What I love about this bra: the fabric. It is everything! High quality feeling and looking. And so soft and silky. The band fabric is so nice too, not that usual stretchy thin mesh. Also this bra features something I have not seen on another bra before: there is some light padding where the bra-clasp is...so the hooks would not dig in. I also like the thick shoulder straps. There is no stretch in the top section of the Cups.
My shape: Center heavy soft pendulous boobs, rather narrow and tall roots, slightly full on top.
The problem with this bra is, that the wires are too wide on ...the sides. The cups are quite tall but I think that is to be expected on a bra like this. I had some slight wrinkling on top of the cup on my smaller boob. But I also think that these cups are quite tall but at the same time are not very roomy on top. If this bra had a stretch lace on top I could probably size down to 32HH and have wires that fit me better. I don't think it's a bad bra at all. I would totally wear it, if I had no other bra around, but I did not like that the shape was a bit east-west. I also got some digging in from the straps in the first 15 mins of wearing, that is not a good sign... I wonder if the Fantasie shape is not compatible with my boobs? Read more 145 more words
This Fantasy Illusion bra in 30G is a better fit than my previous poorly fitting bras, but still is not the right fit. I like this bra, I chose it because the straps are fairly close together and I wanted to try a bra with side support. The biggest issue for me is the high center gore that dug into my sternum slightly. It also pinched my breast tissue when I tried to scoop and swoop and just did not work with my center fullness. (I had a feeling the gore would be problematic though) A 28 band fits a bit better on me but I am unsure ...if this brand makes that band size. I think I should have gotten a 30FF instead of a 30G when going up in the band. With my asymmetry, I had more wrinkling and some space not filled out at the bottom on my right breast. I did like the bras construction and vertical seams. The design helped bring my boobs to the front rather than what usually happens, either my breasts running away to the sides, or my breast tissue exploding out of the top/quad boobing. I liked the strap placement being close enough together. The comfortable band material and thickness with 3 hooks was nice. I prefer a bra in other colors, like black. In person the white looks a little plain, but up close it's cute. I like the stretchy lace material on top, in the correct size it would help contain my tissue that swells up at certain times of the month when my breasts become a bit more FOT. I am petite, and short in the torso 4ft 9 115lbs so I am greatful this bra did not poke me in the armpits. I usually wear plunge bras, and I am use to more cleavage, but having the pressure off of my neck and shoulders was great, and my posture is so much better than when I was wearing a 36 band. I think I am going to skip trying Fantasie bras with gores equal too or taller/wider. I am so done wearing ill fitting padded bras though! This bra was a decent attempt to build from, but I am still searching Megan. *Edit* Origenally reported this bra as the Fantasie Fusion Bra (that I also considered buying) but this is the Fantasie Illusion with Side Support. Read more 295 more words
some space at the bottom = not projected enough (most likely) see this graphic https://imgur.com/wuKovXy too little depth at the bottom on the cup, I think.
also, the gore looks painful. it just looks to wide.
I've never tried Fantasie, some I'm not sure how their bras run. I prefer brands like Comexim (good for close-set breasts) and Ewa Michalak (good for projected breasts).
I took a peek at your measurements. You’re not too far off from mine. I took a 30FF in Fantasie when I tried the brand, tho I didn’t care for the wide gore and over all fit. I say this definitely looks a cup size too big. I suggest Comexim. Very center full friendly and my 4’10” daughter had no issues adjusting the straps short enough and when I was a little thinner and wearing a 30GG/65J on Comexim I can tell you the side wings do not come up very high and would be more petite friendly. Good luck, may the bra force be worn you. : )
Jj I Believe you may be right! I either may have purchased it with an incorrect listing (on another site) or it was my own error, I was looking to purchase both. I'll take a look and edit, thank you!
@BraOdyssey Also I do own this bra but I unfortunatly can not wear this due to the gore issues, I will either pass it on to one of my sisters or will consider listing here for cheap/to give away. I will check out that tip about augmenting the gore for future use though, I have a feeling it will come in handy in the future.
