Guess what? Not only are we featuring coats and jackets this month, but we’re also beginning a comprehensive review of sports bras. Look for reviews of Panache sports bras throughout the month of November!
Disclosure: This Panache sports bra was received as a review sample. All opinions are my own and based entirely on my experience. The Amazon links to this bra are affiliate links, and clicking them may result in commissions to Hourglassy.
I’ve raved about the Panache Sports Bra twice before, but in the last year, my boobs have grown (again) even though my weight has remained steady, so it’s been time to size up for a while.
I currently sit is between sizes for a lot of brands. I vacillate not only between 28 and 30 bands, but also between cup sizes, with bras and bikinis in my collection in 28G, 28GG, 28H, 30FF, 30G (my most common size these days), and 30GG.
All my old Panache sports bras are size 30G and they are clearly too small. I have quite tall breast roots, so there’s a lot of tissue escaping above the top of the cups. When I run on the treadmill, I can visibly see my boobs bouncing around (especially the tissue that isn’t contained) in the reflection of the treadmill TV screen. Mesmerizing? Yes. But comfortable? Not really.
To be honest, it’s not that bad. It’s not in any way painful, it’s just not as good a fit as I know it could be. Plus, even though the four sports bras I own are several years old, they’re still in very good shape, so I’ve been reluctant to replace them with new ones.
So when Panache offered to send us sports bras for review, it was the perfect chance to try a size up. Of course, now that I’ve decided 30GG is the better size, I want to replace all my Panache sports bras!
In these photos, the purple galaxy-print is size 30G and the black/white/teal print is the new 30GG.
In the straight-on photos, you can see how much higher up the neckline hits me. The underarm tissue is also better contained. The side shots show the same phenomenon, though the back view is basically the same across both sizes.
When looking down at my cleavage, you can see an even bigger difference. With the smaller size, the bra is pushed away from my chest and the gore is floating. With the bigger cup size, breast tissue is visibly better contained.
Finally, I took some very attractive slow-motion video of myself hopping up and down to show the difference in bounce:
There’s still a bit of bounce in the 30GG, but it’s nowhere as bad as the 30G.
I’ve used the new 30GG bra for running on the treadmill, lifting weights, yoga, and aerobics. Since I don’t do laundry every day, I’ve also been doing all that with the old 30G bras too. And after going back and forth, I definitely prefer the 30GG.
I do feel that I’m slightly between sizes, as there is some empty space at the “point” of the cup, as if I don’t entirely fill it out (but that might just be the shape of my boobs—round, not very pointy). However, with this encapsulation-style bra, I always recommend taking the bigger size. Each breast needs to be entirely captured within the bra, otherwise it can’t do its job.
I’m in the process of losing a good deal of weight and I’m now on my third size of this bra. In fact I bought this very print about three weeks ago. I’ve noticed when I need to size down the front pulls away also and the bra itself stops supporting as well. Interestingly you can’t tell by looking at the bra that it’s too big but oh boy can I feel it.
Both previous bras still look brand new even with lots of wear. Hand washing regularly helps. This is my favorite sports bra.
I also have a long breast root and I have yet to find a sports bra that doesn’t leave some tissue out to bounce. I wish someone would address that. And yes, I’ve tried Panache, along with just about every other bra on the market. Running is just too painful.