Review: Delmira Smooth Seamless Minimizer

Yeah, so, I don't like minimizer styles. I'm just not a fan of the smooshed-down, wide, flattened look/feel they generally give. Except when I am. 

Minimizers are way more popular in the U.S. than elsewhere; I'm not sure why. Best guess: mass market clothing options are designed to fit a C-cup or so and the purpose of minimizers is to reduce bust projection, generally around 1-3". That can make the crucial difference for crowbarring yourself into, for example, a traditional button-down shirt, or a non-stretch fabric. The other time this style is useful? PMS tenderness and swelling.

Beauty

We're skipping this category because minimizers are utilitarian, and the way they are designed to fit doesn't really lend itself to beauty of shape or form. The best you can hope for is some color.

Delmira Smooth Seamless Minimizer

This is a version of the Bali Passion Minimizer, an extremely popular bra. (I know - it is hilariously misnamed.)  It also reminds me a great deal of the prettier Lilyette Keyhole Plunge Minimizer, a bra I loved 10 years ago, when I was a 36F and a 38DDD was a good fit. (However, they changed to a cheaper, scratchy fabric some years ago.) Luckily, Delmira sizing runs well beyond that.

Lilyette Plunge Into Comfort Keyhole Minimizer

Comfort

Fabric.  This is where the majority of the comfort comes from: silky nylon with a high spandex content that gives lots of stretch. Because the fabric is substantial, there is no bounce. Together, these are very comforting if you have swelling and tenderness.

Wires.  Flexible, foam-wrapped and sandwiched between the fabric layers. This style always gives a ridiculous level of comfort - & is ridiculously rare. I find it incredibly annoying that cushioned wires are not standard on bras. Especially large cup sizes.  These wires are so soothing at PMS time as they can flex and adjust to size fluctuation without any digging.

Cups.   Yep, this is really how the style is supposed to fit. You can see it on the model above, too. That space at the bottom of the cup is part of the minimizing fit.

The wires are wider than necessary, combined with a flat section just above the wire, and an elongated cup shape. All together, this acts to redistribute boob  tissue vertically while also holding the boob close to the chest. Result: reduced projection; in my case, by about 2".

Shape.  Because the wires are medium-width, not hugely wide as some minimizer styles can be, you don't get a wide, flattened shape from the front, which is a nice plus.

Gore.  I've never heard of a gore that tacks in a minimizer style. That would defeat the purpose of reducing and softening projection. It is going to float, in my case, quite a lot, and it's supposed to.

When Do I Wear It?

Specifically, under this top. That is the entire reason I bought it.

This top has an empire waist and there is a seam right below the (neither stretchy, nor especially generous) bustline. Without a minimizer bra, that seam would creep up and be sitting right across my boobs, rather than beneath them, rendering the top completely unwearable. With one, however, the top fits as it is meant to. 

Size:  40F  (this is my size in all Delmira I've tried, so they are very consistent). Fits like a UK 40G or Euro 40H. 

Price point: under $20