Ok, I’ve been trying to hold off on reviewing my Ewa Michalak bras until I’d properly broken them in and worn them around and whatnot… but I am too excited to wait any longer to review these bras! I’ve worn them both quite a bit, but only around my house because I’ve been having a few extremely lazy days. Regardless, I think I’ve gotten a good enough impression to give a review, and if anything bad happens somehow after this gets written, I can always come back and edit it!
A picture of the set, no pads in the bra
As I’ve mentioned a million times, the PL Mak was an “extra special” order, but I’m glad I requested it over the CHP because, although I haven’t tried CHP specifically, I now know that I definitely prefer the PL to the CH style (and CHP is obviously more similar to the latter!). Based on some comments from the helpful fitting community on Bratabase, as well as a comment on my review of the PL Lilia, I decided to order 2 cups higher than the 28J I tried out in the Lilia. This meant I was getting a 28K (!!!!!!!!) and I was extremely skeptical that it would fit, because in my head my boobs are admittedly large… but not the highest cup size made by most UK brands! Ewa Michalak cups I think fit a bit smaller than the average UK brand, but I honestly can’t say too well because I don’t have any UK brand bras that fit well. So if there is someone who is more informed on that manner, I would love to hear your input!
My first thought was “Holy crap that’s a huge bra!” and my first impulse was to put it on my face. Look how little my neck is in comparison! And my chin and forehead are both in the cup. When I look down it doesn’t look like I have two heads on my chest…
This bra is absolutely GORGEOUS! In case you can’t tell by their sub-par quality, all of my pictures are taken with my phone (someday I’ll get a real camera!) and as a result the lighting isn’t always the best, but I think that the picture of the CHP Mak on the website is the most accurate depiction of the color.
CHP Mak, photo from http://www.ewa-michalak.pl
It’s a really basic bra, without any embellishment on the cups, but the few decorative accents it has are gorgeous! The lace on the band is accented with an opalescent embroidery that is kind of impossible for me to photograph, but when the light hits it the right way it sparkles and is just gorgeous! I also really like the style of bow that is on the center gore and straps of this bra. I tried to get a good picture of the bow on my Freya Deco so you could see how it’s different, but unfortunately black bras don’t photograph that well on a phone camera. The straps are embroidered, which both makes them prettier and keeps the straps in place once adjusted.
Strap embroidery and the pretty bow 🙂
Super gorgeous lace on the band
As far as the fit of this bra goes, it’s almost right on! The band is pretty tight, but fits very comfortably on the loosest hooks. It came with removable push up pads, and without them my boobs don’t quite fill the cups. Since the pads aren’t a whole cup size (I’d estimate they’re about half a cup) and based on the way that the 28JJ Karmlki I ordered fits, I think I’m in between 28K and 28JJ in Ewa Michalak bras. I think getting the 28K and wearing the pads is what I’ll do from now on, especially since I like my bust to be emphasized. It’s great that these are effectively push up bras for me, as that’s something I’ve sorely missed since finding my correct bra size!
No pads
Pads in
No pads
Pads in
No pads
Pads in
The underwires are the right width for me, but the combination of my height (5’3″) and my high set boobs means that the wires can get a little pokey! This fortunately only happens if my migrated tissue sneaks back to my armpit, or if I’m sitting down, so in both cases it’s something that just a little adjusting solves. The straps are already pretty short, but they’re kind of stretchy so I need to keep them adjusted pretty tightly too (once again my height and high set boobs are a factor). I usually struggle to find bras whose straps are not too long for me, but these straps were a great length.
I also purchased the Figi Mak to complete the set, although the color of this bra lends itself to literally every pair of red underwear that I have! I’m so excited! I have a lot of red underwear and it’s actually kind of amazing how well this bra matches almost every pair. It’s like the dye is called “lingerie red” and all lingerie producers have been using it 😛
Warning, the following picture is of my butt. But I wanted to show off the back of this underwear, because it’s gorgeous and it’s what made up my mind about buying yet another pair of red underwear.
Butt aside, aren’t these gorgeous?!?!?!
