Ewa Michalak PL XOXO in 65FF

So the last time I was bugging Jaimie about a bra, I was inquiring about the SF Royal Blue. Jaimie followed up by sending me a picture of what Ewa was going to release in the new future. I saw the XOXO and decided to try that one instead of the Royal Blue, which I now regret because it's not visible on Ewa's site so I'm worried I missed out. The image was small so I thought that this was a pin-striped bra, not a polka dot bra. The XOXO is a very Victoria's Secret-esque style and is normally made in the M style which is for smaller busts. I had this special ordered as a PL since at the time the M cut did not come high enough.

This style has a corset-style gore with cord being the only kind of support there. It looks like the wires are attached at the top and that's the only support there. Because of this corset gore, it's a band-less style which is uncomfortable for me. There are frills on the top of the cups which I'm not a big fan of, but it wouldn't make or break the look of the bra for me. I find it's relatively true to size in the cups/wire length, but the band runs over one size tight. It only stretches to 27.5 inches and I couldn't do it up without 2 rows of an extender. The straps also seem longer/stretchier than usual but I have similar straps on bras that do fit better so I'm thinking the extender pushes the straps are far too wide for comfort. My colors are not true to size due to lack of sunlight-picture baby pink and black.

These are the photos with the pads. I'm not sure if it's this bra in particular but it looks like a lot of bra on me. Looking at my PL Fairytale photos however it looks like it covers the same. It's an odd, kind of lumpy shape that might be from the pads but it might be from the fabric. It was kind of wrinkly. There are the polka dots, black wire casings with the loop trim from the gore on them, black lacee on the top as well as frills. 

Better view of the shape. It's not super rounded but it seems different to my other PLs. They're pointy as well, but it's a smoother pointy. For lack of a better word, this seems chunky.

So there's lace all around the band and the loopy trim follows all the way up the wires. I was too cold to take a picture of the back but it's bad-I can't even come close to doing it up. 

Without the pads. Fit is similar-the shape is a little smother but still kind of funky/geometric.

Here is a closeup of the gore and wrinkly cup fabric. I do have the thong in a 38 but I forgot to take extra photos. I was freezing because my room isn't heated so I was in a hurry. I pulled the following two photos from Ewa Michalak's website. These colors are true to size.

I haven't tried these on so I can't tell if they are true to size. This set is super cute, however not my style. I knew I was taking a risk ordering this style but I hoped I would fall in love. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I wish it was one solid color instead of the polka dots because that makes it too cutesy for me. I have decided to hopefully exchange this bra so I have reached out to Jaimie at Bra Obsessed to see how we can make it so.

Wellfitting Meow Classic Demi in 65HH

I have always wanted a bra like this-covered in a quirky or weird print and cats definitely suit the bill! Ordering this bra was not as easy as ordering from some other retailers. Originally, this bra was going to be available in a longline only. I emailed Wellfitting to confirm the rumor and when they did, they also asked if there was anything they could do to help me out. I asked if I could order it as a regular band and they just responded by saying it was longline only. No explanation, no nothing. What's the point of asking if they could help if they would refuse my simple alteration? They partner with Comexim, which is one of the most alteration friendly brands to work with. I understand if Wellfitting just didn't want to logistically deal with a million and one alterations but I thought that offering it in a regular band was a reasonable request. I am not ashamed to say I bugged them and got others to bug them and eventually they offered it in the regular as well as long band. My biggest issue, besides the original lack of regular band, was the price. Comexim sells bras for max $40 USD. Wellfitting's cheapest bra is $59, while their most expensive is $90. That means that they're marking their bras up at least 50%. I would never ever pay that much for a Comexim bra unless it was a print that I will never find any where else, like the Meow. Honestly, the prices are expensive, you can no longer return stuff to the US and the customer service wasn't anything special. I appreciate all that Wellfitting does and is but I doubt I will be a repeat fan. While companies like Bra Obsessed and Zathiya sell their Polish bras for a markup, it comes with unbeatable customer service and still reasonable prices.

