Bluebella Cara Review: 32C

We’re really excited to share our second Bluebella review with you! Their gorgeous designs have been on my radar for a while now, but (as some now) I generally tend to err on the side of practicality when choosing lingerie. This time, however, with all the exciting styles, I decided to throw caution to wind and go with something frivolous. Oh! The frivolity! And by all means, it turned out very well indeed…

So with my newly frivolous mindset fully installed, I set about trawling the site. And I really mean trawling. Once, twice, longlist, shortlist…off to Sian for opinions, off to my Mum for a second opinion! It was all rather exciting, and I’m sure you’d see why if you took a look at the website. For me, Bluebella represents luxury, edgy look at affordable prices. I’m a big fan of the appliqué look on bras, but then again I kind of wanted to try something with a high neck. The piece I finally settled on, with only a slight hesitation (classic thought for me: but HOW and WHEN and WHERE will I wear it?!) was the Gia set. Sadly, this turned out to be out of stock, so it was on to the nail-bitingly close second choice: Cara.

Shape & Appearance

This bra is an absolute showstopper. It caught my eye initially as it reminded me on a super pricey item I’ve been lusting over from Janay. There’s something about that distinctive high-rise gore: it’s a bit of showmanship, but I think it looks really sophisticated as well. The overall balance of the design here is so nice: the delicate of the cups and the black; the line of lace detailing, even down to the briefs. It’s described as ‘romantic and feminine’, and I’d agree to a certain extent, but for me, this is more classy and elegant. Even classier in real life than it looks pictured on the site, I think. Something to note is the pink colour: it isn’t definitely pinker in person than it looks photographed, but no real bad thing. Although they do require a little readjusting from time to time, the lace ribbons that extend over the cups have to be my favourite my favourite element of this bra. Actually, it has to be the high-rise gore. No, probably the ribbons…they’re both too good to pick!!

The cups are on the lower end of the half-cup spectrum, which works perfectly for my breast shape. Under clothes it gives a very natural shape, and does actually give a slight, delicate cleavage—even on me! The pink of the cups—as I mention above—is more pink in person, than the pale blush it looks on photograph. The cups are thin foam throughout, with no padding.

The straps are fully adjustable, and the bra fastens with three sets of two hooks and eyes.

Sizing, Fit & Comfort

I had to go to the sister size of 32C from my usual 30D for this bra. It’s not usually a problem for me to shuffle aside in the sizing, as I don’t require all that much support from the band, so a slightly bigger fit isn’t a super bad thing. But Sian’s conversion must really have rubbed off on me after all these years, as I definitely do notice the band difference in this case! Although it doesn’t ride up at the back, there is significantly more give than I’m used to, and I’m already down to the tightest hook after a handful of wears. I’d say it’s worth it though, in this case—for all the pretty!

The cups fit incredibly well (when standing—interesting distinction, I know. I’ll get onto it). The smaller half-cup style suits my shape really well, as does that high gore rising in the middle. My breast type tends to the shallow, and to the not-meeting-in-the-middle type. It’s actually quite unusual for me to find a bra that fits without gaping on at least one part of the cup: but no gaping here! Well, no gaping while I’m standing…the construction of the cups reveals itself as slightly flimsy when I lie down wearing the bra (this is not an overshare: Sian insisted I lie down for some of the photos, which is when we noticed the problem! Needed an instant ‘scope and swoop’ remedy.) It was something that we did notice between Sian’s Iana boydsuit and my set: there did seem to be a higher quality to the fabric and construction of the bodysuit than the Cara set. That’s not to say it isn’t good value here: to the contrary, I haven’t come across such interesting and sophisticated designs for such good prices ANYWHERE else, but it was an interesting note…

And as for comfort? I’ve been really surprised. Since I was being FRIVOLOUS (how many times can I use that word?) I’d chosen a set to be frivolous in, rather than as a full-day wear. But it is really very comfortable! I actually assumed, before trying it, than having a high gore would rub a little: I don’t know why I thought it, but I was completely wrong. Last point to make is that I have noticed the wiring is a little narrow on this style, which I only begin to notice at the end of a long day. It’s not a problem for me at all, but would perhaps bother someone with a wider breast type, as the wires do come quite high under the arms.

An aside for the briefs: LOVE. They tie in perfectly to the set, and those lace ribbons extending over the hips are so flattering! We didn’t manage to photograph the back of the briefs, but they are also gorgeous. The lace overlay there falls in a beautiful pattern, that’s also incredibly flattering. I think they’re a really good fit for a body shape that’s slightly heavier on the bottom (read: I have a big bum.) The light under-colour and dark overlay, in combination with hip detailing of the lace ribbons, makes for a really flattering appearance.

 

Best news of all? Cara is on sale throughout the Easter weekend, so it’s even BETTER value for money! Check out this set, available in sizes 32—38, B—DD: bra on sale for £17 (!) and briefs for £9. See the rest of the sale here.