Let’s get back on this bra reviewing bandwagon! You won’t believe just how many bras I’ve acquired during the past few years, and this blog is supposed to be an outlet for me to review them, and yet I’m falling behind on it. Nevertheless, let’s jump straight back in. Today’s bra of choice is the Freya Rapture Half Cup bra from Bras & Honey*. I do already own a half cup bra from Freya, the Lauren (review here), although that one was a 30FF and I wasn’t thrilled with the fit of that one (mostly because 30FF is a band size too big and a cup size too small – my own fault really!), so I thought it was about time to give another Freya half cup style a chance. It took a lot of decision time to choose which piece I’d like to review from Bras & Honey, mostly because they have a big range (at pretty awesome prices, may I add), including plenty in my size. I decided to go sensible though and fairly plain with a shape I thought I would probably like, so Rapture it was. Also, brilliant name – reminds me of dinosaurs, and that’s always a good thing (NB: I know the word I’m thinking of is “raptors” but that’s close enough for me!).
Appearance & Shape
I like the appearance of this bra just enough – it’s nothing crazily outstanding, but it’s nice and simple, good for everyday wear under clothing and has a little bit of interest. The cups are made from a light foam padding with two vertical seams. The foam is overlaid with a light mesh like material which the briefs are also made from, that gives a slight check appearance. What I like about this is that it’s not highly noticeable unless it catches on the light – takes a plain black bra from boring to slightly interesting. It also has a lacey trim along the edge of the cup (which fortunately doesn’t show under clothing for me) and a red/black bow at the base of each strap and one on the gore.
Generally this bra gives a pretty rounded appearance due to the foam padding giving it that stronger shape. I like the fact that Freya’s padding is usually very lightweight – it gives more structure than a soft cup but not so much to add extra bulk. The gore is slightly lower than a balcony bra, but not so low as a plunge.
Sizing, Fit & Comfort
I chose to get the Freya Rapture in a 28GG. I’m never quite sure whether to go 28GG or 28H at the moment, so went for my “usual” size of the GG. To be honest, I think I could have got away with the H, mostly because of the fact that, as you can probably see above, I’ve got some slight spillage and quadboobing going on, mostly after a bit of wear and movement. It’s similar again to the Freya Lauren so I should have suspected this would happen really. I think it’s mostly because of the shallow shape at the bottom of the cups causing the bra to get pushed down as I have a more projected shape than it’s designed for.
While the spillage isn’t major, the shallow shape has affected my comfort in the bra slightly though. After a full day’s wear, I do find that the area underneath the wires at the front on my body is fairly sore – mostly because the bra has been pushed down and inwards by the shape of my breasts. I did wonder if it was the band being on the tight side that caused this, but after realising that the marking and soreness sits lower down than a band usually would, I came to this conclusion. It’s a shame because the band does actually fit well (Freya’s 28 bands are usually fairly loose, but this one feels true 28 – possibly due to the black dye which is known to make elastic/fabric tighter, strange but true!).
Fortunately, the soreness that I get from this bra doesn’t put me off wearing it, as it’s usually only after a day with more movement (since I spend most of my days sat in an office, this doesn’t really matter!) or a very long day’s wear. It’s still a very pretty basic bra that has a nice shape. Just beware if you have a very projected shape though!
And a note on the briefs – as usual, I don’t have much to say on them, but they’re a size 10, fit true to size and are comfortable. Plus I feel awesome when I finally wear a set of matching underwear – it doesn’t happen often!
One note to add before I go, make sure you don’t confuse this bra with the Freya Rapture Plunge (which is a soft cup with a lower gore).
Nice review – thanks. I love the Marvel (now discontinued) and I’m looking for a similar shape. If you’ve kept the bra, how has the band worn? My most recent Freya half cup (Kiyoko) has stretched out terribly after just a few wearings, but Marvel never has.
RE: the shallow wires, have you tried gently bending them re: Bras I Hate’s blog post? I’ve found that doing so with Freya’s shallower bras helps to deepen them a bit – I’ve eliminated the empty space at the bottom of several of my bras.
I tried the bra a couple more times before deciding to sell it on as the shape was just not quite right for me (and I have far too many that are lovely but just not quite right!). The band stayed pretty firm during that time though – I wonder if it could be something to do with the black dye though? I know other Freyas I own have stretched out very quickly, I’m thinking mostly about the Deco (in various colours and styles) and the Lauren.
And no, I didn’t try that! I will definitely give it a go with the next one I find with this issue, thanks 🙂