This bra has full coverage and is supportive but still lightweight. I have several and they have not stretched much or lost their elasticity over time.The gore is quite high but sits flat and does not dig in. The wires are not too high at the sides. The shape of the cups does not give me a very round shape. It is slightly torpedo-like but not unnatural. I have a small gap at the bottom of the cup. The fabrication of the cups is rigid (but soft) so the sizing has to be right for a smooth fit at the top of the cup. Occasional issues with wires poking through the casing, not enough to stop me buying this style though.

Updated on Sep 02, 2013 Flag this

This is so pretty! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":D" /> I went up a cup size compared to my Freya bras. The underwire is slightly too narrow and pokes my sides a bit, but I really like that most of the volume is in the forward projection. It gives a nice rounded shape, and the embroidery along the top is very lovely. The band is wide, and nice and firm. Maybe a smidge too tight for me, but I may also just be used to my usual Freya bands. The straps are wide, sturdy, and nice and soft to the touch, and I have plenty of length to spare.

Edited to add - the underwire has widened a bit, so it's now very comfortable, same as the band https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> I hope Bravissimo releases this in more non-pink, non-neon colours https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" />

Updated on Apr 22, 2013 Flag this

Alana in Nude 30K

For this bra I advise to go up 2 cup sizes from your usual Cleo/Panache size and go for your usual band size.
It’s a good basic bra. What I love about it, is the stability & support it gives me. I feel secure and there is no jiggling at all. (Boobs feel like concrete)
It could be quite tricky to find you size in this bra, because the top section of the cups runs quite tight. (which makes it often difficult to work on full-on-top boobs) The solution to this is sizing up 2 cup sizes in my case. It has a fairly narrow center gore ... for a bra in the K-Cup range. The shoulder straps are wide and fully adjustable.

What I like about it:
-Stable construction
-Good coverage (fabric comes higher than average Cleo Balconette)
-Makes you feel supported and secure (boobs of steel)
-Wires do not come too high under the arms
- wide & fully adjustable shoulder straps
- tight broad band / 3 hooks – back fat minimizing
- center gore is quite narrow - something I need



What I dislike about it:
- top edge of the cups does run quite tight and might cut in if you are full-on-top
- is a bit uncomfy at first, needs some time to break in
- there is not much depth in the cups on bottom, cups are quite shallow towards the underwire
- it might give a pointy look (my solutions to this, size up and tighten the straps)

Comfort: 4 (-1 because the wires getting uncomfy when wearing it during the day)
Appearnace: 5 (I really like the basic /simple but elegant look of it. It comes in pretty fashion colours & basic colours.)
Quality: 5 (so far I can’t complain…)

Overall if you can find the size that works for you in this bra, it’s a good everyday bra.
4.75 hearts https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

Read more
201 more words

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 09, 2012 Flag this

This bra is quite pretty, I really like the patterns on the upper, mesh portion of the cup, and the color (Iris) is a lovely purple. The straps are really nice, substantial material (not too thick, just enough that they feel sturdy), soft to the touch, good amount of stretch. It has pretty bows in the middle and on the sides of the cups. The bra feels light and comfortable to wear, and is probably a great bra for someone who fits the shape well.

The cups are three-section, with a small inner section, and large outer section and an upper mesh section.The straps attach to the outer section. ... The main parts are a two layer mesh material, the upper section is one layer of sheer mesh with embroidered patterns on it. The band is a single layer of mesh with a strip of the same material as the straps along the inner edge (continuing down from the strap attachment to the hooks).

The cups are relatively wide, but narrower than comparable size Goddess/Elomi bras. The cups are fairly shallow at the bottom and reach full depth fairly slowly. (This was a big problem for me, I need the cups to be full depth, or close to it, almost immediately.) There is very thin edging, but no real amount of band below the cups. I found the straps to be much too wide-set, probably owing to them being placed in the same position as any smaller size but with a cup this big, it winds up with the straps very, very far apart, so they were basically in my armpits.

