Pretty As A Pin Up was not destined to be a success for me. The wide spread perception that Bravissimo cups tend to run small rings true for me. This, and all my other 40K bras are simply too small even for my small side. Excessive quadding, which is something I simply accepted before I discovered Bravissimo, was now not good enough. The pattern was also bolder and darker than I expected and therefore more visible under clothing.

Red Spot colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jun 19, 2020 Flag this

• Show all comments (24)
• It's annoying that so many Bravissimo styles run small in cups. Also many of these older bras had really tight top section making them fit even smaller especially on fot shapes. I used to size 2 cup sizes up in Bravissimo compared to other UK brands - which makes their awesome L-cup actually only K-cups :S

• I had that thought in mind when I bought a 38K Jasmine a few years ago. Compared to my 38K Alana's, the un-stretched Jasmine had 1.75 inches less depth, the cup width was 1 inch narrower and the cups were almost 2 inches shorter! The straps did not adjust long enough either although with wear it might have stretched to the right length. On the other hand, I had 3 Panache Melody's which were larger than my 40L Alana's in every way.

• correction, I should have said "my 38L Alana's".

• Ah so it makes more sense now with the 38L. :) I have 32K Alana here which is a bit small on me - it has similar volume to 32J Fantasie full cup! If I lay them over each other they are the same bra. The Fantasie has slight stretch so it's easier to fit.

  Arla, Dina and Lacey run a bit larger though. Dina came up to L cup did you ever try it? It's an amazing bra. I wished I discovered it before it was discontinued so I could stock up.

• No, I never did try the Dina. It came out at a time when I tended to wait for bras to go on sale but by that time my sizes would be sold out. I'm going to ask Bravissimo to consider re-stocking their products at least once to allow for those of us who miss out on a popular colorway. I'm hoping Bravissimo's next Dina comes in a mint.

• 1

  Which Fantasie bra were you comparing your Alana to? I wish there were more reviews of older style Fantasie bras as I have this impression the cups were larger, with more depth than you would expect.
  For years, I have considered the Fantasie Belle 6001 but the measurements I see in Bratabase really confuse me. For the 38JJ, there are 5 entries but only 2 measurements, the un-stretched band data are 37.4 & 38.0 inches and the stretched data is 43.3 and 44.0... for 38JJ!!! And the cup depth, 18.1 and 17.0!!! Aren't UK JJ cups supposed to be for a 14 inch cup depth?
  So confusing..

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  alanagirl it was Fantasie Illusion Side Support Bra (FL2982) - I have it in 32J (will have to add it) - it has slight stretch in upper cup. Measurements here are sometimes so weird. I also have seen bras have 3-4 inch difference in some measurements compared to others. I think measuring instructions are clear? I assume some don't stretch the cups over knees while others do? Also if you don't want to keep a bra you measure a bit more carefully and don't stretch the band too much?

• alanagirl , I have also been trying to figure out Fantasie Belle Full Cup Bra (6001) masurements! alisa it is just all of us amateurs making measurements that leads to “unusual” such large differences in a given measurement like cup depth. That is why the measurement tables also tabulate averages

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  Of course measurements can never be 100% as we are all human. Some measure the whole wire channel other only the actual wire. Also inches rounded up or down or translated to cm.

• 1

  alisa I'd love to talk a bit about how to properly measure the bras because I usually feel like I do it wrong, I've remeasured a few times for my bras on different days because I felt like it was wrong the first time lol. Mostly cup depth and height, and I pop them over my knee but my knee isn't big enough for the bra haha.

• 2

  dfe98we It could also be the way Bratabase "populates" some of the data. I am not a fan of seeing measurements with no bra entries so I try to ignore those.
  alidieux I choose to measure cup depth and height wrong!! I prefer to measure depth and height with boob in cup. I know some will argue this is wrong but I am more comfortable with boob size changes verses variation in tension when using the over knee method. For example, I was trying to convince alisa that both depth and height has changed on some of my Alana's. Last night, I measured 4 of my 40L and one of my 38L Alana's and the depth on all were larger by 1-1.5 inches with the height being about 1 inch bigger compared to when I first measured them. I am not so sure I would have been able to quantify this with the over knee method.

• That's a good idea to measure when wearing the bra! makes it easier. In the past I used to stuff the bra with fabric to fill it to measure but that takes just too much time. I put my knee at the deepest part of cup and let stretch it just a bit so there is no wrinkles - then I measure and sometimes add 1 cm if I think it would be more but my knee can't fill it.
  https://imgur.com/a/W6B2IPr here how I try to do it.

• I think this method makes total sense for those of us who are fuller busted. Plus, the Bratabase measuring instructions acknowledges this in bra measurement as an acceptable alternative to the over knee technique. I did not measure this when I first entered my bra data but I measured 4 inches of floating gore on all of the 40Ls and 4.5 on the 38L. I like to combine both cup depth and floating gore length to determine what my actual cup depth is. I added a comparison of my original measurements to this recent data to my review of one my bras. https://www.bratabase.com/bra/dn54w/

  I am starting to wonder if initial measurements are not as important as long term measurements. We all agree that bra bands will stretch out. I think some bra cups can also stretch out, which is not a good thing in theory but if you know this will happen and when it does happen, the cup continues to be just as or even more comfortable, then isn't this a more relevant measure?

• I'm gonna measure mine wearing them to see if it's a big difference.

• Have to measure my Fantasie Illusion that I showed on pic, if I get the same measurement when wearing it. I also have 38cm breast perimeter and bra is 38cm in depth (measured over knee bit stretched ) so assume it should match. Will update.

• 1

  Added another re-measurement, this one is my most recent Alana purchased, the Lilac-Lemon. I think I see a trend here, at least for Bravissimo's Alana.

  https://www.bratabase.com/bra/dn3wa/

• I meaured my 32J - Fantasie » Illusion Side Support Bra (FL2982) wearing it and it was similar to cup depth I measured over the knew. Difference might be 0,5 cm depends on how I stretch the bra a bit more over the knee.

• The stretched band length is almost 4 inches longer than the bra size. Does that surprise you or is that your experience with bras from Fantasie?

• No it didn't surprise me since only Bravissimo bras are usually "tts" in band - most other brands bands stretch much further than they should. For example Panache... I can fit easily into 30K Tango but struggle to close 32JJ Bravissimo Arla.

• 1

  Now that I think about it, I should not have been surprised as well. BB (before bravissimo), I never had confidence in a brands offering being tts. After discovering Bravissimo, I tried a number of 38K Panache but my experience seems to have been the opposite of yours. I wore these 38Ks with an extender but I was not happy with any of them, mostly due to the cups being narrow with insufficient depth. In fact, the 42J Tango I had was better fit and comfort wise compared to 38Ks but the band was ultimately too loose for me.

• Maybe my Tango just has too big cups for me? So I was able to wear a smaller band? I rather have Bravissimo wires and fit - Panache wires while being sturdy and supportive, were almost too hard and hurt me a lot. Bravissimo hardly does unless there is something off with the fit.

• 1

  Oh yeah! that's true, the wires of my Tango were pretty firm especially on my sides. They didn't really hurt but it was uncomfortable for sure. I'm sure if I tried a 38 or 40 band Tango, those wires would have been painful. I have owned 7 Panache bras but I have never had one that I truly liked.

• 1

  All panache I've tried were really big in the band except jasmine. My tango is also too big band.

• 2

  Could be that the band sizing is inconstistent. For example old Panache Ariza - bands above JJ cup run big... so 32JJ I got fit like 34J! Bands J and below run firm, so 34J I got fit like 32JJ but 30K also fit like 32JJ.

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