I recently read this excellent blog review of the Panache Sophie Support bra and was so impressed that I jumped onto eBay and bought one to try for myself.
Image courtesy of Panache
Now, I'm sure it won't have escaped your notice that the lovely lady modelling this bra is pregnant and I must clarify here that the Sophie is a bra intended to be worn during pregnancy as it is non-wired. However, there is no reason why it can't be worn when not pregnant.
So when my bra arrived I couldn't wait to try it on and see if it worked for me.
It's soooooo pretty. Beautiful white lace overlays the pink soft cotton fabric, giving a candy-like appearance to the bra. The straps are fully adjustable and again very comfortable. In the wearer's correct size, it would be the perfect bra to wear whilst pregnant.
However, unfortunately for me, it was not a good fit. I'd gone for the 34J as I felt a bigger band would be no good. As it was, the 34 band was a little bit too big and when I tried the bra on I had it on the second tightest hooks (incidentally, there are 6 rows of hooks to allow for expansion during pregnancy so if you are thinking of getting a Sophie do make sure you bear this in mind).
The cups were too small for me, but interestingly you can see from the photos above that they finish almost on my back! There isn't enough depth in the cup, which is something I find all too often with bras other than my beloved Ewa Michalaks. I know for a fact I am not the only woman to suffer with this problem and it's a shame that other brands don't do more to address this issue.
I experienced the same problem with this bra as I have with all Panache bras I have tried before - the cups are too wide and push my boobs towards my armpits. I have always found this an odd thing for a bra to do as boobs were not intended to be in one's armpits and surely it's not good for one's long term breast shape?
The tops of the cups cut into my breast tissue and flattened me, which felt uncomfortable. As this bra wouldn't be one I would wear out of the house, I am not overly concerned about how it looks but when it causes discomfort because it is too small it's definitely one to cross off my list!
It's such a pity this bra is not available in larger cup sizes as I think perhaps a K might have served me better, although I would still have the problem with the big back band. I do, however, believe that this would be a great sleep/support bra for those requiring a smaller cup than me. What I really need is more depth in the cups. Now if only someone could hand-make me a sleep bra...
I experienced the same problem with this bra as I have with all Panache bras I have tried before - the cups are too wide and push my boobs towards my armpits. I have always found this an odd thing for a bra to do as boobs were not intended to be in one's armpits and surely it's not good for one's long term breast shape?
The tops of the cups cut into my breast tissue and flattened me, which felt uncomfortable. As this bra wouldn't be one I would wear out of the house, I am not overly concerned about how it looks but when it causes discomfort because it is too small it's definitely one to cross off my list!
It's such a pity this bra is not available in larger cup sizes as I think perhaps a K might have served me better, although I would still have the problem with the big back band. I do, however, believe that this would be a great sleep/support bra for those requiring a smaller cup than me. What I really need is more depth in the cups. Now if only someone could hand-make me a sleep bra...
You can read my other reviews of the soft cup bras I've tried here:
And there's more to come soon so stay tuned!
