A few years ago, Char and I visited Rigby & Peller in Harrogate where they christened me as an “Empreinte Girl” thanks to the fact that the Empreinte bras I tried fit my size and shape SO perfectly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to make a purchase at the time, nor had I had the occasion to try another Empreinte bra since then, but I always remembered how beautifully the Empreinte bras fit me and how how stunning they were.
Fortunately, we recently wrote an article for Figleaves all about Something Blue lingerie for a wedding, and I was able to try an Empreinte bra as part of this – Figleaves gifted me the Empreinte Diane in a 30G with the shorts in a size medium. And I fell in LOVE. I say that a lot. I just like pretty lingerie, okay?! But really, this one is a true fave. It’s even won over my lingerie-ignorant other half – he says he’s seen so many different bras now that he’s become immune! But this one broke through the noise and he loves the pretty colour. And he even said he loved how well it fit – I have him well trained ;D
The Empreinte Diane bra is available to buy at Figleaves in sizes 30E to 38G for £88.50; the matching Diane shorts are available in small to large for £49.
Appearance & shape
The most obvious thing about the Empreinte Diane bra is its bold and bright blue. It’s just as vivid in real life as it seems in these photos – a stunning shade of royal blue that complements my pale skin tone, but would look equally fantastic against a darker skin too.
In addition to the colour, the Diane bra has an eye-catching, delicate design that’s very different to the usual floral lace. This is more geometric, with scooping embroidered scallops on an almost sheer cup. The part that really appealed to me though was the straps – I call them “princess straps” because they’re SO pretty. They’re designed with the same fabric as the upper part of the matching briefs and are draped beautifully around the normal strap underneath. They’re made to be shown rather than tucked away! Because of this, they’re only half-way adjustable at the back. The bra fastens with 3 sets of 3 hooks and eyes at the back.
The cups are non-padded but lined with a non-stretch mesh so that they provide plenty of support. It’s a 3 piece cup, with the lower part divided into 2 sections with a sling that attaches to the strap and an upper cup section. I’d call this bra a full cup design as it covers and encapsulates most of my breast tissue. I’d normally say I’m not a big fan of full cups, but hey, I didn’t know they made them like this!
The price range for Empreinte is higher than the average fuller bust brand, but the company is aimed a more luxury market. They definitely epitomise French luxury in lingerie, with careful details and excellent design.
The briefs are also just as gorgeous as the bra, if not more so! They use the same embroidered sheer fabric as the cups of the bra, with the thicker stretchy fabric around the top. This is ruched at the centre where they sit mid-way down on my hips. I find them a really flattering fit. And a quick, small detail – rather than the usual bow, the central gore of the bra and the centre of the briefs has a small metal circle which is both cute and interesting.
Size, fit & comfort
I was a bit wary of picking my size in Empreinte because they don’t run quite the same as other brands. As a French brand, their sizing isn’t quite the same as other European brands I’ve tried like Ewa Michalak or Avocado, but it’s also not the same as UK sizing. They skip double letters and seem to have much deeper cups than UK brands. I was deciding between a 30F or 30G and ultimately picked the 30G as I haven’t been a 30F for a few cup sizes now and it scared me!
The 30G is an excellent fit on me, so I’m really glad I picked it! Like I said, the cups have much more projection than the average UK brand, are very generous in fit, and the wires are also narrower. They’re perfect for someone with a projected, full, round shape that isn’t too wide set – in short, my shape exactly! You can see that the lace lies flat against my upper bust and that the wires follow the contours of my shape very well.
The only problem I’d say is that the band is ever so slightly too large for me in a 30G. I can definitely wear it on the loosest hooks and not feel uncomfortable, but for the best support and to stop the band rising up (as you can see slightly in the side view), a smaller band size would be perfect. Empreinte’s smallest band size, however, is the 30, so that’s not possible right now. Fortunately I’m so happy in the 30G look and comfort that I would happily purchase in this size again and again!
The shorts are also a good fit, but verging on too large. I find them really comfortable and I love wearing this as a matching set, but I think I’d size down to a small in future for my (currently) 38″ hips. They don’t ride up at all or dig in. The upper fabric is very soft against the skin and I love the contrast between that part and the sheer, embroidered lower part.
