4parts of vertical bra, I’ve never worn this kind of design so far. But this is winner! 🙌🏻 Amazing! Perfect for t-shirt bra.
Better than desire by CK

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Updated on Dec 20, 2017 Flag this

A perfect bra if you are short rooted and wide set in this size range. Materials are soft, shape is round with a peaked apex. Generously gifted to me by alisa, I did not realize the band had been reduced. So I replaced it with a 40 CK band I had laying around, plus reduced the gore and added shorter, narrower wires, while taking in the top of the cup a bit more. The results are a nearly perfect fit. I could do with even narrower wires and especially cups that are shorter on the sides. I might make those alterations in the future. In the meantime, it's a pretty great bra and nice to know I can size down to a 40JJ when I buy a new one in the future.

White colorway

This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered band, Gore height, new wires, new band

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 24, 2017 Flag this

My shape: Even to FOB, soft, low set, with narrow and short roots.

The bra: This bra is so pretty! Such a beautiful springy-summery bra, I love it! The colours are vibrant and pop out set on the white background. There is a tiny white bow on the gore and straps; very cute and understated. It is a 3 part lightly padded half cup with 2 vertical seams, and it is a longline with 5 clasps x 3 columns. The material is satiny on the outside and cottony on the inside, which means shirts don't get stuck on the outside material. Straps are fully adjustable, and I have ... plenty of length left even though I'm lower set. I find the band "true to size" for a 30, stretching just past 30" before wires start to distort... snug not tight, and perfect for a longline. This bra is super comfortable on top of everthing... No rubbing, chaffing, etc. The lower band does bunch up a bit after wearing it, but I think that happens in most longline bras.

The shape: ROUND, uplifted, centered, cakes on plates. The cups are short enough to really show off the upper portion of the boob, and I'd definitely say it rivals Ewa Michalak bras for shaping. Of course, this bra is slightly small on me, so maybe I'd get less cleavage in a properly fitted bra, but I am impressed anyways. The straps are also not as wide-set as EM bras are, so there was no tail of spence chaffing. There are no cookie pockets, so keep that in mind if you're comparing EM vs this bra.

I'm considering ordering the larger size to see if it encloses everthing a bit more. I do feel a bit squished, and my upper boob is flattened from the bra being a bit too small. I am worried that the larger size will be too large and create gaping though (ggrr, I hate being between sizes). Either way, lovely bra all around.
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Updated on Apr 28, 2017 Flag this

Well. It IS pointy, as so many people have noted. And east-west-y. And my boyfriend hates it. But you know what? I have been wearing this bra constantly. It is so comfortable. The band is firm and back-fat repellent, the straps are comfy, and my boobs are very well taken care of. They really feel supported. The gore sits flat, the print is adorable... I love it. And yeah, my boobs look kind of funny under most shirts. I just don't really care. Oh and it looks AMAZING under a lot of dresses, especially stretchy ... and retro ones. If you have told me when I got it that I'd be saying this, I would have laughed, but... I think I'm going to order another.

The only cons for me are as follows:
The wires are WAY too wide for my narrow-root boobs. They come half-way around my sides. For a while they were really poking, and I tried unsuccessfully to bend them, but luckily at this point things seemed to have work themselves out and the poking is gone. It still leaves a bunch of weird empty fabric on the sides, which my boobs sort of settle into, but it would be much better for me if the wires were significantly more narrow. I would also prefer a closer-set center gore, but I say that about pretty much all bras. And lastly, while they are comfy, I think the top of the bra would fit slightly better if the straps were a little closer in. You can kind of see in the pictures that if I hold up the front of the cup more, I get a better fit. But oh well. Like I said... Sooooo comfy.
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Updated on Jan 17, 2013 Flag this

cellosubmarine

656 reputation

59 bras

This is a great plunge model - and ta-da! it comes in J cup, too. Anyway, the band is pretty much standard Bravissimo size, the cups maybe a bit on the big side. I usually wear H cup in Bravissimo bras but since this is a plunge and in my opinion they tend to be a bit small universally, I went for HH, which fits pretty much perfectly. There's maybe even a little room to spare, but it doesn't show or feel, so with that in mind the H cup would have been small for me. The colour is a pretty cream off-white and the light padding in ... the cups is very soft. Unlike many plunges, like Freya Deco, the Satine does have sturdy supportiveness. The cups are sort of deep in shape, so my boobs don't feel like they're about to pop up and out from the front. On the other hand, Satine does not push the boobs together like Deco does, so there's less cleavage effect - not a bad thing in my size, IMHO. But since Satine is a real plunge (=read: the center is truly low), it'll go marvellously with deep necklines.
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Updated on Feb 07, 2012 Flag this

For me, this is a perfect fit in every respect, the first bra I have had in a number or years that I could say that about.