The bra fit over my boobs nicely when leaning over (and actually looks pretty good before I "scoop" ) but once I stood up and fastened it (and scooped), they didn't get along so well. The combination of the wires being a little too narrow for me and the bottom bit of cup too shallow meant that I couldn't get the wires to align properly with the base of my boobs (the wires sat too low on my torso, with an empty space under my boobs). The top of the cup would have been great if the straps were attached at a different angle/further in. (Basically if I held the cup an inch or two in from the strap attachment and pulled up a little, the top of the cup looked great.)

This bra helped me figure out pretty conclusively that a balcony/3-section cup is unlikely ever to fit me properly (a "full coverage"/4-section cup handles the cup depth at bottom and strap attachment angle problems better), and that I really do need extremely wide wires.

ETA: I wanted to mention that I did *not* find that I needed a bigger cup size in this bra, compared with the Oriental Bloom, as some have reported. My soft breasts and I do not have a problem with the tightness/enclosedness of the top of the cup.

(Note: I tried this bra on with an extender, as I intentionally ordered it on the tight side and I didn't want to damage the band or hooks trying it on. My report of "how it fits" as far as the tightness of the band is based on how it would be if I didn't have the extender.)
Read more
441 more words

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 16, 2012 Flag this

This is an absolutely fantastic bra - probably the most comfortable bra I own! It runs small in the cup so order a cup size up, and the band is less stretchy than some so judge whether or not you will want to go up a band size. My "normal" size is a 34G, but in this bra I ended up purchasing a 36G and it fit brilliantly. The materials are very nice, firm and breathable the lace trim is very pretty but not itchy like some lace. The ladies at Bravissimo are SO helpful with fitting advice and helping you get the right size, and also have a a great return policy so you can feel comfortable ordering from them even if you are not in the UK.

Updated on May 25, 2011 Flag this

I really thought this bra was "it" but once I wore it for a day I noticed wrinkling UNDER the cup and my boobs did indeed bulge over the top. I love it and only wish I had gotten the right size. As it is, I will still be wearing it.

I gues I should take some more time to tell you all about the bra: It is pretty comfortable and while I am usually highly allergic to any shape that is not completely rounded, this shape is naturally minimizing, more natural but not pointy at all. I love the shape. It is absolutely great material, too, besides being very pretty- I can tug at it and it retains its shape.

Updated on May 25, 2011 Flag this

I love this lilac/lemon color combination and I get my usual 40L Alana fit. But, the straps are a new material which folds over far too easily and even though the cups and band are doing their jobs, the folding straps are cutting in, making this my most uncomfortable Alana.

Sep 2020
A conversation with 2 fellow Bratabaser's compelled me to wear this bra again. I had worn this less than 5 times in the year since I purchased it, mainly because of the folding straps. The straps still fold over but, they did lie flat where they made contact with my skin. I think I am ok with this ... kind of folding straps.
Before taking this bra off I decided to re-measure the cup height and depth and to my amusement, both were about a quarter inch bigger than when I first measured (all of my bra cup height and depth data is with bra on/boob in cup).
It has taken a while but this bra has "grown" on me.

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..... 34.00 / 33.00 / (1.00)
band length stretched........... 40.00 / 41.00 / 1.00
cup depth.............................. 17.75 / 19.00 / 1.25
cup height............................. 14.50 / 15.00 / 0.50

The (1.00) inch change in un-strteched band length seems ok as I would have expected some shrinkage with 10+ hand washings.
The 1.00 inch increase in stretched band length is not surprising.
The 1.25 inch increase in cup depth is very surprising.
The 0.50 increase in cup height is a bit 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 lilac-lemon Alana, I have 4 inches of floating gore today, I did not record this measurement in my original review.
Read more
368 more words

Lilac/Lemon colorway

Updated on Sep 07, 2021 Flag this

So I was curious to try my very first 36L from Bravissimo. Their bras are known to run small and I was curious just how small. I think that on the 36L the cup are about a generous 36K in Elomi / Panache brands that I could compare it too.

