All right, so here is the promised review of the Merbella top.
PUTTING IT ON
I always put my bras by inserting my arms under the shoulder straps and then fastening the clasp reaching behind my back. It is VITAL to do this when fastening this bra; if you try to tie it on front and then turning it around the silicone WILL TEAR.
The first time I put it on I could not reach behind my back because I had an injury in my right arm, and I tried to put it on fastening it on the front and then turning it. What happened is that a bit of the seaweed decoration teared, and I freaked. Thankfully, the damage is unnoticeable. Upon later inspection, I discover that that precise point had been reglued with silicone before it was sent to me.
If you cannot put a bra by yourself the way I described it, ask for someone's help, or if there is not someone to help you, try to practice with a normal bra until you get the hang of it.
I fasten the net of the neck AFTER I have put on the bra. That way I am sure the net is firm and just of the right lenght - when it gets wet, the knots SLIDE so be sure to fasten it up a bit more of what you normally do, or it will become very loose in the water (it happened to me too).
WEARING IT
I find that if you are going to a nearby pool, you can put the bra at home, where you can be relaxed and not rushing the process, and then a loose t-shirt over it, and no one will notice that you have something funny behind your clothes. It is comfortable and holds the breasts quite well.
For a long term dry event, this bra would probably hurt my neck. I read somewhere that people with a breast size larger than C should not wear halter tops due to the pression the breasts' weight put on the neck and spine. I have experienced minor pain while going to the pool, so I know I would not be able to handle this top in a dry setting for long (I have a D cup).
IN THE WATER
The top is EXCELLENT on the water! It does not move, it adapts to my movements, it is comfortable for swimming. The only bad thing that happens to me is that my breasts float quite well, and they try to "escape" of the bra cups. I guess that is due to their size, and probably a person with a smaller cup would not have that problem. Also, the problem with the knots sliding when wet previously mentioned.
PEOPLE'S REACTIONS
People loved it. They were astounded by the design, the materials, the general look - I had a complete stranger (thankfully it was a woman!) grabbing my breast to find out what it was made of. It is definitely a conversation starter.
TAKING CARE OF IT
Since I did not received a sheet of how to take care of the top I improvised the following:
After finishing with it, I take a plastic bucket, fill it up with water and add a couple of spoonfulls of baking soda. This will turn the water pH from neutral to alkaline, and this will help to neutralize the chlorine that may still remain on the fabrics of the bra. I let it soak for 30 minutes, and then rinse it with lots of cold fresh water. Then I hang it flat to dry.
The thing with the baking soda will work too for your fabric mermaid tail. You have lots of info on how to deal with chlorine in
this Mernetwork thread courtesy of
Mermaid Iona. As soon as I read about it I tried it with my new Magictail Arielle skin. I have no way to know if it works, but I assure you that when the tail skin dried it smelled like new; no trace of chlorine odor. So it must work...
Also, an update on the Magictail monofin: mine has a small fracture line that I am sure with time will get bigger. I am not surprised, I had read that all Magictail monofins eventually break because of the material they are made of. However, I will be buying another one, because one monofin every two years is a price I can afford, and I do not want to have to modify another monofin to fit my tails. I will put pictures of the damage soon.
That is all I can think of. If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer them.