The Meow is available in longline and regular bands as a 'classic demi' only. The classic demi is their term for a 3 HC cut. There is a high-waisted brief, regular brief, and thong as coord options. It has a plain black back for the bra and coord as well as kind of cheap feeling straps. The cups fit perfectly, although the measurements say that shouldn't be possible. It's super deep and super open so while not the shape I originally wanted (I really wanted the plunge cut) it still gets along perfectly well with my body. I'd say it fits tts for a Comexim 65HHI am also not ashamed to say I emailed Anna at Comexim to ask for one alteration: moved in straps. I sent her my Wellfitting order number and practically begged her to do this one thing for me. While I have no proof that it was done, when trying it on the straps are so far from my armpits it's hard to believe it wasn't. On Wellfitting, it says that it may take up to 4 weeks for manufacturing and in my case it took the full 4 weeks, although shipping to the States was quick enough (I'm still waiting on something shipped from Canada that was shipped 11 days ago).

Look at how narrow set those straps are! This is what heaven looks and feels like guys! The foam on this bra is medium thick. It's more of an hourglass from the sides look rather than all pushed in to the front. The gore overlaps and is super narrow. The bow is super adorable. It's orange with two little silver ribbons put on top to look like whiskers. The center gore is kind of high (2.75 inches) and is taller than other 3HCs I own. This difference is noticeable but still tolerable. 

The silky ribbon on top of this bra might make it a smidge more closed off but unless you're super full on top I wouldn't worry about it. The immediate projection is great and gives me plenty of room for my breasts to sit.

Relatively narrow cups. I'm grateful for the all black band because, while I love cats and floral, I think that it would be super overwhelming to have this particular pattern continue onto the band and back of the bra.

If you look closely, you can see some sort of weird shiny texture on top of the cat print. This disappoints me so much. It cheapens the look of the bra and makes no sense whatsoever. It would make more sense on a plain bra but on a patterned one it's overwhelming and distracting.

Narrow set straps! Love love love! My favorite Comexim alteration. The straps have some kind of decoration on them to stop them from slipping. They are kind of stretchy but not too bad. I cannot fault the quality of the bra, besides the odd textured overlay. It's a buttery soft fabric with cotton lined cups. The satin binding on the top has been carefully stitched so that it's smooth and the foam is nice and supple and not rustley. The powernet on the wings feels strong but not scratchy. It looks like some kind of fabric tape has been placed over the seams on the inside, maybe to strengthen them or to provide a smoother fit? One side of my bow is twisted like a mobius strip. No one else will probably notice it but I do and it bugs me. It shouldn't have been overlooked, especially at this price point.

I purchased the matching thong for this in size medium. I'd say it runs relatively true to size but if you're between sizes size up. The edges of the thong are bound in the same satin as on the top of the cups and the back is sheer mesh. It's one of my new favorite sets to wear.

I applaud Wellfitting for its diverse ad campaign and range of models. I, however, cannot justify the prices on bras that I could either get somewhere else cheaper or get something comparable and cheaper. The customer service was just okay and I would much prefer it if you could still return stuff to the States as to me that was a major selling point in the beginning of its existence. I'm too lazy to return stuff but it was nice to have that option in the back of your mind, especially for those who are new to the world of Polish lingerie. I hate having to write reviews that are less than positive, especially for a independent company that is producing good product. I think I'll stick to buying direct unless they come out with another cool print bra because to me personally, that is the only thing that makes the price point worth it.

Wellfitting Meow Classic Demi 30HH

* Stretched band length: 30.0in

* Band length: 23.0in

* Cup width: 5.5in

* Cup depth: 9.0in

* Wire length: 9.5in

* Cup separation: 0.3in

* Cup height: 5.5cm

* Gore height: 2.8in

* Wing height: 4.0in

* Strap width: 0.6in

* Hooks: 2

Full details at: http://bra.pe/XUyX/

Mini Reviews! Forever 21, Soma, and Victoria's Secret

At my closest mall, we have very little in the way of bras outside of Victoria's Secret (VS) and Soma. I love Forever 21's selection of cheap, adorable bralettes/bras but they don't really work for me (not that stops me from trying!). I, as usual, tried something on from Forever 21 even though I know it wouldn't fit-I'm definitely not a 32C! Outside of the Forever 21 '32C', I wasn't really planning on turning it into a bra trip. I thought I was going to write a quick post on Forever 21 and be done with it. However, my fuller-figure friend wanted to stop into Soma. While we were waiting for her to join us from her bathroom break, I discovered someone I knew was working there. I figured it didn't hurt, and asked her what the smallest band/biggest cup size they carried. I was told that it was a 32G US, which translates to a 32H UK! Doing that research makes me realize I definitely did the mental conversion wrong because I thought that the 32G US was smaller then the UK conversion size. That does explain why nothing fit in that size though. I tried on the most at Soma. Finally, we ended up at VS. We always end up at VS. My friend loves their underwear and fragrances and stuff and I like to wonder around. I only tried on one bra, but it was a hell of an experience. Excuse any funny faces/lighting: fitting room selfies are extremely awkward.

