Ewa Michalak HM Wzor 10 in 60G

On Black Friday, I eagerly scrolled through Ewa Michalak's website, hoping to find something cute in my size. Ewa had several random models on her site included in the sale-there were some older models, some custom models, and seemingly some one-offs. I found this beauty, who has no name, on her site in a 60G and 65DD. I've been wanting to try a 60 band for a while now so I decided to take the risk with this bra seeing as it was on sale and also so gorgeous. Unfortunately there was no matching underwear available for this bra.

The HM style is an unpadded half cup with 1 seam and 1 dart near the gore for shaping. I have so far tried this model in a 65FF and a 75DD. The cups in the 65FF gave me a seriously weird shape and the band on the 75DD was understandably too large and the gore didn't tack at all. The 60G has a band that is slightly too tight and the shape is kind of odd but I consider it a perfect fit. The bra has wide set straps, a tall gore, and very open cups. The shape is minimized and very odd in a way I can't put into words (I have photos). However, it gives me a crazy amount of lift.

The cups look full coverage on me but I'm not sure if that's the style or just how it fits my body. I fill the cups completely with no wrinkles-I've never had a soft style fit with no wrinkles before! It's a very tight to the body shape which makes me look a little flat. It is perfectly pattern matched in the most beautiful shades of soft orange and coral and salmon. 

I get a little quadding on my larger side but overall fill the cups well. You can see here how wide set the straps are. It's a common complaint of mine regarding Ewa's bras and it's exacerbated here. I hope it won't prove to be too annoying if I wear it for longer periods of time. 

I get an insanely lifted, round appearance from the side so I'm not sure why it looks so flat/minimized from the front. The band runs on the firm size of true to size, measuring in at 27.25 inches. That is my current underbust measurement so it feels firm on me. I don't think it will bug me too much. The bra's clasp only has 2 rows of eyes. If there were 3 I don't think the band would be a problem. It is made out of ridiculously soft knit in the most glorious shade of salmon.

And here is that weird shape I was talking about earlier. I have no idea what it is about the construction of the bra that would cause it, so if anyone can enlighten me that would be awesome!

Close up of the armpit attack going on with the straps.

The straps are very wide at .75 inches and completely smooth. I am worried that they will slip because there's no embellishment on them at all. They are medium stretchy and soft.

 Even the inside of this bra is pretty. Light pink elastics with red stitching and the wings/band are lined with beige powermesh. The jersey/powermesh bands are my favorites because they always seem firmer than the lace ones. I noticed that the seam tape is sewn with pale pink thread on the inside, matching the seam tape, and red thread on the outside, matching the embroidery. It's a little thing that most people won't notice, but it shows all the thought that is put into Ewa's bras.

The gore is wide and tall and the wires don't really overlap. In this size, the height of the gore doesn't bother me too much. It is a soft tack and doesn't really rest on tissue. 

I can't say enough about how beautiful this bra is. It is well made and hopefully will be comfortable once I break the band in a little bit. I'm not convinced that 60 bands are for me but I will size down if a bra is known to run loose. I'd say my ideal band size is a 28.5/29 and since Ewa's models are known for running tight a 65 band is usually the safest bet. I was worried that this bra would be too big since I normally take a 65F in unpadded sizes which would translate to a 60FF if I went down a size. However, this bra fit well and even a little small on my larger size. I am glad I took the risk on this one. The only thing that would have made it better would be matching underwear but I know that will never happen! There is one model of this bra left on her site in a 65DD. If that's your size I reccomend you snatch this one up! 

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/

Freya Just Flew In Padded Longline 30F

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I was having camera issues. So I have a backlog of bras to review-I think ten at my last count: both newish bras and bras from last year before I started the blog. So for review today is something I received in a swap for a Freya Piper Longline in a 28FF. The band was too tight on that oh so cute Piper so I swapped it for the Just Flew In in 30F. Neither of these bras have quite worked for me sadly. The Piper stretched to 29.5 or thereabouts which is fine for a regular bra but too constrictive for a longline. Freya is known to run stretchy, which is true to my experience, and this 30F did feel a little loose in the band. However, given the support of a longline band this won't prove to be an issue.

So this bra might be the cutest damn bra I've ever had in my hands. I love all my bras (well, of course. I wouldn't buy them otherwise!) but I need more with actual birds or animals on them. This bra has some kind of abstract plant with 3 different hummingbirds on them! It's a pastel bird wonderland. It is a 3 part foam cup. Nothing I'd really call padding: the foam is rather thin and flexible. There's lace on the 2 cup seams, along the top, and along the seam below the cups. I like the little infinity bows on the shoulder straps. Like my last longline this was not meant to be for several reasons, the main one being the straps. They are extremely wide, which is not too big an issue for me, but they are very slippy. Just adjusting my breasts into the cups loosens the straps an inch or so which is not ideal for me since I often need to adjust my straps very short. Other then the straps the quality seems to be up to the usual Freya standard. Now that my camera's back up I have plenty of photos for you. I just love all the little details in my bras so I get carried away.

So look at the amazing cleavage I get! Very rounded, cakes on a plate look. The straps aren't as tight as I prefer but I'll get into that in detail in a bit. The long line bit has a tendency to scrunch or flip up which is more irritating then uncomfortable. The two seams on the bottom line up between the cups. I kinda wish they had lined up with the first seam so that the lace was a continual line. 

