Ewa Michalak PL Zielony Pieprzyk in 65FF

Hi guys! I'm sure some of you may remember my review(s) of the Ewa Michalak S Syrena. The Syrena was my first dabble in Ewa Michalak. I loved the green with the navy lace and it's still one of my favourite bras to wear. Fast forward almost a year, and I see the S Zielony Pieprzyk in a newsletter Jaimie at Bra Obsessed sent out. Even though the base colors are the same as the Syrena, it has polka dots. So, you know, it was different enough for me to justify ordering. I thought it was a fitting way to end my first year in a relationship with Ewa Michalak. This model normally comes in the S style but I special ordered it in a PL, something that can be done with most Ewa bras either through Ewa directly or through a retailer like Bra Obsessed or Zathiya. I'm still digging my S models but I love the low gore and wires and most importantly the cleavage the PL gives me.

Some of Ewa's models come with the option for briefs or thongs, some briefs only, some thong only. I haven't asked her yet if she would make a thong into a brief or vice versa. This bra does come with brief only. It has elasticated leg holes otherwise I would have asked Ewa if she would accommodate a request for a thong. A brief without elastic legholes is gonna right up my butt anyway, might as well make it by design. The polka dot lace covers the cups up till the top seam where there is a pretty, chunky lace trim followed by bare cup. The seams are covered in black satin tape and there's a row of the floral lace on the wings of the cups followed by green satin tape. The band is black and the gore is see-through, creating a little peak-a-boo effect. The straps are my favorite kind with green satin tape scrunched up over them. This is of course fully adjustable, just takes a little patience (or, alternatively, sheer strength and will power). In the interest of full disclosure, I did photoshop these images but purely for purposes of color correction. I got as close as I could: my camera doesn't want to cooperate lately. I tried, you guys. I'm so sorry for the piss yellow walls. If I can remember how to selectively color balance I'll replace the photos.

This is the most accurate color wise. It's a little bluer in real life but here you can see the cup design and the low gore. This is without pads.

Without pads. You can see this model is a little rounder than the last few PLs I've tried. I'm okay with either shape. The polka dots on this cup are the perfect size between twee and obnoxious and you can see how the wing (as well as the gore) is made of green mesh backed by green.

Without pads. The cups fit perfectly without the pads. I get no quadding and a perfect shape as well as unmatched support. As usual, the gore is a soft tack but I find that to be more comfortable then an extremely hard tack anyway. The wires are nice and low on the sides and don't poke, harass, rub or otherwise harm my poor innocent armpits. The band is a little on the stretchy side for me, stretching to 30.5 inches. That's completely true to size and I don't find it riding up or too uncomfortable.

And this is what the bra looks like with pads in. I get touching cleavage as my boobs settle in. With the pads, however, there is not enough room for my center fullness so I get a touch of cleavage. I anticipated this since the PL cut is barely projected enough at the center for me anyway.

This photo is pretty true color wise as well. The gore has a little folded over fabric detail that's topped with a signature big floppy bow. I love this design so much. It's super comfortable and makes me feel super wonderful.

I ordered the matching briefs in a 38. They are beautiful (all of Ewa's coords are). I think they are relatively true to size, but they fit a little funky on me. I have a feeling that's because they're too 'tall' and hit my belly in an awkward spot, leading them to either fold or slouch down. They're still pretty comfy and not too full coverage which I appreciate. Best of all, they barely show or ride up over pants.

This bra is a classic beauty that I reach to again and again. What's not to love? It looks beautiful, fits beautifully, and makes me feel beautiful. That's a winner in my book.

Ewa Michalak Pl Zielony Pieprzyk 65FF

* Stretched band length: 30.5in

* Band length: 24.3in

* Cup width: 5.5in

* Cup depth: 9.5in

* Wire length: 8.3in

* Cup separation: 0.8in

* Cup height: 6.0cm

* Gore height: 1.9in

* Wing height: 3.8in

* Strap width: 0.6in

* Hooks: 2

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

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.

