Bra Review: Gorgeous at Debenhams Provence Lace Bra in 30G

 

I couldn't actually find a stock photo of this bra. I know it is in their DD-K range of bras. If you want to see stock photos of something similar go right ahead.
 

The label actually lies because this bra was actually 7.88! Yeah, 75% percent off!

The one day I go up to visit Dublin (I suppose I had to make an effort to see my boyfriend), Debenhams was having a Blue Cross Sale. I'm not really one for falling for the gullible thing that just because something is on a sale that it is a bargain. However, Debenhams had finally got their act together and had moved all their discount bras to one section and that extra 20% off rocked! Even in Arnotts the bras were on sale! This is like my heaven.

So I tried on all the 30Gs. I have come to the conclusion that in the Gorgeous range I am a 32G / 30GG, because the 30Gs are really small. I am noting 32G because I have found their 30GGs just way too wide wired, but the 32Gs okay, but too loose to truly test. When I get a Rixie Clip, I will report back. Remember I have one breast larger than the other, so that's a pretty annoying factor in my purchases (nothing bloody fits both sides aragh argh).

Review:

Looks: 

Overall, I have to call this bra a "meh bra". I like the lace's unusual pattern.

I really like the geometric theme.  Sadly, overall, I think it looks a too much like an old lady would wear it. 

Feel: 

This bra doesn't feel particularly soft or particularly rough.

Shape: 

Horrid. Round at the bottom, then more naturally pointy at the top. A combination that just doesn't work. It reminds me of what Hater at Bras I hate calls the Curvy Kate "upside down 7".

Other Features:
In-built side-support panel which made the bottom half the bra have a nice shape.

Straps: 

Too far apart, even after I shortened the bra. I wanted to tighten them so the bra could actually lift but it was simply impossible as it would just make the bra cut into my armpits. They are fully adjustable.

Fit:
What kind of bra is this? I really am asking. Is it an balconette or full-cup bra. The wide strap placement and the half-cup design would make me think it was a balconette. On the other hand, the odd fact if I could tighten the straps enough, it would look like a full-cup, with a round shape. 

Central gore lightly tacks. The wires were too wide. I had orange in a glass.

Overall:

Just meh. Not suitable for full on top, because of the strange difference in shape from the top and bottom halves. I bent the wires so it's less painful. As usual, I spill slightly out of one side. I'm keep this bra too wear under many layers of clothes to hide the horrible shape. I need to size up, but then the wires and straps would just be too painful. I don't think this bra would give a very good shape, perhaps it might on those who are full on bottom.

Even post alterations (tightening band and bending wires to fit my body), little difference was made in shape.

Bra Review: F&F Harmony Lace Fuller Bust Bra in Pink, 32G (32FF)

F&F Harmony Lace Fuller Bust Bra in Pink, available in sizes 32DD - 40G (40FF UK sizing) with no gaps. 

You may remember that I was intrigued by my local Tesco's bra selection. I know from previous experience is that extended sizes get put on the market here in Ireland, then vanish. Why? Because no one fits into them when you encourage your potential customers to wear a band 4 inches too big and a cup about 4 sizes too small... Just like all the poor 28 bands that are no longer in Marks and Spencer's. 

What was I saying... OMG I actually managed to grab one! FIVE EURO! I'm still pretty confused and pissed about their measuring advice, but I'm just going to block it out and go for a sister size of my own. I usually wear about 28GG, I decided to have a look at their 32FF. It's labelled 32G, as they skip FF.

So the bra:

I really like this bra, so I'll have to ignore Tesco's *sigh* utter crap. I have to review this. The bra blogosphere needs me. Tescos / Florence and Fred bras are really under-reviewed. There's about 3 on Bratabase.

Review

Looks: Wow, maybe it's just be but this bra is stunning. Lovely vivid pink with simple lace pattern. Maybe some people might think the fabric looks flimsy though. I think it looks just light. The lacy cups would be visible under tight fitting clothes. I usually wouldn't point this out, but the back band is this lovely shiny silky fabric and it looks like it wouldn't cling or dig in. It seems like an odd aesthetic choice to have this great feature on the back but with the lacy cups on the front.

Feel: This bra feels stretchy - I correctly guessed that the cups are Nylon. It's not really a soft to touch bra, but I love the silky feel of the back mesh.

Shape: Very round, very forgiving stretchy cups. I couldn't tighten the bra as much as I would have liked but I liked the shape very much. 

Other Features:

This bra has a side support panel which is made of nylon. The back has 3 hooks.

Straps: I feel they are kind of thin - 0.5 inches. They are half adjustable, but it would not be hard to take apart and lengthen as the second half of the strap is the same as the front half.

Fit:
Very wide central gore, which did not tack (I wonder if it would if it was taken in?). I think it could be taken in very easily.

