Ewa Michalak HM Burgund in 65FF

This bra was purchased off of Allegro.pl for me by a wonderful bratabase user (most sellers on Allegro don't like shipping outside of Poland apparently). I had no idea what the condition of the bra was when I purchased it: whether it was just tried on, brand new or used. I figured for 25 bucks it was worth the chance. This is the unpadded version of the PL Burgund I previously reviewed. I believe that bra ran a little small, but that's just an aside to this review. I did some brief research on the HM style after my purchase and it seems that that this style runs deep and very tall-both in cup and gore. This is very true. I almost received my beloved SM Cukiereczek in an HM style and I'm glad I didn't because of the whole tall gore/cup issue. Now that I've tried this bra, the only Ewa styles in my size range I haven't tried out are the BM (on order!), SF, and HP.

So I know I mentioned I had no idea the quality of this bra when I first purchased it. Imagine my surprise when I received it brand new with the tags on! This style is 5 years old: what are the chances of that happening? It is a one-seamed (two part) half cup with a dart near the middle of the gore. The gore is very tall as are the cups. The quality is okay-there are a few loose threads but nothing I can't deal with. The bows are not Ewa's signature giant poofy ones but are rather small and understated. The straps sadly are half adjustable, with the adjustable bit very smooth. I fear it will be prone to slipping. If I can be bothered I will shorten them for a little more lift. The band is extremely tight and I can't get it on without an extender, confirming my theory that the Burgund in general ran tight. It is a very beautiful bra. I keep getting lucky with my Ewa finds! I wish I could have had more close up shots for you guys but my camera started to act up after I uploaded the first batch of pictures.

Here you can see the two major fit issues: the wideset straps (a common annoyance) and that gore. The cups on this bra aren't much higher then the gore. I worry that it'll peak out of my lower cut tops thus limiting what I can wear this bra with. It is lovely though and I love all the little whorls and the large swoops. The top of the cup is scalloped following the edge of the lace. The lace is nicely mirrored which is always nicely done by the lovely ladies working at Ewa. The band is made of a really strong burgundy coloured knit. It's very thick and soft. All the elements of the bra work so well together.

The top edge of the cups gapes ever so slightly but it's not terribly noticeable under clothes. The shape looks better without a shirt then under as it's a very squashed, flattened appearance. The cups are very open on top so someone with more upper tissue then I would fit well in this style.

So the band on this is wicked tight. It only stretches to about 27.5 before distorting. My previous Burgund stretched to 28.5 so that ran tight as well, but just not as tight as this one does. I need to wear it with an extender because I can't even come close to doing it up without it. The straps are only half adjustable but pretty wide. Based on previous experience I expect the non-adjustable straps to kinda curl and fold up. When I'm not feeling so lazy I'll shorten the straps.

Where the straps actually want to sit. It's probably a combination of Ewa's normally wide-set straps and then the extender pushing them even further out.

Because I just love close-ups! This bra is lovely but not the right shape for me. The gore is too tall and stabby but it does overlap so luckily it is not as wide as it could be. It is a soft tack and I can feel it resting on my sternum. I knew the gore was going to be too tall going in and this is actually much better then I anticipated.  The cups are made of only 2 parts with a dart near the middle of the gore to provide more shaping then one-seam half-cups generally provide. I don't know if Ewa is still producing HM styles but given a choice this is not one I'd choose for myself. It is lovely but it's not quite the right shape for me. Seeing how this was a second hand purchase I will keep it in the bradrobe and in rotation.

So here is the biggest downside of this bra. I can deal with the tall gore, the tight band, and the wide-set straps but this shape is funky. It's like I'm pushing my boobs against a wall. Flat and lumpy at the same time.

So my fingers are at the top of the gore. This is a very low cut and the gore almost pokes out.

While this is not an ideal shape for me I still like it. I would like to see Ewa come out with an updated unlined half-cup with a much lower gore then this and a less lumpy shape then the HM.

