The Long Awaited Satami Bra Review!

Its here!  Its finally here!  Satami has graciously sent me a few bras to review after I inquired about their bras availability here in the US.

The long awaited bras from Satami and my accompanying review.

Aren't they gorgeous?  We have the Lace Minimizer Soft Cup Bra (2180) in Smoky Black on the left and Non-Wired Sports Bra (2198) in Blue on the right.  

Lace Minimizer Soft Cup Bra (2180)

The Lace Minimizer Soft Cup Bra (2180) has a few misnomers.  First of all, its not a "minimizer" in the traditional (American) sense.   This bra DOES NOT minimize the size or look of breasts in ANY way shape or form.  Its called a Minimizer because of the the overall slimming effect it has on the body (think silhouette) by smoothing out back and/or underarm fat.  More details on that below.  The second misnomer is the "soft cup" - make no mistake, this is an UNDERWIRED bra with lightly lined fabric cups (ie. soft).

DESIGN AND STYLE

Typical to Asian style bras, this plunge bra pushes the girls up and together (even with the padding removed).  One feels supported and *shock* slimmer!  Thanks to the extra wide band, there is ZERO and I mean ZERO back fat, or underarm fat.  The sleek silhouette is addicting.  Its akin to wearing shapewear that also happens to be a bra.  To help keep everything in place is a 4 row, 4 column hook and eye in the back.  The bra also features an ultra low center gores so common in Asian bras (low when compared to Panach or Freya, only 'medium' low within the Satami line) - a haven for us narrow set ladies - and 3/4 cup (aka demi?).  [Need a primer on Asian bras? Check out my first Satami post here.] The straps are fixed and NOT fully adjustable.  For this reason, it may not work for those with tall roots.  [Need a primer on the vocab? Try the ABTF Glossary]  True to design, the 2-ply "Wincool" powernet seems to do the job.  I wore this bra (padding removed) to an Amusement Park on a 90+ degree day and did not feel like the girls were suffocating.  Speaking of which, the padding feels pretty great too - a bit like memory foam but I have not tried wearing them.  The side wings have 2 pieces of boning on each side for extra support - not uncomfortable - they contribute significantly to the support of the band (I learned of their importance first hand during my foray in to sewing my first bra).  Lastly, I do want to mention that while there was no chafing after a full day of wearing this bra (12+ hours) there was a bit of irritation under the arms due to the high side wings.  This is likely due to my higher levels of activity and extra long hours of wearing - it is unlikely for someone to experience this during a typical day at the office.

FIT

My normal size in European brands like Panache or Freya is 32F (sometimes 32E as I'm loosing weight).  In Satami, I wear a 34G.  Per the Satami website, you can go up a cup size for more coverage.  After a few 12+ hour days of wearing this bra, I can say with some confidence that if you are accustomed to wearing Polish bras like Comexim IN YOUR NORMAL BAND SIZE, order your normal band size.  For example, I wear a 70H (equivalent to 32 band) in Comexim but it IS a bit tight and great for days when I'm feeling thin and not bloated.  Basically, first thing in the morning before any type of meal.  I do feel like a 32 band would have sufficed for me BUT I am accustomed to wearing tighter bands and wear tightlacing corsets occasionally.  For most of us though, going up a band size is going to be more comfortable.  The wires are comfortably in my IMF, although pretty high on the sides due to the higher side wings.  Thankfully, the wires are also pretty soft so not uncomfortable.  Center gore tacks nicely and the wide set straps stay put on my sloped shoulders.  As I briefly mentioned before, the straps are NOT fully adjustable and fill likely suffice for those with Short Roots.  Those with tall roots may need to replace the plush elastic portion with a longer section - not a difficult fix if you're handy with needle and thread.  I have short roots and had to "let out" the elastic practically to the max...

CONCLUSION

I really like this bra!  Its pretty comfy despite the higher wires, extra boning and extra wide band.  There was very little (if any) fidgeting while wearing and my silhouette looked awesome.  Girls were up front and center while being supported.  Its the Asian equivalent of the holy grail Polish bras - from the tighter bands, overall shape the cups provide and needing to size up in the cups.  Oh, and it passed the chasing after toddlers, walking up and down the stairs test. =)  Full disclosure though, I'm FoB, not center-full and my breast tissue is still pretty firm. I think these style of bras - low center gore, plunge, shallow-ish cups work REALLY WELL with those whose shape is more shallow or FoB.

Non-Wired Sports Bra (2198)

The Non-Wired Sports Bra is as beautiful as any of their regular bras.  Gorgeous detailing and a 4 hook clasp in the back for ease.  However, the most SURPRISING aspect of this Sports Bra is how pushed up and forward the girls are - all without the help of any boning or wires.  Unlike most wireless bras that are compression based, this bra by some miracle, supports without smooshing the girls against your chest. Like their regular bra line, this sports bra also features a plunge - although not as deep - just enough to glimpse a bit of cleavage. Add this to your rotation for those days at barre class, yoga, power walking or other light exercise.  Its comfortable to wear lounging around the house and the saleswoman at the Personal Touch Store also mentioned its a great sleep bra!

DESIGN AND STYLE

Like Satami's regular bras, the Wireless Sport Bra also features extra wide bands and plunge center.  The bra looks deceivingly shallow until you put it on.  Materials are light and airy but substantial enough to be supportive.  The cup portion of the bra comes up pretty high (as in elastic straps start 1 inch before my shoulder) but not uncomfortable. Unlike the typical wireless sports bras we find in the US, the cups are NOT made of stretchy material designed to compress the girls against your chest.  The cups are made of the same material as their regular bras - thus the feeling of structured support without wires or boning.  Like Satami's other bras, the back features a 4 row - 4 column clasp for ease.  The band is a single layer of powernet to guarantee breathability during those workouts!  

