This week will be my first of two reviews of items from Parfait by Affinitas’s newest collection. They accidentally sent me the wrong size in the bra I requested, but luckily they sent Lelaina two sizes of her bra, and the one she couldn’t fit happened to be my size.
This is the Fiona Balconette Molded Padded Bra in “Champagne.” As usual, it’s beautiful. I love the vertical seams, the lace trim, and especially the pleated straps. The color is an unexpected combination and the look overall is really classy and understated.
The quality, as always, is top notch. I wouldn’t really call it “padded,” since there’s no tapering or pushup pads. Its foam cups are thicker than average but also softer and more flexible than, say, Freya’s Deco. Even though it’s not an item I would normally gravitate toward, now that it’s in hand I really like it.
However, Parfait’s fit has been progressively worse for me with every season and Fiona is no exception. The first time I tried the brand was in January 2012. I was wearing 28FF and found the brand’s 30FF to be a perfect fit. The bras were so comfortable and flattering. Too bad for me, shortly thereafter my boobs inflated up to a 28G. (Weight gain? Birth control effect? No idea!)
All the 30G’s I’ve tried since then have been hit or miss. I even had to completely give up on my beloved pinup-style Charlotte. It just wasn’t working and I couldn’t really put my finger on why.
Like Charlotte, the Fiona absolutely isn’t working on me, but there isn’t one glaring problem. Everything is just slightly off. The cups are slightly too shallow and slightly too far out to the sides. The gore sits slightly away from my chest. The wires are slightly too wide. It’s just…not quite right.
The only hard and fast complaints I have are that (1) the straps don’t adjust short enough, and (2) the hooks dig into my back.
Otherwise, the 30 band feels great on my typically size 28 ribcage. It’s very tight and the three sets of hooks and eyes aid in making it feel really stable. But the cups and the placement of all the pieces just don’t work on me.
As my boobs are quite full on the bottom, have very narrow roots, and sit on the front of my chest with little underarm tissue, I’d recommend Fiona for someone without those features, but also not too extremely at the opposite end of the spectrum either. I think Parfait fits a pretty average profile—average depth, root width, and placement on the chest.
Still looking forward to trying the Arabella longline, though!
