Hello Everyone,

I know it’s been a while since I checked in here, and I have a post planned which talks more on my absence plus upcoming plans for the blog.  However, in the meantime, I wanted to pop in with a quick product review of the Freya Enchanted!  I mentioned in my Freya Hero review the potential for carrying Freya’s non-padded bras in the shop again, specifically for the 28-34E-G customers who enjoyed the lightweight fabrics and comfortable fit.  Because of Freya’s fashion forward nature, I wanted to select a style with longevity and multiple core colors to make replenishment easier, and Enchanted seemed like a contender with its smoother profile and adorable details.

Sizing & Fit:  Long time readers know Freya was my go-to brand when we first opened but slowly drifted out of my orbit as my size changed.  The width of the wires, general shape of the cups, and overall profile became less flattering as my breast tissue became firmer and eventually increased in size.  As a result, when I picked up the Enchanted, I was not overly optimistic that it would fit me well, but I wanted to compare it against the Hero to see if I felt there was a clear winner for the store.  At the time I was between a 30 and 32 band (although I am a little more firmly in 32 territory at the moment), and I decided to order the UK 30HH.  The band on Enchanted ran firmer than other Freya bras I tried recently and seemed less prone to stretching over time.  In fact, for the photos and videos, I needed to use an extender to comfortably clasp the bra together.  The cup size seems to be correct with no gaping or overflow, and I would estimate my true size to be a UK 32H in Enchanted.  However, given the copious fit issues I experienced which would not be alleviated by changing sizes, I ultimately opted against reordering the correct size for the review.

When I first started wearing Freya, my size was between a 30GG and H, and my breast tissue was much softer and more bottom-heavy.  The classic Freya plunge balcony shape worked well for me, and I ordered a couple new ones every season.  However, as my cup size increased and my shape became more balanced, I felt like my favorite brand offered a poorer and poorer fit.  Because Freya tends to offer variations of their classic shapes in new fabrics each season, I usually only review something from them when they offer a new silhouette.  My hope is always that the new fit will rectify the problems experienced by most customers in the GG+ sizes, and outside of the comfy Hero, I am usually disappointed.  As a result, reviewing the Enchanted was filled with bittersweet nostalgia as I retried a classic Freya shape in my new size and was sadly plagued with as many fit problems as ever.

First, the overall design of Enchanted is wide and shallow which is the exact opposite of what I need.  Because of the wide/shallow combination, I have a lot of extra space at the bottom of the cup and on the side between my breast tissue and the underwire.  In fact, the fabric is puckering and folding over from where the cups are being stretched too far back while my center heavy tissue is simultaneously struggling to push forward.  With the Hero, the width on the side was balanced by deeper center cups and a lower side which created a fairly comfortable if not perfect fit.  Unfortunately, the side cup on Enchanted pulls painfully into my arm and rubs when I move—an instant disqualifying factor for me because I need to move my arms a lot during the day.

The shape on the bra is also . . . interesting.  There is the essence of the classic Fantasie “downward point” caused by a sharp intake in the top cup pressing upper breast tissue downward into the cup, but I also have a bubbling effect near the very top where the embroidery is too weak to pull all of the upper tissue down, leaving some to do its own thing.  Flattering it is not.  The cups themselves are quite shallow near the tall center gore too, which tacks pretty hard into my sternum.  Furthermore, the gore does not sit completely flat despite the hard tack.  On the right side, the underwire more or less sits where it should, but on the left it literally folds upward and rests on the tissue at an angle.  I think the center heaviness of my breasts is fighting the shallow design and overall underwire height here.  I know I talk a lot about my boobs on the blog, and one of the things I don’t think I’ve mentioned is how when I am braless, my breasts splay outward some at the base but are still connected by tissue near the root.  It’s one of the reasons the lower gores of Comexim really feel comfortable, and I think with Enchanted, this overall shape incompatibility wreaks serious havoc.

The 180:  I have seen this bra look quite nice on ladies in E-FF cups, particularly those with softer, bottom-heavy tissue.  It’s by no means a terrible bra, but it is another instance where I wonder if Freya shouldn’t have reclassified the cup size range.  I feel like Freya, as a brand, is more of a C-GG line because in the H+ cups (sometimes even G and GG), fit issues seem the most commonplace.

Materials & Design:  Freya typically uses price-appropriate fabrics and materials for the bras, and Enchanted is no different.  The lower cup is a heavier weight, fairly smooth fabric that feels soft against the skin, and the wider straps are fully-adjustable and utilize a restricted stretch fabric which does not dig into the shoulders.  Firm wings anchor to the body for support, and the upper mesh cup also feels soft although the shape issues are problematic and could be improved.

Enchanted is a cut-and-sew basic bra with a twist, and I love how Freya could have phoned in the aesthetic design but instead chose something fun and cute.  The geometric embroidery adds visual interest without being disruptive under tops, and I adore the charcoal color with turquoise contrasting bows and threading.  As a black and gray junkie, I always love to see companies use variations of charcoal, slate, and gunmetal in their designs, particularly since gray, depending on the saturation and intensity, can be a gorgeous skin-tone alternative color.  Even paler grays like Natori’s oyster or shimmery silvers are a welcome addition to the lingerie world.  While the charcoal version is an older color (courtesy of my extreme backlog), I still found it an enjoyable entry in the collection and would love to see Freya utilize it more in future collections.

Final Thoughts:  People with softer, bottom-heavy tissue may have better luck in fuller cups with the Enchanted, especially if the tissue is wider set and possibly shallow.  In smaller cups, the fit seems improved all around, but at the G cup mark, the success rate plummets.  Anyone with fuller tissue toward the top may want to avoid the style altogether as I think the shape of the upper cup is going to create the same odd bubbling and downward point effect I experienced.