I figured I need some projection rather than shallow bras, but I am still figuring out all the little tidbits to bra fitting. The diagrams shared are helpful theres just so much to take in. For example I assumed my breasts were borderline spaced far apart, but when supported they actually go quite close together. I wasnt sure if the width of the gore would matter had the gore been much lower, but still think I need to make sure the gore is narrow as well. I also agree I should have tried the 30ff but because I've gotten a range of sizes with ABTF calculator I decided to try this one.
@Happy2brashop I have been looking at bra brands from Poland and they seem like an ideal option for me. I hope to order from them I just wanted to get a feel for what works before ordering, currently I have 0 bras that fit. I have been trying to wear either a 34DDD or 36DD from VS for way too long, being short and petite added a whole other piece to this, so I appriciate the input. I had no idea what a correctly fitting bra felt like! I will check out Ewa bras as well :) Thank you!
Ok, I made the correction classifying this bra :)
meganelaineshaw1 ,Great review ,even with the mix up of @Fantasie models! And great job from Jj for catching it!
I wanted this bra because it looked so nice online. It does look nice still in person but it doesn't WOW me as much. I think it's becaue I'm such a big size it just looks a bit silly with the huge top lace part of the cup.
The material is silky and smooth in the cups, the band portion is a little more scratchy and the type of fabric that'll get really damaged fast with wear. Tops of cups are doubled lined in this size, it's not quite opaque but almost. Wish it wasn't because it makes it look more top heavy since the rest of the bra ...is quite light colors.
It's a 4 part cup with side support. The straps are thick and soft. The hooks are also slightly padded and soft.
The gore is very high and quite weak, because of where it hits me (too high) and it being too wide for me, it wants to lay sideways a little (I had same issue with Panache envy but this one isn't AS bad as that one).
It has suprisingly a lot of projection, and the wires aren't terribly wide, like they're wide but I've tried on way worse. I was kinda expecting really wide wires. Sadly it doesn't have a lot of immediate projection so I get a big big wrinkle at the bottom of the cups.
It's quite tall but it's not super open on top, so it actually kinda works with my short roots in that area, I don't get a ton of wrinkling at the top which I do with some other bras.
It feels a bit granny bra because of how tall it is :/ I'm sure it would look lovely on smaller chests, like the ones the model wears is really pretty but it doesn't translate into these big cup sizes I guess https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Read more 208 more words
They should do pics for the larger sizes too! Especially if they are different with extra lining and stuff! I don't think it looks bad but that "huge top section" look I'm also kinda over it as in the past every Bravissimo bra looked like it. Probably why they stopped making prints and more solid colours.
So I don't own this bra anymore - but for me this used to fit like a pretty 'typical' UK 32G. No very noticeable excesses in cup depth, width or height.
Fantasie bands do tend to run a tad large, like Freya's, so this 32 fit me on the tightest hook. The shape is somewhat vintage/pointy, but in a way that I don't mind.
There are some common fit issues for me, that apply to most of my 'off the rack' bras with no alterations: - Strap placement (too wide) - Gore (too high) - Cup edge (too closed off) - Projection (not quite enough)
Most of these issues just have to do with my ...build I guess: tall-ish roots, close set (when supported), more projection than I used to think, and apparently I have a sensitive armpit area? My FOT tissue makes me prefer a stretchy upper cup (which Alicia sadly doesn't have) - and often I lean towards too-small-ish rather than too-large-ish bras.
Some of these issues have actually eased a bit over time, with my breast size 'settling' over the past couple years, some aging / gravity and also losing a tiny bit of weight, my upper fullness has gone down a bit - which makes average cups cutting in slightly less of a problem. There's always a bright side, right? (;
Also, despite these (normal to me) minor fit issues, Alicia was actually very wearable, quite comfortable, the fit was pretty decent overall. I did love the general black & pink 'blossomy' aesthetic of this bra!
However as I owned wayyyy too many not-quite-perfect bras; when I moved countries last year it didn't make the cut. It ended up finding a good home with a friend's sister though!
Alicia -in different colorways- as well as her sister cuts are still pretty widely available (eBay, BareNecessities, Bravissimo) and I think they could work very well for many people. All in all it's a supportive yet 'dainty' looking bra, that is well suited to a variety of shapes I would think! Read more 224 more words
I think this bra is just a Rebecca variation! It has a nice thin layer of spacer foam that I expect to stretch out just slightly.