I normally wear 34KK so the cup runs probably a size smaller. I tried the 34KK as well as the 34L, 34KK gave me a bit of a 4-boob effect, the 34L is a comfortable snug fit on my boobs. Likewise the band is a perfectly snug fit round my torso, it doesn't have a lot of stretch but I like it that way.

Doesn't poke in between the boobs, this has been a particular problem on Panache.

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December 2011

unfortunately since I last reviewed this bra in October 2011, my boobs have grown again, so while it's still perfectly snug round my torso, my boobs are spilling out over the top and sides of the cups.

Updated on Dec 01, 2011 Flag this

I wasn't going to try this bra but when I saw it preloved for a very good price, I thought why not. It's actually better than I thought. The bra has no underwires. All the support comes from the band (and the cups and straps). There is no cup seperation so there will be mono - boob. I use it as a sleep bra and for that it works well. Since I cannot get my actual size (32K) this bra is a bit small in the cup section but the band makes up for it. It does give me decent coverage and looks good under a t-shirt. With ... time my boobs then to quadboob ouf of the middle a bit. So I would not wear it to leave the house.
Also the straps are kinda narrow and dig in. I prefer the wider straps or Zara & Flora bralettes by Bravissimo. On the other side the Fern has adjustable straps, so keep that in mind if this is important for you. I have to adjust the straps quite a bit to get the decent lift and shape I show on my pictures. The bra is really comfortable to lounge & sleep in, the fabric is made of cotton and very soft.
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Updated on Dec 18, 2021 Flag this

I am really on the fence with this Mabel bra, I previously tried it in 32K - Bravissimo » Mabel (LN775) and it was slightly too big. So I exchanged for 32JJ.
While the 32JJ is definitely the right size for me, I am still not super impressed by it.

My shape: narrow / medium root,center full projected, full on top.

So the bra is on the more shallow side, the wire is average width for the size. Luckily the cup height is a bit lower in this size compared to 32K so it does bother me less under my arms. The top section is slightly stretchy ... and adjusts to your shape. The straps are rather narrow for this size and they are very stretchy. The Gemma and Annie bra I tried before had the same straps, but Mabels are a slight improvement since they don't fold immediately like the other ones.

Why I am not in love with this bra? First I am not sure if it's supportive all day as I can only wear it 30min for trial. The stretchy straps kinda dig in already. The band also feels okay but I can fit 1 hand under it already. The cups are not projected enough for me on bottom. Which I can get away with that shape if the bra is tall enough to contain all my breast tissue I am not sure if I would have to adjust the bra a lot during the day if it wants to slide down.
What I noticed: this bra and 32J - Fantasie » Illusion Side Support Bra (FL2982) have very similar fabric and when I put on both over each other they a identical! But I prefer wider straps on the Fantasie.
I am really really on the fence with this one.
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Updated on Jun 23, 2021 Flag this

The Annie bra is a balconette and similar in cut to my beloved 32K - Bravissimo » Penny Bra (LN449) .
Too bad the fit isn't as good on this one. The bra is very projected and has lots of room in the upper cup. Since I am FOT I did not size down in this bra like it was recommended on the website. Turns out this was a mistake. There was lots of wrinkling on top and on bottom of the cup. I could barely adjust my boobs properly in this bra.

I really like the colour and the star pattern and would have exchanged ... for the 32JJ if it weren't for the horrible stetchy thin flimsy straps.
These straps were just awful and folded immediately after putting the bra on. You could see on my photo. Also I found the straps a bit too seperate and too much in my armpit. The cups came up very high under my arms too. I am sure the dimensions of the 32JJ would be much better for me but I am sure I also dislike the straps.
The Penny does have thicker and better straps btw.
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Updated on Jun 10, 2021 Flag this

Selina was one of the staples from Bravissimo. It looks like it gets discontinued finally in 2021 as all colours are on sale now.
I have this in the long- gone star print, thought I review it before the bra is completely gone - so you can grab one if you are interested.

So this is one of the better bras from Bravissimo imo for large cups. The fabric is smooth and there is no embroiderie (remember 4 years ago when Selina launched almost all Bravissimo bras hat embroiderie) so it's almost smooth enough to function as a T-shirt bra. I say almost, depending on how thin your t-shirt is, ... the seams could show. It also feels sturdy and decent quality.

