The Ahh Bra...The Marmite of bras?

*Firstly, I'd like to say that I was sent the following items to review by the company in question. I blog honestly and will not lie about a product just because it was sent free of charge.*

We've all seen those late night shopping channels advertising miracle products that you simply can't live without, right? Sometimes they can grab your attention...

"Tired of hooks, wires straps and underwires?" Sounds interesting, go on..."Say goodbye to the barbaric torture of traditional bras and hello to technology made perfect!" Riiiiight...."The Ahh Bra...." Oh, that thing...

Like I said in the title, to me the Ahh Bra (affectionately know as the Argh Bra by some bloggers!) is like Marmite; you either love it or hate it. I'm a firm believer in the need for wires, hooks, straps and a solid band to support the breasts, so I'm in the 'hate it' camp. So when a representative of Rhonda Shear contacted me to see if if I'd like to review the Ahh Bra, I was reluctant but in the interests of my blog, thought it would be an ideal product to try.

Rhonda Shear, the designer of the Ahh Bra is undoubtedly a passionate and inspirational businesswoman, having won numerous entrepreneurial awards since the launch of the Ahh Bra 2002. Rhonda was an all-American beauty pageant kind of girl, later posing for Playboy, then moving onto TV, movies and stand-up comedy. Wanting a new project, Rhonda decided to embark upon designing a revolutionary new bra; and the Ahh Bra was born! Rhonda's range has since expanded to include nightwear, outerwear such as leggings and secret support vests, dresses and shapewear, which I was hoping I'd get to try out.

The ever glamorous Rhonda Shear (photo courtesy of Up All Night)

The Ahh Bra has no hooks, wires or adjustable straps and comes in sizes XS-2XL without the 'need' for cup sizes. It's supposedly guaranteed to fit perfectly. We'll see about that...!

Beautifully presented. But never judge a book by it's cover...

I was sent four items from Rhonda's 2012 collection; the original Ahh Bra, an Ahh Bra with removable pads, the 'Sweet Tart' butterknit gown and the 'Pin Up' bra.

The Original Ahh Bra: 

I received this in the Raspberry colour, in a size medium, based on my overbust measurement of 36" (I think). The underbust measurement isn't taken into account therefore I found it a little loose in the band.. The other major problem is that the straps aren't adjustable, and needed to be about 4 inches shorter. You can see in the picture below how the fit of the Ahh Bra is improved simply by shortening the straps, which also encased the 'armpit boobs' I was experiencing, an issue the Ahh Bra boasts to eliminate. Even then it's not something I'd be comfortable wearing outside the house.

I can't argue that the construction of the Ahh Bra isn't well designed, with it's tight knit in place of traditional wires, and looser knit to accommodate the bust. This is not an exclusive design though, as there are other bras on the market that sport a similar construction. 

The Original Ahh Bra is unsuitable or use as a functional  bra in my opinion, as it does not support the bust in a way that a wired and adjustable bra can. I'd only suggest the Ahh Bra to be worn as a sleep bra or for slobbing out on the sofa.

The Ahh Generation Bra (with removable pads):

This one is virtually the same (looks and fit) as the Original Ahh Bra, except it has removable pads and is in the Blush colour. The fit in this one was...interesting, the pads far too small for my GG cups. However much I tried, I couldn't get my boobs NOT to look wonky, so I don't really have much to say on this one that I haven't said already. Er....enjoy? 

The Pin-Up lace metallic leisure bra:

I so badly wanted this to work as I hadn't had much luck with the first two. But the only positive thing I can find to say about this non-wired, soft cup bra is that it has LOADS of hooks and eyes, see? I wish other bra makers would follow suit, although they were quite fiddly to fasten, so maybe not.

This bra was a Small yet the band stretched right up to 40". Yes, the fabric is that stretchy. Bearing in mind my underbust measurement is 28", you can see why this particular style doesn't work for me. Again, the straps were far too long and coupled with the very loose band, the bra offered no support whatsoever. Yes, that's my natural shape in the first picture. Also, check out the HUGE arm holes! 

The Sweet Tart butterknit shelf gown:

Possibly the most disappointing of them all. I was hoping to at least salvage this to sleep in, and on unwrapping it, it was instantly my favourite of the package. The nylon/spandex mix is beautifully soft and stretchy, and the black lace over nude is a nice touch. Although the straps are adjustable, I didn't find this helped at all, since they are very thin and flimsy, completely unsuitable for supporting GG cup boobs!

