Panache Olivia

Stock Photo from Google

The Olivia by Panache made its debut this spring 2015 season. The Olivia is an unlined balconette style. It comes in this beautiful light nude-peachy/pink color called Apricot. It comes in sizes 30-38 band D-K cups. 

This bra is gorgeous. Not only is it pretty, but it feels really "cozy" for a lack of better words. It's hard to describe. It's not super silky, but its soft. Almost like a blanket...but prettier. The detailing is definitely my style - subtle polka dots and floral. Panache claims that this bra was based on the Floris, but with a stretch top section of the cup. I'm not sure if I agree, unfortunately. 

I ordered this in my normal cleo/panache size which is a 32HH. As you can see, this bra was not made for my boobs. I personally have pretty balanced breast tissue. I'm not completely full on top, but I have enough upper fullness that makes shallow cups a no go for me. I need a lot of space at the top of the cup. The Cleo Marcie, for example, fits me perfectly in this size.

The shape it is giving me is awful. It's like a downward pointy sad boob. Also the top of cuts into my tissue even though it is made out of a stretchy material. There was also no way for me to adjust to get the gore to sit flat. 

Here you can see the gore refusing to sit in its assigned seat--------------->

As you can tell from me pouting, I was not happy with this bra so I had to return it. I was really hoping this one was going to work because it was such a delicate looking bra. And it was so weirdly soft. I've had better luck with the Floris, the bra that this was supposedly based on. If I get a chance, I may try on this bra in a 32J or 34HH. However I don't have much hope that it'll look any better. I think the shape of the bra and the shape of my boobs just aren't compatible. 

Overall, the construction of this bra is nice, but it did not work for me. The band runs true to size for Panache. The cups run very shallow at the top, and perhaps a bit small. FoT boobs beware. FoB boobs, you might be able to make it work 

You Were Fit Wrong.

You know your bra size, right? You went to VS for a fitting. Or maybe you’ve just shopped around at Kohls or Macy’s and found something that looked okay. You must be good. Right?

Wrong.

Well, I can’t say wrong to everyone. But, 8 or 9 out of 10 women are currently wearing the wrong bra size. That is one hell of a statistic. And I’m not just pulling that number out of my ass. Lingerie companies such as Wacoal have done studies that back those numbers up. You may be wondering… “How could SO many women be wearing the wrong size?” Well, I’ve boiled it down to 2 main reasons. Let’s start with the most troubling reason, and that is the size range offered here in the US (it’s a whole different story in the UK and other European countries).

Think of the typical sizes you see in stores. A, B, C, D cups? Maybe a DD or DDD cup? And what about band sizes. I believe VS bands start at a 32 and you can find band sizes well into the 40s in typical department stores. That size range must suit everyone, unless they’re some huge boobed freak right? No. Absolutely not. This tiny size range gives people the impression that an A cup must be tiny (granted, it is) B cups are smallish, C is average, D is big, DD is gigantic, and DDD boobs are “holy cow” or they must be fake. As for band sizes, 30 (if you can find it) or 32 must be for super skinny, small framed women, 34 must be for average medium build girls, 36 must be for thicker girls, 38 is for the bigger ladies, and everything else is plus sized (while also being widely available). This is the first reason as to why so many ladies are wearing an ill fitting bra. Women assume that their “average” sized breasts couldn’t possibly need more than a C or D cup. And ladies with bigger chests feel the need to compensate by adding inches to their band measurement to find a bra that “fits” and covers everything up. The truth is that most women are wearing band sizes too big, and cup sizes too small. We will talk more about that next.

The second reason why so many women are wearing the wrong bra size is because of how we are measured or how we are told to find our size. If you were told to add inches to your under bust (ribcage/band) measurement, you’re doing it wrong. If you were told to measure above your bust to get your band measurement, you’re doing it wrong. If you went to VS or Lane Bryant for a fitting, there is a damn good chance it’s wrong. The problem with these fitting techniques is that they are outdated. Bras of ye old time did not have the stretch and give that bras have today. The old method of measuring ensured that a woman would be comfortable in a non-stretchy bra all throughout her monthly cycle. Now a days, bra bands have a lot of elastic in them. They are meant to stretch around the ribcage snugly. This means that your proper band size should be the size that is closest to a firm under bust measurement in inches (rounding up is okay, but adding 3+ inches is not okay). -I will discus fitting and measuring soon- 

We are also shown pictures of women in magazines with miles of cleavage, floating gores (the part in the center where the cups meet), and wires just barely going past the front of the body. That must be how cups are supposed to fit! No, it’s not. Women wear the wrong size because we are shown the wrong size. We are told to wear the wrong size. And we don’t know what the right fit looks like.