Fleur's Guide to Fit: The Balcony Bra

 At Fleur of England we know how important it is to wear a well-fitting bra. As something most of us wear every day and the foundation to any good outfit, finding the correct size and style bra for your breast size and shape can change the look and fit of an outfit completely. According to Elizabeth Dale of The Breast Life, choosing a bra is like "picking out shoes for an outfit - sometimes you want flip-flops or ballet slippers or high heels."

Nowadays there are so many different styles of bra that it's difficult to know what style will suit your shape, or work with a certain outfit. Knowing which type of bra works best for your shape can make you feel both comfortable and confident, whatever the occasion. Our best-selling style, the balcony bra, is a must have style to add to your collection. This versatile style is great for both small and large bust sizes as it is wired to offer support and gentle uplift. We have spoken to our technical & production manager, Lucy-Ann, to share with you some of her knowledge on bras and to give you a behind the scenes insight into how we perfect the fit of every Fleur of England bra that leaves our studio.

SS18 features some of our best-selling bra styles such as our classic balcony shape. How do you ensure the fit for this piece is so exquisite? 

Our balcony bra is a piece that we've been developing for years that we continue to update for our new collections. The classic, underwired shape offers support and uplift, making it a great choice for larger bust sizes. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the fabric or how lovely the design is, if your bra doesn’t fit properly or is uncomfortable it will end up in the bottom of your drawer never to be worn again. At Fleur of England, we spend a great deal of time fitting our bras on many different sizes in house to ensure that we only produce beautifully fitting garments which our discerning customers will wear time and again. Attention to detail throughout the development process is key. All patterns are made by hand in our Bristol office. There was  a huge amount of development time spent on our balcony bra shape and, as every body shape is unique, we developed a special wire that offered the best possible fit across these varied shapes.

We're proud to say that our best-selling style has had many glowing reviews with our high standards praised by The Grown Up Edit who commented, "Dani and I aren't lacking in the boob department with Dani being a 32D and me a 32F. This has meant that I've spent some years in bras that seemed slightly old for my age in order to have the support and comfort I've needed. Fleur of England manage to keep their lingerie delicate no matter what size you are."

What is the process behind getting a new bra style ready for production?

The process starts with design. Fleur designs all the collections herself and any new bra styles. Any new styles will then be made up in Fleur's size, 34B/M, for her to fit.  We are critical of how it looks and feels and consider how the garment will look and perform in the other sizes. Generally speaking, we will make a few garments at this stage until we are completely happy that it fits perfectly.  Once the 34B/M is approved, a graded set of patterns is created; this is a large task as there can be up to two hundred and fifty pattern pieces. We have a good cross section of garments made from these patterns so that we can see them all fitted on the body at the same time. We compare them and ensure the proportions, aesthetics and fit are correct across the size range. It is important to consider how different lace and embroidery perform in the bras as we try to offer a consistent fit across different fabric types. We have been complimented by so many customers and stockists on the fit of our Lace Balcony bra which makes us very proud. A real highlight was a handwritten letter from Helen Mirren who adored the fit saying you can have luxury and fit at the same time!

Which Fleur of England styles would you recommend for someone with a larger bust size?

The balcony shape works so well for a larger bust size as it is designed with a three piece cup to give the best support and to ensure the best comfort and fit the wire is changed on larger sizes. We have also developed a super comfortable silk covered strap so that wearing our Bras all day won’t cause digging in and discomfort.

And what would you recommend for smaller bust sizes?

Again our Balcony bra is a go to for a great fitting bra but luckily with a smaller bust there is more choice and our Boudoir Bra pieces are a perfect alternative to a wired structured bra.

Visit our Fitting Room to find your perfect fit!