As it is right now, the cup on my larger side cuts in ever so slightly into my chest, but it's not unbearable and I've worn worse to be honest. The cups also have a slightly minimising effect - I freakin love it! I've been working an internship where the size of my boobs is really getting in the way of feeling comfortable. I like it so much I'm considering getting a nude Rebecca as well.
The band is nice. Not too tight, not loose. The only issue I have with it is that it has 2 rows of hooks which I absolutely hate. A 30GG should have 3 hooks and that's it. It should be standard.
The bra is comfy, the wires are comfy, the gore is sitting against my sternum perfectly.
Oh Rebecca...I had high hopes for a fitting friendship. But...we’re just not working out. It’s not me, it’s you. After trying the Rebecca in a 30FF and having cups that were too wide and slightly too big, I have it a go with this 30F. Now the cup is the right width but lacks the projection I need. If I could get these wires in the 30FF I’d be happy. I get a pushed up affect in this bra with the center gore not even close to sitting in the proper spot. But as far as working under a top in need of wider straps I can get by with it. It’s not ideal by any means but when you’re in a pinch this will work. I do get some quad-boob but as the cup relaxes it goes away for the most part due to the forgiving cup fabric. Such a major bummer. I really hoped this was “the one”.
I'll start by noting that I've purchased 5 of these bras over the years, in 3 different cup sizes. It was my first bra in a sub 32 band (which I hadn't known existed prior), and I absolutely fell in love with it at the time. It's not available in a 28 band, which is why I first started looking elsewhere.
It looks fantastic under clothes, at least in the smaller cup sizes. It is very comfortable and supportive. With care, it lasts for years.
The molded cups are fairly thin (much thinner than a Deco or Neve) but quite stiff. Therefore, ...it does not mold to your shape, you mold to it. Unless you overfill or your shape can't fit in the cups, its great for hiding asymmetry, jiggling, and time spent in coldrooms at work.
Its positives for me contain its main negative. It has a fairly high gore, which combined with the stiffness of the cups means it doesn't move with you the way a less stiff bra would. When the band begins to stretch out, it literally feels like you are wearing a (comfortable and less supportive) boob shelf. However, I like this bra so much that I altered the band when it reached that point.
I find myself reaching for this bra when I want an absolutely smooth line under clothes, or, oddly, when I'm doing ridiculously hard physical work. It's more comfortable than any sports bra I've ever owned and nearly as supportive.
The criticisms of this bra that I've seen tend to be that it is very plain (yes, that's why it's invisible under clothes) and that the cups give a pointy shape. I suspect that the pointy shape may be more of problem in the larger cup sizes. I would describe the 30DD and 30E as uplifted round, but I think my 30F was a little pointy. I loved it anyway.
Pros: Durable, comfortable, supportive and great under clothes. Cons: Probably not great for shallow or very firm breasts that don't conform to the cup shape. Might be too pointy for some. Not available in a 28 band.
I love your blog. Not only do you provide useful fit info about bras that are still available, you use illustrative photos and show how clothes look over the bras. Thanks for posting links to the reviews here, by the way. It's easier to comment on reviews through bratabase. Yours are the reviews I want to see first!
I can't see anything on your blog....is it just me?!
I was hoping that the Rebecca would be a good replacement style for a long time everyday bra that I own about 6 of in nude because they work with all my outerwear and are super comfy (Fantasie's Smoothing Balcony Bra - the unpadded one, not the Tshirt bra).
I've been recently fitted into a 28GG for Panache/Cleo but since Fantasie doesn't go down to a 28 I find that I'll end up in a 30G or occasionally 30FF in Fantasie.
Like the Fantasie Smoothing Balcony Bra this is generous in the cup and the 30G was too big. It looks ok in the photos because the fabric is ...thickly padded and shaped and won't wrinkle but my boobs are just hanging in those cups. I don't fill out the sides at all and don't stretch the cup fabric anywhere.
Oh! And that's the best part of this bra - the fabric is nice and padded (no nipple show) but it has a fair bit of stretch in it!
I also found that the bra gives you an unflattering east/west spread - it's a bit minimising from the side view but makes me look matronly from the front.
