When Freya lingerie was announced as a CoolBrand for 2013/2014, Lingerie Insight held a giveaway for a free Freya set. I won said giveaway and with the help of Bratabase users, I chose the new Marvel since it was a new model! Marvel is a cut and sewn bra with side panels for extra support.

Fantasie, Freya's sister company already has a few models with side support; Savannah, Elodie, and Susanna. Marvel is the first new model for Freya in a long time and boasts a new firmer band.

I chose the set in black, but it is also available in a "nude" colorway. The background is a soft black fabric, with small bubbles in lilac and dark purple colors. The mesh detailing at the top of the cups is a deep purple. As noted by Bras I Hate And Love, one noticeable difference between the press photos and the real life Marvel, is the detailing on the cups.

In the website photos, the mesh detail is at the very top of the cups, but on the actual bra, the mesh is overlaid on top of the cups. It's possible that this change in design is what pushed the Marvel's debut back by two months, from September to November.

When I first tried this bra on (at 9pm after I ripped it out of it's packing...) I had major wrinkling near the center gore and a gap near the cup, in the armpit region. After adjusting the straps (they are fully adjustable) and scooping myself correctly, the wrinkling near the gore was gone.

I was never one of those people who proclaimed that Freya's bands were "loose"; whatever that means. Some people prefer looser bands and Freya provided just that. The band on this bra is definitely firmer than the Freya's of seasons past, but it doesn't feel as firm as Cleo bras to me. There also is a nice amount of stretch in this newer band, which is always appreciated. This bra also gives a nice rounded shape from the side view. The side support panels are what enables this round shape. It's as if the panels are 'guiding' the breast tissue into a forward shape. The new and improved shape is a definitely a win!

For me, I wish that the cups were deeper for my full on bottom breasts. But, if you need shallow cups, then this bra will be great for you! I don't think that this bra is shallow enough for me to warrant going up a cup size. If I were to go up to a 34H, I think that the wires would be too wide for me.

One other thing that I wish Freya would work on would be the consistency of their bottoms. I prefer to wear thongs and in my experience, Freya's thongs are all cut differently. I wouldn't call these matching panties a thong, but rather a Brazilian cut. Here you can see all of the (4!) different styles that Freya labels as being a thong. (Clockwise: Jolie, Lyla, Marvel, and Luisa). If I had not won this in a set, I would have skipped buying the matching underwear unless I had seen them in person. Some consistency would really be nice since a lot of people have to order from online shops.

The Marvel may be a hard fit for those who prefer deeper cups and who have a fuller on bottom breast shape. The Marvel's cups are great for more shallow breasts. The open on top cups would also work well for breasts that are fuller on top. I applaud Freya for taking a risk and trying a new model that will appeal to many.

Other reviews of the Marvel: Bras I Hate and Love ; Petite and Plentiful

Update - 2013-12-16

After wearing this bra around for an hour, I found that I was quadboobing really bad. I am listing this bra in the Bratabase listings as an exchange for another Freya/Cleo. I am open to selling it as well.