Empreinte
French full-bust luxury — D-H cups crafted with couture-level detail
The Couture House That Refused to Ignore Bigger Busts
Empreinte was founded in 1946 in the town of Caudry, France — the heart of French lace country, where Leavers lace looms have been operating since the 19th century. The brand occupies a unique and essential position in the lingerie landscape: it applies genuine French luxury craftsmanship to fuller-bust sizes, a combination that almost no other brand in the world offers. While French luxury lingerie has traditionally been designed for smaller busts (try finding a La Perla in a G cup), Empreinte has spent nearly eight decades proving that couture-quality lace, meticulous construction, and refined French design can and should exist in D-through-H cups.
What Makes Empreinte Different
Empreinte's distinction is the intersection of two qualities that the industry has historically treated as incompatible: French luxury and full-bust engineering. Each Empreinte bra is made using genuine Leavers lace from the mills of Caudry and Calais, where a single metre of lace can take eight hours to produce. This lace is then used in bras engineered specifically for larger cup sizes, with multi-section cup constructions, graduated side supports, and proprietary underwires shaped to accommodate greater volume and projection. The result is a bra that looks like it belongs in a Parisian boutique and fits like it was built by an engineer — because it was.
Key Product Lines
Cassiopee is the franchise — a seamless, spacer-fabric bra that provides an invisible, rounded shape in D-through-H cups. It is widely considered one of the best-fitting full-bust bras ever produced. Melody offers a more traditional lace aesthetic with the same engineering rigour. Verity features embroidered tulle. Allure brings seasonal fashion elements to the core full-bust range. Each collection offers coordinated briefs, thongs, and shorts.
Who Empreinte Is Best For
Empreinte is for the fuller-busted woman who is tired of choosing between beauty and fit — who has always wanted French luxury lingerie but been excluded by the size limitations of most French brands. If you wear a D-through-H cup and have looked longingly at the lace confections in Parisian lingerie boutiques, knowing they would never come in your size, Empreinte exists to end that frustration. It is also the brand of choice for special occasions where a fuller-busted woman wants lingerie that matches the significance of the moment.
Price Range
Bras from $110 to $180, underwear from $45 to $85. This is premium-to-luxury pricing, reflecting genuine Caudry lace, French manufacturing, and the intensive engineering required for full-bust construction.
Size Range
Bras from 30D to 42H in most styles. This focused range ensures that every size receives full engineering attention rather than being an afterthought.