Items for review were provided by Elila Lingerie. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Edited: I went back and purchased the Wireless Longline Bra myself and have added it to the review.
I've been window shopping for Elila bras online for ages, especially since their new Glamour line has been featured in Cora's Curve roundup. They're also one of the few brands making 40+ band bras in a truly wide variety of cup sizes, so I wanted to check them out. Elila generously sent me four bras, which was great since it allowed me to get a feel for their line as a whole. So get a cup of tea and settle in --- this will be a mega review. I've included links to where to buy each bra with my images, so just click to see more about it if you're interested.
If you are short on time, here are my top thoughts:
- I wish I'd known about this brand before. I will definitely be a regular customer now.
- Elila's sizing will be the hard part for most people. Use this video and be willing to experiment a bit to find your perfect size.
- While not every bra from Elila will work for every plus size customer, there's probably one holy grail bra in the line for nearly everyone.
Sizing:
Before we get into the various bras and styles, let's talk about sizing. Elila uses what is essentially +4 sizing, which makes sense as many of their bras are built on more traditional models than a company like Freya or Elomi uses. I was sent a range of sizes, but found I settled in at a 38H in every bra that wasn't a longline. I measured around a 40F, so the size calculator wasn't totally off. I would buy several sizes to try if I were totally new to the line. Since their sizing seems internally consistent, I'll just go for the 38H when I pick up more. I'm a 34HH/36H in UK sizes normally, so hopefully this helps you figure out how this sizing system might work for you.
Elila also makes a huge variety of bras --- an almost staggering amount. This is great in some ways, because it means if you fall in love with something there are probably variations of it you will also love (I foresee an embroidered microfiber longline bra or two in my life very soon). It also means the line can be totally overwhelming when you first look at it, as many bras come in soft cup, underwire, and even longline variations. Hopefully once you get through with this review you'll have a better idea where to start!
This is a super basic soft cup bra that I actually really like. While it doesn't give you the strong separation that serious underwire bras do, it's comfy and looks great under my dresses during the day. I love that it comes in fashion colors as well as neutrals. I've always been pretty skeptical about wirefree bras and my body, but I'd definitely buy one of these for myself. This combined with the success of the longline (which you'll see later) makes me want to buy the longline wirefree bra that Elila makes as well.
This does give a more "retro" profile, but it isn't pointy on me underneath clothing. I wear mostly vintage and vintage reproduction dresses, so this actually works better with my daily wardrobe. If you wear suits and button-up shirts everyday, this may be less in your wheelhouse. Either way, this bra is comfortable and basic (and comes at a totally reasonable price point). The quality is great.
If I had seen this in a store I would have run the other direction. I never wear beige bras unless there is no other option and leopard print has never been my thing in any form. When I took it out of the box, it reminded me of all those horrible beige Wacoal bras I was forced into as a teenager. However, I have to admit, this bra kind of won me over. It feels like wearing a cloud and it looks great under my dresses. It was so comfortable, in fact, that I fell asleep in it the first day I wore it because I forgot I had a bra on. I didn't realize it until the next morning! I can't think of a better review than that.
Black and Silver Embroidered Microfiber Underwire Bra:
It looks like there is a wirefree longline variation of this as well, along with other soft cup and wirier regular versions. This is again not something I would have grabbed on my own in a store, but a bra that won me over anyway. The embroidery is classic, the fabric is luscious, and the $50 price tag is totally reasonable. I foresee myself wearing this a lot, especially once colder weather hits and I'm not having to wear light-colored lingerie all the time.
I have been searching for a great strapless bra for years, to the point where I recently sold off a bunch of beautiful dresses since I had given up on finding a bra to wear under them. I'm sort of regretting that now, because this bra is my holy grail strapless. My previous best fit was the Elomi Maria, which I slid out of and looked really triangular. It is nearly impossible to find a decent strapless in my cup size/band size range, but this one is just amazing. It gives me great shape, my breast tissue actually stays in the cups, and it smooths under my dresses. I love it so much I already bought another one. I'm seriously considering buying an Elila longline with straps for regular wear once the summer heat is over since I love this one so much. In the meantime, I intend to wear all of my sarong and halter dresses for as long as I can since this bra is so great.
A quick addenum to this post, as of 9/18/2015:
I loved the strapless longline so much I went out and purchased two of the standard longlines myself! As you can see, they're different from both the underwired microfiber bra and the strapless longline version. Sadly, the front view picture exposes all of the fit issues I have. It isn't the bra quality that is the problem, it's that I have full on top breasts and they are fighting with the wireless structure. It still looks great under my vintage style dresses, so I'm still glad to have both of them and expect to be getting tons of wear out of them. My only other note is that the back has some serious hooks and may not be doable by one person unless you're super flexible. I need someone else to do this up on me, so be aware you may need a helper to get into it.
While I wouldn't have gravitated to some of these bras in a boutique, I'm so glad I know about them now. The quality is great, the prices are reasonable, and they have some amazing products that just don't exist in other brands in this size range.
Have you tried Elila? What do you think of these bras?