Minx Underwire Balconette Bra

I am repurchasing this bra after owning it for 2 or 3 year. It has held up very well and still looks great. The cups are a bit tight because I bought the 28 DDD since they don't sell a 28 DDDD. There's a bit of spillage if I have my shoulders back. I am purchasing the 30 DDD this time. It's thin material, unpadded, with great support, and I can wear it with any top. I have had a very difficult time finding bras my size with shoulder straps that shorten to fit me. LE MYSTÈRE, Panache, and Scarlette Blue are the only brands that fit me. All the other brand sizes are way too loose that my boobs get pinned under the wire as I move (e.g. Natori, Wacoal, Freya). HOW TO MEASURE YOUR BRA SIZE: Measure under your breasts around your ribs in inches. Add 4 or 5 to make it an even number. This is your band size. Mine is 26+4=30. Measure your cup size by wrapping a tape measure around the back to the nipple. Subtract the the cup size from the band size 36-(30)=6 in. 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=DD, 6=DDD, 7=DDDD. Bra size example: I am 5'2 in height and weigh 105 (Underbust 25 inhale 26 exhale. My natural full-shape breasts are 36 inches at the nipple). In practice I wear between a 28 DDDD to a 30 DDD depending on the fit or brand. I do wish they sold a 28DDDD in this bra. *It is important to keep in mind that the human body is typically proportionate, so someone who is 5'5 cannot normally have a rib cage that is 25 inches and should not wear a 30 band size. For this reason, the straps on 28 and 30 bands are shorter, because there is a lesser distance between the breasts and shoulders. This is appropriate since the average woman is 5'4, so 50% of us are that under this height.

This reminded me of the Chantelle bras I always buy here. I love the construction of this bra. It makes you look very perky in a natural way. What I didn't expect was the material. It's very thin mesh w/ a layer of thin lace over it. No molded cups, no padding. The great thing about this is how it's strong, like molded cups. At the top, your breasts will jiggle when you walk, like decades ago. But only at the top. A lot of bras hold you in or cover. I like this concept! I gave it 4 stars because of the thin material. I kept this & I do love it!

My ribcage/underbust is just over 30.5, my bust is about 38.5" with a lot of projection, I wear a 30I/32G or 32H typically (gossard, deja day, freya, wacoal). I ordered a 32G and I am definitely a 30H in this one (30I would be ideal), the gore stands slightly away from the chest with ever-so-slight quadriboob happening on top. Usually with soft unlined cups, they stretch when you put them on and aren't supportive--I don't have that problem here at ALL (I actually sized down in the cup because I was expecting that--now I wish I hadn't). The fit is almost perfect, but knowing that this soft fabric skarlett blue uses on the band stretches over time on the band, I need the 30 band size. The fabrics used here are SO comfortable at the straps and band, way moreso than the other bigger-bust brands I get. The band is pretty good for not digging in or creating rolls (it's smoothing). This had way more coverage than expected, I think they adjusted how much the wires come up in the front so that it hits on the same place (high up) regardless of your cup size (I'm used to bras automatically being lower in the front on me due my cup size). This bra is best for those with slightly close-set boobs and for those a little fuller on top (I say this because I always have issues with quadriboob and this one does a pretty great job considering it's definitely too small of a cup size). I'm petite and have issues with straps being too longer + wires coming up too high on the side, or being too far apart/wide, this one is great on that front. There isn't that much nip coverage but it's more than other unlined bras I have and the lace is smoother under shirts than other brands with lace. It's a very flattering bra and the level of sheerness is really pretty; I'd say it would be cuter if it was more of a plunge, but you do still get that balconette corset-y lifted look on top. I think this bra is constructed in a way that's amazing for creating lift + taking the pressure off of you while still being very soft--this makes it super comfortable on me.

I wanted a balconette bra because I don’t have a lot of fullness at the top so other styles gap on me. I guess they tend to be more lingerie like than normal bras — this is completely sheer. I bought to wear under white tops but you can see my nipples through the shirt! The band is also too small.