Friday, April 29, 2016

Natori Pure Allure Attempt #3 (we have a winner!)

So I have chronicled my never-say-die attempts at this style in the new Natori:  Attempt #1   and,  Attempt #2

And here, finally, I achieve a decent fit. The good news is that the new Natoris appear to be quite consistent in their sizing (recap: keep your cup size, drop a band size). 

But first, let me just go off topic for this public service announcement. Because bears. Also, because where else but in Alaska would the term SOB be used, in an official capacity - & without irony - as the agreed upon name for the State Office Building:

Yes, I know it's crooked. No, I can't do better on a Monday a.m.
 That's currently posted in the elevator of my office building. Anyhoo, now that you have all shared in my morning elevator ride to work, back to Pure Allure.

Comfort 

Here is the pic of the fit I get in the 38H. Irony: to get the best fit, I was forced to get .... beige. I seriously dislike beige, and it was only my desperate need for a T-shirt bra alternative for thin summer knits - & utter failure to score any other color on sale, even in sister-sizes - that made me break down and buy this bland beige.



It's pretty comfy. Far more so than a thickly padded T-shirt bra. The padding is very thin; I'm guessing 1/8" as opposed to 1/4" standard padded bra. I did not overheat and the fabric moved with me. 

Cups.   A surprisingly friendly shape to full-on-tops. Though I don't think it would prove unfriendly to full-on-bottoms; there's no tendency toward gaping, and no cutting in either. A very universal shape, actually, with quite a bit of depth.

Wires.  Very low. A good inch (or more) lower than Natori's Satin Fleur. In fact, almost as low as the Fantasie Esme, which has the lowest wires in the history of ever. This is a good thing for me. It does give a different kind of support; it cradles, supporting from the bottom, rather than encasing, corralling from the sides. I like that, but it's a preference. The shape is also narrow, so the front and center shaping remains.

Much of the discomfort I experience with bras comes from the outer wire hitting pressure points, or digging; sometimes due to height, but often simply from rigidity or shape. The casing of Natori is better than Fantasie's, so I don't experience any dig-in or pressure of the wire tip through the casing. 

Tack.  This is the best tack I've ever gotten from Natori. A very nice soft tack, under 1/2" float. Partially due to the perfect height of the low gore, but also because the cup has  more room for upper and inner fullness than any other style I've tried in the brand. 

Compromises

Straps.  It's a bit of a flaw in Natori's design decision-making that none of the new styles have restricted-stretch straps. It's really a no-brainer in F-cup and up.  I am aware of the feel of the straps because they are taking on slightly more weight than they should, solely because the decision was made not to use restricted-stretch. I really hope they rethink this in future styles. The straps could still remain on the narrow side but would disperse weight across the shoulders better. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a flaw that could have been easily avoided. 

Band.   The power mesh is not especially soft, and is no firmer or more supportive than previous iterations in a softer mesh. 

When Will I Wear It?

Any time I would wear a T-shirt bra. For me, that means only under very thin or clingy knits. Think modal fabric. Or, under high necklines, when I want to avoid the awkward shape a too-boosted balconette can give. 


Size:  38H  (consistent across all styles I've tried in new Natori, so that's nice)

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