A basic strapless bra is something every woman needs in her wardrobe. Yet the choice is not very big when it comes to strapless bras that come in a big range of sizes. One of the most popular of such models is the Freya Deco. For those who find it incompatible with their breast shape the Parfait Jeannie is an interesting alternative. It resembles the Deco in looks, however fits differently and has been often recommended as a great choice for Freya-incompatible breasts. Here I will compare these two strapless bra models, and at the end of the post will be giving away one of them!
The stats:
The Freya Deco Moulded Strapless bra comes in sizes 28-38 D-GG (28 DD-G, 30 DD-GG, 32-36 B-GG, 38 B-G). Sister styles include a plunge and a longline version.
The Parfait Affinitas Jeanie Strapless Contour bra comes in sizes 30-80 D-G (however the band is tighter).
Sister styles include a padded plunge, a moulded spacer and a bustier.
Both bras come in black and nude versions, so you are covered whichever neutral colour you prefer for your lingerie workhorses.
Both the Freya Deco and the Affinitas Jeanies are convertible bras, which means that they can be worn strapless or with straps (regular, halter-neck, criss-cross, one shoulder). The Deco has the advantage of having several locations where you can attach the straps.
The words "moulded" and "contour" refer to the fact that the cups are made of foam that has been moulded in a certain way, so the cups. The foam is thin, so the cups are not actually padded. These kinds of cups are also seamless and don´t show up under clothing.
A word about the photos: I have done my best, considering the low amounts of light we have been getting. The Deco presents itself better on the photos because it is stiffer overall, the Jeanie is softer and so a bit less photogenic. However "live" both the bras present themselves equally well.
A word about the photos: I have done my best, considering the low amounts of light we have been getting. The Deco presents itself better on the photos because it is stiffer overall, the Jeanie is softer and so a bit less photogenic. However "live" both the bras present themselves equally well.
Aesthetics:
Both bras are basic seamless models, and at first glance pretty similar. The shape of the Jeanie is a tad prettier, because the decolette has a pretty and flattering bow-curve.Both bras have a small black bow in the middle, the Jeanie has an additional little plastic silver heart. The band of the Deco moulded strapless are trimmed, while that of the Jeanie is plain.
The Jeanie is a tad slimmer overall than the Freya Deco: lower-cut cups, narrower and shorter band. The center gore seems to be the same height in both bras, but from what I´ve heard this may vary according to the size.
The cups of both the bras are profiled in a way as to bring the breasts front and center, however this is much more strong in the Affinitas Jeanie Strapless. (Also, the fit problems of the Freya Deco cancel out this effect.
The straps of both bras are narrow which means they don´t bring attention to themselves under strappy clothes.
Fit:
Underwires: This is the biggest difference between the Freya Deco and the Affinitas Jeanie. The Deco has rather flimsy underwires, which get pulled ope (wider) by the band. Obviously the band on a strapless is quite snug, and so the underwire of the Freya Deco gets pulled quite a bit. This makes the cups wider and shallower. It makes the underwires broader, and it will not contain underarm tissue.
The Jeanie has underwires made out a much less flexible metal. They do not change shape when pulled. However, they pinched me in the sternum. I had to bend them away, which was not very easy. They fit better, however when they twist, they don´t lie flat but poke with their edges. A little bit more bending seems to have solved the issue.
The underwires of the Jeanie strapless seem to be a tad wider apart at the gore than those of the Freya Deco strapless. Also, the tunnels of the Jeanie are longer than the underwires, so you can push the wires through the tunnels to get a more comfortable center gore situation.
Cups: The cups of the Jeanie are deeper than those of the Deco. Because of the underwires issue that I mentioned, the Deco moulded strapless is in practice much shallower, and squashes the breasts and gives a bit of quadraboob. It is even shallower when worn with the shoulder straps as opposed to without. This might be even more of an issue if your breasts are already full on top, but if you have shallower breasts you will love it.
