Review: Comfort Choice Wireless Lace Bra(lette)

Nutshell:  a bralette with the actual structure for big boobs.

 Beauty

Cotton fabric with a sheer lace overlay and deeply pretty lace from the neckline all the way up the front of the straps.

The straps really look good peeking out, which they will often do because they are very center-pull.

It's harder to see the lace on this deep green colorway, in one band size larger.

Also, the fabric is thick enough to minimize show-through about on par with spacer foam. 

Comfort & Fit

Cups.   Plenty of capacity. They are soft, heavy-weight cotton knit, and have just a moderate amount of stretch. Though V-shaped, they do not cut into my upper boob. They are meant for a balanced shape, though.

Straps.   Flawless! How often do you hear me say that? They really got these right. The straps are obviously expecting big boobs, so they are wide, flat, well-centered, with some stretch. And they are extremely pretty. When they peek out, it looks like you're wearing a camisole with a gorgeous V-neck.

Band.  Not impressed. It consists of a 1" strip of elastic. That's it. The same kind you find in the waistband of some brands of men's boxer-briefs. But just....bare elastic; without even that softish flocking on the inside. WTW? My husband won't buy men's brands with this feature; he dislikes it for the same reason I do. Why they did not cover this in fabric, for both comfort and looks, I have no clue. It's really out of place with the rest of the design, which has great detailing with the straps & lace overlay. 

Shape.   Surprisingly minimized. The cotton fabric is not super-stretchy, so you do get quite a bit of rounded flattening.

40DDD

 

42DDD

 

Minimized!

Compromises

Side Seams.  I did not except these unwelcome seams -but not as much as I did not expect that bizarre band. They are large and very raised. Not as horrific as the honkers in the Target Curvy Studio Bralette but they are the same type, and in 2nd place. The sides are quite tall and after 4-6 hours, this seam is starting to annoy me. Before that, I'm aware of it. This is the biggest issue for me, far more so than the poorly designed bare elastic band.

Band.  The design is just silly. Not really supportive, just annoying. There are 3 hooks, at least.

Uniboob.  It might look like I'm getting a little separation here. Uh, no. There is zero. Less than the other wireless bras I've mentioned, though separation is quite minimal in any wirefree bra. But this is definitely more bralette than bra. Your boobs will be in very close company. And the bralette kinda creeps down over time, so there will be a whole lot more cleavage then. The shape you get is not really wide, though, as the cups are thick. And oddly, the shape you see under clothing is not at all a boob loaf. So it won't look like you have a uniboob - but it will definitely feel like it.

When Do I Wear It?

I'm more likely to wear this to work than for lounging at home. The minimized shape is really useful for tops with structure and limited boob room. It is not my holy grail for bralette comfort, but it is certainly one you can wear out of the house because it gives a very acceptable shape. The irritating side seams keep this from being a truly comfy bra/lette for me. If you don't have sensitive skin, or are not bothered by thick, raised seams, this is a great choice for some actual support and comfort during travel. 

Sizing. 40DDD(F)  Sizing runs very large (even for the brand) in both band and cup, but especially band. 

I first tried a 42DDD because that is usually my size in Comfort Choice. Since their bands run tight (even when you allow for their +4 system of adding 4" to your own measurement) this size fits me like a 38GG. However, in this style the band runs very, very large. I dropped one band size, which gave me the correct cup size, but the band is still quite loose, even on the middle hook. It really doesn't affect support, which demonstrates how silly that flimsy bare elastic band is; clearly, most of your support is coming from the thicker cup fabric and those beautifully designed straps. 

It's difficult to give sizing advice that is not confusing, so the simplest way: Take your US/Euro size, in my case, 40H, and then drop 2 cup sizes, e.g. to a 40DDD/F which will give you a looser, comfy bralette fit. For a more supportive bra-type fit, try dropping 1 band size & 1 cup size, e.g from a 40H to a 38G.

In UK sizing:  Keep your band and drop a cup. (Straight across; don't try to convert back and forth between US/UK or use 1/2 cups). E.g. From 40G to 38G.