Review: Cacique True Embrace Unlined Full Coverage Bra

We've had a rare heatwave - hey, 80F is actually pretty hot in a humid rainforest where summer averages 60F and A/C doesn't exist. So I dug out the three very thin cotton T-shirts I own, which exposed a big fat, skin-toned, T-shirt bra shaped hole in my bra-drobe. The Rosme Delicate Lace Misterious Rose works beautifully as my T-shirt bra under medium-to-dark colored tops, but not under light hues. At all. As I found out when I walked into the Ladies' at my office, with its helpfully blazing fluorescent lighting, and realized it was completely visible under the coral top I was wearing. Luckily, I have no contact with the public, so my co-worker & I just had a good laugh.

Cacique is a brand by Lane Bryant and they've really expanded their offerings in recent years, so I decided to give them a try. Although they are a 'plus' size range, unlike say, Elomi, their fit is actually more oriented to big boobs than plus sized. Their sizing runs from 36-46 C-H. However, bands run snug, cups large, so the effective size range is 32-42 D-I. 

 Cacique True Embrace  

(I opted for the non-T-shirt, 'unlined' style, which actually is lined).

 Beauty

Simple, sleek, pretty. 

The fabric has an interesting heathery shimmer. The bra completely disappears under thin knits. There is a nice bronzy-beige, but my size was not in stock, so I opted for this graphite gray. So, technically, that skin-tone hole is still in my wardrobe. 

Comfort & Fit

Cups.  This bra has the same cup construction as my previous favorite T-shirt bra. Like that bra, made (& sadly discontinued) by Triumph, the cups are a thick, 2-layer, knit fabric that is slightly stretchy and very supportive. This provides plenty of nippie camouflage for me and is much lighter than a foam-dome style. The cups are intended for balanced shapes but are only lightly molded and will conform well to all shapes. The top edge is smooth and not restricted, so it effortlessly shaped to my full-on-tops. On me, the medium-width gore soft tacks; on other shapes it will likely fit flush.

Wires.  I'm not as thrilled with these. They are a heavier gauge than I prefer -less thick & rigid than Elomi or Panache, but more so than Polish brands. They are also higher than I like. The thick casing does provide slight cushioning, but unfortunately, they did not continue the soft microfiber fabric on the inside so after a few hours, the thicker wire casing at the gore caused irritation. Wires are medium width, definitely not wide, which was a nice surprise, and another indicator that the brand is more full-bust than plus-size friendly. 

Band.  There's good and bad news here, and all of it comes down to personal preference. Some will love the very features that I don't care for. Such as the way the soft microfiber fabric of the band is lined with power-mesh, making it very stable (this thing will never stretch out). Together with the tall height of the band, it makes for a more restrictive fit than I like, especially when sitting. But if you like that type of support it does give a very smooth, lump 'n bump free line. But for me, a tall, firm band often equals chafing and irritation. I was comfy for the first 6 hours of my day, but then I was very ready to take it off. Next time, I will consider going up a band size (& down a cup) which will also drop the wire height slightly.

Shape.  Definitely T-shirt style, i.e. round and wide-ish. Shirts drape nicely, with only moderate projection.

Straps.  Nicely done. Very light padding, but on the narrow side, and I had plenty of room, so they are tall-friendly.

When Do I Wear It?

Under very thin, clingy knits when a disappearing T-shirt bra is truly called for. It does cause less boob-tenting than the less-round, more boosted, thin-foam Natori Pure Allure. And far less projection than the oblong shape of the thick-foamed Parfait Casey. 

Sizing:  40G (US)  This fits me like a (very snug) UK 38GG. This is my usual size in US brands, where, as I've mentioned many times, it's a reliable rule that bands run tight, and cups large. Rather than converting your size from UK to US, I'd suggest taking your usual UK size and sister-sizing one. E.g. If you are a UK 34H, then a 36G would likely be your size in this brand.