Bra Obsessed Excluxive Ewa Michalak PL Fairytale in 65FF

I know I've been bad about reviews lately. I've been putting this review off for a while for two reasons: recent comments about my preferred fit and the quality. When I posted my review for the BM Tajemniczy Ogród, there were a couple of remarks on Bratabase saying that the bands were too tight and I needed to size up. While I'm sure the users weren't meaning to be rude, that's the way they come off.  While others are entitled to their opinions and I do respect and appreciate others comments and suggestions about the fit of my bras, I prefer a band as tight as possible. My breasts may not be big enough for me to need a band that is as tight as I can comfortable stand it but that is what I prefer. I do not plan on trying a size up in the band unless the bra is known to run small since I am comfortable in this band size and that's all that matters. Members of the bra fit community rail against the +4 way of measuring: if I took those users' advice and sized up to a 32 band that is exactly what I would be doing and I would get absolutely no support. Not only that, but I've had issues with my self esteem forever. Put yourself in my shoes: how do you think you would feel if someone is telling you that there's no way you're a 30 band and you definitely need a 32? I know 32 isn't that big, but that still makes me feel fat and bad about myself. So please, I'm interested in your opinions but if you want to comment about how tight my band is I respectfully ask you to not. Different people like different things and what you find comfortable is what another finds uncomfortable. Thank you to the people on Bratabase who sent me kind messages.

Moving on, this bra is disappointing. I know I said that about my Jezynka, but in that case I was talking about the design and not the quality. I have never been this disappointed in the quality of an Ewa bra before. The band is too big and stretchy and the lace does not match on both cups. Ewa's team has always been so good about matching the lace placement on each cup so that they look the best. Not only that, but this lace has these big flowers on it and there's not a complete one on my bra. You could fit like two on each cup. The issues with the lace make it look very sloppy and cheap. And as if to add insult to injury, the lace on the thong is perfectly mirrored on both sides so I know it's possible. I've looked at others Fairytale's too and none of the lace is mirrored on the cups and that's highly disappointing especially given the price point. However, I did settle and keep this bra. It's a super limited edition from Bra Obsessed (less then 30!) and I know I'd probably never get another one and even if I did the lace would probably not match either. I love the lace-it's so pretty and I like the fact that it is continued on the band. But I want flowers on the cups! That's not that big a request. The band is too big and the thong fits on the generous size. I should have sized down in both the band and thong.

This is the typical Ewa plunge cut which I LOVE. It's beautiful. It gives amazing cleavage and great shape. It's super comfy but the band is too big and rides up. It compromises support a smidge but more importantly I am aware of it throughout the day so it is not as comfortable as it could be. I am willing to overlook all of this since it's purple-silver over the top floral lace. The gore is super low and it's my new favourite style (well, it's a tie between that and the S...and then the SM and the BM are tied for non-padded favourite). I had a devil of a time capturing photos so I apologize for any blurry shots. I gave up after I got close enough. I've rambled enough-onwards!

These are all taken without the pads in. The gore on this model is *super* low-only 1.5 inches! With the pads in I pretty much get touching cleavage. Yeah, I didn't think that was possible without hella quadboob. It's kind of a more pointier cup but I'm okay with that. You can see how the lace is on the cups. It looks cheap and sloppy. The wings are low cut and the straps are very very much clear of my arms. The wires are perfectly narrow and follow my wider root perfectly. An awesome situation! So you can see on the side picture the marks from one of my bras with a tighter and more comfortable band which is like the second major downside to this bra.

Again, if you look closely you can see the marks from a bra that was tighter and didn't ride up. I usually wear this on the second hook of four. Another thing I like about this bra though are the straps. They aren't too wideset and are wide and very pretty. It's totally possible to adjust them over the ribbons-it just requires some elbow grease.

And this is the bra with the pads in. I am not ashamed to say that this is like 80% of the reason why I kept this bra. I have no idea how Ewa works her magic but it's awesome. I tried to capture this in the last photo but I get cleavage with no quad. Like, I get cleavage but instead of bulging out it's flat across. If that makes sense at all. I ordered a new bra in the PL style because it's so nice and comfortable.

