I have been hoping to try Maquerade by Panache’s moulded sweetheart Capella bra for a reeeeally long time – luxe, pretty, and hotly reviewed by a number of awesome lingerie bloggers, I was pretty confident of this being a winner. Out of the wrapper, it’s soft and beautiful with a truly luxe finish that stands up to closer inspection. Even without the soft lighting and the artful shadows, Capella is one beautiful bra.

Alas though the handful of reviews said it came pretty true to ‘usual size’, that was not the case for me. My usual 30G was perfectly snug in the back, but the cup ran at least a whole size large. Although the wire was extremely comfortable and tracked well, similar to Freya Deco (another large-running moulded cup) Capella ran so big on my (definitely not shrinking) boobs that Mr B4J spotted the gape from across the room. Plus, the straps only shorten by a couple of inches, so there’s no way of solving the gape with strap wizardry. A 30FF might work if it doesn’t compromise on the tracking – but alas geography means I don’t have easy access to try. Very reluctantly she must go back in the box. Sigh.

Another extremely beautiful bra from a very interesting brand – but prepare to size down in the cup to get the fit such lovely lingerie (and your boobs!) deserves.

Capella by Panache’s Masquerade is still widely available, and on sale all over the place too….