Ciao Bella Bra Review

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

I'm writing this b.tempt'd by Wacoal Ciao Bella bra review because it is highly recommended on the reddit forum A Bra That Fits for women with wide-set breasts. I had bought the Ciao Bella bra a while ago based on this advice. But I didn't buy it on Amazon, so that's why you won't see my review there.

I bought it in a department store, where I was able to easily find it in the size and color I wanted: 32C, black. It does indeed fit well on me, and if your breasts are wide-set, I would recommend at least trying it. But this is not one of my personal favorite bras. For me, it falls short on comfort.

The Ciao Bella is an underwire balconette bra with contour cups lined with foam and a standard three-row, two-column hook back closure. The fit is excellent across the bust on the loosest row of hooks, with all of my breast tissue being encased within the cups the way I'd like to see it happen in every bra but usually doesn't. That's not me in the pic, but I look similar in it.

Coverage is average, with the bra coming up to about the same place on my chest as it does on the model in this photo. It may end up appearing as more of a demi-cup in the larger sizes, but if it's barely covering your nipples, you have the wrong size and need a larger cup.

The Ciao Bella bra has double adjustable thin straps, and I find that the doubling of them is a nice touch to prevent the straps from slipping off -- something that can often happen when straps are set at the very outer edges of a bra like they are on this one. Thin double straps are more attractive (to me anyway) than a single set of thick ones, which can look awkward and heavy.

Plus, the straps shouldn't be doing much of the work to hold up the bra anyway; it should stay up on its own from the fit of the band and sides. Since I have the proper fit, the Ciao Bella does stay up just fine. So, although I could do without these straps, they don't bother me. They're on the short side and don't stretch, so I wear them pulled most of the way out.

The look: it's a classic, feminine bra with floral lace fabric, vertical seams, scalloped trim and a large sheer center bow. Not ideal for wearing underneath anything too form-fitting or low-cut, unless you want it to show, but it's fine with a looser blouse or dress.

If you do want it to show, I'd say go for it, because it's a very pretty piece of lingerie and you have a variety of luscious colors available to choose from. (Please note that the colors and prices in the screenshot at right are not necessarily current, depending on when you are reading this post.)

Now, let's get to what I don't like about this bra. In spite of its beauty and excellent fit, it feels a little stiff and doesn't move with my body very well.

I don't require much in the way of support, and maybe if I did, I'd appreciate the rigid structure of this bra more. But I feel like the structure is somewhat wasted on me, and I want it to have more flexibility. I also think the fabric could be softer. It's not uncomfortable for me, but several reviewers found it scratchy and experienced skin irritation.

It's the kind of bra that feels fine for a few hours, but after wearing it all day, I'm finished with it and want to take it off. There's nothing especially wrong with that, but it would be better if I could be comfortable in it for longer. It might run a little small, as some of the reviews suggest, but I think the issue is more that it just doesn't have much give in the wires or in the foam cup linings.

Those who appreciate more support from their bras may well have a different experience with this one than I do. I'd be interested to find out if it works better for larger or fuller breasts, especially for women with a small band size who could maybe use the extra back help of a bra like this. If you wear a larger cup size and have tried this bra, please feel free to leave a comment about how you liked it.