Hoping this will be less noticeable in a cup size down. I think I'm going to give it another shot in a smaller size simply because it is really comfortable and I haven't found a bra with a bit of padding in it that is as comfortable and as versatile as my everyday Fantasie Smoothing Balcony bra. Read more 145 more words
This bra is very pretty. I own it in 3 colorways. After a break-in period it became pretty comfortable with some issues: the mulberry colorway is very pinchy and has scratchy elastic; the black/pink colorway is the least stretchy and the tightest in the cup, and the cafe latte colorway has the roomiest cups and the stretchiest band.
It has very narrow, deep cups with a very strong construction. It runs small in the band, really more of a 32 band size, and the band is a bit narrow which causes back bulges. The straps are very stretchy, but not as stretchy as on a Fantasie Florence. ...I would prefer a wider band and 3 hooks rather than two.
The bra holds the boobs a little more widely than my favorite bras, but it's only a little bit, so i can live with it. As the bras break in they are less easty-westy, so don't give up after the first wear.
The problems: the seams are very bulky and show through thin shirts. There ARE seamed bras that have completely flat seams, so this is a negative. All that said, I had originally rated it "good" in quality, but today I must lower that rating, as for the second time I have had a random rip open up in the lace. My pink/black one had several rips and i thought this was a singular fluke, but now my mulberry one has ripped also.
Also, on some days this bra seems to move around a LOT. I honestly think this is because the band is too narrow, so the weight of my breasts is pulling it down in front. I wear the band quite firm, so it's not a matter of a loose band.
Pros: I like the narrow wires, very pretty fabric and color, the non-bulky construction on the band, and the fact that the cups are 4-part, seamed, and NOT stretchy. It's pretty comfortable.
Cons: very stretchy straps, limited sizing, only 2 hooks, minor east-west effect, and the seams are kind of bulky, especially where 2 seams meet. This bra is very visible under a thin tshirt. Then the rips. I bought my Savannah bras at a discount on eBay and I would not pay full price for them.
I wore this bra out dancing and it was completely comfortable and stayed put all night long. It moved WITH me. I was very impressed. If they could solve the construction problems it would be a favorite.
NOTE: if you are having problems getting this bra comfortable, remember that it is a plunge and the center gore should be lower than the underarm area. Grabbing the outer edged of the underwires and hauling them way up beneath the armpits gives a better, more secure fit. Read more 355 more words
Unfortunately the wires of this bra are extremely soft, thus they get bent out of shape under stress from a snug fitting band. The whole bra suffers from this. First the band stretches along with the wires, causing the band too be loose. Second the cup gets pulled flat and the upper rim of the cup has a tendency to cut into the breast and cause quadboob, despite the bra being the right size or even too big in the cup. (This effect is also known as the Curvy-Kate-phenomenon because Curvy Kate bras are prone to do this. Women often choose to go ...up in bandsize with CK bras to avoid this.) I was quite shocked to find that the wires of the Florence are even softer and more yielding to than the notoriously soft underwires from Curvy Kate. I'm very dissappointed in this bra, since it is the only bra by Fantasie that is available up to 40 K. Due to the soft underwires it does a poor job in the support area. I urge everybody who is considering this bra to exchange the underwires for something more stable. I think the wires of the Panache Ariza two cupsizes down might possibly work or maybe the wires of the Fantasie Mariette, the Fantasie Kara or another Freya bra or one from the "Just Gorgeous" by Debenhams range. It is also possible to buy underwires over the net relatively cheap from specialist online shops for people who sew their own bras, the challenge will be to find one that is stable and that fits especially for the larger band/larger cupsize combos. I think it will be worth the effort, because it is over all a very good bra. The material of the cups feels very soft to the touch and I am glad that my friend ordered this for me so that I could try it out. Sadly it doesn't work for me. The wires are too narrow for me even totally bent out of shape and I cannot quite fill out the upper part of the cup. But it would be great for somebody who needs narrow wires and deep cups and has breasts shaped like a torpedo.
This bra has soft, unseamed cups with strong but gentle fabric for the band, straps, etc. The soft, unseamed cups are supportive, but also take more of their shape from by breasts than other bras have. This gives me a less awkward shape (my breasts are a reasonable shape, if a bit bottom-heavy, un-bra'd).