This is the 32C from Forever 21. I wish I could have tried it on in a 32D but this was the smallest band/biggest cup I could find. It's super cute but everything is wrong. The cups are made of a stretchy soft lace that is not very supportive. I loved the bold mesh lace and the color of the bra. 

Sad sad shape. I get no support. I think it was a triangle seam cup with a side sling for added support. Straps were stretchy, cups were stretchy, band was stretchy. No support.

The band was divided into two parts: a mesh half and then a trendy strappy bottom half. Note the side sling-I'm not entirely certain it did anything.

The gore was too wide and rested on tissue. I thought it was an interesting way to treat the gore.

So Forever 21 was a bust. So many cute things-nothing in my size! On to Soma. I hate to say that I was a really bad bra blogger and forgot to note what style these were. :/

So I first asked for the smallest band/biggest cup they had. I had my conversions mixed up and thought that the US size was larger then the UK size. Knowing that it is the opposite explains why these next two bras were so damn big on me. Interestingly enough, this one and the tan one are molded cups. They're very thin and flexible like fabric though but offer no seaming.

Both bras in 32G US were far too shallow at the root for me. They were also full coverage and all up in my armpit. No bueno. I asked for the next size down and my friend brought me...a 32DDD. I was too confused to ask how that worked. I was expected a 32F (because a 32DDD could be considered a 32E). Doing some research, Soma has 32Es listed from the retailers Freya and Fantasie. 32F isn't even an option. The next time their own brand pops up is in 32DDD. If anyone can make heads or tails of that let me know!

So here is this tan one 32DDD. The volume is pretty good on the larger boob. I'm not entirely certain how much of that extreme wrinkling on the other is due to size difference and what is due to my taking photos. Again, super full coverage-tall cups, tall gore, long wires, tall wings. 

Band is true to size.

I didn't dislike this bra at all. However, for 65 or whatever dollars, I better be pretty damn wowed and to be honest I thought this bra was butt ugly. That plus the less than perfect fit made it a no go.

So here is Soma's version of a pushup bra (also in 32DD). Very shallow and wide. I almost hate to admit this...but I bought this bra. I know. It does not fit. It is a Bad Fit with capital letters. Yet, it is comfortable and soft and I have some clothes that are so clingy that even my flattest Ewas don't hide under them. Also there was a sale if you bought two so you know. I did this so my friend could get the deal. Anyway: shallow, wide, no immediate depth. Medium wings, low gore.

Band is nice and firm for a 32. I'm estimating 30/31 off the top of my head. I get some quad when I wear this as well as deep wrinkling in the bottom of the cups. Since this is a bra for certain outfits mainly, this was not as big a concern as it would be in a bra I'd wear every day. I'll go into this more in depth with my review, but I think the quad is actually from a shape mismatch and not a size one. I plan on putting in narrower wires but I'll go into that in my review, as well as my very pleasant store experience. 

And finally, Victoria's Secret. I haven't bought a bra from them since I found a bra that fits. And even then I wasn't buying bras from there. This was by far the most unpleasant experience. There was a very very pushy saleswoman who was trying way too hard to make the sale. I saw a 3 part cup in store but it didn't come up to a 32DDD or I would have tried it on. I tried on a longline and it's a laughable fit.

This bra was just a mess. It was too small and shallow, the band shifted around, the gore was too wide and I had quad. And the straps weren't fully adjustable! There's nothing special about the front of the straps that would necessitate half adjustable straps. I was very disappointed with my overall experience at VS.

Overall, I'd reccomend Soma if you are in their size/price/shape range. The bras are super comfortable and they do have some cuter options. I did not get sized so I cannot judge that part of the experience. However, the store was very pleasant and everyone was super nice. They also wrap your packages up really nicely with tissue and don't fold them to put them in a bag. I hope to have my full review of my Soma t-shirt bra up within two weeks at the latest. Thanks for reading! I hope this helped.