Moving on to the fit. my shape: narrow - medium wide tall root, full on top, center heavy and projected.
The bra is more open than most balconettes by Bravissimo (Melrose, Alana etc) there is no cutting in. Wires are medium wide, sturdy and tall. I think they are what you can expect in this size, nothing too wide or tall. Cups are quite shallow. So this causes issues for me, which is mostly that the gore just won't tack. It never did in any size I tried in this bra. Even when I had an obviously too large size. (gonna review 32KK too) The bra is despite that still supportive.
It also gives a nice round uplifted shape.

The only problem aside from the gore I had was that the bra can start to hurt me after longer time of wear. It doesn't always happen, some days I'm fine with it on other days I have to remove it mid-day- I think the wire gets pushed down a bit since it's too shallow in center and bottom for me which causes pain.
So it's not quite 100% for me and I would not repurchase but it will stay in my rotation.
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Updated on Jan 23, 2021 Flag this

So I have tried Bravissimo Inspire sports in 2020 in 3 different sizes and different prints.
I had two 34JJs which did not fit the same. So just getting this out there, the different colorways can run differently.
I tried 34J, 34JJ and 34K. None of them is really "it".

What I can say about all of them is that the band runs tight! Size up 1 band size! I have no issues wearing 34 band in these but wear 32 bands usually. Also size up in the cups! Actually I think I could even go as large as 34KK in this as it is kinda shallow!

I tried to break ... it in by wearing it a full day just to do daily errands. Totally does it's job of keeping my boobs up and out of the way. So yes it's supportive. Would I do intense exersice in it? Not sure, maybe only lighter like hiking, biking or the likes. Is it comfortable? Not really. The cups are like I said kinda shallow. Which makes sense since you want to minimize movement and keep your boobs close to chest for exercise. But it also makes it feel a bit constricting. The top part of the cups is very close, which is good so no breast tissue escapes but also feels constricting on my FOT boobs.

Wires are kinda wide in this size but also were in the smaller sizes I tried. I think on this kind of bra it's ok, the wires did not bother me under my arm. The gore is suepr tall and it floats away as the center part of the cups has barely any room. The bra really wants to seperate but it cannot do it since my boobs are too full and projected for this bra.
So honestly I'm always happy to remove it. I probably only wear this if I really need to wear a sports bra, not for everyday wear. Quality feels good, materials appear sturdy - but I think Elomi Sports I prefer, it just less shallow in cups therefore more comfortable to wear.
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Updated on Jan 07, 2021 Flag this

This style is from 2017 and it's discontinued. my shape: medium wide tall roots, full on top, pendulous

I usually wear 32JJ in Elomi and 32JJ-K in Bravissimo depending on bra. Also in some styles I'm between band sizes if the bands run firm and prefer a 34 band. So I thought to give this bargain bra from Ebay a chance. It's old school wide tall wire Bravissimo cut. It's the tallest wire I ever had in a Bravissimo bra that wasn't a much too large size. This isn't much too big in cups, it kinda fits! But the wires poke me under the arms, the gore comes ... up uncomfortably high and the wires are too wide for me.

Shape - wise it's a really weird thing going on- on the side shot my boobs look really flattened! (Compare to any other of my bra pics!) It looks like I have super shallow boobs, but I don't. This bra has like zero projection, the cup is quite shallow (reminds me of CK Victory bra ) and flattens my boobs. So usually in a shallow bra like this I'd get quadboob / gore floating and empty space on bottom all signs of not enough depth in cup. In this bra nothing like that happens. I sized up enough in this bra so it is tall enough in wide and fabric to cover my boobs. So a bra that is a complete wrong shape can look like it works if you size up enough! It's uncomfortable and the wire stabs me so I know it doesn't fit, but just looking at it, doesn't it look like a decent fit when it's all wrong?!
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Updated on Dec 31, 2020 Flag this

Quick info on this bra: it is discontinued now but Bravissimo Darcy has the same cut. I used to wear this at a size 34KK/L. It was my favorite among with similarly cut Urban Rose back then. It worked really well, was supportive and gave round front and center uplifted shape. I had not many issues and wore it 1-2 a week for over a year and it held up well over that time. It was the prettiest bra I had at that size. Recent trials with similar styles (Now at 32JJ-K) have not worked for me. I found it too shallow in cup on bottom.

similar cuts by Bravissimo:
Nordic Rose
Urban Rose
English Rose
Wild Rose
Darcy (still available)

Updated on Dec 30, 2020 Flag this

For a little more in depth review abotu this you can read my review of the size 34JJ. https://www.bratabase.com/browse/bravissimo/gemma-ln790/34JJ/


I sized down from 34JJ to this and I thought it was a better fit but looking at the pictures it's not that great still. It's still very gappy up top but I also know some days I am bigger than I am currently, so maybe it's okay I keep this size, because if I go for the 34HH it might not fit me when I'm in my bigger cycle. And it doesn't show at all under clothes which is the main thing. I feel supported and it's ... comfortable so I'm not sure if I should get 34HH instead??