FIT

As mentioned above, my usual size in UK brands is 32F.  Satami sent me a 34E in this style and it still fits comfortably as its sister size to my usual - no need to size up here!  This makes complete sense as Satami uses UK sizing [bit of history here - HK was once a part of the British Empire for those that remember]. 

CONCLUSION

Great bra for lounging around the house, sleeping and light physical activity.  Although I have not worn this one yet, I can easily foresee wearing this around the house, sleeping and/or while pregnant!

Satami Bras - An Introduction!

EDIT 5/30/2017: To include www.satamiusa.com site and review.

In my pursuit to find a bra that fits, I rediscovered an old favorite: bras by Asian Brand, Satami Lingerie.

ABOUT SATAMI

Satami is a Hong Kong based Lingerie Brand that offers bras which have some interesting features.  Many Asian brand bras focus on pushing the girls, up and forward to create the maximum amount of cleavage.  What sets Satami apart is their ultra wide bands and underarm crescents - both designed to smooth out bra induced bulges.  While their range of sizes is not as large as popular European bra companies like Panache or Freya, I have found their bras to be a haven for those with narrow set breasts who usually seek relief with plunge styles or have gone Polish with Comexim or Ewa bras.  Satami bras seem to range from 32A to 44G.  In my limited experience, that 32 band in Satami is closer to a 30 band in UK sizes. More on sizing below.

Their website (https://www.online-satami.com/home) is well designed and has the ability to search by size and style number.  They ship internationally to most of Asia, Europe and North America with the exception of the United States.  Satami has an exclusive distribution agreement with Personal Touch Lingerie in the US so all sales must go through them.  Personal Touch Online Store: www.shopptouch.com.  Please note that the returns/exchanges policy varies between the two sites so please read accordingly.  There is one last option: www.satamiusa.com.  This link seems to be a portal to the Personal Touch site as it states PTL Global at the top of the web page AND the return/exchange policy is the same as Personal Touch.

ONLINE STORES

I found the Personal Touch online store to be utilitarian.  The photos are smaller, fewer and of lower quality.  There is no zoom or the ability to search by bra size.  While there is a drop down menu to filter by size, it didn't pull up the one bra I liked in my size.  I would recommend using the Satami online website to do initial research then jot down the style number.  Use the style number to find the item you want on the the Personal Touch site.  This is also due in part to the fact many of the official bra names are pretty generic. Example Lace Full Cup Bra (2185) is completely different design than Lace Full Cup Bra (2187). Prices seem to be the same as in store.

Satami USA site requires one to create an account before you can view prices AND a passcode (password: shape).  The usability and ease of navigation is almost identical to that of the Satami Online site.  Lots of photos, details, ability to zoom, sort by size, etc.  All styles are available through this site including SALE items! Items on this site seem to be a bit cheaper than the Personal Touch site (between $5 and $11 on the 2 bras I tried on).

The Satami online webstore is pretty great with lots of info, pictures, and the ability to search by size, style and color.  I very much liked their "Personal Shop" - a curated selection of items in your size, style and shape.  To "activate" just click on the "Get Fitted" button at the top right or "Online Bra Fitting" at the very bottom of the Home Page.  They will ask you a series of questions that somewhat mirror our discussions at A Bra That Fits.

Narrow vs Wide Set

Shape. This isn't as extensive as ABTF but is much more detailed than most bra manufacturers!

This was the part I had the most issues with.  

It took some trial and error to get the calculator to "come up" with my correct Satami size.  It took me 4 tries but I got the best results from using my tight underbust measurement with the smallest bust measurement (laying for me) while not on my period/bloated/or nursing.  Measure the upperbust (underarm) according to their instructions.

I am fortunate to live in an area with several Personal Touch Lingerie stores and took a trip especially for you guys!  There have been quite a number of you who are curious about the fit and size conversion from UK sizing.  Officially, Satami uses the UK standard (from their FAQ):

What is your bra sizing standard?

Remember there is no universal standard for bras and bra sizing varies between brands and countries. Whilst we follow UK standard, there may still be little difference

I find using your UK size as a good starting point.  [Don't know your UK bra size? Try this very data oriented bra calculator!]  Due to their extra wide band, Satami bras are ALOT less stretchy than any other brand I've ever tried (US, UK or Polish!).  For example, the 32D bra I bought many moons ago measures 25" in band length but only stretches to 30.5" (full data on Bratabase.com).

BRA SIZE AND FIT

Here's the ultimate testament: I wear 32F/32E in most UK brands (Panache, Freya and Fantasie).  In Satami, I wear 34G.  I attribute sizing up in the cup partially to the lightly lined "padding" in the cups (pocket and side wings, crescents in the cups, etc), the shallow cups due the plunge style and for more coverage.  When I tried on the bra in 34F (up one band, up one cup), the cups were still too small.  Lots of quadding and wrinkles under the cups as it wasn't projected enough at the wire - or at the apex.  For reference, I have wide roots that are narrow set with lots of immediate projection at the wire.  [Need help with the terminology? Try the ABTF Glossary!] So size up in the band for comfort (unless you are accustomed to tightlacing corsets) and increase the cup size by 1 or 2.  This means those of you who wear a 30 band have a fighting chance of fitting the 32 band in Satami!  I should also add that these styles of bras - plunge, low center gore, shallow-ish cups are GREAT for those whose shape are on the shallow side or FoB.

I hope to get my hands on some Satami bras to review (in detail) soon!  In the mean time, check out my experience shopping for Asian bras in store in California at Personal Touch Lingerie!