Review: Glamorise Elegance Underwire Lace Bra

Although I've had mixed results with this brand, I hate to give up on it because the cushioned wires (Wonderwire) is such a wonderful -& inexplicably rare- feature in large cup bras. This Elegance is a completely different style to the Front-Close Elegance I tried, which had a very pointy shape and a very different fit.

Beauty

I think this is my favorite look of the Glamorise styles I've tried. The colorway is Lilac, which is a muted periwinkle/gray -much less gray than it appears here- that works beautifully as a softer alternative to black.

 

The 'lace' in the name is not accurate. The fabric is a double-layer trellis patterned mesh that is semi-sheer; together with the sheer gore it reads lighter on the body and allows your skin tone to show through a bit. The periwinkle trim and bows give a subtle splash of color. The quality is moderately high, especially for $35.

Comfort

Overall, it is a moderately comfy bra. But the fabric choices keep it from being a very comfy bra.

Fabric.  Double-mesh cups. Mesh is never a fave choice for me as I just find that it is more prone to chafing issues than other fabrics. However, this is a very soft mesh and so that didn't cause problems, but I would have preferred a single layer mesh in the top cup, which would allow for a bit of stretch. Better still, some actual stretch lace would have been welcome.

Band.  A lovely soft microfiber fabric. I wish the cups had been made of this fabric. The difference in comfort between this and a crappy power mesh is really evident. This is one of the comfier bands I've tried lately. Standard 3-hooks, well spaced. There is also picot trim, which is almost always simply irritating & I wish designers would just knock it off already. Freya and Fantasie do this a lot. Luckily, the picot edging beneath the cups flips up almost immediately and stays that way. See pic below.

Wires.  The Wonderwire is a great idea, but not very well executed. Instead of the (extremely comfy) foam-wrapped wires completely encased in soft fabric, such as Wacoal uses, Glamorise uses a padded flap that covers the wire. 

Unfortunately, the edging of the fabric -which is satin, and therefore soft- creates a seamed piped edging where there really doesn't need to be one; this sits directly against the sensitive underboob and is simply not as comfy as a fully encased wire. Also, 'padded' is not the same as foam; it's nice, but it's not blissful, and much of the comfort is off-set by that piped edging on the flaps and the picot edging beneath.

Fit & Shape

Cups.   These fit quite well, and though they are meant for a balanced shape they do not cut in on top. They are little higher at the sides than I prefer, so sometimes I am aware of the extra fabric there. 

Sizing.  This runs a little larger in cup & band than their bandless styles. I originally tried a 42G, which should equate to a UK 38GG, but actually fit me like a 40GG/H. I even had extra room in the top of the cup, which is unusual for me; a FOB shape would definitely need to size down.

Shape.   Profile shape is not the greatest, especially in the larger size, 42G. You can also see the extra armpit fabric, which is usually a UK style problem.

 And in the 40G.

Some of this is due to the non-stretch fabric and the fact that I'm FOT. But the top seam placement also does not promote a rounded shape.

When Do I Wear It?

Under clothing, the shape is better than you'd expect, especially from the front. It also gives a 'locked & loaded' feel that is not constrictive; it does not feel like a lotta bra, and is fairly comfy for a full day. So this is a good work bra when I want a secure, bounceless fit. I often reach for it when I want to wear a flowy sleeveless top with a cardigan, a combo which will soften the profile shape anyway. 
Size:  40G