Gorteks White Balconette Bra in Sheer Floral Embroidery, Unpadded

A white balconette bra you can see the embroidery through

This white balconette bra by Gorteks has soft cups with no padding. They are made of semi-transparent embroidery with a fine floral pattern, cut in three parts, with a small bow and a zirconia stone between them.

It comes in white, in a long list of sizes: band sizes from 65 to 100 and cups from B to H, depending on the band.

At a glance

The piece: model 47142 by Gorteks

Gorteks calls this a soft bra, which in lingerie terms means the cups are unpadded. The shape comes from the cut. Each cup is sewn from three pieces in a balconette style, and the maker says they support the bust and give it a rounded shape.

The sides of the cups are reinforced with tulle, which the maker says gathers the bust better towards the centre. Vertical boning in the side seams keeps the band from folding. The back is made entirely of a smooth knitted fabric with a slight gloss.

The straps are adjustable and cannot be taken off. Between the cups sits a bow with a zirconia stone.

Who it's for

For you if you prefer an unpadded bra and want one that still gives shape. A three-piece cup does that through its seams instead of through foam.

It is also for you if your size is hard to find. The list goes up to an H cup in most band sizes and to band 100 in D, E and F. Not every size is in stock at every moment; the buttons show what can be ordered today.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Soft cups in semi-transparent embroidery with a floral pattern (maker's data)
• Three-piece cups in balconette style (maker's data)
• Cup sides reinforced with tulle (maker's data)
• Vertical boning at the sides (maker's data)
• Back in smooth, slightly glossy knitted fabric (maker's data)
• Bow with zirconia between the cups (maker's data)
• Adjustable, non-removable straps (maker's data)
• Scalloped embroidered edge along the top of the cups (photos)
• Hook-and-eye closure at the back (photos)

The maker's text does not say whether the cups have underwires. In the front photo the lower edge of the cups follows a firm curve, which suggests they do, but we cannot confirm it from the data.

Fabric and feel: mostly polyamide

The composition is 70% polyamide, 25% polyester and 5% spandex. Polyamide is the usual base for lingerie embroidery and for smooth knitted bands.

The cups are sheer. In the front photo you see the skin through the embroidery, with the flowers as the denser parts. Under a white shirt the pattern may show faintly; under a T-shirt in a thin knit the seams of a three-piece cup can be visible.

Fit and sizing: measure underbust and bust

The maker's table gives two body measurements per size: underbust and chest. Take 75 C as an example. It is for an underbust of 73 to 77 cm and a chest of 91 to 93 cm. Size 80 E is for 78 to 82 cm and 100 to 102 cm, and 85 F for 83 to 87 cm and 107 to 109 cm.

Measure snugly under the bust and loosely over the fullest part, then find the row that holds both numbers. The table does not have a row for every size on our buttons. If yours is missing, look at the same band with the cup next to it and count one step.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table; the ranges are body measurements. The maker lists these sizes only; for sizes without a row, use the nearest band and cup.

Styling: what to wear it under

A balconette cut sits low and wide on the chest, so it works under square, boat and wide V necklines. The straps are set towards the outside of the cups, as you can see in the front photo.

White embroidery shows through white less than you might expect, and less than black does. Under dark or patterned fabric nobody will see it at all.

Occasions

This is a bra for ordinary days that happens to be pretty. It is also an obvious choice under a wedding dress or for a wedding night, since it is white, embroidered and finished with a small stone.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so follow the sewn-in label.

For embroidered bras in general: close the hooks before washing, use a laundry bag and let the bra dry flat. White stays white longest when it is washed with white only.

The wow detail: the scalloped edge

Look at the top of the cups in the front photo. The embroidery does not end in a straight hem. It follows the outline of the flowers, so the edge on the skin is a row of small curves. Add the bow with its stone in the middle and you have the two details that set this bra apart from a plain white one.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the bra is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More bras, briefs and nightwear are in our women's underwear collection.