BM Cabernet in 60FF

About a month and a half ago, I emailed Jaimie at Bra Obsessed to see if she knew about any upcoming releases. She sent me some pictures, and the only one I remember is this BM Cabernet (I do know the other ones were already teased/released by Ewa Michalak). It was so gorgeous! I wish I still had the stock photo Jaimie sent me but I deleted it ages ago.

I decided to try a 60 band this time, so I went from a 65F to a 60FF. I'm glad I did because this band runs a little stretchy. It's a really soft, beautiful deep purple-brownish lace. It has a knitwear band, which is my favorite kind. It has a big bow in the middle and ribbons folded over with a button on the straps. It seems to run small/wide and I'm not sure if it's this size in general or if it's this style in particular. I also ordered the thong in a 38. If I'm ordering coords from Ewa Michalak I go with thongs. I usually always like her thongs but her briefs can be hit or miss. It ended up being mostly knitwear with some lace in the middle. I was hoping it would be all lace. The knitwear along the backside has lettuce edging and it looks really comfortable.

I wish Ewa's unpadded models didn't look so full coverage on me. I'm getting some wrinkles near the bottom, but I otherwise fill the cups pretty well. The gore is nice and low and sits perfectly. This lace is gorgeous and I love the oversized roses.

The profile on this one is a little pointier than some other BM models I've tried but it's not too bad at all. It's uplifted and close to my chest. The wires are a little wide, but because the wings are so low it doesn't bother me at all. The stretch lace helps cover any slight bubbling I might have on my larger side. The band stretches to 29.5 which is a little looser than I prefer. I was really hoping it would be true to size and stretch to 28 or even 27.5 inches but 29.5 will be perfectly ok. There are 4 rows of hooks so if really starts to bother me I can tight it up a smidge.

The thong is a little boring. I wish it was more lace than knitwear. I haven't tried it on yet but I know the ruffle edge styles usually run comfortable. I wish that there were buttons somewhere on this to tie in with the bra, but otherwise it matches perfectly.

Overall, I love this bra. The color is an absolutely gorgeous deep cabernet color and the lace is so soft. I really like how the 60FF fit so I think I'm going to keep ordering 60 bands in the future. I have a 60G CHP that's unfortunately been lost in the mail. Hopefully I get it soon so I can see how it fits. 

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! 

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.  

Passionata Starlight Plunge in 65H

Ages ago, before I discovered bras that fit, I purchased the Passionata Starlight thong. It looked cute, was bright pink and the best part was it had sparkles! I saw the matching bra but never wanted to pay for it. About a month or so ago I was bored online looking at lingerie as one does when I decided to look up the Passionata Starlight line to see if I was sol or if I could still purchase this bra. I wanted to complete the set as the thong is so comfy. There's two bras in the Starlight line: there's the plunge and then there's a t-back molded cup bra. I figured this plunge would fit me better. Unfortunately, while I could purchase this bra still, it was not available in my ideal size which would be a European 65G (UK 30F). However, for 15 bucks I figured I might as well try the EU 65H (UK 30FF) as one doesn't know until one tries. While this technically fits, all signs point to the EU 65G as being the best fit. So if anyone has one in pink and would like to swap for this one, let me know!

This bra is so pretty. It is a 3 part cup covered with glittery stars and checks. It's a double layer of fabric on the bottom for support while the top part is only one layer. It is not sheer though and hides nipples well. The gore is very low and the very top of it stops before the wire channels do which is an interesting effect not often seen in full-bust lingerie. The wires are on the wider side of average, which I expected from sizing up but it does seem wide for a 30FF in general. The cups are as deep as I expected (luckily!) although this means that I cannot bend the wires inward because then the cups would be too deep. Where I have the most issues with this bra is that it's tall and so full coverage. While the wings, at 4 inches, are not too tall to be uncomfortable, because it's so wide the edges of the cups are right in my armpit and chafe like hell. Not only that, but these cups are the tallest I've ever seen on a bra and not a bralette and they come up right to my shoulders. I'm sure in the next size down this would be less of an issue but I'm still not certain if the cups would ever not eat my armpits. The straps are the cheapest looking part of the bra: they have no decorations so they slip very easily.

Look how tall this stupid bra is. Why? Why is this necessary? I still get a decent shape but a little more east/west then normal because of the wide wires (I think). That means no cleavage which is fine. I can't really wear this under anything but sweaters anyway. The wires are wideset and have a tendency to slip off my shoulders if I'm not careful. The gore also poses issues for me and ultimately is the deal breaker. I could wear the bra on days when I'm not too active but even just lounging around, the gore stabs me. I have no idea why. I've had low gores before and it's not an issue. But this tacks so firmly it actually rubbed me raw over the course of a day. I can slide the wires in their channels to solve this issue a little bit but not enough to make it comfortable.

It was so hard to photograph but on the left side of this picture you can see how red I got at the top of the channel. It was actually rubbed raw and I had a little sore there for a couple of days and couldn't wear most of my bras comfortably.

So here you can begin to see how wide this bra really is. It gives a lovely shape really so I want it to work. I just haven't figured out how to yet. I'd say this bra is shallow to middling on the immediate depth front. My righty has some space under the cup because it's a smidge more projected then lefty.

Here it is folks. How awful is this. My poor armpits. The wide wires don't bug me too much but the damn wire channels are like half an inch longer then the wires. That means that this irritating situation isn't actually necessary. If I can figure out how to shorten the cup/wing without damaging the integrity of the bra I will. Nice uplift though and I can tell that if this wasn't a shape mismatch it would be pretty comfortable. 

The band is relatively true to size and wider in the back than my Ewas. I love the firmness of the band and it's one of the most comfortable parts of this bra.

I think I have average/tall roots but I had a lot of excess space in the tops of the cups that I think most people won't be able to fill. Luckily it lies relatively flat even when laying around.

I so wanted this bra to work. If I get a chance I might try the next size down. Unfortunately, it's just a big ol' shape mis-match. If it was just the wide wires or the tall wings/wide rubby cups or tall cups or gore I'd keep it but since I have issues with pretty much every aspect of this bra except for the depth and the band I know I should pass it on. I'll keep my eye out for the next size down because I'm too stubborn to give up this easily. It is for sale here. I won't discount Passionata styles in the future, especially since I figured out what size would work best for me. The quality looks good for the price and their pieces are so cute. It's a shame this one didn't work.