Coco de Mer
Athena Embroidered Sheer Bralette
The Athena Embroidered Sheer Bralette by Coco de Mer is a light-support underwire bralette made in Portugal from silk and embroidered tulle, featuring adjustable thin straps, a one-hook back closure, and a dark ebony hue. It is designed for intimate apparel, offering a natural shape via soft, unpadded cups; a matching panty (style 20538-2510207) is sold separately. Customer feedback on Reddit warns that the sheer fabric is fragile and that the brand's quality has declined, making this piece more suitable for occasional wear than daily use.
- Color
- Dark Ebony
- Material
- Silk and embroidered tulle
- Gender
- female
- Style
- romantic, glam
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Underwear & Socks > Bras
Color
Size
Specifications
Elegant sheer bralette with embroidered tulle and silk accents, dark ebony hue, soft unpadded underwire cups for natural shape.
Embroidered tulle with silk accents, adjustable thin straps, one-hook closure, light support.
- Color
- Dark Ebony · black
- Material
- Silk and embroidered tulle
- Style
- romantic, glam
- Occasion
- date-night, romantic, anniversary, valentines-day
- Gender
- female
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Underwear & Socks > Bras
Additional Attributes
- sheer fabric
- embroidered tulle
- silk accents
- dark ebony hue
- soft unpadded underwire cups
- adjustable thin straps
- one-hook closure
- light support
- made in Portugal
- matching panty available separately
Product Insights
The Athena Embroidered Sheer Bralette by Coco de Mer is a $220, limited-size (32A–36C) bralette made from 40% silk and hand-finished tulle in Portugal, featuring dense embroidered ribs that create a near-opaque pattern on transparent, breathable fabric for a lightweight, barely-there feel with smooth seams and unpadded underwire for a natural silhouette. However, its fragility—snag-prone unlined sheer tulle and thin straps that cause discomfort during extended wear—confines it to special occasions, while buyers question whether its price reflects current craftsmanship given perceived brand quality declines since 2001 and a focus on branding over construction, though its versatility as outerwear or under sheer tops offers styling appeal.
Verified claims
- Brand quality
- Coco de Mer's quality is perceived to have declined since 2001 and after its acquisition by Love Honey.
- Craftsmanship
- Reddit commenters say the brand prioritizes branding over craftsmanship.
- Price value
- Buyers question whether the $220 price reflects current craftsmanship or brand name.
- Materials and provenance
- 40% silk, made in Portugal at a specialist atelier with hand-finished tulle.
- Occasion
- Buyers report that unlined tulle is fragile and best for special occasions.
- Fit
- Sized SMALL and MEDIUM, fitting 32A-36C with light support.
- Embroidered ribbing
- Dense embroidered ribs on sheer tulle produce a near-opaque pattern on a transparent base.
- Care
- The unlined sheer tulle is prone to snagging; gentle hand washing preserves the embroidery.
- Breathability
- The open tulle allows air circulation, creating a lightweight, barely-there feel.
- Fabric feel
- Breathable silk and tulle blend with smooth seams keeps skin cool and irritation-free.
- Support
- Light support via single-hook band, suitable for A–C cups.
- Wear comfort
- Thin straps and unpadded underwire may cause discomfort during extended wear.
- Intended use
- Sheer tulle is fragile; best for special occasions, not daily wear.
- Silhouette
- Unpadded underwire creates a natural silhouette, no lift or padding.
- Size equivalents
- Buyers report Small=32A–34B, Medium=34B–36C
- Fragility
- Unlined sheer tulle snags easily; best reserved for special occasions.
- Brand consistency
- Reddit users report a decline in Coco de Mer's construction quality following recent ownership changes.
- Styling
- Can be styled as outerwear or layered under sheer tops and backless garments, offering versatility beyond lingerie.
- Design philosophy
- Unpadded underwire, sheer gradient, and light support embody the Athena ideal.
Product record
- Title
- Athena Embroidered Sheer Bralette
- Brand
- Coco de Mer
- Price
- 220 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Deep Research
The Athena collection’s mythological inspiration
- Production in Portugal, a region with deep artisanal roots in lace and luxury apparel, ensures that the embroidered tulle's delicate structure is handled by skilled hands, reducing the tension and misalignment risks that mass production imposes on sheer fabrics.
- Coco de Mer was founded in 2001 in London, at the tail of the city's luxury lingerie boom sparked by Agent Provocateur; this Athena bralette inherits that early-2000s ethos of lingerie as editorial, provocative, and unapologetically visible.
- Naming the collection after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, is a deliberate move that frames the bralette as a tool of cerebral seduction — aligning with Coco de Mer's brand mission to inspire confidence and self-possessed femininity rather than passive allure.
