How My Bras Have Held Up Over Time pt.2

Autumn of last year, I did a post called “How My Bras Have Held Up Over Time,” but since I now have different bras due to a couple size changes (and new opinions on bras I talked about in the previous post), I think it’s time to do it all over again. Usually I review a bra after I’ve worn it about three times, but that doesn’t speak to its longevity, which is what I’ll be talking about now.

• Cleo Marcie

Marcie has become my standard go-to bra for any day when I don’t need a neutral colour. If it were made in neutral colours, I would rarely wear anything else, aside from perhaps a couple other styles for when padding is necessary, or to alleviate the points where the wires press on my body. The shape I get from Marcie is still great, and the band is still firm on the loosest hooks for me in both colours. The bands on both colours have definitely stretched a bit, but I haven’t found myself needing to move to tighter hooks for more support yet. My blue version feels slightly less comfortable because the straps are thinner than the red version (something I didn’t notice for quite a while), but as far as I can tell that’s a fluke, as many other Marcie lovers have reported the same strap thickness between both colours, so that’s unfortunate for me! It has held up enormously well though, and it’s hard to believe that such an inexpensive bra could actually be such high quality. This bra stands the test of time wonderfully.

• Miss Mandalay Paige

I’ve had a Paige in my collection since almost the start of my blog, so that alone should be a comment on how much I like this bra. Considering this bra is approaching a year old, it is to be expected that it isn’t as remarkable as the first few months that I owned it. The cups have changed a little bit, in that the shape isn’t quite as lifted anymore. The “minimizing” quality I’ve always found Paige to have seemed to be exaggerated now that it’s an older bra. I don’t mind this though, and I specifically turn to Paige when I feel like downplaying my boobs. The band is STILL firm on the loosest hooks. This is partly to due with the fact that I have gained a bit of weight around my ribcage, and partly to due with the material of the band I believe, which was never as stretchy as other bras I’ve owned. I don’t think I could wear a brand new Paige on the loosest hooks anymore, since I now consider myself more of a 28 instead of 26 (this bra fit me perfectly when I needed a 26 band, as did Paris by Miss Mandalay). I would estimate that if my ribcage remained the same, I would be wearing this on the middle hooks, which is quite astounding given its age. I can’t wear this bra on my period anymore, but I enjoy the crap out of it during the other three weeks of the month. Paige is still a favourite, and holds up well.

• Ewa Michalak PL bras

I adore Ewa Michalak bras, but I adore them the most for the first three months of their life. It’s not that they aren’t still nice for the remainder of their life, but that the shape does seem to change a bit. Basically, I have found that all my PL bras, especially the Cielus, really contain and lock me in (a pretty amazing feat for a plunge bra) for around the first three months of their lifespan. But eventually they seem to… soften? That might be the best word I can think of. They seem a bit less secure in the cups somehow, and I think this may just be a result of how they wash and wear over time. I don’t think this should deter anyone from purchasing them if they are interested, just be prepared that they may not feel exactly like they do in a few months. In my experience, the Onyks has held up the best over time (I’ve tried the PL Cielus, PL Stalowka, PL Onyks, and PL Black). Though as I say this, I’m considering purchasing a new PL Onyks and S Satine in my current size, so as you can see, it’s not really a big deal. The bands seem to stretch normally, nothing too crazy to report there. I am curious if anyone else has had similar findings with Ewa Michalak bras? Please comment about your experience for the sake of science!

• Panache Andorra

I’ve owned my Andorras for a little bit longer than I’ve owned my Paige, but I haven’t worn them as much. The reason for this is that I found the bands a bit loose when I needed a 26, so it’s only been in the past few months that I’ve really started getting my wear out of them. I would estimate that for the time I’ve owned my Andorras, I’ve worn them consistently for about 5 months. Now that I wear average 28s comfortably, I love this bra. I’m so thankful that after my school stress subsided, my size seemed to stop fluctuating and I fit my 28FF bras again. Huge relief. So in the time that I’ve worn my Andorras, they’ve continued to give me the same great shape as when they were new, and the bands still feel firm on both colours. The only downside is that the lace at the top of the cups has frayed a bit in some places, but that’s only aesthetic and it’s nothing extreme, so all in all I’m very pleased with this bra. I consider it my “Marcie alternative” because the shape/wire placement are totally different, so it’s pretty common that I’ll either feel like Marcie or Andorra on a given day.

• Miss Mandalay Paris

Another one of the bras that I brought when my cup size increased last year, the Paris has been a tricky one. The deal with Paris is that when it fits, it’s amazing. However, the ribbon at the top of the cups is so stiff that if I fluctuate up a bit, I get super spillage. As a result, I can only wear Paris on average/smaller days, but when those days come– ooohh how I do. When this bra fits, I absolutely love it, which is why I haven’t sold it despite my boob’s fluctuating antics of late. I would venture to say that I feel most attractive in this bra of anything in my collection, and if the ribbon were more forgiving I would own it in multiple colours. Unfortunately, it’s just not practical enough for me to own more than one. The band on Paris is even more firm than Paige, so I’m actually wearing this one with an extender (30F is likely my Paris size now). Like Paige, it hasn’t stretched much because of the firm materials its made with, so this is a bra that’s certainly made to last. If you’re in the position of needing a 26 band, I highly recommend checking out this style. If you’re full on bottom, even better, as you’ll probably fair better with the tight ribbon!

FYI: Only the new Paris styles have a super firm band. Old colours are a bit stretchier.

• Freya Just Flew In Longline

The Just Flew In longline, as many of you will know, fit me on the tightest hooks straight away. Now that I’ve gained a bit of weight around my ribcage, some days I can wear it on the loosest hooks, but most days I still opt for the tightest. The most notable change about the Just Flew In is that the band inches its way up in the front a lot now, whereas it barely did in its first couple months of life. The shape I get from the cups is about the same as when I got it, but somehow, like my experience with Ewa Michalak PL bras, it seems a bit “softer” and I feel a bit less contained in them. I’m beginning to think this is a result of the washing and wearing specifically of padded bras, because I haven’t experienced this in unpadded bras (unless you count the Miss Mandalay Paige, which as I mentioned is a bit less supportive in the cups now that it’s pretty old).

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I’m planning to make another “How My Bras Have Held Up” post once the ones I have in my current collection have been worn for a few more months, like the Freya Patsy longline, Masquerade Amor, Mimi Holliday Comfort bras, Cleo Bella and Panache Sports bra. Hope this was enjoyable, helpful or both.

-Windie