The daffodil Alana is bright and cheery. It also has that Alana fundamental rightness for me, I can put it on, go about my day and not be in a rush to get it off at the end of the day. As usual, the fit and comfort are spot on for me with just a little cakes on a plate and no quadding. The band is starting to stretch out and I will likely be on the last set of hooks before long.

Oct 2020
I thought it would be interesting to compare my original measurement data for this bra to what they are today.

.......................................... original / current ... / difference
band length un-stretched... 32.75 / 32.50 / (0.25)
band length stretched......... 39.75 / 40.00 / 0.25
cup depth.............................. 17.75 / 19.00 / 1.25
cup height............................. 14.50 / 15.00 / 0.50

The (0.25) inch decrease in the un-stretched length was initially surprising but is likely the result of 50+ hand washings.
The 0.25 inch increase in stretched band length is a little surprising. Most of my other Alana's have increased by over 1 inch
The 1.25 inch increase in cup depth is no longer very surprising since my other Alana's have increased by a similar length.
The 0.50 increase in cup height is no longer surprising.

These results lead me to wonder whether Bravissimo deserves its reputation of being small in the cup and a buyer thus needing to size up. Yes, a bra will initially feel small/tight but will it expand with break-in? I plan to explore this further.

Note: I do not use the cup over knee technique to measure cup depth as I think a more meaningful and relative data point is when a cup is occupied by ones breast. I think it makes sense that depending on bra style, bra cup dimensions can also vary during the life of a bra.
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daffodil colorway

Updated on Oct 26, 2020 Flag this

Acquired in Dec 2016, this white Alana was my first ever free bra from Bravissimo and is the 2nd of 2 white Alana's that I own. At the time of the purchase of my first white Alana in 40L in late 2015, Bravissimo was enduring a controversy relating to wires popping out of their channels prematurely. I was so thrilled with the fit and comfort of my initial purchases that I decided to double up on my Alana orders with the expectation that I too would have to deal with the wire issue. I have never had a wire pop out on any of my Alana's. Or of ... any other Bravissimo bra I have. I hand wash all my bras regardless of brand so that may have contributed to my success with the Alana. The wires of all my Alana's end at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the top of the side channel while they do reach the top of the channel in the gore.
One inconsistency I have noticed between different colorways is the softness of the hook and eye materials. Some, like the Papaya's I purchased in 2017 are very soft and luxurious while others, like both of my white Alana's are also soft to the touch but a little less so than the papaya's but a lot softer than the rest of the colors I have.
If you don't mind a tendency to a cakes on a plate look, the Alana may become a staple for you as it is for me. Through the course of time, I have noticed that my Alana's tend to initially have the cakes on a plate look but will soften and become a rounder shape with frequent use. As good as that may sound, it's the result of s slight decrease in cup support which I do notice but doesn't bother me too much. This white Alana does not do a very good job of masking my nipples though so I tend to wear a camisole or add additional layers of clothing or if I have to, nipple covers, to compensate.
I recently purchased the lilac/lemon version which has different straps that tend to roll up and dig in. That feels like a step backwards for Bravissimo and I hope future white Alana's I buy retain the quality of the 2 I own so far.

Sep 2020
I thought it would be interesting to compare my original measurement data for this bra to what they are today.

.......................................... original / current / difference
band length un-stretched..... 33.50 / 33.50 / 0.00
band length stretched........... 41.00 / 42.00 / 1.00
cup depth.............................. 18.00 / 19.00 / 1.00
cup height............................. 14.50 / 16.00 / 1.50

The 0.00 inch change seems unusual as I would have expected some shrinkage with 50+ hand washings.
The 1.00 inch increase in stretched band length is not overly surprising.
The 1.00 inch increase in cup depth is very surprising.
The 1.50 increase in cup height is extremely surprising.

These results lead me to wonder whether Bravissimo deserves its reputation of being small in the cup and a buyer thus needing to size up. Yes, a bra will initially feel small/tight but will it expand with break-in? I plan to explore this further.

Note: I do not use the cup over knee technique to measure cup depth as I think a more meaningful and relative data point is when a cup is occupied by ones breast. I think it makes sense that depending on bra style, bra cup dimensions can also vary during the life of a bra. Also, the cup over knee technique does not take into account the distance and hence volume I gain from a floating gore. With this white Alana, I have 4 inches of floating gore today, I did not record this measurement in my original review.
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white colorway

Updated on Sep 11, 2020 Flag this

My nude Alana's are very different from other nude colorways I have had in the past. It's almost like there is a hint of pink in the material. This Alana was naturally very similar to the other Alana colorways I have. Comfort and fit with any Alana far exceeded anything else I previously had.

nude colorway

Updated on Jun 25, 2020 Flag this

I purchased the Papaya in 2017 in both 38L and 40L I find the 38 bands are perfect, especially since the straps seem to barely need to contribute any support, a real shoulder saver and I definitely do not have to worry about the straps sliding off my shoulders. On this 40L, I am still on the middle hooks but the straps do tend to fall off. I get some quadding on the 38 band but essentially none with this 40. My perfect bra would seem to be an Alana in 38LL or mybe 38M.Maybe oneday they add this size to their line.
There seems to be nothing else in my range except the Ewa Michalak FB line. Although they have almost a dozen models, none currently appeal to me and at roughly twice the price or more, I simply cannot get interested in switching away from Bravissimo. My recent success with the Selina line pretty much locks me in with Bravissimo, perhaps forever.
This is by far my favorite colorway, with the mint a close second.

papaya colorway

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 Flag this

Purchased in Oct 2015, this Alana in teal is still comfortable and supportive although perhaps a little less so now in 2020. I purchased a white Alana on the same order and the white seems to be just a little bit less supportive, especially in the cup where I have a bit of sagginess compared to the teal. To be fair to the white, I wore this teal maybe 6 times a year and the white maybe 6 times a month.
If you don't mind a tendency to a cakes on a plate look, the Alana may become a staple for you as it is for me. Through the ... course of time, I have noticed that my Alana's tend to initially have the cakes on a plate look but will soften and become a rounder shape with frequent use. This teal Alana seems to mask my nipples a little better than other colors but I still try to wear layers of clothing.
Before I became aware of Bravissimo and the Alana, I was stuck with matronly fullcup bras with very tall wings that quite often didn't breathe well, especially in the summer. With the Alana, my excessive summer boob sweat seems like a distant memory.
Bravissimo appears to have altered the design and materials of their newer Alana colorways. My most recent Alana purchase has newer straps that tend to roll up and dig in so I prefer older versions such as this teal.
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Teal colorway

Updated on Jun 14, 2020 Flag this

Didn't write a review

Added on Jun 25, 2014

Didn't write a review

Added on Nov 18, 2020

Didn't write a review

This bra is not owned any more

Added on Jun 16, 2023

Didn't write a review

Added on Feb 02, 2014