The Jeanie has deep cups, true to size. The cups of the Jeanie are a bit more closed on the top than those of the Deco, at least when both bras are resting, which means that the top edges are usually not visible under clothes. The cup is moulded to bring the breasts center and front.
In the bigger cup sizes, word has it that the cup soft the Jeanie are more further apart than those of the Deco.
In the bigger cup sizes, word has it that the cup soft the Jeanie are more further apart than those of the Deco.
The straps of both bras are fully adjustable, and removable.
The Freya Deco Moulded Strapless has three silicone strips going along the band. The Jeanie strapless has only two, but the top edges of the cups are lined with silicone. Silicone helps with the grip, but some people are allergic to it and it can be a bit uncomfortable if you sweat.
Band: The band of the Deco Strapless Contour bra is snug, so you don´t need to size down
like you would in the regular Deco. The Jeanie is even snugger at rest (5cm lesson a 30 band). Interestingly, the Jeanie is a tad stretchier, and both bands stretch out to a maximum of 75cm.
The Freya Deco has a different number of hooks according to band size: 2 hooks in D cup, 3 hooks DD-FF, 4 hooks G-GG. This is a bit annoying if you are a 28G, and you don´t need all the extra support. The Jeanie strapless has two rows of hooks for the smaller sizes, three-rows start (I think) with FF.
Both bras have boning on the sides, the boning of the Jeanie strapless seems to be a tad less flexible.
Comfort:
The cups of the Parfait Affinitas Jeanie strapless seem to be slightly softer and more flexible than those of the Freya Deco.
The straps of the Jeanie strapless contour bra are non-elastic, which means they are a tad less comfortable, though probably more durable.
The underwires of the Deco strapless are more comfortable because they are very flexible. I had to bend the underwires of the Jeanie a bit before it worked for me. However, I have not read many complaints about Jeanie underwires, so don´t let this scare you off.
The Freya Deco strapless is made of 81% polyester, 16% nylon/polamide and 3% elasthane.
The Affinitas Jeanie is made of 85% nylon and 15% elasthane.
Summary:
Both the Freya Deco Strapless Contour bra and the Parfait Affinitas Jeanie Moulded Strapless bra are well-made and supportive strapless bras and I´d recommend either in a heartbeit. I hope that this post has described the differences between the two to help you determine whether the Freya Deco or the Affinitas Jeanie will fit your breasts better. In case of doubt, I suggest ordering both and trying them on side-by-side.
Freya Deco Moulded Strapless bra in 30DD Stats:
Band unstretched: 61cmBand stretched to the maximum: 75cmUnderwire length: 22,5cmUnderwire width: 14cm
These measurements have been taken after appx. 5 wears :)
Parfait Affinitas Jeanie Strapless Contour bra in 30DD Stats:
Band unstretched: 56,5 cmBand stretched to the maximum: 75 cmUnderwire length: 24cmUnderwire width: 13,5cm
These measurements have been taken after appx. 5 wears :)
More comparisions of both bras on:
Undercover lingerista
Faustine´s Foundations
R/ABraThatFits
The Affinitas Jeanie has been provided for review purposes by Affinitas. I won the Freya Deco strapless from a giveway on a bra-fitting blog, courtesy Large Cup Lingerie (which I totally recommend: free worldwide shipping, friendly customer service.) All opinions 100% mine.
If you have any questions about these two bras, shoot away! If you own one of these strapless bras, I´d love to know whether it worked for you and what your breast type is.
Parfait Affinitas Jeanie Plunge giveway
Now to the part that you have all been waiting for! Parfait Affinitas have generously offered the Jeanie Plunge + matching bottoms set to one lucky reader! The winner gets to choose the colour (black or European nude), and the style of the matching bottoms. Please note that the giveway is for the Jeanie plunge, not the strapless!
Rules:
Update: The winner is Beth, congratulations!
Rules:
- Giveway will end on 5th Jan 2014.
- Open to US, Canada and UK only!
- Winner will be picked at random.
Update: The winner is Beth, congratulations!
