My torrid love affair with Polish bras has taken over the content of the blog for the last few months, and while they hold a special place in my heart, I realized a few weeks ago that there were so many other brands and new styles worth considering, particularly because not everyone has the same success with Polish companies as I do. As a result, I went on a bra buying spree with several of our vendors, including a whopping six new bras from UK staple Panache. To kick off the next few weeks of reviews, I want to start with the absolutely gorgeous and completely upscale Georgia set.
Sizing & Fit: Because of personal issues, my weight ticked upwards and impacted my bra size. At the moment, I am firmly in 31 band territory, but when I ordered the Panache bras, I was closer to my standard 30HH size, which is what I am wearing here. While the bra clasps on the loosest set of hooks, it feels a touch firm to wear without an extender for the first week or so, and the cups have a slight overflow toward the top. Given my current weight, I believe the Georgia runs true-to-size and would recommend ordering your standard Panache size.
Originally, I heard Georgia was a reboot of the non-defunct Sienna bra frame minus the stretch lace upper cup; however, Sienna featured a band-less design, meaning there was no additional elastic banding beneath the underwire. Georgia features a banded frame, and the exceptional lift and forward, rounded profile remind me more of the Envy, Jasmine, and Floris bras. In fact, the height and wire shape for Georgia is nearly identical to Envy with the former having only slightly more coverage at the center.
Despite the raised gore, the sweetheart neckline and lower sides of the Georgia contribute to making the bra feel less binding on the sides as well as more moderate in coverage than other Panache styles I have tried. Because I am extremely center projected with little side breast tissue, the Superbra line is always too wide for my shape, and Georgia is no exception. The underwire width contributes to extra space on the sides as well as outside bottom where I have no tissue to fill the cup, but the center of the bra does boast a fair amount of projection. Georgia is not as deep as the Cleo Marcie, but I do avoid issues with center shallowness here.
Even with a few minor fit issues, the Georgia is quite comfortable, and I receive an impressive lift and hold from the bra. In fact, the firmness of fabric is a key selling point for me as a retailer. Many of our customers with softer, bottom-heavy tissue complain that popular styles like Clara, Andorra, Envy, and Jasmine—praised in the blogosphere and by fitters alike for the amazing stretch lace—create too much jiggle with movement. Since the upper cup uses a stretchier fabric, the softer tissue has more leeway to move and change shape within the cup, but the Georgia’s firmer, inwardly-shaped top section ensures a snug hold ideal for those customers. On the flip side, anyone with full on top breasts will experience issues because of the lack of openness at the top although sizing up may alleviate this. As a balanced fullness breast type, I found the shaped worked well for me outside of the obvious minor size issues.
Materials & Design: Panache deserves an ovation for their use of materials and quality commitment with the Georgia. Despite its affordable $62 price tag, the Georgia has the quality and design of the upscale Black line. Restricted stretch, felted straps do not cut into shoulders while firm powernet mesh wings anchor to the body and stay put as you move. Fuller-bust people needing a fully-adjustable strap often struggle with the felted design, but I’ve found many of them can have the adjustment piece moved onto the felted section if you are patient. The two-ply mesh three-section cup has less give which accounts for the improved shaping and lift, and the bra seems as though it would hold its shape better over time. Gorgeous floral lace features an upscale feel and look which elevates the overall appearance.
Speaking of the aesthetics, Georgia is a breath of fresh air in a season inundated with blue and purples. A deep blush pink contrasts perfectly with a rich charcoal for a unique, old weird sensibility. On the lower cup, the blush color shows through the fine gray mesh while the upper cup uses a scalloped section of lace to complement the sweetheart neckline and added more visual interest. To anchor the design, charcoal extends onto the straps and the wings for a bra as luxurious as it is practical.
For more information on the Georgia bra, watch our video review:
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