Whoever made the thong put the effort in to match the lace on both sides, but for some reason the same care wasn't put into the bra. It's very stretchy. I could have easily sized down in the thong and band size which is what I noticed in the Jezynka. On the bra band, it's one layer of lace and one of mesh. It's an absolutely stunning lace and I do love it which was a big reason why I did decide to keep it. So while I am disappointed majorly with the quality of this bra, it is comfortable and I do wear it on a daily basis. I'm glad I revisited the PL cut as it fits better then my first experience with it. While this bra did give me second guesses as to whether I wanted to invest in another one (like wait and see what others think of new styles first to see if they have similar issues to this one) I have no impulse control. Luckily, the next one has no lace. Let me emphasize here: I have no problems with the quality of the structure or the integrity of the bra. I do have problems with the quality of the lace placement. That's the biggest, most obvious issue with the bra. Even if it fits beautifully, how many people will be willing to spend so much on a bra if it looks sloppy and rushed? Also, the lace isn't attached securely. It ripples and sticks up and impacts the bra's ability to fit under a tighter shirt. Speaking of, let's see how it looks under said tighter shirt:

Very projected and in your face. This review ended up being far longer then I meant it to be so in sum: great fit, very comfy, poor lace placement which is super disappointing. It's almost the perfect princess bra, but it falls a little flat.

Ewa Michalak Pl Burgund 65FF

Ewa Michalak is one of my favourite full-bust brands. They are based in Poland and carry one of the largest ranges of sizes I've seen and are willing to do some custom sizes. Since the customer service can be a hit or a miss, I prefer not to risk it and order my Ewa bras through Bra Obsessed if I can. Sizing can be tricky. I'm able to take my standard UK size but if you don't like tight bands you may need to size up. PL Burgund is one of the older styles and was made in 2011 I do believe. I bought this second hand from Reddit's r/braswap for an absolute song. I got the bra in a 65FF and the brief in a 36, which was a size smaller than I normally take. It's a gorgeous burgundy smooth knit covered bra with simple lace across the top of the cups and a bow on the center gore. Note: I have a prominent tail of Spence, especially on my right breast which is what that lump is.

The bra is foam-lined. As this is an older model, there are no pockets for foam inserts that some of the newer models have. The wires are very narrow and the cups are deep. It is medium coverage and doesn't show under my more low cut shirts. The straps are some sort of elastic in a casing and are relatively wide set. The straps have a tendency to scrunch up but I can flatten them when I wash the bra. They are, however, very plush and comfortable.

From the front, this bra gives a lifted shape with great cleavage. The low gore is comfortable and does not poke my sternum.

From an angle, however, you can see the minor quad I get in this bra. It's not that noticeable and doesn't show under shirts. I think the Ewa Plunge shape is not compatible with my inner fullness because if I sized up in the cups they would be too deep and wide. 

The plunge creates a nice round shape from the side and there's no evidence of the quadboob. There is adequate immediate projection for me and the cups don't collapse at the bottom or shift farther down throughout the day. The wings are low which are perfect for me. I find that higher wings do not work well with my combination of short height and high set breasts. In the same vein, the wires are also short due to the short gore and wings. A major plus.

The band is incredibly firm and there are two hooks and three columns. The bra is five years old and had been worn a few times before I got it, and the band only stretched to 28.5 inches. This is one of the biggest issues I have had with this bra. I am not sure if all plunges run tight since this is the only one I have. If I add an extender to fix the length, the straps, which are already too wideset, fall off my shoulders. Having the tighter band is more acceptable to me than having straps that fall off.

Here's how the bra looks under a shirt: the seams are relatively flat and don't show through. The straps, as you can see, are wide set and have a tendency to chafe after a while. I believe this is a result of my narrower frame. They are (or were) unfortunately half-adjustable so I had to shorten them permanently. I did so before these pictures were taken. It's a slight difference, but there wasn't as much uplift and I had no quadboob. The photo taken of the back of the bra was taken pre-shortening, but that doesn't affect much.

The quality of this bra is phenomenal. Besides a few popped elastics and some wear on the lace, there is no indication that the bra is as old as it actually is. The straps are still firm and supportive and the cups still hold their shape. The band is nice and firm still.

Overall, this bra is pretty comfortable and fits well. The wires aren't much wider than my roots and follow my inframammary fold almost perfectly. The gore is a comfortable firm tack that is low enough to not get in the way of my close set breasts and to allow for some cleavage. The two biggest negatives I have about this bra are the extremely tight band and the straps: both how wideset they are and the design of them.