PARFAIT AFFINITAS ~ Charlotte in Red . 28E

I've had my eye on the Charlotte for a long time and Parfait releasing it in a 28-inch band was what decided me to buy it. It's widely acknowledged that the "old" version of the bra ran very small in both band and cup but feedback on the "new" version is less widely available. The general concensus seemed to be that it ran truer to size so I crossed my fingers and ordered a 28E.

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It's as pretty in person as it looked in the official pictures and on the blogs I've read. I find the red a bit darker than what the official pictures show us though. Not a problem for me because I love the color.

The view from the front is gorgeous. I really like the look of this bra. I don't get much cleavage from it but that's not the bra's fault, I don't have what it takes to really get one anymore.

It's all in the details! The bow is the perfect size to go with this padded bra. A tiny one would have looked lost in there. The black accents look great with the red of the bra.

The band fastens with 2 hooks (in the smaller cup-sizes) and runs very true-to-size in my opinion. It feels nice and snug on the first set of hooks. I love that in a bra. Makes it last longer.

The straps are fully adjustable and set in a way that doesn't make them slip on my narrow shoulders. I liked the thicker straps on the larger cup-sizes a lot but I'm also happy with what I've got here.

The center gore lies nice and flat on my sternum. I felt a bit of discomfort for the first minute but the feeling disappeared very quickly and the bra is actually extremely comfortable to wear.

The cups also run very true-to-size, or at least they're perfect for me. My breasts fully fill them and feel nicely supported.

But, unfortunately, the Charlotte isn't perfect. It looks pointy in profile. Very "vintage" but not a shape I like. I love my bras with a touch of vintage when it comes to looks but with modern, lifted roundness when it comes to shape.

And it's not very flattering under clothing either. The Freya Deco still reigns supreme as the Shape King in my bra collection.

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Bottoms

I had a bit of a dilemma regarding the size of the bottoms as well. I knew I wanted the high-waisted panties but some bloggers said they ran small and others that they ran true-to-size. I finally opted to order a size M, just in case. They feel great and they look amazing once on. A size S wouldn't have been a total disaster but I'm really happy I went with the M.

And I got a great deal because I actually didn't pay anything for them. I chose to buy the bra from a US-based Ebay seller and they give away the bottoms (you can choose the version and size) for free. If you're interested, you'll find the set here: Charlotte Set in red The whole thing cost me $53.90 with shipping. That's about 39.50€. A VERY good price. The seller also has the set in other colors.

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Verdict

The Charlotte comes so close to being a perfect bra! If only the shape was a little more rounded in profile... As it is, I love the looks of it from the front and it's a very comfortable bra but I'll only wear it at home or under bulky sweaters during winter. It's too pointy to wear outside.

And now I'm lusting after other bras from Parfait Affinitas but they only come in 30-inch bands so far. Here's to hoping the brand will offer more 28-inch bands in the very near future.