For a long time, Parfait been on my affordable lingerie for busty gals radar. Their designs are as beautiful as they are structural, and the sheer selection they offer to full-busted shoppers is a gift. They sent over the Parfait Irene Unlined Wire Bra for me to try out because they know I’m scrutinous when it comes to affordable D+ bras.
Parfait’s overall size range is 32A-44G, but the Irene style covers only the larger end of that spectrum, from 30D-44G. Typically, I wear a 36E and find that larger bra sizes like mine have an enormous margin for error. Some 36Es feel like B-cups and others slide off of me like I’m a 4 year old in my mom’s lingerie drawer. The Irene bra, on the other hand, was completely true to size.
At first, this bra intimidated the crap out of me. Not only am I generally scared of white garments, especially when they’re made from delicate fabrics, but the construction of this bra felt out of my league. That intimidation only grew once I tried it on.
At first, this bra gave me total 1970s cone boobs. I was ready to curl out the tips of my hair and pop on some white lipstick because damn. You could poke someone’s eye out with these things!
But… I also didn’t hate it. After all, it was totally comfortable, and I’m not gonna lie, I looked bangin’ in sweaters. The retro vibe definitely got to me and I ended up strategically planning outfits around my new accidental bullet bra.
As time went on, I broke in the bra and eventually my boyfriend wasn’t able to recognize my bra through my closed jacket anymore. That isn’t to say that the structural integrity was declining, though, because I still feel completely secure and supported. There’s just less… aggressive shaping going on.
It’s worth mentioning how impressed I am with the fact that the floral pattern doesn’t show up through my clothes. Neither the texture of the mesh lace nor the design pop through solid or thin fabrics despite being pretty contrasting and transparent by itself.
The straps in the front of the Irene bra are made from two side-by-side satin straps which look really cute, but not cutesy. It has a standard 3-hook closure in back and regular adjustable straps. The front of the bra has a keyhole at the center and, as of now, the underwire doesn’t seem to be threatening to escape its fabric encasement. This is how 80% of my bras die, so I’ll be interested to see how this holds up over time.
As far as underwire bras go, the Parfait Irene is one of my favorites. I don’t wear underwire every day, but when I do, I need them to be comfortable, and I need them to look good under whatever I’m wearing. The Parfait Irene accomplishes both of these objectives with flying colors, plus a little extra something something with the slightly dramatic boob-trajectory.
It also has a matching set of underwear that are super comfy and well-made. They are made from the same white mesh that the bra has, including a panel of matching floral lace.
The only thing more see-through than the back panel of the underwear is the keyhole at the top, which is completed with an obligatory bow, so these are sweet with a healthy dash of saucy.
Right now, this Parfait bra is on sale at multiple places, and those sales should be capitalized on immediately.
Brayola, $37.80 (was $54) in both black and ivory.
Additional Brayola bonuses:
- 4% cash back from Ebates
- 1,000 Honey Gold
Nordstrom Rack, $21.97 (was $54) in both black and ivory.
Additional Nordstrom Rack bonuses:
- 1% cash back from Ebates
Kohls, $21.60 (was $54) in both black and ivory.
Additional Kohl’s bonuses:
- 3% cash back from Ebates
Bare Necessities, $29.99 (was $54) in black.
Additional Bare Necessities bonuses:
- 1.5% cash back from Ebates