I've had these bras for years. I wear them for everything. They get sweaty. They get nasty. They get gross. They go in the washing machine (but not the dryer). They do stretch out a bit (the band, most noticeably) after the break-in period, but after that, they just keep enduring. I've found fantastic ...build quality and durability with these.
I do have some issues due to the too-big band. The band rides up, and once this happens, the support is less. I can adjust for this to some level by yanking the band back down (great to do in public! *cough*) or tightening the straps (non-optimal, can cause some redness on my shoulders). If this bra were available in a 28 and still had a cup size that fit me well, it'd be the only daily-wear bra I ever bought. I'll be trying a few other bras, but if I don't find something I like this much, I'll just keep buying these and have the band shortened.
Please note: The bras in the pictures are heavily worn, multiple years old. Read more 125 more words
I thought this was a shape mismatch and I needed more immediate projection, but this is actually a great example of a bra that is 1-2 sizes too big! (It might be a shape mismatch also, but this is definitely too big despite acting too small. Notice the wire sitting way too low on me. This makes the bra act too small and shallow despite actually being too big. This is very, very common with large breasts and can make it confusing to find a fitting bra. It’s basically just a boob hat! I wish I’d listened to advice I got on this fit help request about trying it in smaller sizes with an extender!
Most of my bras have been in storage for a few months, and I only kept out a handful of 28FFs (or equivalents in Comexim). I gained a few pounds, and so did my boobs, so I was in dire need of 30FF bras.
I found this one for a decent price on eBay.ca. It shipped from Europe, so it took about a month to get it, and then a few more weeks until I could pick it up. Of course, I'm now on a fitness kick, so I doubt it will fit much longer, but for now it's perfect: stretchy band and bigger cups that enclose my ...boobs perfectly. I will probably keep it as I seem to fluctuate anyways.
The cup wires don't quite follow my IMF, but I can't tell when I'm wearing it. The band felt a little scratchy but not too bad. I'm used to extra long banded non wired bras lately, so that could be why. The straps are nice and wide, so great support, and they adjust quite long - good for me since I'm tall and low set. The cups are nice and rounded. Gore is a bit wide but I can reverse scoop away from it. The cups are lightly lined/padded, and they are soft a malleable.
The cut is called a half cup, but there are 2 vertical seams and 1 horizontal seam, so it's almost a hybrid between a half cup and a balconnet.
Overall seems like good quality and it's nice to have a navy bra. Read more 148 more words
This Fantasie 30FF Fusion (3091) did not fit kinda everywhere, mostly because the 30 band was huge. It stretched all the way to 34" easily.
Now I can't speak with authority on 30s; maybe this is average across the spectrum of 30 bands. But my Prime Wardrobe order had six 30s in it. Most of the other 30's I tried stretched to like 31-32", including another Fantasie style in 30FF (4520) that I really liked. 34" was huge in comparison. It definitely wasn't the right style for a 28 seeing how the sister size up fits.
The gore, despite having quite average measurements, sat very high and definitely into my cleavage - I don't think a tighter band would have helped it tack.
The wire was laughably far from where my boob actually is (see photos). I was honestly impressed how poorly this fit.
The fusion has some strange features and felt overall pretty skimpy, tight and flattening in black 30FF. As a generally immediately full, wide, short root type found the Fusion both close enough to seem like it could accept me, while also doing the most to bag up just at the apex while strangling my breasts otherwise. I don't want to say that this was designed top put our breasts in the band, but didn't feel like it was trying to hold anything in' high esteem' either if you will.
Oh no. that gore doesn't fit good. but what an interesting looking bra. thanks for sharing!
About me: FOB, centre full, close set, short roots, narrow to average width roots, pendulous, narrow shoulders.
While far from perfect, This bra fits surprisingly well for an unseamed moulded cup. it is also quite comfortable. The wires are soft and the cups are breathable soft spacer material.
I bought this bra specifically for some thinner material dresses and shirts I got for the hot weather that I didn’t want seams to show through. It should be noted that this bra does NOT hide nipples so something to consider if that bothers you.
The cups are too tall for me at the straps but it doesn’t show through clothing. The centre portion of the upper cup cuts in slightly, band is TTS, and the gore is too high. However, given the softness of the materials and wires, these issues don’t bother me.
