Panache Women's Jasmine Balconnet Bra

Updated review 11/30/2015: I just bought a second bra in this style. I love the fit and lift of this bra. It's forgiving throughout my cycle. Literally the only drawbacks I have seen with this bra are that the underwires (?) tend to creak audibly when I move, which is a little bizarre, and the band in the front does roll under and leave marks on my stomach. (I have the same issue with the Panache Olivia style, but the Olivia is worse.) Overall, great bra, and I've upgraded to 5-stars. It's one of my "go-to" bras.Original review:This bra has amazing lift and also really good separation without crunching the inside of my close-set, forward-facing breasts too badly. (It seems to crunch me less than the Panache Olivia.) The vertical seams align pretty perfectly with my nipples, which are just below the horizontal seam. I tried it first in 36FF (before I knew what band I needed) and returned it. 34FF is a keeper. It's performing well even though I'm at the part of my cycle where my breasts are larger and one is especially larger (probably a G or a little smaller). The side-shaping in this is fairly subtle. I only get a weird vertical line and side-quad boob if I raise my arms above my head. The band is definitely firm on first try-on, and I'm sure it will leave marks unless I use an extender until it relaxes. The bottom edge of the band in the front seams a little bit stretchy, but it's also got a stiff edge, so it will probably leave marks in my stomach. I would also imagine that the little bit of fabric at the bottom of the band below the underwires will start to roll under. I seem to do better when there is no band, but others may not have this issue. Love the lace edge of the cups on this bra, and the houndstooth is also cute. Would work well for both younger and older women I think. The fit of this bra, while very similar in design to the Cleo Kali and Cleo Lucy (except those don't have side-shaping), is MUCH more forgiving. I can't wear either of those at this part of my cycle without getting quad-boob/spillage at the top of the cups and wanting to rip the thing off because the band is so tight.

This is probably as good as I can get with my built-in fitting difficulties. I am a 30J (US) (super projected, omega root, pendulous, full on bottom) & got this in 32G (UK), I have found that this model cups run large in the past, they are very stretchy and accommodating. One of my boobs is about 3 cups bigger than the other, I need narrower wires than actually exist on the market for as large of a size as I am, and an ultra-narrow gore.This model is very good at giving you a lifted, pulled-in, and separated shape. I have a very short torso and prefer a bra that is very lifting so you can even tell I have a waist, I feel like this model makes my chest look the way it naturally should look, not smashed down or widened, no unnecessary padding in the cups. Since I don't have much top volume anymore, shorter balconette cups are nice for holding me in just enough. This is a sexy bra that also works as a everyday bra. But not a bra if you want to look smaller-busted. The cup on my smaller boob is just ever so slightly baggy, not a big deal and since the are not full coverage, I would not want to size down any more than this or I would be falling out on the other side. The band is very stretchy like I like it, easier to put on. I almost have a perfect gore touch here, I would need one where the wires are actually on top of each other to be any narrower here. And I wish the wire was more U-shaped because I don't really have any side fat at all, but it's still better than the majority of bras in this size. I wish the material is something that was smoother and less likely to show through thin shirts, and that it could be adjusted to a 'X' in the back, but overall I really love this bra model.

So. I'm a bit of an in-between size right now, which makes bra shopping interesting. With a real ribcage measurement of 30" on the dot, I can do a snug 32 or a generous 30. Cup-wise, depending on the shape of the bra, whether it runs small/large, and the give/flexibility of the material, I could be a 32F, a 32E, a 30F, or a 30FF.In the past I've gone with 32F for Panache bras, but recently I tried and returned a Marcie in 32F that was way huge all over. Rolled the dice on a 30F with this one, hoping that it would run a bit big as well, and that was the right decision. The band is a perfect, just-enough-space-to-breathe-won't-kill-me-while-I-break-it-in-30. The cup is borderline small, but the top lace is stretchy and forgiving so no quad-boobing. Other in-betweeners should size down IMO.It's a cute bra. I wouldn't say it's comfortable in a "gee, I just wanna lounge around in this soft lil thing" way, but it makes me feel totally secure without either 1. digging in/irritating/scratching me or 2. making me feel like I'm 90 years old and wearing a nasty beige medical device.My one qualm is it does have a bit of a retro, almost cone-like silhouette. The shape combined with the sheer, thin fabric make it great for certain outfits, but a bit weird for others. Maybe it's just me and my boobs, but under a plain t-shirt this bra is "Uncanny Valley" sexy, like wearing fishnet stockings to a suburban grocery store at noon on a Tuesday.