As regular Undercover Lingerista readers may know, I am a huge fan of moulded bras and I often find myself reaching for a moulded plunge/ t-shirt bra on a daily basis. One bra that I particularly sing the praises of is the Freya Deco bra, which I continue to buy again and again in as many colours and prints as my bank balance will allow! Thanks to the 'Deco's simple but well-constructed design and the great support and cleavage that it gives, it has been hard for me to find a moulded bra that holds a candle to it. For quite some time, I have longed to find another bra that gives me a cleavage to rival the 'Deco' (without being very padded) and it seems that the day has finally come..
When 'Parfait' by Affinitas came on to my radar, I unsurprisingly fell in love with the gorgeous designs (who can resist the array of pretty colours and beautiful lace, ruffle, bow and charm details?) As a result, I almost bypassed their lingerie 'basics' . Fortunately, one day I spotted 'Jeanie' in her simple but effortlessly wearable glory and found myself longing for just one more t-shirt bra..
As Affinitas Intimates is still a relatively new brand in the UK and it is not yet stocked in major department stores, I decided to search for a UK stockist of the 'Jeanie' online..to no avail! Just when I thought that it was a futile search, the delightful Cha from Large Cup Lingerie said that she could source it for me and send it on! Given that in my review of the Parfait 'Fiona' camisole, the 30F was a tad too small in the cups, I wasn't sure whether I would need a 30F or 30FF in the 'Jeanie', so Cha kindly ordered both sizes for me to try.
Firstly, I cannot recommend Large Cup Lingerie enough - it is a brilliant site for busty ladies, offering some amazing bargains, great customer service and FREE international delivery! What's not to love? True to form, the 'Jeanie' was ordered and posted out quickly to me.
The Parfait 'Jeanie' is a moulded bra made from smooth microfibre with powernet back wings for support. Given that Affinitas do not stock 28 backs in their ranges, it was good that the 30 back 'Jeanie' fitted me fine. Interestingly enough, when I compared the widths of my (albeit worn) Freya 'Deco' bra in a 28FF with the Parfait 'Jeanie', the 'Jeanie' was quite a bit smaller in the band. This seems to reinforce that Parfait 30 backs do come up more snug than many 30 backs in other brands.
With regard to sizing, I am surprised to say that I got on slightly better with the 30F 'Jeanie' than the 30FF. There was not a huge amount of difference between the sizes, but I did notice a bit of gaping at the top of the cups in the 30FF, so sizing down to the 30F eliminated this problem.
It is interesting to note that the construction of the 'Jeanie' does alter slightly between F and FF cups. The 30F fastens with two hook and eye closures, whereas the 30FF has 3 hook and eye closures for added support and anchorage. I also noticed that the straps on the 30FF are the same width as those on my 'Deco' bra, being 0.5cm wider than the straps of the 30F 'Jeanie':
The actual fit of the 'Jeanie' is rather 'jeanie'-ous, if you'll forgive the pun! The fabric is incredibly soft against the skin and very comfortable to wear. It is completely seamless, making it ideal for giving a streamlined shape even when worn under the tightest of clothing. I love that the straps on the 30F 'Jeanie' are that bit thinner than the straps on most of my other bras. It is so hard to come across fuller bust bras that have thin straps that will work under strappy tops, but this bra delivers (up to an F cup at least!) - no more bra straps stealing the show!
The 'Jeanie' does bear quite a striking resemblance to the Freya 'Deco', but that said, there are a few subtle differences between the two bras..
1. The 'Jeanie' boasts a dainty black bow and silver heart charm at the centre of the cups, adding elegance to an otherwise basic bra:
2. There are thinner straps on the 'Jeanie' up to an F cup
3. The 'Jeanie' has mesh back wings rather than the same material all the way around on the 'Deco'
4. Softer elastic straps on the 'Jeanie'
5. Marginally wider/thicker back band on the 'Jeanie'
6. The cups of the 'Jeanie' also appear to be a bit wider and more shallow than those on the 'Deco'
7. Centre gore wires are slightly further apart on the 'Jeanie' (See below):
There is not a vast amount of difference in the fit of the 'Jeanie' and 'Deco' and both bras give a lovely rounded and uplifted shape with a cracking cleavage to boot! One thing that does frustrate me a little about the 'Jeanie', however, is that the central wires do not sit completely flush against my chest (this was not rectified when I sized up to a 30FF, so I think that this issue could be eliminated if the 'Jeanie' came in a 28 back!)
In my opinion, the 'Jeanie' is a 'must-have' for any underwear drawer. It is perfect for low-cut tops, V neck shirts and tight fitting dresses and it would also make for a comfy t-shirt bra. If you're looking for a plunge bra that will give you fabulous cleavage, whilst feeling so soft that you won't want to take it off, then this bra is for you!