Yeah. So. This is pretty much my favorite bra right now, and I’ve worn it all three days since it got here. It’s sort of a shame that I’ve been wearing it so much, because it means I haven’t had a chance to really break in my CH Karmelki yet, but I just cannot get enough of this bra!!
Here is a link to the Bratabase listing for measurements of this bra 🙂
Obsessed With Breasts 
Yay! It’s so awesome that they were able to make the Mak in PL, and it worked out so well for you! 😀
I’ve found I need to go up a bit in cup size in my limited experience with EM bras, as well, which is a bit scary for me… don’t know why – I mean, if it fits, it fits!
Thanks!! I’m normally really good at buying whatever size fits (I have pants everywhere from a size 2 to a size 11!) but for some reason at “28K” I was like… no. No way. Not going to happen.
I was wondering about their sizing… The only other bra I have that fits me semi-well that isn’t Ewa Michalak is a Panache Tango II Balconette in a 28J. And then I’ve heard other people say they go up a cup in plunges but keep their normal Freya size in the CH’s? I don’t know. All I know is my size in Ewa! Haha
I know how you feel about the oh-my-god-my-bra-is-so-huge! reaction. Even though I’m used to the fact that I have a larger chest, sometimes I spot a bra in my dresser and think… “what on earth goes in there?” The PL Mak looks fabulous on you! I’m glad the custom order worked out!
Lol, you did the Bra Ninja 😀 I thought I was the only one retarded enough to do it 😀
Anyway, mak looks awesome on you, love how the red goes with your skin tone and the shape and the cleavage… If I was A guy I’d be drooling now 🙂
I am *thrilled* with the wing hight on this bra, I hope that my Karmelki looks like that too.
I just wanted to say that there have been some inconsistencies reported in ewas cupsizes. As she doesn’t make the pl mak regularly, it’s sort of a wild card (chp that is basic cut for mak run larger than pl’s), so I think your call with 28K + pads is really a safe choice 🙂
I think I might have to see if I can special order the Fiolek in a PL shape too. I love the color so much and it kills me that it’s too small now. These bras are great and this one looks great on you! I also find it interesting that with the pads it looks like you have more separation between your breasts.
Thank you! It wouldn’t surprise me if that was one that they could make for you, since it’s so basic without very much embellishment! I think my boobs look closer together in the photo with the pads because I had actually been wearing the bra and my boobs had settled to the armpits a little bit. I’ve been in correctly sized bras for a good bit now but I’m still dealing with some tissue migrating issues!
I think you should try 30JJ next time. The cups should be just a bit smaller because of the looser band. Maybe the Mak is looser because of the lace band, cause I’ve heard that other PLs are extremly tight.
Hi!
This band is actually quite a good fit- I already have to wear it on the second hooks unfortunately though! The PL Lilia was a bit tighter, but the cups were also much too small, which would make the band feel tight as well. I haven’t done this review yet, but the band on my 28JJ CH Karmelki is actually too big- so the tight bands of the PLs actually fit better. Even new on the Mak, I could stretch the band almost a full hand away!
I can see how you’d think it was too tight based on the pictures though. I have an odd shaped stomach where my underbust ~2 inches smaller than directly below it, because I have a random fat roll there. Then it goes back in at my waist. As a result, my bands always look like they’re squishing at my stomach, but they’re not, it’s just the way I’m shaped!
In addition to this, my actual underbust is surprisingly squishy as well. I don’t think it’s very common for 28 bands to have a large squishiness factor, but my loose measurement is ~28.5″, but my tight measurement goes all the way down to 26″!
Haha this was a bit of a long winded comment, but I get a lot of people telling me I should wear looser bands! I have a few bras in a 30 band size and I can’t ever wear them because they ride up my back and make my shoulders sore! I wish I could because then I would have a lot more bra options at my disposal.
I do that with my bras too lol! I’m a 28J and although I know they’re sizeable, my bras always look comically large. Maybe we’re just used to them? :p As for Ewa sizing I’ve found it to be pretty spot on, but then I only wear plunge bras so that could be why? I love balconettes but sadly they just don’t work on me, I have skinny ribs and the high gore always causes really bad pain that makes me feel like I’m having an asthma attack.