Forever 21 Sheer Mesh Bralette in size Large

I was out with my cousin tonight and we decided to stop by Forever 21. She began to look at their bralettes (she's around a 28H/30G) so I figured I'd join her. You never know until you try, right? They have a lot of pretty bras and slouchy bralettes but their bras use matrix sizing so those were definitely a no go. I tried a underwire-less bralette and the fit was okay but not good enough to justify the cost. I tried this on first in a medium. While the Forever 21 site calls this a 'bra', it is more like an under-wired bralette and that's actually what the tag on the bralette says. While the band was perfect, the cups were far too small. The cups on the large fit perfectly, but the band is a smidge too big. Just my luck. I bought it anyway though because it's super cute and a style I haven't seen yet for non-matrix bras. It's minimal support, although it does have underwire. For some reason it's a front close so the gore is far too wide and I can't easily take it in although I might try to take it in at the back (just sew a seam straight up middle). It has underwire and triangle cups with one seam for shape. There is light boning on the side and the material is very stretchy. This means it's super comfortable and there's greater ease for fit. You can slide the top cup around to suit you. I love the two straps and two layered cups and if anyone knows of this style in a bra form that goes to 30F or 30FF let me know!

First up is the first bralette I tried. The cups were too small and folded at the bottom. My boobs were creeping into the band-space. It was very comfortable but provided minimal shaping and support. It's hard to see in the photos but you can see the lack of shape in the front shot and the quadboob in the angle.

I had a lot of issues tonight taking photos for some reason, so I might try to take more tomorrow when there is daylight. Here's the second bralette and the one I ultimately bought. All these photos are taken pre-band shortening, but I found that that just made the bralette fit even better. 

No idea why the lighting is so bad. Here you can see the gentle shaping the bra gives. It's east-westy but still lifted and round. The gore is super wide but oddly enough that doesn't really cause a problem.

I keep forgetting that this is a bralette. I mean, the shape and support is gentler then my bras but I still get a phenomenal shape from it. The top layer is shifty-you can slide it around to best suit you like I had to. I wish I could do the straps tighter because they are rather stretchy but then I get quad. They aren't that bad at the length they are though and definitely still wearable. 

I love the look the two layers give and how it hints at being sheer and naughty but still manages to hide my nipples. This bralette is very armpit friendly. The wings are low and the straps are close set. There is the boning on the side as I mentioned but as of my brief try ons it wasn't too noticeable.

Have I mentioned how much I love this shape? The edges have some sort of binding on them that might dig in and cause quad. It happened to me but I was able to scooch things around. For this reason, I do not recommend this bra to any one who is very full on top. The cups are narrow and deep which is perfect for me.

The material the band is made up of is very very stretchy. I already took it in using the Skeptical Bra Blog's tutorial and when I get around to it I plan to reinforce my handsewing with machine sewing. This band originally stretched to 35.5 inches: it now stretches to 30.5. Originally the bralette felt very shifty and insecure down near the bottom/outside of the wires but now it feels so much better and more secure after the alteration. There was no significant/noticeable effect on the cup fit but the straps are now closer together in the back so I need to angle them farther in on the front which works fine for me. I also stupidly snipped the mesh while trying to cut those tags out so hopefully my repair holds well.

So this is how my boobs normally look in a bra. I wear almost exclusively Ewa Michalak so I have prominent, in your face boobage 99% of the time.

The bralette, on the other hand, provides a softer less pronounced fit. It's still round but more out to the sides and minimized from the side. It almost hides under my tanks too-better then Ewa's do anyway.

Cup construction-two layers, triangle shaped with a single seam.

I am so pleased with this bralette and I'm glad I was able to get it to work for me! I wish that Forever 21 carried it in other colours because I would so buy them all. Now that I now some bralettes/sml sized items work for me I won't be scared off next time. I hope this holds up to wear and wash: the quality is expected for the price ($15) so I'll be treating this gently.

Bra Obsessed's Ewa Michalak SM Wanilla 65FF

I will be personally renaming this bra to "Betrayer" because it came off as all sweet and gorgeous and then brutally ripped my heart out. Uh...I mean, there's some fit issues present with this bra that I'll go over in due time. This is seriously still one of the most beautiful and flirty bras I've ever seen. I've wanted one since I saw a review for it but I put it off because I didn't want to spend the money. One day I did decide to take the plunge and order it because I noticed it was an older style and I didn't want to miss out by not ordering in time. I also got the matching thong because I'm worth it and it is amazing. I love all of my Ewa thongs but this one knocked it out of the park. I wasn't sure if I was going to post pictures on it as it has a peek-a-boo on the front so I decided to take pictures from the side/back angle of me wearing it and then have the floor model the front for me. It did a great job.  It's more bridal-vibey then I anticipated so if you have upcoming nuptials and love Ewa's SM's this could be the bra for you! This style is exclusive to Bra Obsessed and Jaimie does have some sizes in stock but of course you can always email her and order that way.

