Oh Susanna! I am surprisingly thrilled with this bra. I didn't have the highest of hopes because honestly some of the colorways did not look very attractive in photos, but I managed to pick up one in Petal, which is ivory lace over the palest baby pink with a hint of mauve. Since Fantasie Side Support styles are kind of all over the place, I was also kind of scared based on the measurements that this bra would be the wrong shape for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the ever present too-large band, Susanna is the best Fantasie fit for me so far!

In terms of band size, this isn't much different from my other Fantasie bras, but somehow the band feels a bit firmer. The wing height is the same, so perhaps the elastic used here is wider, or the solid powermesh might have more retention than the printed versions. It is a little large but stays in place. I will probably alter it eventually since the leotard back should be pretty easy to shorten.

The cups of Susanna remind me of a slightly deeper, more rounded version of the Elsie/Camilla/Frances cut I like. The bottom 3 piece cup is firm single layer tricot, the upper cup is single layer mesh, and the entire cup has a sheer floral lace overlay. The silky fabric used on Fantasie printed bras is very thin but firm, and I feel that this tricot/lace combo has a little more give. The cup depth is also a little bit deeper, so overall the shape looks nice and rounded. The side support panel has some give, and there is some natural stretch along the seams that makes it fit more flexibly than in the more rigid styles. The upper cup edge is this same type of seam, which is firm but has a bit of yield from natural stretch. It isn't as elastic as the top edge of Elsie/Camilla/Frances, but not totally rigid like Caroline/Harriet/Estelle. It gives me a great natural shape on both sides, which can be kind of tricky to fit due to my asymmetry. It also looks great with foam pads to wear as more of a t-shirt bra!

The only real complaint I have about the fit is that I feel the wires are a bit narrow on me. They have a nice gentle curve like the Elsie/Camilla/Frances ones, but I feel that the ends of the wires are a bit more vertical. Since Fantasie wires are very firm, any wire shape that's a little off can feel noticeable. I could use slightly wider wires that are a touch more open at the top, though this isn't close to pinching like the ones on the Caroline Plunge.

Styling-wise, this has a full lace covered cradle, lace trim fabric topped on textured satin straps, and small lace bows. The edging of the elastic along the band and cradle looks a bit like scallop shells, so it overall gives the bra a more frilly appearance than many other styles. I am so happy that I ended up with Petal, since the other colorways didn't appeal to me much, though I like the fit so much that I'm trying to pick up more!

The shape of this bra seems to be the most universally flexible and should suit most breast shapes except tall roots, as most Fantasie bras are pretty closed at the top and will cut into tall roots.

Petal colorway

Updated on Apr 23, 2020 Flag this

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