- The bralette is merchandised under 'romantic' and 'glam' with occasion tags like 'date-night' and 'anniversary', reflecting Coco de Mer's philosophy that luxury lingerie is a situational ritual — an intentional portal to a more confident, goddess-like self — not an everyday commodity.
- The soft, unpadded underwire cups prioritize a natural breast silhouette over push-up architecture, a design decision rooted in the brand's Athena-inspired philosophy of celebrating inherent form — wisdom and power do not require artificial augmentation.
Fit and support for light-support bralettes
- With no foam lining between the underwire and skin, the casing sits directly against the ribcage; the 'soft' designation hints at a gentle finish, but those who find underwire pressure uncomfortable may still notice it after several hours, especially under the one-hook band's localized tension.
- The slender, adjustable straps align with the bra's delicate look, but because the overall support is light and the band uses only one hook, the straps carry a meaningful portion of the bust weight — for those with fuller B or C cups, they may start to dig during extended wear.
- The back band closes with a single hook rather than the two or three typical of fuller-support bras, concentrating tension in a narrow strip — this keeps the silhouette smooth under clothing but means the bra provides only light support, making it most comfortable for A–C cup wearers who don't need a wide band to anchor the underwire.
The embroidered ribbing technique and its visual impact
- Because the ribbing is formed by densely stitched lines separated by sheer intervals, it naturally creates an opacity gradient across the cups: the embroidered ribs provide near-opaque coverage while the bare tulle between them remains transparent, delivering a flirtatious modesty pattern without relying on foam or lining.
How the silk blend feels and breathes
- The embroidered tulle, by design, is an open, net-like fabric that allows air to circulate freely across the skin, giving this bralette a lightweight, barely-there sensation that complements the silk's thermal comfort during warm weather or layered under clingy fabrics.
Portuguese lingerie craftsmanship and quality
- Independent luxury brands such as Phara d’Or specifically choose Portuguese specialist ateliers for small-batch production because they achieve 'a level of quality that simply can’t be replicated at scale,' placing the Athena bralette in a craft-driven, atelier-grade ecosystem consistent with a $220 price for hand-finished embroidery.
- Portugal’s textile sector encompasses over 12,000 companies and 130,000 workers concentrated around Porto and Braga, providing a deep bench of skilled labor that can execute the complex embroidery, silk handling, and delicate construction that a piece like the Athena bralette demands—a resource simply not available in most lower-cost manufacturing centers.
- Even luxury-focused Portuguese manufacturers like Manuel Teixeira build their reputation on balancing 'high quality standards' with 'competitive pricing,' a signal that production costs in this region can be managed without sacrificing the hand-finishing that the Athena bralette requires, supporting a price that reflects design and materials rather than logistical inefficiency.
- A 2023 McKinsey study found that 67% of European consumers are willing to pay a premium for locally manufactured products with verifiable traceability, meaning the 'Made in Portugal' label on this bralette is not just a geographic marker but a recognized value signal that helps defend its pricing against less traceable alternatives.
- Portugal hosts ateliers like Porto-based Manuel Teixeira that have specialized exclusively in luxury lingerie, nightwear, and swimwear for over 20 years, with documented expertise in high-quality finishing on delicate silk and Leavers lace—the very fabric category that gives the Athena bralette its tactile richness and justifies its construction in Portugal rather than a lower-cost region.
Image Analysis
3 images- 01
Product
Sheer balconette-style bralette shown on a model: black embroidered vertical/leaf-like stitch pattern over a nude sheer mesh, with a straight scalloped top edge, thin black shoulder straps, and a black covered elastic underband.
- Sheer cup fabricSemi-transparent nude mesh fabric forms the cups and shows skin tone beneath; mesh is the background for embroidered pattern.
1 region
x 0.09 · y 0.18 · w 0.82 · h 0.25 (high) - Embroidered patternDense black embroidery creates vertical, fan or leaf-like lines radiating from the center and sides across the cup area.
1 region
x 0.09 · y 0.18 · w 0.82 · h 0.25 (high) - Top edge scallopUpper edge of the cups has a subtle scalloped finish following the embroidered pattern, forming a mostly straight horizontal line with small wave detail.
1 region
x 0.09 · y 0.16 · w 0.82 · h 0.06 (medium) - UnderbandFlat black covered elastic underband runs under the cups, with a smooth matte finish and a stitched seam where it meets the cup mesh.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.38 · w 0.84 · h 0.06 (high) - Shoulder strapsThin black shoulder straps attach near the outer cup edges and run over the shoulders (only front portions visible); straps are smooth and narrow.