Ewa Michalak SM Ja Wiem in 65FF

Ever since it came out, I loved the SM Ty Wiesz. Stupid me though never ordered it. I thought it would never work for me, that the straps would be too long and the tops of the cups would reach my shoulders (it looked super tall). I put it off and off and off, reading review after review and seeing picture after picture of it. A few weeks ago I decided I had waited too long. Unfortunately, I was unable to order it from Ewa directly and when I reached out to Jaimie she was told that there was no more fabric to make this one. I waited too long! Ewa had released the same model, Ja Wiem, but in pink several months ago. I wanted the Ty Wiesz so badly because the tan would have been a much better match for my skin. Unfortunately, since I still wanted to try this style and I had screwed myself over, I didn't have much of a choice. I found this set on Bratabase in my preferred sizes of 65FF and 38 and that sealed the deal.

For this model, there is only a brief option. It is in Ewa's lovely unlined 3 part balconette cup and it is super sexy. Not only is it sheer, but the black cleavage straps are so fun and the cup's seams and wire casings are covered in black shiny fabric, as is the seam on the wings and the straps. The black cleavage straps are fully adjustable and have the cutest little rhinestone adjusters. The rhinestone adjuster is also on the gore on top of Ewa's signature big fat bows. The briefs are almost just as lovely. The only gripe I have with them is that they have some lace on them that is not present on the bra. Both items run true to size in my opinion. The brief is lower cut and has black spaghetti straps on them as well that really work to highlight your figure. The cups on the bra are made of mesh while the band is made of powder pink knit. The straps are thick and almost do not adjust short enough: while they provide plenty of support and feel perfectly fine, if I wasn't so lazy I would shorten them.

My worries were partly correct. The top of the cups is a little tall but I don't think it's too much taller then normal and it doesn't actually reach my shoulders! You can see here that this color doesn't really work too well on me in terms of 'disappearing' which is what I'd much prefer. This model seems to run shallow at the wire so sometimes if I've been wearing this for ages I have to pull the wires back up to my imf which doesn't really bother me. Almost no wrinkling! The one thing about those straps is they rest on breast tissue or something since I'm constantly aware of them throughout the day. I think they're well worth the very minor discomfort.

Ewa's signature perfect shape. Very uplifted and perky. As usual, it's not basketball boobs. I much prefer this shape. I feel very secure in this bra. The wires are perfectly narrow and well out of my armpit's way. The wire casings overlap a little bit at the gore and the gore is super low. 

This band is perfectly true to size and stretches to 30 inches. It is very comfortable and the knit is super soft. I don't even feel it when I wear it. 

This was the cause of my biggest concern. I love the fact that Ewa thought about and designed the back of the bra and I love the triangle straps. However, the adjustable part of the strap is almost too long. Those triangle straps are non-adjustable. I find them super comfortable and help pull the straps in. Which means that, for the first and most likely only time, Ewa's straps don't bother me with this bra! They aren't too wide-set for me since that second strap in helps pull the adjustable part of the strap in close to my back instead of my sides.

And here's how it looks under my favorite crop top. It's relatively flat and doesn't show-except for those sexy spaghetti straps! 

And this is the set all together! It's so super gorgeous and I'm so glad that there are full bust bondage/strappy options out there. The brief is entirely sheer. You can see the lace on them. I find that this doesn't go with the rest of the set and it would make more sense if it was on the bra as well. I still haven't found the most flattering spot to put the straps yet. The briefs fit true to size. Any signs of them being too small is just my body being weird. They are lower rise then I was expecting meaning they work perfectly for me. I have a littly bit of a tummy and my other Ewa briefs hit right at my tummy so they flip down and bug me.

I love this set so much even though it's not the color way I wanted. I still think this color works okay for me and I'm glad I have this set in my rotation. While it might seem strictly boudoir, this bra is a workhouse and consistently holds up to long 9 hour days. It's super comfy and super cute, and there's no better combo than that.