Again, this is a small and again the band was extremely stretchy, offering no support, so my boobs sit as though I'm not wearing a bra at all. I think the pictures speak for themselves:

All in all, I wouldn't recommend any of the products I've reviewed if you have a fuller bust. They might work okay for a woman with a smaller bust than myself I guess, but since you're reading fuller bust blog, then I can't say I'd be able to guess. Apparently, the Ahh Bra is hugely popular and has sold millions of units, so I guess a lot of women have had success with them. What works for one might not work for another, so who am I to argue?!

Have you tried an Ahh Bra? What did you think?

Titty fittin' time!

The sky was grey, my belly was rumbling for dinner, yet the call of Bravissimo was strong. Off I went, camera in hand with an idea of what I wanted to try. The Manchester store is very small and only has a few sizes out, so I grabbed what I like and what other bloggers have raved about and headed up to the fitting rooms, where I was met by a lovely fitter, Laura, who sized me up at a 28H.

She showed me into the fitting room and went off to see what she could find in my size from my selection. First up, the £23 Juna bra by Cleo. I tried a 28GG and a 28H in this, the former being a little small in the cup, the latter a little big. My issues with this bra were that the straps were a little too wide set for me and the lace gaped so much that it seemed as though it was meant for the next cup size up! Laura said I appeared to be between sizes. I was quite disappointed about this because I was looking for a new everyday bra to replace my badly fitting (but well loved) Freya Decos. You can't really tell the difference between the sizes here. In fact, I couldn't tell which size the middle photo was...

Next I tried the Porcelain bra in nude, £26 by Panache. This is a 30G as it's not made in a 28H, and I knew the 28G would be too small. As expected, the band is too big, and the straps are too long, as is the case with a lot of bras I try. The cups were too small for me too.

Laura soon realised I was a total pain in the arse and bought a different everyday bra out for me to try, the Fantasie Smoothing Seamfree in Nude, £29. The one pictured is (I think) a 30GG. Laura suggested I tried this and mentioned 28H, so I'm guessing she chose this as an equivalent size. I stupidly didn't check the label, sorry guys! There is a very similar style here for £23. To be honest, I don't know the difference other than the little bows on the straps. Anyway, as you can see, it's far too big, and I don't think I'd like it even in the correct cup size either. It's not the kind of moulded cup I like as it pushes the breasts too far apart, as opposed to the Freya Deco that pushes them together. I'm sure that given the correct size I might be tempted to give this one a try for those days when I don't want a cleavage.

For comparison, here's what a Freya Deco looks like on me. This is a 30G, which is not ideal as the back is so large, but since Freya haven't released their much coveted 28GG, this will do for now.

Finally for the bras, the stunning Vava by Miss Mandalay in Jade Animal. At £35 it's a little more than I'd be happy to pay, but the beautiful colour and quality really make you feel a million dollars. This bra is true to size in the back but runs about a size small in the cup. I tried a 28H on first as I thought I was a 28GG, but as you can see from the photo below, it was too small and I was bulging out.

Laura then brought out a 28HH (which I must admit scared me a little!) that fitted beautifully, but not as I personally like a bra to fit me. I felt it spread my boobs across my chest, which some women don't mind, but as I said before, I prefer them pushed forward and together. All in all, this bra is beautiful and luxurious, but the shape is just not for me. Here's one last photo of the 28H and 28HH side by side. The 28H looks good from the front, but remember the photo above.

Time for bed, and what better to wear than a nightdress with an in-built bra, right? Wrong! The Moulin Rose nightdress at £45 is quite an extravagant buy for something to sleep in, so I was hoping it would be spot on. Unfortunately not. I tried on a 28GG/H, which was fine, but the overall fit was not flattering at all. This was not helped by the overly long straps and the fact that the three buttons at the back are IMPOSSIBLE to fasten. I struggled to open them with the damn thing right in front of my face! I'm not giving up hope on Bravissimo's nightwear as I've heard many good things, so try it for yourself, you might be surprised!

Bravissimo is well worth a visit, the staff are really helpful and know their stuff, down to the size discrepancies in various shapes and brands. y only issue with the Manchester store is that it's very small and doesn't stock a lot in my size, but Laura said she could order my size in if I wished. I promised Laura I'd mention her as she was wonderful, I just hope she gets to read this!