If anyone think differently let me know, I've not taken the tag off yet and I'm returning the Flora that came in the same parcel anyway. I really like this bra but the gapping is throwing me off. Also how the fuck can I be 34JJ in one bra and 34HH in another, by the same brand? come on! That's bad.
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Updated on Dec 09, 2020 Flag this

It's supposedly based on the Melrose bra, which I have not tried. I was nervous when I found out, because I had hoped it would fit just like Allie does, and it doesn't but, it's not too far off.

It's not really a navy color, it's more like a blueish dark grey color, and the stars and moon embroidery and print feels very festive.
It's incredibly comfortable, even though this bra is too big for me, I still feel really supported and held in well.

So I don't really have any problems with the bottom of the cup of this bra, it feels great. The wires are not as narrow as ... they are on my Allie bra but they are fine, I don't mind the width of these. These are also the new and improved wires. I think these new wires are all different depending on the bra cut too so I can't compare too much between different bras that have different cuts https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" />


So this bra is clearly too big for me, which is annoying. I tried on my allie just to be sure I'm not at a weird fluctuating statre right now but Allie fits great as it usually does, so I think this Gemma bra runs big. I am getting a bit annoyed with Bravissimo sizing because it's all over the place. 34JJ's have been too big , too small, and just right, all of them full cup styles from Bravissimo. Get it together please!


It's also more open on top than Allie is, so I probably get a little extra gaping due to that, but I can see clearly that it's also too big overall in the cup. But if you are more FoT I think this bra is better for you than Allie is.


I'll exchange this for a 34J for sure because the fit and comfort is fab. hopefully it'll be excellent in that size.

It has fully adjustable straps. The fabric is that silky, thick material, almost swimsuit material.
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Updated on Nov 16, 2020 Flag this

This bra is just gorgeous. I'm an over-the-top, love-all-the-bright-colors-and-jewel-tones, yay-bring-on-the-lace kinda girl. The color is a beautiful, rich Christmas red, that is a bit deeper and richer than the pics of the bra by itself. The cut of this is almost a clone of the 30HH-J - Bravissimo » Zara Bralette (LN605). Fitwise, though, I found it much stronger and more capable of handling larger boobs than Zara proved to be. (My shapes: full on top, center-full, close-set, tall & somewhat wide roots, narrow shoulders) here's how they compared:

Objective:
The crochet lace is much thicker and sturdier, which means the band is firmer - ... wore it on the loosest hook, instead of going straight to the tightest as I did w Zara - and the cups don't stretch out nearly as much as with the Zara. There is a very soft lining inside the cups so there's no itching or direct contact w the lace. The straps are smallest near the cup, but get close to 2"+ in the back. The band goes from 1.5"-3 near the gore, narrows under the cups, and increases to 3" from the sides to the hooks. Hooks are 4x4.

Subjective:
The Zara almost immediately took a dive down my chest, the flimsy band and stretchy cups wilting under the weight of my boobs, pulling the straps downwards as my poor boobs plummeted over the band and made a beeline for my bellybutton. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. Still. Not so in the Flora. I only wore it maybe 15-20 minutes, but I didn't notice the same southern migration. The straps stayed on the tops of my shoulders where they belong and the cups held my boobs up well, aided by a firmer band which fit pretty tts.

Downsides: since the cups were stronger they couldn't stretch to contain my breast tissue as well, so the cups felt smaller than the Zara's. Comfort was pretty good, but since it's wireless I got a lot more tension on the straps than I would with a regular wired bra. The band and cups were very comfortable, though.

Overall, I liked this bra better than the Zara. Since I could wear it on the loosest hook, I'll be wild and try the 32HH-J in hopes of getting more room in the cups without losing too much support from the band. Realistically, I think I'd need a 30JJ-K - but we'll see!
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Red colorway

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Updated on Nov 03, 2020 Flag this

Darcy bra cut was one of my fave from Bravissimo. In the + K cup range it's one of the best and most supportive bras. But also there aren't that many in that range.

my shape: narrow - medium wide tall root, full on top, center heavy and projected.

