Review: N by Natori Truly Soft Bra

I've been buying up some of the old N by Natori styles that will never come again. While I've found two of the new styles that I like very much,  Satin Fleur and Pure Allure, and they will definitely become staples, I still like much about the 'less bra' aesthetic of the old iteration of Natori.

The truly soft bra is a wire-free cami-bra. A very useful style for tops that would simply be a lowish neckline on a B-cup, but on a GG bust - and high set, at that - are basically indecent. Seriously, I find that annoying. My roots begin only 2" below my collarbone; I can show cleavage in anything but a turtleneck. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But for work, especially in my former job when I was often the only woman present, I prefer to be able to remove cleavage from the equation.

Beauty 

Here is how it looks under a top that would have otherwise been completely unwearable for me. 

That line down the center that I thought was an odd design choice is actually pretty genius. It's there to hide the line of cleavage that would otherwise be totally visible

  

And close up, you can see just how high my cleavage actually begins, right at the top of the bra.

The lace is a rose pattern, but the center line detracts from it quite a bit. But it was quite effective at camouflaging the cleavage shadow. You'd have to be pretty close up - and staring from this height - to see it.

Comfort

Not bad, but not as comfy as I'd hoped, either. 

Fabric.  It is indeed very soft. I experienced no irritation at all on that front.

 The sides come up quite high, but the fabric is non-mesh, so it is smooth against the skin.

The lace is a V-shape so it doesn't cut across the boob and the seam that joins it is flat.

There is no side sling; the sides are molded and the fabric here is thicker. It does a good job of keeping the shape forward and centered.

Compromises

 There are quite a few, I'm afraid.

Side Stays.  I dislike them at the best of times, but these really did not work for me. 
 
They are fairly soft, but very, very tall. 
  
You can see the beginning of what is going to happen a few hours later:  they are going to end up bent into a 'J' shape, with the bottom of the stay flipping up and out, away from my body. Which was far more comfortable, but ridiculous. There is no need for 5" side stays in the first place in a band this tall and stable.

I will be removing the side stays before the next wearing of this bra.  

Straps.  Another style that is not restricted stretch.  While not as wide as they should be, they do have an interesting feature: the underside has a polka dot velvety pattern, making shoulder slip a non-issue. Not really necessary, as these are not wide-set straps at all.

Coverage.  As with virtually all wire-free bras, you are not going to get any separation, and over the course of the day, I do get cleavage-creep. Being full-on-top increases that, so I do need to re-arrange several times a day when I feel the rise of double-bubble.

When Will I Wear It?

With lower cut tops where I would otherwise need to wear a 1/2 cami. Sometimes, you just don't want even a partial additional layer. Though for complete comfort and coverage, I'd opt for the 1/2 cami with a non-padded wired bra instead.  

Size:  40H   This is the old Natori sizing, so the band is plenty snug, and runs a full size smaller than the new styles.  

Review: N by Natori Truly Soft Bra

I've been buying up some of the old N by Natori styles that will never come again. While I've found two of the new styles that I like very much,  Satin Fleur and Pure Allure, and they will definitely become staples, I still like much about the 'less bra' aesthetic of the old iteration of Natori.

The truly soft bra is a wire-free cami-bra. A very useful style for tops that would simply be a lowish neckline on a B-cup, but on a GG bust - and high set, at that - are basically indecent. Seriously, I find that annoying. My roots begin only 2" below my collarbone; I can show cleavage in anything but a turtleneck. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But for work, especially in my former job when I was often the only woman present, I prefer to be able to remove cleavage from the equation.

Beauty 

Here is how it looks under a top that would have otherwise been completely unwearable for me. 

That line down the center that I thought was an odd design choice is actually pretty genius. It's there to hide the line of cleavage that would otherwise be totally visible

  

And close up, you can see just how high my cleavage actually begins, right at the top of the bra.

The lace is a rose pattern, but the center line detracts from it quite a bit. But it was quite effective at camouflaging the cleavage shadow. You'd have to be pretty close up - and staring from this height - to see it.

Comfort

Not bad, but not as comfy as I'd hoped, either. 

Fabric.  It is indeed very soft. I experienced no irritation at all on that front.

 The sides come up quite high, but the fabric is non-mesh, so it is smooth against the skin.

The lace is a V-shape so it doesn't cut across the boob and the seam that joins it is flat.

There is no side sling; the sides are molded and the fabric here is thicker. It does a good job of keeping the shape forward and centered.

Compromises

 There are quite a few, I'm afraid.

Side Stays.  I dislike them at the best of times, but these really did not work for me. 
 
They are fairly soft, but very, very tall. 
  
You can see the beginning of what is going to happen a few hours later:  they are going to end up bent into a 'J' shape, with the bottom of the stay flipping up and out, away from my body. Which was far more comfortable, but ridiculous. There is no need for 5" side stays in the first place in a band this tall and stable.

I will be removing the side stays before the next wearing of this bra.  

Straps.  Another style that is not restricted stretch.  While not as wide as they should be, they do have an interesting feature: the underside has a polka dot velvety pattern, making shoulder slip a non-issue. Not really necessary, as these are not wide-set straps at all.

