Back in the day, Freya was my way-too-cool-for-me bestie with her crazy prints, bright colors, and confidence to throw Russian dolls on a bra like it was as natural as flowers or polka dots, but then a cup size bump and breast shape change sent on us divergent paths. I never lost hope that we would reconnect, which is why I have continued to experiment with new Freya styles like the discontinued Marvel and the Fantasie retread Rapture. In the shop, we phased out Freya non-padded bras a couple years ago because the demand for t-shirt bras and basic colors eclipsed the need for a fashion-oriented brand; however, recently, customers in the 30-36 DD-FF cup range have begged for core colors and styles from my former pal. As a result, I asked my sales rep for suggestions, and her choice was the new Hero—the first original, uniquely Freya frame in some time. Naturally, I snagged one for myself.
Sizing & Fit: Given my size is more of a 31HH due to weight gain, I ordered the 30HH initially, but the cup size had too much wrinkling and gaping. As a result, I sized down to the 30H which fits perfectly. Although it is a bit snug on the loosest set of hooks, I am between band sizes at the moment and believe it runs true-to-size compared to other Freya bras. The H cup was also an improvement with no gaping or overflow, and my breast tissue completely fills out the cup. Having tried this on a few customers in the store, I think the cups can be slightly generous, and if you find you are between sizes, I recommend going with the smaller cup.
Because Eveden brands love to recycle frames among the various lines, I was skeptical at first that Hero was not a retooled bra from another collection; however, my skepticism was not warranted as Hero is certainly a new entry for the powerhouse company. The center is narrower at the gore and deeper in the cup than a standard Freya non-padded bra, and the overall profile shape is more rounded and forward too. In fact, I see parallels to competing style Cleo Marcie in how the forward projection, lift, and depth come together—albeit to a more moderate extent with Hero, and anyone wanting a middle-ground between the front and center fit of Cleo or Polish bras and the wider, east-west style of other brands may find something to like here. However, the underwires on this bra are crazy wide.
In the bra world, a spectrum exists relating underwire width to cup depth. On one end, styles feature wider wires and shallower cups like the Tutti Rouge Liliana, and on the other, styles sport ultra-narrow wires with exceptionally deep cups, such as those found in Polish brand Comexim. In between, the modern shopper can find styles verging on one extreme as well as ones which tend to be more medium in depth and width. Hero manages to be both wide and deep, which is a bit of a rare bird. I’m not saying the combination doesn’t exist, but it’s certainly less commonplace, especially in the fuller-bust market. I almost feel an Elomi influence here with the shape of the wires, but the cup depth is less shallow.
On me, the Hero extends about 2″ beyond where my tissue ends, so much so that the side panel is not actually resting on much breast tissue. This was a problem for me with Rapture too, and when a side panel cannot pull in tissue, you lose the advantage of having one in the first place. Since most of my breast tissue is naturally forward anyway, it does not create a problem here but the width is not ideal. Usually, when a bra expands this far back onto my ribs, I have a lot of problems with comfort, not so much from the underwire itself but rather from the cup pulling hard into my arms. Hero sidesteps this problem and is one of the most comfortable bras I have tried even lately when stacked up with my beloved Polish bras. The side are very low which I think alleviates the potential for rubbing or chaffing you would get from a bra that is too wide for you, and like other Freya wires, they are softer for less digging problems.
The four-section cup design sports moderate coverage which I like, and the rounded, forward projection looks lovely under tops albeit not as front and center as a Polish bra (but really, is anything?). Hero is one of those bras which make you question the need for a perfect fit. Despite being a professional bra fitter, I am of the “Comfort First” school graduates in the sense that there are sometimes these less than ideal fit quibbles which do not impact how you feel about the fit and comfort of the bra. With Hero, I love the way it feels and looks, especially because I have some tops which are not Polish bra friendly, but the width is something I would point out quickly in the fitting room with a client. I’m toying with keeping it to see how I like the feel long term even with the width issues. Since shooting the video, I did try the bra for about 30 minutes around the house, and while comfort stayed high, the underwire occasionally dug into the right side when I would twist backwards while leaning (not like I do that often, of course). It was not a total deal breaker, but it has given me food for thought on whether I will keep it.
With this in mind, if you are wide rooted but close to average set in the front, Hero may be the bra for you. The side panel would actually be able to direct breast tissue forward, but there would also be more depth toward the center. Even if you are more on the medium rooted or close set side, there still may be potential. Earlier I mentioned the Elomi connection, and I think Hero would be a nice transition bra for former Elomi customers needing that wire width in smaller bands. We’ve seen this in the shop where customers now need 32 or 30 bands but still favor the classic Elomi shape from bras like Caitlyn.
Materials & Design: While Eveden is our best-selling company for the store, their products in recent collections have occasionally had a price/quality disconnect in my opinion, and I am now keen to examine the materials, stitching, and construction with far more scrutiny than the past. From what I can tell, the quality for Hero is back where I expect to see Freya, and I think the $60 price point is more accessible than recent forays into the higher price spectrum. Firm wings anchor well to the body, and the thicker, restricted stretch, and fully-adjustable straps are a thoughtful design decision for a fuller-cup bra. Freya created a lovely basic, non-padded option for the fuller-bust customer with Hero, and the thin seaming and lack of textured details on the cup mean the bra will be more discreet under clothes.
My Multiple Lingerie Personalities Disorder (MLPD) has been in full flare up for a few months now, and while I am craving some luxury-oriented pieces like Lady Grey from Anna Pardal as well as quirkier ones like a lime green bra, I still have a taste for minimalist, possibly slightly sporty styles. Hero satisfies the craving with its simple black color and small scale, uniform geometric print on the cup. Silver accents on the straps, bows, and side panels add interest in an understated way for a lovely black bra with a twist!
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