It fits! The center gore is about an inch away from my sternum, but that's not a deal breaker. I was worried that the cups would be too wide, but it's totally fine, and nothing is stabbing me under the arm. This thing is incredibly supportive and well-made. Nothing is pinching or pulling or bruising or chafing. There's a lot of raised decorative stuff on the straps and the tops of the cups, but it doesn't show through a t-shirt and neither do the seams. It's squishing my boobs down a little and pushing them to the sides a bit (almost into my arms) rather than to the ...front, a little more than they'd like to be squished, but not enough to hurt, so even though a little more projection and a little less width would be nice, this is honestly perfectly fine. (They do hurt a bit when I take it off, but not while I'm wearing it.) I'd like it if the gore tacked, but I'm shocked at how much coverage I'm getting with this bra. I'd sort of resigned myself to buying full coverage bras that only covered half of my boobs. But nope. This is secure, sturdy, and pretty comfortable. And I'm not popping out anywhere! The straps slip a little bit because my shoulders and neck started to hurt when I tightened them, but that's fine. And my nipples don't show through this fabric. The band under the wire is comfortable and not digging in or chafing. The lace on the cups themselves is slightly itchy, but I mostly don't notice it and I think it'll soften with use. Hopefully the creaking and squeaking will ease with use, too.
Overall, I'm very happy. I think this is a good option for top-full, projected, pendulous breasts, even close-set, narrower breasts. Might work for east-west breasts, though, considering how it seems to want to go out toward the sides. Read more 214 more words
I ordered the Illusion mainly because I loved the color. The Willow colorway is a light, silvery green that is very pretty in person. The Illusion is a very full coverage cup, and is closed on top. The bra is a little big for me in a 32J usually, but it's perfect for days when my breasts are swollen.
My first ever Fantasie bra! Why did I avoid this brand for so long? I was under the impression that the bras are similar to Freya not very stable constructions and not supportive enough in large cup sizes.
The Camilla bra however is actually quite good! It also looks and feels very high quality. I love the wide shoulder straps, they are amazing. If only all bras in my size range had those! The bra is a 4 - part cup construction with a side support panel. The construction and look of the bra reminds me very much of my beloved Bravissimo English Rose bra.
The top section ...of the cups is not very stretchy but the edge of the cup is stretchy. Since the cups come up very tall, it does cover all my breast tissue and doesn't cut in. The wires are average for an UK bra, not very narrow and not extremely wide. The wires are sturdy but not as hard as on a Panache bra. The bra felt supportive and comfortable for the short time I was wearing it.
I don't know how it would hold up for a full day of wear. I also find the band a bit on the stretchier side for a 32 band. The bra is really a full coverage bra, I would call it a full cup bra with side support. I feel that the cups come a bit high under my arms and on the front, I think that with wear I could feel the shoulder straps cuttin into my arms.
I love the fabric on this bra, it's very soft smooth and silky feeling. The lace on the upper part of the cup is not itchy. I also really like the colors and the print. The turquoise blue / green color is amazing. I'm really impressed by the quality and want to try more bras of this brand! Read more 211 more words
So so so pretty!!! I find Fantasie bands stretchy too...but their prints are so lovely. Yayyy for the bra win.
I'm not gonna keep it I think :/ I'm sad letting it go but I ordered it from Zalando because they offer free / shipping and return and it is full retail price. I know older models of Fantasie are for 1/3 of this price on eBay so I'm gonna wait until it goes on sale.
Good move!! I do these things ALL the time
Yes my 2 favorite brands EM and Bravissimo never do really big discounts so I try to save on other brands as much as possible. I'm also not sure how supportive it will be for full day of wear. I used to have a few Freya bras back in the day and I always found them lacking in support.
Wow! Love that color and pattern on you. Beautiful and eye catching. I totally understand when you don’t want to pay full price. +1 for eBay shopping. Buy at a discount, and roll the savings over into more bras. :)
Fantasie was my go to brand for many years. Honestly, if my size hadn't changed (which lead me to Polish brands), I would still be wearing them faithfully. They really are a great brand!
I’ve been loving this bra since I saw it- the print is so me. Man I wish it came in a size that worked for me!