Coverage.  As with virtually all wire-free bras, you are not going to get any separation, and over the course of the day, I do get cleavage-creep. Being full-on-top increases that, so I do need to re-arrange several times a day when I feel the rise of double-bubble.

When Will I Wear It?

With lower cut tops where I would otherwise need to wear a 1/2 cami. Sometimes, you just don't want even a partial additional layer. Though for complete comfort and coverage, I'd opt for the 1/2 cami with a non-padded wired bra instead.  

Size:  40H   This is the old Natori sizing, so the band is plenty snug, and runs a full size smaller than the new styles.  

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)

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)

Empreinte Grace (in which the angels sing a second verse)

First, let's establish which bra we're talking about; Empreinte can be confusing.

I tried the Low Neck version: 

Empreinte Grace Low Neck   HerRoom.com

There is also a Full Cup version.

One sentence review: Now that I have met Grace, and found her to be deeply fabulous, I will be spending less time with my Curvy Kates, which are the equivalent of mean girl friends compared to the gracious Grace.

I'd seen Grace, but was on the fence for quite awhile, afraid she might be 'too much bra' for my liking. (I'd only seen the full cup version reviewed or available on eBay). But this review made me think she was worth a try:  Review of Grace on hourglassy.com  And when a Low Neck version came up, it seemed like fate.

Beauty

Grace is quite delicate looking(please ignore those crazy morning curl tendrils, pre-taming; I was so excited at the feel & fit, I took these before my 2nd cup of coffee).

The lace pattern features large flowers, which renders it basically opaque. I'm still trying to figure out which flower it is: pansy...? dahlia...? I think it looks most like cosmos. Anyhoo. The lace is very flat and completely invisible under clothing. It is also very strong. I cannot imagine any situation that would allow you to put a fingernail through the lace - something you can easily imagine happening with Panache Jasmine. The color is a warm tomato red; as I have pale skin with an olive cast, I prefer a cool, cherry red instead. But this is a personal preference, and the red is still very nice and infinitely preferable to the dreaded beige.

Comfort & Fit

(Do settle in, while I babble on for awhile)

Cups.  Deep, and with plenty of room for my upper fullness. This is a very full-on-top friendly shape. Note how happy the tops of my boobs are, especially if you compare how sad they looked being wrangled into last week's bra. They give a weightless feel that is quite rare, and the mark of a great bra. The cups are seamless, but offer some rather amazing lift:

Shape.   Very rounded, but not orb-like. There is a defined apex and plenty of projection. The silhouette is much nicer than the round, wide, undefined 'boob mound' padded T-shirt bras often give.

Neckline.  The 'Low Neck' designation simply means balconette. It is in no way an actual low necked or 1/2 cup style. The gore is still fairly tall, but lower than the full cup styles I have tried previously, Capucine and Rose.  I find this style to be a better fit for me than the full cup. 

Tack.  The lower height allows a better fit for my relatively closer-set boobs. Although the gore tacks the same as the Rose: it floats 1/2" or so. This seems to be a consequence of my decidedly full-on-top shape, rather than a need for more cup depth - there's plenty of depth; it's just located in the upper and lower cup areas, rather than the inner center area near the gore. Tellingly, I find this to be the case in all of my most comfy bras; they are supportive, but the wires are soft enough to allow my natural shape to assert itself. Whereas in the bras were I get perfect tack (Curvy Kate, Panache, Tutti Rouge) the reason is because the wires are more rigid and are wrangling my boobs by force to fit the shape of the cup & wires. 

Straps.  Really nicely designed. Wide and flat, they distribute weight beautifully. The picot trim, bows, and subtle stitched detailing make them pretty, tailored, and well-proportioned. Not center-pull, but not too widely-spaced. They rival the straps of the Anita Twin and contribute a great deal to the weightless feel. 

Band.  Stable and comfy, similar to the other Empreintes I've tried. The Grace band runss slightly looser than the other styles I've tried; not a full size loose, but enough to mention. I would actually consider a size down in this one, whereas I am happy with the 40 (90) in the other styles.

Compromises

Fabric.  This is the only thing that could be improved upon. The fabric could be a little softer. Part of that is a Me thing. At the end of a 9-hour day, one of two things things will usually be irritating me:  too rough fabric, or too tall/rigid wires. 

Buttery-soft microfiber fabric with some stretch will always be the comfort gold standard for me. But: lightweight and airy, preferably stretch, lace is the silver standard. The Grace is rigid lace, but flat and smooth, and very light. The rigid lace and the substantial straps combine to provide weightless lift, which is wonderful. The only thing I notice at the end of a long day is that the fabric along the upper outer cup, where it runs along the underarm and connects to the band can feel slightly rough. It is not noticeable until then, and is the only minor quibble I have. The Grace is otherwise overwhelmingly wonderful.

When Do Don't I Wear It?

There's really no situation where Grace isn't a great choice. She is invisible under thin knits; provides enough lift for a lower neckline blouse with limited bust room; gives a moderately projected, yet rounded, shape that works under structured clothing. 

Size:  40F (fits me like a UK 40G or loose 38GG)