Cheetah four way convertible bra - bra discontinued by Baci - review by Crystal1

Well, you guys, I have now been staring at this bra for about 2 weeks, trying to figure out what to say about it. I've been trying to figure out why I've been so uninspired to get around to reviewing it, and I finally realized that it's just fairly unremarkable. It's a bra. It's a pretty good bra. It's not spectacular, it won't turn your boobs into unicorns or anything. It's not awful, you won't want to throw it across the room in disgust. It's just kinda there.

Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Not every bra needs to be one of those two million dollar Victoria's Secret jewel-encrusted numbers. Sometimes, you just want a bra that does its thing without you having to worry much about it. This bra does its job of supporting your chest, and does so comfortably enough that you just don't have to think about it much. It's not remarkable, but there's not really anything wrong with that in this case.

One of the main things I was curious about was how this would compare to the other Baci bras that are available for around $10. The first difference I noticed was in the packaging. While the cheaper bras from Baci come in a slightly rough looking plastic bag, cushioned by some tissue paper, this one comes in a much nicer cardboard display box that's printed with images of the product. Although packaging isn't a big deal to me in general, the presentation of this bra is definitely a step up from the others, especially if you intend to give it as a gift.

The fabric and construction are also a little nicer quality than you'll find on the bras that come at half this price. While the cheaper Baci bras have that "inexpensive" feel to them, this one does not. The fabrics both inside and out are nice and soft, well-sewn, and seem like they will hold up quite well over time. Another difference is that the hardware (the little clasps and buckles and hooks) on this bra are what appear to be metal, as opposed to the plastic pieces on the cheaper versions.

I really appreciate that this comes in sizes from 32A up to 38DD. Although this range won't fit everyone, it's a lot nicer than all of the S-M-L bras we see a lot of from lingerie companies. I'm on the large side of a D cup, so I decided to experiment by ordering a DD to see how that would go. I guess I'm like a D-and-a-half, because the cups on this are just a tad too big. However, it does look like this runs very true to size. I tried one of the other Baci bras in a DD (the white four way convertible bra) and it was actually too small on me. That's the only one I've come across with odd sizing so far, though, so I'd suggest ordering your normal size with this one.

The feature that makes this bra especially worth checking out instead of, say, a similar $20 bra at your local store is the convertible factor. The straps are removable, which means you can wear this as a normal bra or strapless, but also that you can loop one strap around your beck in a halter style, or criss-cross them in the back, whatever your mood or outfit calls for. Should you find yourself with a one shoulder dress or top, you could also just detatch one strap for a half strapless design.

The straps are easy enough to wiggle out of their hooks, so changing between styles can be done pretty quickly. While wearing this as a traditional bra is my favorite use, I put the other styles through their paces as well.

Strapless just plain didn't work for me. The little "tabs" at the top front where the straps would normally hook stuck out at funny angles, as if my bra had antennae. The support was okay- not as good as with a regular bra, but a step up from going without. I think that if I really needed to wear this straplessly, the best solution would be to somehow tape the tabs to my chest, both for extra support and to keep them from flapping around. If you're ordering this with plans to use it primarily straplessly, I'd suggest going down a band size.

Next I tried the one strap halter theory. For this, you just hook each end of one strap to one of the front tabs. This worked out a bit better than strapless, especially since it meant the tabs weren't flapping in the breeze. I almost never wear halter style anything, but if I did, I would actually consider using the bra this way.

Finally, we have the criss-cross design. I assumed this would somehow provide more support than wearing the bra normally, but it didn't, so it's probably just intended for tops/dresses that follow that style. Getting into this can be a little complicated! The easiest way I found is to secure one of your bra straps fully (for example, left front to back right) and hook the other to just the back (back left, in this case.) You can then slip the bra over your head, being careful not to strangle yourself with the strap (I'm a little clumsy), and then pull the strap up over your right shoulder to attach it to the front. Did you get tired just reading that? Me, too!

Overall, this is a pretty good bra. If you need another bra in your lingerie inventory, or need a convertible one for special occasions, this will do the trick. However, it's not one of those pieces that inspires me to gush about its awesomeness and implore you to stick it in your shopping cart this very second. It's nice to have, but you can probably live without it, too.