The cups were too wide for me (but not particularly wide overall in my opinion).

I think I should try the 32F rather than altering this bra because the cups are very stretchy and thus I think I could get away with a size smaller.

Overall:
If you're in the size range of this bra, check it out! The stretchiness is very forgiving for asymmetry. It's only available online in a 40F though. Don't take the last 32F in my local Tescos!

 

 

Shortening a bra band for the scared!

I wanted to write this post for the people who say they can't sew.

Here's a story that is very long and barely on topic.
In Secondary School, I was an excellent Home Economics student. I loved the subject! If you have the option to study it or learn more, I would recommend it! The subject combines sociology, consumer studies, food science, cookery and even a bit of crafting! It's very broad, but very rewarding as a subject. I swear it overlaps with pretty much everything I've done in college so far, and at the oddest times! As I adored the class so much I was excited for sewing classes.

Only I was terrible.

Sadly, a portion of the exam was based on a sewing project. And I couldn't sew. I have very poor hand eye co-ordination. I can't tread a needle. I kept on tearing fabrics. I nearly broke the school's sewing machine (I was banned from touching it.).

My teacher took my aside and told me I was doing the Childcare Project (I didn't get a choice!), a written alternative assignment for the exam, otherwise I would sabotage my chance of getting my A.

I got an A in both that Junior Cert and my Leaving Cert exams (which thank God had no sewing part!) in Home Economics, and I acknowledged I couldn't sew. Just couldn't. Incapable.

If it hadn't been for the bra fitting community, maybe I never would have tried again. But I've tried. I'm still pretty bad, but I can do it. I thought myself using books from the library and guesswork.

So, I'm going to show you that someone who has been repeatedly told to back off from the needles that you can do it! It feels great! I've patched up some of my clothes already.

I am shortening a bra band in the same way as MsMandrakeRoot is in her tutorial here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/1ffet8/as_requested_a_picture_tutorial_of_how_to_shorten/

I am not adding anything to her tutorial, I'm just showing myself doing to to show it's possible even for the challenged sewers. So I would look at her tutorial!

Here is my victim!

An unknown Freya Bra in 36F that I found in a charity shop for 4 euro! My mum is a 34FF, a sister size.

Quite a mystery. I couldn't find this lovely bra on Bratabase. If anyone does know the name, please tell me. I'd love one that is a little smaller in the cup for myself.

Okay, first we need sewing stuff. You only need the basics:

A needle

Strong thread (I used red polyester thread)

A seam ripper

Scissors (I have this little fancy thing you can use to cut thread with that allows you to use one hand, but scissors will do!)

Big old fabric scissors for when you get angry and have to hack through elastic.

A ruler or some of those fancy ones you get in a sewing box you use for hems (something I have yet to master). Mine's clearly from a geometry set...

Fabric chalk

Pins

Optional:

A pencil

Paper. I recommend using highly confidential stuff flipped onto the other side.

A needle threader, if you're not like me and constantly breaking the damn things.

If you wish, using your paper and a pencil that poorly shows up on a camera, trace around the bra shape.

Okay, how much are you going to take off. Oh God this is scary. I mean, I've done this before and it's still scary. Be brave. It's only 4 euro down the drain.

I opted for 2 cm. Which turned out to be too little. So I erred wrong. Oh well. But regardless, stay with cutting off a little bit. 

Mark off the amount you are going to cut off. Then you can trace around the shape so the bra wing will stay the same shape. Also you can compare the sides before cutting them off so they are the same amount.

Okay, I've marked of the amount I'm going to cut off. I can do this.

Use the seam ripper to detach the eyes or hooks at the end.

ARGH I gave up and used scissors. Too hard. The sewing at the end of this was very hard to cut off.

Well. It could be more mangled. At least I'm cutting this end bit off.

At least this bit looks okay.

 Now for the elastic at the side and the strap.

I found that reaching under the stitches and moving forward actually worked quite well.

Looking good!

I've accidentally ripped out some elastic here

This is very hard to take off, so I resorted to cutting.

Finally free!

Look, I'm using the pattern I made earlier. :)

I shouldn't be trusted with these.

No going back now!

Pin the elastic back into place.

Sew! Use a non-straight stitch or it'll rip. It should be a zig-zig stitch according to my books but alas I don't own a sewing machine... Here's the top. Leave room to put the strap back!

Now the strap! Just slot it back into place. Not backwards though!

Now the hooks or eyes. Make sure it's not backwards! I drew the right attachment on the paper so I would remember.

Make sure to do both sides!

Hey, that wasn't horrific! Barely any sewing and nothing too complicated! Check out the tutorial by MsMandrakeRoot and have your own go!

Now, who needs Home Economics lessons? I need money for bras.

Bras in Tesco - Florence and Fred Collection?