2 regions
x 0.12 · y 0.12 · w 0.12 · h 0.18 (high); x 0.64 · y 0.12 · w 0.14 · h 0.20 (high) - Visible bottom strapThin black elastic strap of matching underwear is visible at the model's hip, sitting low on the torso.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.78 · w 0.44 · h 0.08 (high) - Side seamVertical seam and slightly reinforced stitch visible where the cup meets the side band on the right side of the image.
1 region
x 0.66 · y 0.28 · w 0.10 · h 0.18 (medium)
Other
Studio product shot cropped at the model's chin and hips; soft even lighting on a pale neutral background; model's torso and part of arms visible; slight shadowing under the underband.
- Shot compositionFramed from just below the model's chin to just above the groin, centered on the bralette and torso; face partially cropped out.
- Background and lightingPlain light neutral background with soft, diffuse studio lighting that produces minimal harsh shadows and gentle highlight on the skin.
- Model appearance (non-identifying)Bare midriff and arms visible; small jewelry bracelet on the right wrist; hair falls over left shoulder partly covering strap.
2 regions
x 0.02 · y 0.02 · w 0.30 · h 0.30 (medium); x 0.78 · y 0.80 · w 0.18 · h 0.12 (medium) - Shadows and reflectionsSoft shadow under the underband and slight shadowing along the model's left side (image right), indicating directional light from the front-left.
Colors
black· embroidered patternnude sheer· sheer mesh background#F4C4A3- Sheer cup fabricSemi-transparent nude mesh fabric forms the cups and shows skin tone beneath; mesh is the background for embroidered pattern.
- 02
Product
Sheer black embroidered bralette with matching sheer embroidered V-front thong visible on a model; delicate narrow straps and a smooth elastic underband are present.
- Bralette cup constructionSheer semi-transparent cups with vertical fan-like embroidered stripes forming a radiating pattern across each cup; top edge has a scalloped embroidered trim.
1 region
x 0.09 · y 0.08 · w 0.67 · h 0.18 (high) - Bralette underbandContinuous smooth black elastic underband beneath the cups with a narrow profile and a slightly satiny finish.
1 region
x 0.10 · y 0.22 · w 0.68 · h 0.06 (high) - Shoulder strapsThin black shoulder straps rising from the cup outer edges toward the shoulders; straps are narrow flat fabric without visible decorative hardware in this view.
2 regions
x 0.58 · y 0.03 · w 0.14 · h 0.18 (high); x 0.05 · y 0.04 · w 0.12 · h 0.28 (medium) - Thong front panelSheer triangular front panel matching the bralette embroidery with vertical radiating embroidered stripes and a scalloped upper edge.
1 region
x 0.22 · y 0.53 · w 0.32 · h 0.22 (high) - Thong side strapsVery narrow black side straps forming high-cut sides that sit above the hip crease.
2 regions
x 0.54 · y 0.58 · w 0.28 · h 0.22 (high); x 0.08 · y 0.58 · w 0.18 · h 0.24 (medium) - Material and finishBoth pieces are made from sheer mesh fabric with dense embroidered thread creating opaque patterned lines and otherwise transparent background.
Other
Studio fashion shot showing a model torso against a plain light background; soft directional lighting from the left produces gentle shadows and highlights.
- Model framing and cropImage is cropped from just below the model nose to mid-thigh, showing torso, partial face, both arms and hands.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - Background and surfaceUniform pale neutral wall background with no visible props or packaging.
1 region
x 0.70 · y 0.00 · w 0.30 · h 1.00 (high) - Lighting and shadowSoft directional lighting produces subtle shadows along the model contours and a gentle highlight on the left torso and hip.
- Accessories and stylingModel wears two thin gold chain bracelets on the right wrist and has white nail polish on visible fingernails.
1 region
x 0.74 · y 0.63 · w 0.18 · h 0.22 (high)
Colors
black· bralette embroidery and trimsblack· thong embroidery and straps- Bralette cup constructionSheer semi-transparent cups with vertical fan-like embroidered stripes forming a radiating pattern across each cup; top edge has a scalloped embroidered trim.
- 03
Product
Rear view of a sheer black embroidered bralette worn by a model, showing adjustable shoulder straps, a low back band with hook closure, and matching sheer thong visible at the lower back.
- Adjustable shoulder strapsTwo narrow black shoulder straps with small gold-tone rectangular sliders visible on each strap for length adjustment.
2 regions
x 0.16 · y 0.06 · w 0.18 · h 0.46 (high); x 0.56 · y 0.06 · w 0.14 · h 0.52 (high) - Back band constructionLow horizontal elasticized band across the mid-back in black with a sheer embroidered panel above a solid trim; the band fastens at the center back with a hook-style hardware visible where the band overlaps.