MamaPagan I'm really impressed with this bra, I thought that the Fantasie bras are as "weak" as Freya therefore I avoided them. But they are better (or have gotten better over the years?) I found a few on eBay for under 20£, I want to try more. I only look for the side support bra I think the cut has been the same over the years. I would avoid the traditional full cup like Belle because the shape reminds me of the Panache Tango.
The shoulder straps are so nice on this bra. I love how they have the thicker straps on the bigger cup sizes.
All my Fantasie bras were side support as well, so I can relate to that. Ten years of wearing them, never noticed a change in manufacturing of the style! The only reason I stopped wearing them was due to weight loss putting me below their band threshold and an increase in cup size.
MamaPagan thanks :) I think I'm gonna try some random Freya and Fantasie bras from eBay, they are too cheap to pass up. Too bad they don't go up to a K-cup.
You can find the latest catalogs for both Fantasie and Freya here:
While both brands offer up to a K cup, the models are limited, so knowing which model names to search for helps, making the catalogs super helpful!
cupandahalf > I wish it came in a size that worked for me!
Yes, I feel the same way... sized out for now. :\
MamaPagan Thanks! So many pretty bras. I really love some of their styles, I need some prints in my bra wardrobe! Some randomly stop at HH-cup instead of J. I wonder why?
Honestly I can only speculate as to why, but I do have my theories. 😄 It could be due to the styles-as they don't feel certain styles will be supportive enough for a cup over the HH marker. It could be due to lack of demand in the higher cup ranges, making them limit their expenses by only offering a few select models each season. It could be that they simply don't think there is a need for such sizes, as if the J+ cups are rare (or rarer than they really are.)
Yeah but why stop only 1 size before J? Like can you not do just that one size?! I get when they stop at G or H when a bra isn't supportive enough for bigger sizes.
alisa then they do J and those who wear K ask, "why can't they just go one more size?" I guess they draw a line where they do for a reason, whether that be construction, sales, etc.
Yes true … I used to be that person when I wore 32K. I should be am happy with the options I have now at my size. I mean there could be more but on the other side I cannot buy all the bras anyway.
Both Fantasie and Freya do to a K cup, it is just not all inclusive. Nothing above a J in a 28 band for Freya (Fantasie doesn't even do a 28 band) but a 30 band goes to a K for both, so stopping at the HH marker on some doesn't seem so odd when factoring in the additional 3 cups. Why they only offer 1-2 in the K each season (if any at all) is the head scratcher and what leads me to my assumptions/speculations noted above. :-/
Also I think that their main customer base is not the above J-cup crowd. So they don't offer much and otherwise it also does not attract many new customers since if there is only 1-2 models available in that size… if those don't work, you write off the brand. When I was a 34L I went to Bravissimo and just searched for my size. They had like 4-5 options. So I just bought another of my fave cut (Urban Rose / Darcy) when I needed a new bra. I also noticed that they sold out so quickly in all sizes above K! 34L usually was gone so fast... I never got one on sale, some sold out within 1-2 months. So I think they don't stock so many of these sizes. They know their customer base that well and stock accordingly. Could be the same with Fantasie.
Very possible, or they create their customer base by limiting their offerings. :-/ I requested expanded sizes a few times from them and received the general reply email "Thank You for your interest, we will consider your requests/suggestions for the future" form reply.
By limiting their offerings, they lessen the risk of loss/discounted sales.
Yet since Fantasie doesn't sell to customers direct, they will only make what their retail suppliers are willing to stock, regardless of what their customer's want, need, or wear.....
I also think that the customer base is created by the offerings. I never thought about Fantasie for years because I knew that most of their bras stop at H or J cup. The few models that come up to K-cup did never get popular and there are hardly any positive reviews here on Btb, so they did not sell too well.
A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Fitting Room
I previously tried the Alex in 36HH and was impressed with the comfort, but not the shape or fit. It was a little wide-set and the gore didn't quite tack. I wasn't really planning on trying another size, but it was available on Prime, so I tried this 36J and a 34J. I was in a hurry when I first put them on and just noticed that this one was a bit wrinkly and saggy in the cups and the other was a bit tight, so I re-bagged them and set them aside in the return pile. But ...I wanted to take pictures and enter the measurements here, so I got them out again today. And something strange happened.