This week, I was intrigued by a selection of bras in my local Tesco Store.

I haven't found a selection this large in Dublin (well, in the Jervis centre store, the stores in the suburbs don't even stock clothes at all). They have a lovely selection of bras in 'larger' sizes (obviously they sell smaller bras in the totally the right size for their customers 34A etc. but who cares about that, so does everywhere else)... 34DD - 36FF (skipping FF so G in their system) bras. I admit I remember my local stocking a very pretty 34E bra before. But they have them pride of place at the front of the store at the bargain basement price of 10 euro!

My mother fits into their size range, so I'm hopefully in the process of getting her feedback on them.

Reviews are scarce... seriously a review saying: "it snapped in the washing machine on the second wash like it had been chewed by a bra-hungry beast."
Wow, is that wit or something... cos if you actually wash anything with regard to its label you know that bras should be handwashed. So you disregarded care instructions - which of course destroyed something - then gave it a bad review?

Bratabase doesn't have much information, either.

http://www.bratabase.com/browse/tesco/

These bras were right down my alley, lovely bright colours and lacy! They didn't look industrial at all.
I believe, from my research on their website is that they are "Bra Queen" bras (which could be the designs I saw) which is a new range for them designed by the same person behind Ultimo (which I've found a bit flimsy :s). I will investigate further when I have the chance!

Points for using a model that probably would fit into their size range though I see a lot of a breasts escaping at the sides...? Bra Queen Louisa Guipure Fuller Bust Bra

For those interested:

http://www.clothingattesco.com/bra-queen/icat/bra-queen/

http://www.clothingattesco.com/dd+-bra/icat/dd-bra/?sort=pdxtmagicnumber&parentCategoryRef=dd-bra&order=desc&q=*&brand=F%26F

I hope this is a sign I will get into blogging again!

Some interesting things I've noted:

Quest for the Perfect bra was in Galway and has posted some reviews (I've actually never been to Galway myself!) but here it is: http://questfortheperfectbra.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/bra-shops-in-ireland/

Until next time!

Bra Review: Gorgeous at Debenhams Soft Comfort T-shirt Bra (1500108092) 30G

This could be seen as a lead on from my post on Debenhams because I'm going to post a little review on this bra... beige thing... I purchased there for the pricey sum of 5 euros. Speaking from my knowledge of the Irish full-bust market that is pretty damn impressive. In fact they have quite a few of them still floating around in there... though I might grab them first.

Looks:
This bra really has nothing going for it in the looks department. Nothing. Perhaps that it's smooth under clothing could be a plus. The cups are weirdly stretchy but it doesn't sacrifice support so I found that very helpful for my larger left side.

I tried wearing it under a thin cotton white vest... (with the most oddly placed pocket ever... it was a mirco-pocket right on the boob) I can attest that the colour is close enough to my skin tone that it blends.

Feel:
This bra wins here - it deserves its title of soft. I could nuzzle this bra as if was a cuddly toy. I never realised how comfortable soft fabric is. My mother noted that it looks quite warm! Suitable for the climate then? 

Shape:
A bit of a meh it's not that uplifted but it does give a perky look overall. It was somewhere between rounded and pointy... the compromise bra? It doesn't flatten or squish and even my larger left breast fits quite well in the cups. Sadly the look is very east-west. Urk. EDIT: Okay this bra is now the worst ever. So bloody east west, it's like my breasts hate each other and are sulking by getting as far from each other as they can...

Fit:
The.gore.will.not.tack. Very annoying. So this bra doesn't fit really. However the bending (since the publication my Bratabase review) seems to be have helping a bit. It stays in place on the tightest hook even without alteration (which I plan to do... perhaps it will fix the gore or if that doe not work I will sew it together). EDIT: I altered the bra... still not great.

Straps/Other features:
The top half the strap is a 'comfort strap' and I agree. You can remove the second half the strap which is a little thinner than Freya fare. This bra can be a multiway, though I'm dubious if it's that a good idea as this bra doesn't seem like one anyone would risk flashing. The bra came with an extra strap. I don't know if it was supposed to come with two or whether it is supposed to be a halter strap (again with the chances of this bra getting a flash I don't see why). The choice to change the second half of the back straps means that I doubt anyone would find that the straps would not fit your height! It's a pretty clever idea actually.

Conclusion:

This bra was a fiver and while I usually like to get a very good value for money (just an hour ago I was in Tesco's clearance musing over the ethics of taking 60c steak (I know right!) from someone's basket. No, I didn't go through with it) I will admit that this bra is fine for what it is but it probably should be skipped by those who want something a little more decent. I can see why it didn't sell straight off.

Finally, a link to my Bratabase review: http://bra.pe/RBsG/

Also shout-out to my first follower: http://brajunkie.blogspot.ie/