut right into my back. 

Even when I was just standing still.





When Do I Wear it?

You guessed it. Never. I really can't see who this style might work for. My back is not super fleshy, and has a fair bit of muscle, i.e. the straps are not sinking into any fluffy bits. Yet, due to the size of the sliders, they are still cutting into my skin and highly irritating. If you do have a bit more fluff on your back, then I imagine this issue would only be exacerbated. But if you don't have sensitive skin, and you are a shallow, full-on-bottom shape, this could be a workable wireless option with decent shaping. Full price is around $55.
Size: 42DDD (fits like a UK 38FF)

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Review: Rosme Rosabel

Because I quite liked the Mona as a practical, versatile, lightweight work bra, I decided to try another style, making sure this time that it contained stretch lace, to avoid another debacle like the Annija

Here is how Rosme describes the Rosabel collection:
Soft romantic collection in a colour of a light pink marshmallow. Combination of Italian base material and elastic laces makes this collection unbelievably light and elegant.

Beauty

I was looking for a light-colored neutral - which for me is not the same as beige. And the colorway of Rosabel functions very well for that: a delicate pale blue base, with the lace and pattern detailing in a shade that is referred to as 'marshmallow pink', which is a very pale -barely there- ballet pink. I find it pretty, subtle, and on the elegant, rather than kitschy, side.

None of my winter-lighting pics can show this colorway accurately, so here is one that does:
Image result for rosme Rosabel


Comfort  & Fit

Wires.  Pretty perfect. Nice and low, in a straight Euro 'U' shape, with no winging UK swoop toward the sides. Medium-narrow and light-medium gauge.

Fabric.  There is good and bad news here. The lower cup is lined in a soft knit fabric, which is very comfy and supportive. The lace upper cup is meh, not the softest, but not the worst, either; just average stretch lace. The edging along the band is not soft; that may soften with repeated washings...or it may not.

Cups.  Quite deep. Less so than Gorsenia, but more deep and narrow -& certainly lower at the side- than any UK brands I've encountered. The lace has lots of stretch, and is a medium-weight, so plenty sturdy, with very good shape retention I.e. it plays nice with full-on-top boobs, but should not gape on full-on-bottoms.



Band.  There are some problems. Worst of all is the actual clasp -which is only 2 hooks, as with every Rosme I've tried. But's it's the fabric edges of the clasp and hooks that are incredibly sharp and highly irritating; it actually feels scratchy against the skin. This was not the case on the other Rosme's I tried. It was irritating enough that I tucked a folded tissue beneath the clasp to protect my skin. 

Straps.  Average. They are a bit wider in my size, so less thin than they appear in the first pic. They are comfortable enough and do not dig in. There is a semi-padded version as well, and that appears to have the wider strap style.

Shape.  Better than Annija. A little more rounded and the seams lay flatter and are not visible under knits.


When Do I Wear It?

To work, mainly. I appreciate the lightweight fabrics in an overheated office, as well as the moderate shape, low wire height, and (with the exception of the clasp) reasonable comfort. All at a price point under $30. 
Size: 40H (fits like a UK 40G or 38GG and a Euro 38I)

Review: Rosme Rosabel

Because I quite liked the Mona as a practical, versatile, lightweight work bra, I decided to try another style, making sure this time that it contained stretch lace, to avoid another debacle like the Annija

Here is how Rosme describes the Rosabel collection:
Soft romantic collection in a colour of a light pink marshmallow. Combination of Italian base material and elastic laces makes this collection unbelievably light and elegant.

Beauty

I was looking for a light-colored neutral - which for me is not the same as beige. And the colorway of Rosabel functions very well for that: a delicate pale blue base, with the lace and pattern detailing in a shade that is referred to as 'marshmallow pink', which is a very pale -barely there- ballet pink. I find it pretty, subtle, and on the elegant, rather than kitschy, side.

None of my winter-lighting pics can show this colorway accurately, so here is one that does:
Image result for rosme Rosabel


Comfort  & Fit

Wires.  Pretty perfect. Nice and low, in a straight Euro 'U' shape, with no winging UK swoop toward the sides. Medium-narrow and light-medium gauge.

Fabric.  There is good and bad news here. The lower cup is lined in a soft knit fabric, which is very comfy and supportive. The lace upper cup is meh, not the softest, but not the worst, either; just average stretch lace. The edging along the band is not soft; that may soften with repeated washings...or it may not.

Cups.  Quite deep. Less so than Gorsenia, but more deep and narrow -& certainly lower at the side- than any UK brands I've encountered. The lace has lots of stretch, and is a medium-weight, so plenty sturdy, with very good shape retention I.e. it plays nice with full-on-top boobs, but should not gape on full-on-bottoms.



Band.  There are some problems. Worst of all is the actual clasp -which is only 2 hooks, as with every Rosme I've tried. But's it's the fabric edges of the clasp and hooks that are incredibly sharp and highly irritating; it actually feels scratchy against the skin. This was not the case on the other Rosme's I tried. It was irritating enough that I tucked a folded tissue beneath the clasp to protect my skin. 

Straps.  Average. They are a bit wider in my size, so less thin than they appear in the first pic. They are comfortable enough and do not dig in. There is a semi-padded version as well, and that appears to have the wider strap style.

Shape.  Better than Annija. A little more rounded and the seams lay flatter and are not visible under knits.


When Do I Wear It?

To work, mainly. I appreciate the lightweight fabrics in an overheated office, as well as the moderate shape, low wire height, and (with the exception of the clasp) reasonable comfort. All at a price point under $30. 
Size: 40H (fits like a UK 40G or 38GG and a Euro 38I)