I usually wear 34L in Alana and it works. The only issue I have is that the gore does not tack. As we know, the gore should tack on a well fitting bra, so I wondered if the 36L would solve that issue.

It didn't.

So I had issues with the fit, because the bra has been well loved by the previous owner. The band and wires were very much stretched out. Wires were much too wide, the straps too separated, the band felt loose.
It was a bit big in the cups as I had some gaping.
I think I will stick to my usual size of 34L despite the gore not tacking as 36L didn't solve that issue.

This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered band,

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 05, 2017 Flag this

The Alana is a 3-part cup balcony bra, with fully adjustable straps and fastens with a closure with 3 rows of 3 columns of hooks. This bra is in the 'nude' colourway.

The lower part of the cup and the wings are made of a medium beige coloured opaque fabric, with the upper cup section made from a translucent beige coloured fabric with a geometric pattern on it. The embroidered pattern doesn't seem to show through shirts, and basically it's a pretty utilitarian design.

Whilst to my advantage in that it makes the bra run both firm and short, this bra has basically no wing! While at rest, there's only ... 4.5cm/1.5" between the outer edge of the wire channel and the outer edge of the strap attachment. This makes the bra function as having closer to what one would expect as a 28 band. To be honest though, this is a design flaw, and narrower wires together with a longer wing and a strap attachment point which is closer to the fastening would make the bra a better fit for anyone in this size range.

I suppose I shouldn't even expect anything else, but the straps are very wide-set and have to be angled in to sit on my shoulders. The attachment part is far too wide on both my front and my back.

I was sold this bra in the Bravissimo Oxford Circus store while on holidays. Whilst the fit is by no means perfect, and both myself and the salesperson agreed on this, trying a 32KK meant that I had quite a bit of gaping at the outer top of the cup and cutting in under my arms, whereas if I line my nipples up with the T-seam in this bra, I only ooze out of the cup slightly, and the quadding isn't visible under a shirt. If I fully scoop into the cups, they are visibly quite a bit too small. The cups are fairly closed on top, especially because there's a little seam tape on the top of the cup, but I've found because of the height, the cup doesn't directly dig into my evenly full breasts.

The bra is sturdy and the straps are stable and don't cut into my shoulders (unlike my EM bras where I've had to resort to compromising support a little and loosening the straps off all the way). Because the straps are too wide-set and the wires are too wide, it does create a point of pressure on the outside of my frame, making the bra uncomfortable to wear for more than a few hours at a time.

The shape is probably closest to the 'green' shape on me (uplifted apex, a little pointy), and the cup apex seems to be somewhat splayed owing to the wider gore and shallowness at the centre of the cup. It's not horribly weird under a shirt, and I have fairly low standards regarding shape, with comfort and support as higher priorities, so I don't mind too much. It's not a favourite though in this regard. I'd also love to see more attractive cup grading, the upper section of the cup is unflatteringly large (as usual). A line which is closer to horizontal with a deeper upper section would be more aesthetically pleasing.

I was a little surprised to see that there were a few loose threads where lines of stitching hadn't been finished correctly, and slightly uneven finish on the inside of the wing at the top edge. Everything seems to have been sewn correctly, it's just lacking a little polish which I've come to expect from mass-manufactured bras.

Overall, I guess I feel that this bra is not bad and wearable. It's not going to be a favourite of mine, but it's functional and nice to have some non EM styles in my rotation.
Read more
526 more words

Nude colorway

Updated on May 06, 2015 Flag this

Don't like the material, quite coarse. The under wire seems to stretch wider with the band so ends up far too wide and far around my back which causes it to dig into the edges of my ribcage and then the gore lifts.
Maybe a 34L wouldn't stretch the wires so much but then again I'd have wider wires then.

Nude colorway

Updated on Feb 02, 2015 Flag this