The Illusion Side Support Bra is a totally different type of style from my other Fantasie purchases, but I picked it up because I saw the lovely Rose colorway was on sale. I was surprised to find that this style ended up being my best-fitting Fantasie bra so far!

The Illusion style reminds me very much of the Panache Olivia, which has stretchy elasticated cups. While the bottom cup of the Illusion is actually lined in rigid tricot, the overall fit on me is similar to the Olivia because the upper cup is made from a similar soft elasticated fabric. It gives a rounded shape with no visible seams. I was very shocked that the side support panel in this style didn't cut in and create emptiness at the bottom of the wire and outer cup because I typically have trouble with this construction.

Comparing the measurements of Illusion to both Olivia and another Fantasie side support style that doesn't fit me quite as well (Nadine), I was surprised that Illusion's cups actually run slightly bigger than both styles. This leads me to believe that the cut of Illusion is slightly different from some of their other Side Support styles, where I get the orange-in-a-glass effect because the cups are designed for breasts that are more projected. In this case, Illusion seems to be suitable for shallower and more spread out shapes. I also tried these with my Commando Takeouts to bump up to a full 28F, and it still fits very well, so these cups can absolutely accommodate more breast fullness.

I believe the reason for the better fit in this style is because of the more forgiving fabric, a cut that's more suitable for my shape, and the tall and supportive wings. While the measurements of the band is about the same as the other 30 band Fantasie styles I have tried, the wings are much taller and are made from the same firm stretch fabric as the cups. This provides much more support than the narrower powermesh wings of the other styles, and because the wings stay in place better, the cups are sitting on my body appropriately without a lot of extra help. The caveat to this is that the very deep leotard back leaves no room for alterations as the band immediately becomes too tall to fit into the hook. You would need a level of sewing expertise that I don't possess in order to properly alter this band. So, ideally I'd size down one band size if this is an option for you, though in my case it is not.

In terms of construction, I am really impressed with how Fantasie has designed a comfortable yet supportive bra for the full bust customer. The band is really designed with the right level of support, and I really prefer this taller wing height compared to their standard mesh bands, which I feel are on the narrow side. The hooks are actually padded on this style for comfort, though this wouldn't be noticeable if you're wearing a band that isn't snug. The straps are medium width satin picot-edged elastic that are fully adjustable. I like this .5" strap width as it is wide enough in my size range to provide support without being too wide to fit under clothing. The special stretch upper cups are particularly comfortable and easy to fit.

The details on this bra are simple and sleek to match the overall bra's aesthetic, but I think they are nice and suit the bra's styling well. The upper cup has a hint of floral pattern knit into the lace. The interest on this bra comes mostly from the mix of satin textures utilized on the strap, upper edge of the cup, trim at the bottom of the cradle, and pattern on the lace, juxtaposed with the fairly matte fabric of the cups, band, and cradle. The center gore is a simple ribbon design, and accentuated with minimal rose gold hardware.

This is truly a comfortable and elegant unlined everyday bra for me, and I am happy to have found it for my collection!

Rose colorway

Updated on Apr 04, 2020 Flag this

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