Samanta Mintaka A122 in 65G

I love Samanta's bras. I think they're gorgeous and very luxurious looking. Unfortunately for me, they do not ship directly to the US and I've been having issues finding retailers that do ship to the US that carry them. My options are therefore limited to second hand purchases, and even more limited because very few come up in both my sizes and a style I love. I loved the Mintaka the moment I laid eyes on it. It comes in two different color-ways and a 5 cuts (push-up, full coverage semi-padded, full coverage un-padded, un-padded balconette, and padded balconette). I love the cream color way best but beggars can't be choosers. I wish I had done my research on this style number before I purchased because I would have realized early on it would not have worked and saved myself the heartache. Because of my petite stature, full-coverage anything usually does not work in one way or another simply because of 'too much'-too much cup, too much width, too much wing height etc.

A122 is Samanta's full coverage un-padded style. To quote Samanta's description: This bra is designed for women with larger breasts. It collects the bust to the cleavage. Lifts it giving it strong support and comfort. Hidden supports inside the bra offer additional support.The cups cover 80% of the bust. I would have done better in their un-padded baclonette or padded balconette styles. This is a gorgeous lacey sheer bra. It is a 3 part cup with side sling. The straps are fully detachable which means that you can wear this bra racer-back if you so need. These straps were unfortunately wide-set which was sadly the deal breaker for me. I was lucky enough to receive the matching underwear to this bra however these were a major disappointment. They were almost entirely made out of the band material (which, granted, was super soft) with barely any of the beautiful lace on them. I purchased this bra in an EU 65G, which translates to a UK 30F. I believe this to be the best size for me.

This bra has a lot going on. There's two different kinds of lace on the cups. The lace on the gore is the lace that is on the top of the cups while the straps are embroidered with a completely different floral pattern. On top of all that lace the bow is double layer of ribbon with the top being velvety. The band is purple knit and super soft. It gives an east-west appearance. It is a lot of boob. There's not much immediate projection-it pretty much goes up like this / with the littlest bit of a curve. 

I love this shape, surprisingly. I didn't think I'd love a pointy bra but I do! I believe the reason behind the east-west shape is because the seams on the bottom cup are not located on the apex but to the side. You can see how deep that top part is. This is not only what makes it full coverage but what contributes to the pointy shape too. Let's see if I can explain this. I'll compare it to one of my SM's. The SM has a deeper bottom part and a shorter top part. That means that it's a rounder more minimized shape because there's a flatter angle when the longer bottom part is connected to the shorter part (I hope that makes sense!) while on this bra they are coming together at a sharper angle because the top and bottom are pretty much the same length. Please let me know if this needs to be explained better. I created a diagram which I hope helps with the explaining. The SM is in black and the Mintaka is the purple:

Hopefully you can see what I mean by the SM connecting at a flatter angle then the Mintaka does-picture the SM coming together at a 110 degree angle while the Mintaka comes together at a 90 degree angle (give or take).

I'm not entirely certain if these slings do anything but they weren't uncomfortable. From the side, you can see how far out the bottom seam sits. I find that this bra fits perfectly true to size depth wise with the wires being on the wider side of average. The wires were originally too wide so I bent them in by .25 inches.

The band runs perfectly true to size. The straps are half-adjustable and for the first time I don't have issues with half-adjustable straps not being able to be shortened enough.

I had wrinkling in the bottom of both cups. I assume this is due to the fact that this bra isn't quite immediate projection friendly.

This is why I gave the bra up. Although it looks fine in photos and on paper, for some reason the outer edge of the cups/straps dug into my armpit area and super-chafed. It was very uncomfortable. I hoped that by narrowing the wires a little bit it would help. It did, but not enough to justify keeping this bra.

The tag is super cute. It's the brand name Samanta as a piece of stand-alone embroidery.

The lace on the gore and top of the cups was mirrored but the lace on the bottom parts were not. I don't mind this: it was mirrored where it would be the most noticeable and that's all I care about.

The straps are super cute embroidered flowers.

This is the short-style bottom in a size large (it fits like a medium). Very comfy but super disappointing. I feel like Samanta half-assed this. I would much rather they used the laces from the bra in the brief instead of making it mainly of knit. That feels very lazy to me.

Overall, this bra felt very high quality. I would love to purchase more sets directly from Samanta so that I can pick what style I want instead of waiting to see what comes my way. Unfortunately, their shipping to the States is prohibitively offensive so if anyone knows of any stockists that ship to the US please let me know! Samanta has some gorgeous gorgeous stuff and I envy anyone that gets a chance to try them. I'd love one from each season! I hope I can continue to explore Samanta's options and ranges in the future.