The cups were still wrinkly on the tops near the strap and on the sides and the bottoms had major creasing due to too little projection. But then I walked into the other room and noticed it... no jiggling! I thought I was imagining it, but no! I put my Elomi back on, and it was still allowing all the movement that is part of my daily existence. So I had a mystery: why was this seemingly poor fitting bra holding the girls so steady?
Turns out there are probably a few things. First, I had accidentally fastened the bottom hook onto the middle loop. This seems to have changed the angle of pull, allowing the wire to anchor more firmly against my bottom rib. But my bottom rib is not in my IMF, so that's not necessarily a good thing. But weirdly, the folding of the cup bottoms does fit in my IMF, and so snugly and with such faithful contour, and the fabric of the cups is so sturdy, that it seems to be functioning as a second underwire of sorts! This is somehow the first bra I have tried that fits and stays tucked in my IMF! Just not the wire.
Another thing is that the wires are wider. But I'm not sure why that is helpful here, because they are definitely wider than my root on the outer bottom cups where there is some empty space, even on the larger side. So,???
Regardless, the feeling of support is an amazing, rare sensation for me, and I put this bra back on and just walked around for 10 minutes enjoying the stillness. Other bonus: the Alex is still quite comfortable. The shape is still not my favorite, but it's a little better and more projected than the 36HH was, despite the wrinkling, and the gore tacks, so I think I'm moving this puppy into the keep pile!
The construction feels really solid, and the fabric is thick, sturdy and soft, if somewhat utilitarian in appearance. The upper cups are a two-layer, non-stretch mesh with an attractive but simple lace pattern embroidered on the front. The bottoms have vertical seams and a side-support panel.The straps are subtly decorated and fully adjustable. This one is the Sand colorway, which is a bit bland, but a necessary staple in the wardrobe, and it will make a very good everyday and work bra. Like an ugly duckling, this little bra that seems quite boring and fits all wrong turns out to be the most supportive "fit" I've found so far! Read more 448 more words
My theory is that comfort and support are above all else, even if it doesn't scream "wow" or pass all the fit checkmarks. Glad it works for you!
i wonder if its because it has enough apex projection for your breast to not have to be smooshed?
It is curious. I'm trying out the staggered hook arrangement on my Elomi today, and it does seem to help the band to get a better "bite" on my ribcage, leading to a little bit better support, but not to the same extent. It's got to be the fabric, I think. The Alex fabric is much more heavy-duty than the Elomi - I think it may actually be two-ply across the whole bottom cup. It's quite industrial by comparison.
Pinniped like many extra-projected people who experience a discrepancy between the total cup volume theoretically needed and the localized depth they'd need in a given part of the cup to fit properly, you've basically sized up in the cup and down in the band (thanks also to the tighter setting on part of the band) to make it work. Basically, the fit you get in this bra is "so wrong it is [kind of] right" insofar as drastically overtightened straps and band are doing a fairly adequate job of compensating for the slackness in the much-too-large cup. If you apply enough tension to oversized cups so that the entire bra is pulled SUPERCRAZYTIGHT around you, this will create enough compression to provide support. With wired bras, there are limits to how well this can work because you still have rigid elements sitting where they don't belong, and those overtight straps will end up cutting into your shoulders eventually. But if you are open to nonwired styles this sort of sister sizing can be more forgiving. Hope that made some sense!
It reminds me of how my 32KK - Bravissimo » Erin Bra (LN441) fitted me.. It took me a while to figure it out. The bra had a tight band for the size. Also I adjusted the straps very short to get rid of wrinkling and that way the bra felt very supportive. But after a while the straps would cut in so badly and the bra felt less and less supportive. Apparently the cups on the bra were too big, but the tight band would distort them so they became more shallow and wide and less projected made them feel like they fit when there was still lots of wrinkling at the sides. I wonder if that is the case with your bra too? What happens when you loose the straps?
Maybe the style is not the best for your shape? I'm not sure about it though, I never tried any Fantasie bras yet. I think Bravissimo could be a good brand for you. They work well for me and I also need very deep projected cups.
That is so pretty! I love the color. It looks great on you, sorry it didn't quite fit!