Although I still love my 'Deco' bras, the 'Jeanie' is a great alternative and it costs a purse-friendly £26! (The 'Deco' is £30) 'Jeanie' will also be available in Nude and 'European Nude'. Keep your eyes peeled on Large Cup Lingerie as 'Jeanie' will be coming soon to the site.
I can't wait to review more from Parfait by Affinitas and will be looking forward to the new collection launches. It's easy to get lost in the beauty of the satin and lace Parfait sets, but there's also something to be said for always having the bra 'basics' - 'Jeanie' looks set to be a well-loved addition to my bra-dobe!
Love,
Kitty xo
I feel like the cups on Jeanie are a bit taller/fuller on top than that of the Deco and I can't quite fill that part. Does anyone else have this experience?
ReplyDeleteHi Faustineli,
DeleteI think you might be right in that the cups are slightly taller - interesting observation..
Kitty xo
Hi, it's not related to a post but I was listening to the conversation on the radio (103.5fm). It caught my attention because it was about bras. They called it "vanity sizing" like women nowadays want to wear bras with smaller backs and bigger cups. Mom of one of the radio hosts who's an "A cup" got fitting in Macy's and she wears D cup even though her boobs are small. She couldn't agree with her mom because she has big boobs and is a "D cup" so her mom must be wrong. If I wasn't driving I'd make a double facepalm... No wonder why most people in America have no idea that for example 32D has smaller back and cup than 36D. They just call it "D cup"="big boobs". And if a woman who got fitting and is not "D-cup" but wears "G-cup" also is wrong because her boobs aren't THAT big. People react hysterically about the sizing. They don't care at all about a comfort, quality, and proportions so I should just switch back not to 34B but to 32A because I'm very skinny. 32 because I'm skinny and A cup because I have small boobs. I used to wear 34B till I was 17 years old and then 32C for a year before I discovered that there are bras which don't ride up on my back and don't dig in to the breast tissue with their too short wires. When I was talking with the other girls about bra sizes they couldn't believe that I wear 32C because one of the girls got fitting in VS (eyeroll) and she wears 34C. She was way bigger than me and obviously could easily fit into bigger cup but she wouldn't dare to try on even 34D. So right now I don't tell anyone my whole size (28E). I just say that I have to order bras online from the other country because I have very thin back and I have to wear 28. It shuts them up right away. I fit my mom in 34D (she used to wear 36B) and not every bra works for her (she has soft tissue because of her age and pregnancies when there was no one to explain real bra fitting). I also fit my sister in 28E/F (depends on her current weight). I feel like if I had big boobs (big enough to create huge muffin tops in 34D) the other women would believe my explanations about bra fitting.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
DeleteThanks for your comment and no worries - it's always good to hear from readers about things bra-related! There's been a fair bit of talk in the media recently with people claiming that lingerie brands are 'vanity sizing' to make women feel better about their bra size (which is generally not true) You're right that there's a huge misconception about cup size - there's this idea that all D cups are the same and anything over a D cup is 'huge'..which is clearly false as all cup sizes are linked to back size (as you cite with the example of 32D and 36D)
I also understand what it's like to have people feel confused and shocked as to my bra size. I remember showing one of my friends the label in my bra to show that 28FF was my actual size! At the end of the day, the important thing is that you're wearing the correct size, so it doesn't matter what people think. If you can educate them as to what bra size they should be wearing, then all the better, but a lot of people find the concept of not adding inches strange as they are used to high street stores putting them in a size much smaller than they are!
I believe that we'll get there eventually with perseverance and a strong message!
Love,
Kitty xo
I think it all starts from the advertisements and the models that look skinny and wear bigger bra sizes. The truth is i still get confused with my own size :p as every bra has a different form, plus the size for the bra i wannna try is usually gone! and this is reeeally messing up with my nerves! hehe
DeleteHi FridayImInLove,
DeleteI think the problem is to a great extent perpetuated by the media - having a magazine print that Christina Hendricks is a 38DDD is confusing to people as not only is this not her bra size by any stretch, but it may make women think "how can my bust be an F (for e.g.) if I look way smaller than her?" It's a complicated issue, but hopefully if enough people keep educate women about bra fitting, it'll slowly change people's perceptions (especially regarding bra size relativity and the stigmas related to DD+ sizes!)
You're right that size can vary a great deal between brands, styles etc., but it's just important to try a lot of bras on and work out what suits your bust best.
Love,
Kitty xo
Fantastic post! Like you, one bug-bear of mine is that the central boning doesn't sit flush to the breast bone, lacking support. A great comparison. Here's to t-shirt bras!!
ReplyDeleteHi Censory Lingerie,
DeleteThanks for your comment and I'm really glad that you enjoyed the review, along with the Deco comparison! A t-shirt bra is a real underwear drawer staple, so I'm always keen to try out new styles! :)
Love,
Kitty xo