I ordered this bra in my usual 65FF and the thong in a size smaller then my previous 40, a 38. Honestly, I'm all over the place with Ewa's underwear. I've had an older 36 brief that fit great, 2 40 thongs that fit great, 2 38 thongs that fit great and a 40 brief that was too big. This thong is made of really stretchy mesh on the sides (very very sheer) so I would advise to size down. I love the lace, the pastel pink and the pearlescent white with the little tiny frills on the edges. The bow on the gore is the same pink with white polka dots and the two strap bows are bitty little white bows. The adjusters on the straps are white as are the hooks. The band is pretty much plain white with some fun trims on the wings. I find the cups fit the same way that my 2 other 65FF SM bra cups did but this band is what has betrayed me. It runs almost a full size tight and only stretches to 28.5 inches. That's no good-it's the exact same size as my underbust and I can't even fasten it without an extender. I need two rows on an extender to get it to fit. However, I am stubborn and determined to wear this bra. Now that I have this in my hands I don't want to wait any longer to receive a different size (I would be way more comfortable in a band that stretched to 29.5/30 but I am impatient). I'm noticing a theme here: I get really excited and take lots of photos of my new bras. So whenever I'm reviewing a new bra just expect a photo dump.

These wires are nice and narrow and follow my fold (on my wider left side) perfectly. There is no cutting in or gapping and I actually get some cleavage. The bra is deep enough, especially at the bottom, for all of my projection. I love the shape from the SM and I get a very similar shape from the S style. It's very uplifted and round but still has a nicely defined apex. The wires and wings are short and don't stab my armpits which is always appreciated. I like the smaller bows on the straps because I noticed the bows on the straps of my SM Cukiereczek show under my tank tops. So if that's something that bothers you, these are like ninja bows. They're small and white so they almost blend in with the strap. However, it looks like originally there were pastel pink bows which I would prefer but at some point they've been replaced with this white ones. The straps are soft and have embroidered edges to stop the adjusters from slipping. The gore is low and overlapping and as usual provides no problems.The taping on the seams is actually done on the inside of the cups meaning they will give a very smooth appearance under clothes. 

Sadly the only extender I have is black. This extender works on most of my other Ewas but the hooks on this one are set a little wider apart so the extender doesn't work as easily. If I fix the length of the back, then the straps are pushed pretty far out on my shoulders. Again, I'm stubborn and don't want to wait another 2 months so I'm just gonna put up with this. I doubt this bra will quickly stretch to wear I don't need an extender but we'll see.

When I first saw photos of this set on An Enhanced Experience, the woman who did the review had the briefs. They looked way too sweet for my tastes so I decided to try out the thong. It's got a sexy little peek-a-boo feature on the front which is framed by the lace, then the flat pom-pom trim and then the pink ribbon that the gore bow is made from. It's almost all stretchy mesh except for the opaque part and trim so I'm glad I sized down.

I really like how Ewa designs her thongs. I love the wide band. I find it to be more comfortable and doesn't dig in as much so it makes me feel better about my body. The band on this is exceptionally wide. It's like the top half is a brief the bottom half is a thong. I dig it. It's not traditional and I think it balances out the hard-core flirty nature of the bra and keeps it sweet instead of sexy.

 Peek of the thong part. See how wide that band is? There is a pink polka dot bow on the back too.

Glamour shots because this is the most beautiful bra I've ever put on my body. This would be my favourite bra if the band wasn't so tight but I shall wear it anyway. That just means it'll last longer, right? Luckily I have an extender handy. This bra is gorgeous and I'm glad I have it in my hands. If you're looking for bridal wear or just love really girly, flirty bras this one's for you. I do recommend you take on band size up and one cup size down on this one because of the band (sister size - 65FF    ->70F) but if you are sub 28 and don't want to pay for a custom order then this tight band would work to your favour! Remember that this is exclusive to Bra Obsessed so you'll have to order from Canada. This set is worth the money.