Darcy in + K cups has extra lining in bottom and top cup, which makes the bra extra sturdy and hard working. The material is nice woven fabric that feels soft. I really like it as it reminds me of Elomi & Sculptresse luxuorious fabrics. Also kinda like the print, it has grown on me, it's very spring like.

Now to ... the bra, the band runs really tight on this one. It feels like a 30L! I have to wear an extender for comfort on this bra. The wires are a U-shape and medium wide and quite tall. The cups are tall and slightly shallow. The bra keeps your boobs close to chest. I struggle a bit with projection at the wire, I have slight wrinking there. It's not very bad so I think it's okay to ignore it. The gore tacks and I can fill the cups well, size is correct. I just find the fabric comes very high under my arms. At first I found it uncomfortable but I have worn the bra for 1 hour and it was okay. It's a very supportive full cup bra, it's in the name, full coverage... no breast tissue can escape. I like bras like this as everyday bras that keep me secure and supported all day.
If it were possible I'd exchange this bra for 34 band - but it was one of the last sizes on the sale section, so I probably gonna kept this one and wear it with extender.
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Updated on Oct 18, 2020 Flag this

I grabbed this Alana bra in the sale section. I love the lilac / light yellow color combination as it is so unique. Apart from that I like the Alana as a staple but it's not the best bra for my shape and I struggled very hard to make it work in the past.

my shape: narrow - medium wide tall root, full on top, center heavy and projected.

The Alana bra is very closed on top and the fabric has no give, so if you are full on top size up. I did in this bra as I usually wear 32JJ/K. The 32KK fits me quite well, band feels ... snug enough but not too tight. The cups fit well and there is no cutting in on top for once! Yay!

The wires on this size are very wide and they have a more V shape than U shape. I prefer the U shape --- V shape wires go just very far back. The bra feels still supportive though. The cups have decent projection and I don't get a too pointy shape. The fabric comes very high under my arms, I first found it uncomfortable but it's a matter of getting used, the wires don't stab me but they shouldn't be any taller or they would. The straps are as always on balconette styles very seperated and I'd like them to me more centered as they are right in my armpits.
I gave the bra 1 hour trial at home. I think it's okay and the size is correct and it does it's job.
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Updated on Oct 18, 2020 Flag this

Not a winner for me at all!

Tried 30 JJ but the elastic on the top of the cups cut into my center fullness almost comically. The cups were far too closed on top on the JJ, though there is some very slight give in the elastic that lines the top of the cups.

For the 30K, Filled cups relatively well, but lots of wrinkling @ underarms & bottom combined with underwire immediately diving down my chest tells me there’s not enough projection for me @ the wire. Ow!

Cups are far too tall for me at the sides. Cut in and rubbed my underarms ... - hard to explain - see pics. That was the most uncomfortable aspect by far.

Band was a bit firm - only stretching to a 29” for me. Fine for my rib cage, but obviously not if. You are a true 30”+.

Overall, like most Bravissimo bras I’ve tried this season, too tall & shallow for my shape.

Someone less FOT & less Center full may fare better. Wires wider than most I’ve tried - too wide even for my wide roots.

Boo. Back it goes!
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Updated on Oct 12, 2020 Flag this

The Millie bra is a balconette with stretchy lace on top. It's a quite delicate bra made of lace and lined with mesh. It looks nice, I give it that.

My shape: full on top, medium wide tall roots, center full, projected

If you look at my side pics - you see that on one side there is wrinkling and on the other is not. That's because one of my boobs is wider than the other. So I mostly only have wire width problems on my narrower side (unless a bra has super wide wires). The wires on Millie are average for that size.
Another problem is the wrinkling at ... the bottom. I cannot fill out the bottom because there isn't enough projection at the wire. The cups are kinda shallow.
I feel like my boobs push the bra down. I also get slight overspill at the top.

The band is true to size for a 34 and a bit too large for me. It has a 3x3 closure. I could consider trying a 32K but I won't. I mainly dislike how weak the bra feels overall. There is no uplift and it's lacking in support. It doesn't do much for my boobs. The way it is ill-fitting at the wire makes it only worse. I also feel like I have to constantly adjust the wire up to my IMF.

So I really don't recommend it for heavy breasts that need projection at the wire and lots of support. I recommend it though for fot shape if you have rather shallow breasts that don't need as much support.
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Updated on Oct 04, 2020 Flag this