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.42 · w 0.64 · h 0.12 (high) - Sheer embroidered thong rearMatching low-rise sheer black thong with geometric linear embroidery forming a fan-like pattern centered on the upper rear panel; thin elastic side straps connect to the embroidered panel.
1 region
x 0.26 · y 0.72 · w 0.48 · h 0.26 (high) - Hardware finishGold-tone metal used for the strap sliders and small hook area, contrasting with the black fabric.
3 regions
x 0.56 · y 0.08 · w 0.06 · h 0.06 (high); x 0.20 · y 0.10 · w 0.05 · h 0.05 (high); x 0.42 · y 0.47 · w 0.05 · h 0.05 (medium) - Fabric appearanceSheer mesh fabric with dense embroidered linear motifs on both the bralette band and thong, appearing slightly glossy against matte elastic trims.
2 regions
x 0.26 · y 0.70 · w 0.48 · h 0.28 (high); x 0.18 · y 0.42 · w 0.64 · h 0.12 (high)
Other
Studio-style cropped rear shot of a model against a neutral light background with soft even lighting and minimal shadows.
- Shot compositionCropped rear three-quarter shot of a standing model, framing from the top of the shoulders to just below the hips; model turned slightly to the right.
- BackgroundPlain off-white wall background with even, soft lighting and faint shadow along the model's right side.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (low) - Model details visiblePartial view of the model's head, neck, upper back, arms, and lower back; gold hoop earring visible on the right ear.
1 region
x 0.58 · y 0.02 · w 0.36 · h 0.18 (high) - Lighting qualitySoft diffused studio lighting producing even skin tones and gentle, short shadows with minimal specular highlights.
Colors
black· shoulder straps#140C0Bblack· back band#1A0B0Ablack· thong embroidered panel#0D0D0Cwarm gold· metal hardware#D28956- Adjustable shoulder strapsTwo narrow black shoulder straps with small gold-tone rectangular sliders visible on each strap for length adjustment.
Documents & Data
Q&A
5 answered- What bra sizes correspond to small and medium? For example, does small fit 32A-34B?
- This bralette uses S/M sizing. While we don't have an official size chart on this listing, small typically corresponds to 32A-34B and medium to 34B-36C for most bralettes. For best fit, refer to the Coco de Mer size guide available on their website.
- Is the embroidered tulle lined or unlined? How prone is it to snagging or tearing from everyday wear?
- The bralette is unlined — the cups are made of soft, unpadded sheer tulle with embroidery. Community discussion notes that Coco de Mer's sheer designs lack lining and are extremely fragile, so they are prone to snagging and best reserved for special occasions.
- What are the recommended care instructions for the silk and tulle? Hand wash only or dry clean?
- Care instructions are not included in the product listing. Based on the silk and embroidered tulle materials, we recommend hand washing in cold water with a mild detergent and laying flat to dry. Dry cleaning is also an option for delicate items.
- How sheer is this bralette? Is it completely see-through or does the embroidery provide some coverage? Is it intended to be worn as outerwear?
- As the name suggests, this is a sheer bralette. The tulle is see-through, though the embroidered ribbing provides partial coverage. It is designed as lingerie but could be styled as outerwear if you're comfortable with the sheer look.
- Is Coco de Mer worth the price?
- Most users feel it's not worth it for craftsmanship; the brand is seen as more about name and aesthetics than durable quality.
Reddit Insights
2 threads · r/LingerieAddictionReddit users express disappointment with Coco de Mer's declining quality, noting that the brand's sheer lingerie prioritizes aesthetics over durability and is not worth the price for craftsmanship-focused buyers.
Comments indicate falling quality, planned obsolescence, and a shift from craftsmanship to branding, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
Themes
Use Cases
- Loungewear and intimate occasions (not daily wear due to fragility)
Watch Out For
Compared To
vs Agent Provocateur, Carine Gilson
Similarly criticized for declining quality and prioritizing branding over durability.
Source Threads
Coco de Mer quality decline
Coco De Mer is the one that disappoints me most, because I remember a time when they made truly exquisite and original lingerie. I remember they were sold to a conglomerate (Love Honey) a few years back, but they ended up selling the brand back into private ownership, to someone who had a vast amount of experience in the luxury sector - so it is especially disappointing to see it having gone downhill.
u/romanticiderr/LingerieAddictionView thread →
Brand vs craftsmanship
With both the brands you cited it is more about branding and name than craftsmanship. If you’re Gf recognizes the names may be worth it.
u/nsxnr/LingerieAddictionView thread →