Are you back in the swing of things yet? I have a lot of ideas almost ready to be shared with you here. Right now, however, I’m putting all my effort into the shirts that I almost finished before the holidays. Just because I know how to sew doesn’t mean I’m fast yet!
In the meantime, I was pretty excited to discover the full range of styles and sizes of the Natori + Support bras that I wrote about in March at Bloomingdale’s last month (they call them “full figure” on their website). I was in the market for a seamless beige tee shirt bra, so I had high hopes that the Pure Allure could be a pretty version of a basic in my lingerie lineup.
It’s definitely a pretty basic, but it wasn’t a pretty look on me. Since I currently wear a 32F/FF in UK sizes, I took band sizes 30-34 in various combinations of G and H with me into the dressing room. The 30H was too shallow in the cups, and the 32H was almost ok with only slight quadra-boobing but disappointing lift. If I remember correctly, the 34G also almost worked. I had a similar experience with the True Decadence mesh and contour bras.
For a more detailed and positive review of these bras, be sure to read Little Lucie’s Natori write-up over at A Tale of Two Boobs. For my part, despite all the raves I hear about Natori comfort, I felt pure relief to put my Empreinte Grace back on at the end of my dressing room session. The security of rigid fabric plus a nice lift makes me feel comfortable and confident.
I’ve also been wanting to try the Chantelle Intuition demi that Leah showed you last May. Bloomingdale’s didn’t have it in a 32G, but Saks did, and I finally tried it there yesterday. Sadness. The band fit perfectly on the loosest hook, and the cups almost fit–until I scooped and swooped*. This is such a beautiful bra that I spent several minutes in front of the mirror trying to make it work. I could justify it from the front but never from the side. That’s when the rectangular profile that comes from piling your boobs high above a demi became obvious.
I didn’t try the plunge version of the Intuition, but fortunately, Little Lucie has!
My venture into D+ brands that I tend to overlook wasn’t a total loss because I discovered the Chantelle Idole at Saks. It’s not a demi, but its full coverage isn’t overwhelming, and the sheer panels and lace make it a beautiful consolation prize to the Intuition demi.
The Saks fitter put me in a 34F/DDD. The cups were perfect, but I had to fasten it on the tightest hook, which made it easier for me to resist purchasing it. Unfortunately, F/DDD is the largest cup size that this bra comes in.
I’ll continue to keep my eye on Chantelle and other brands that I don’t normally wear in hopes of discovering beautiful new options for us in department stores. However, I have to admit that my last two bra shopping trips haven’t helped to reduce my cynicism about main street DD+ offerings.
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*There is a strong possibility that I am being far too vigorous in my scooping and swooping. As I scooped and swooped myself into the Intuition, Idole and other sheer bras that the fitter brought me, I could actually see non breast tissue being pulled towards the center of the cups. Worth investigating further. And I don’t want to harp on weight too much, but I’m also curious to see whether just 5 pounds makes a difference in cup spillage. For instance, after all my holiday eating, my Empreinte Grace felt much better on its loosest hook. Is there any chance that once I return to my pre-Christmas weight I will be able to fit the Intuition demi? I hope so!
