This 38L Gemma was purchased at the same time as a 38L Annie. I had 2 months earlier purchased both bras in 40L and since they all had Bravissimo's new narrower wires and my being between sizes, this purchase was a no brainer. Bravissimo advises to size down in the larger cup sizes, advice that I ignored when I ordered the 40L Gemma but took into consideration when ordering this bra. The band is just about right but the cups are still too big. Gemma is one of those bras where it is likely better to be in-store to find the right size. I am generally not enthused by darker colored bras and so I'm a little disappointed that this Gemma is much darker than the Bravissimo webpage image.

Nov 2020
As noted above, this Gemma is still too big so aside from trying it on, I really have not worn this for any length of time. Gemma is comfy and I will likely use both Gemma's in the short term for lounging around here at home. Fit was similar to my larger Gemma with a generally rounded shape. I have measured the initial cup depth at 19 inches which makes this a 38:19 or 38M!! Yikes! My breast perimeter is a bit larger in all directions but the compression I get is so much less than pretty much all of my other bras (except perhaps for my 42K Elomi Caitlyn) that I doubt the cups will stretch out much.

Dec 2020
To no surprise, the Gemma still has not made it into my rotation. I have worn it 3 times around the house since it arrived so it is still fairly new and not stretched out. In fact it is so loose compared to pretty much any other bra I have not named Gemma, that I doubt it will stretch out much at all, unless of course if I put on 20 pounds! Similar to my Annie's, the initial shape seemed weird but has tamed down considerably after just a few wears. The best way to describe the initial shape would be to call it an extended torpedo look, the bottom of the cup was initially very flat and extended but it seems to have flexed enough to start resembling a normal bra look. The Gemma is a full cup and is thus quite tall compared to my balconettes and while the gore is shorter than the gore on my Annie's, it is taller than my Alana's so I wonder if the new wires allows for shorter gores?

As stated previously, I am not overly fond of darker colored bras and the Gemma is no exception. If the Gemma was offered in a Blush pink, I would likely still shy away from it, even if I was able to determine my correct size which might be 38KK or even 38K.

Apr 2021
I have put on over 4 kgs since this pandemic began over a year ago which has put a lot of pressure on my bras. Thankfully, I have filled out the Gemma's as they have accommodated my weight gain. I am wearing my Gemma's at least once a week yet they have not stretched out much at all. As with pretty much all my other Bravissimo bras, I rarely notice/feel the wires poking me and the band continues to carry more than it's share of the weight. I recently re-measured the cup depth and was surprised to see the 38 band Gemma was 3/4" deeper than the 40. Perhaps this is due to my stretching the cups out as a result of my weight gain.

When I purchased my Gemma's, I was disappointed with them because they were both bigger and darker than expected. During these trying pandemic times though, they have saved me from the frustration of my weight gain. I need to get off the couch and exercise a lot more, if only to save my other bras from an early demise.

Nov 2021
As noted in my review of my 40L Gemma, the band seems weaker than any of my other Bravissimo brand bras and I tend to wear these Gemma's on a tighter hook. I'm on the middle hooks but will be on the tightest hooks soon. This is unusual for me as I still wear my Alana's on the same hooks as when I first bought them. Cup wise, this also seems to have stretched a bit as my arms do not rub against the cups anymore, YAY!

The Gemma appears to have been discontinued but I hope Bravissimo brings it back in another colorway.

Navy colorway

Updated on Mar 02, 2022 Flag this

• Show all comments (7)
• 1

  I am now on the tightest hooks and have will not be surprised if the band stretches out even more. I seldom wear my 40 band simply because I expect the band to also stretch.

  For some reason, I have never been happy with any of my Bravissimo full cup bras. I seem to be less tolerant of them than any of my balconettes of the same brand. I do feel a bit more frumpy with them, a little more east west looking, a little less supported. On the other hand, I tend to have a more rounded shape which is always a good thing.

• catflix the bands do stretch out quickly on these bras! the Mabel & Sienna are two great full cup bras, both are not as east west as Gemma / Allie styles.

• Hi alisa ! I see Mabel is in a new colorway and I have added it to my Bravissimo saved items although I may not go through with a purchase. I have so many balconettes that are still not very close to being worn out so I likely will not get anything soon.

• June 2023

  I recently had an email exchange with Bravissimo, asking if the new pink Isla and Myla had the narrow wires. Bravissimo Customer Service confirmed they did and added the Isla is based on Lacey while the Myla is related to the Gemma. Really, the Gemma!!?? That seems so unlikely as it doesn't look anything like the Gemma. I recently concluded that a 36L Gemma would have been my best fit as even my 38 band is close to being too loose on the tightest hooks, which is surprising for a dark colorway. Am wondering if I should have included a 36L Myla in my recent order,

• 1

  I wonder why they bring the Gemma back out of all their bras?
  It was one of the worst I tried in my old size 32K. Also it ran like 2 cup sizes big and the straps very horribly thin. Such a random choice.
  I was pleased to see that Lacey goes now up to L cup and the bralettes (Flora?) now up to K!

• OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I just saw your post regarding your bra clearance! So so happy for you!

  Was it a difficult decision for you?
  Did you have someone supporting you during the whole process?
  Are you stopping at this size?

  So many questions!

• alana21 Hey I have not been open about it here, I feel not so safe anymore here. I would rather pm you if you like to know more?

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