The wires are decently narrow. The gore is of a medium height and on the wider side. To the bottom of the cups, it measures around 3 inches. To the bottom of the band, 4. Like all my other padded cups it gives a soft tack. I used to grumble about this but I wore a bra that had a hard tacking gore the other day and it was so uncomfortable. The straps are delightfully narrow set so they are free of my armpits. The band is long and feels stable despite being kinda stretchy. The cups seem to be rather shallow at the bottom so I get a bit of a wrinkle on my difficult right breast. It's a very round, in your face look.

So here is the biggest issue I have with this little number. I get some bubbling if I tighten the straps as tight as I want them. Despite having a very textured appearance, these are some seriously unstable straps. Just puling them up onto my shoulder loosens them. Which brings me to my second major problem. These cups are so low-cut they're almost scandalous. I scoop and swoop and then have to poke my nipples back in. I'm afraid that with the slippy straps I'll go to move them or whatever, they'll slip, and out will pop my nipple. Not something I want to deal with! As a whole, the stretchy-ish band and low-cut cups coupled with the stretchy straps means that this is not a particularly secure feeling bra. There's a lot of jiggle going on.

The birdy fabric continues all the way around to the back. The front half is lined with some kind of powermesh to make it stronger which makes it more opaque. It's more see-through in the back since it doesn't have that lining. There are 6 hooks and only two rows of eyes which shortens its lifespan. I hate these straps. They're thick and they're ugly and I hate how non-leotard backs look, especially with such industrial straps. 

I love how pretty this bra is and how comfortable it is. However, I am on the fence as to whether I want to keep it or sell it. I like how it looks on me, but the straps are going to cause me issues as are the low-cut cups. I know I probably am not going to feel my best in a bra if I'm constantly worried about if I'm going to jiggle out or not. I might take it on a field test and see how I feel about it after but I know there's no point in keeping a bra just for looks. There is a balcony plunge version but I do believe this is an older model that is sold out so I probably won't be able to get my hands on one. So far I have yet to find my perfect fit in Freya. The padded 28FF/30F's I've tried have all had the bubbling in the cups but I haven't tried a 30G yet. I seem to be in between 30FF and 30G in a lot of brands but in general the 30FF works best for me because of the shorter and lower wires: I'm just always stuck with a little quad. However, this bra is definitely a size small and I would do better in a 30G. That way the cups wouldn't be so low coverage and I'd probably feel far more secure. The quad does show under shirts.

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.

Freya Piper Longline 28FF

Taking a departure from Polish goodies, today I'll be taking about this lovely padded longline option from Freya that I got in a trade for a Comexim that sadly did not fit. It is a 2 seamed half-cup so the shape is very uplifting and round. My normal Freya size is a 30F so this is a sister size down. I thought it would work since Freya bands tend to run big (and this one does) but it sadly did not work out in my favour this time. This is a rather pretty bra. The flowers are small and kind of abstract and really pop against the blue. The bows have little polka dots on them and there is a lace trim at the top and the bottom.

As mentioned, this bra gives a really great shape due to being a half-cup. It's basically two basketballs stuck to my chest. The wires are relatively narrow which is nice however the gore runs wide. The band runs a size large, stretching to 29.5 inches. However, I was unaware of how constricting a longline would be so even though this is my normal ideal stretched length in a longline it is too constricting. I would stick to a 30F next time if it ran larger like Freya normally does or maybe even a 32E if the style ran true to size. The pattern continues all the way around to the back which is nice to see. There are 3 rows of 6 hooks and eyes and they are pretty tricky to do up the first time. Someone on Bratabase told me the trick of doing it up at your waist and shimmying it up and it's so much easier that way. The straps are not connect in a leotard/u way in the back and I think it looks awkward. I much prefer the looks of a u-back. They are also wide-set, wide, and long.

All looks good from the front. The cups are kinda tall on me and it's more of a wider look then a boobs pushed straight to the front. You can see that the straps rest right on the edge of my shoulder blades and if you look closely you can see that I do not fill the cup at the bottom. I like the length of the longline and I do wish it had fit me.

Wires are pretty narrow but not narrow enough for me. However, most bras aren't so that is a "me" problem and not the bra's problem. 

Beautiful shape. You can see wrinkles in the band which I think means it's too tight for me. It wasn't at first, but when I tried to do anything in it it was sooo constricting. 

How disappointing is this back view? Those straps are so ugly, wide, and plain. No u/leotard back makes it look so industrial and not very delicate at all.

Besides the tight band, the cups were a smidge too small and I quadded. I don't think the next size up would have fit without gapping.

The wires were too wide by maybe half an inch. I also did not fill out the bottom of the cups and there was some wrinkling. This was something I could live with if the band wasn't trying to kill me.

Sadly, this was not the bra for me. I love almost everything, but the fit and that ugly back were killing it for me. If you're thinking about buying a longline, I'd size up one band size at least for your best fit. Freya has some pretty solid options on the market and anything Comexim makes can be turned into a longline (I believe-don't quote me on that). I have heard the Comexim's longlines' wires tend to float at the bottom and not tack but this was not an issue I experienced with this bra. If I get a chance, I'd totally try another Freya longline halfcup in either a 30F or a 32E. I have listed this bra in the hopes of passing it on to someone who can wear and appreciate it.