Fits ribcage 27 B. perimeter 11.3 Stretched Band 31.0 Band Length 21.7 Stretch ratio 1.4 Cup width 5.6 Cup depth 10.5 Depth ratio 1.9 Wire length 10.7 Cup height 7.5 Cup separation 0.8 Gore height 3.4 Wing height 3.9 Strap width 0.7 Strap length 16 Hooks 2
As with the other Alanas in 30G and 30GG, this bra is made from high quality lingerie textiles that should last users a long time. As with many Bravissimo styles, a finer gore than found in typical brands, wires are low and even, well shaped armscye to both provide coverage without digging into tail of spence, a nice long silky resilient strap that can adjust down to a scant 8.5"; with ...a well projected cup that surpasses Panache, just not quite up to snuff with Ewa.
There is no wing. The powernet in the band attaches directly to the wire. While it's not uncommon to see bras designed with no stable frame around the underwires, this compromises wire stability which can lend Alana to fitting shallow and digging if a band isn't large enough for the average width of the user. Read more 71 more words
Fits ribcage 27 B. perimeter 11.3 Stretched Band 29.0 Band Length 22.0 Stretch ratio 1.3 Cup width 5.7 Cup depth 10.5 Depth ratio 1.9 Wire length 10.5 Cup height 7.5 Cup separation 0.8 Gore height 3.2 Wing height 3.9 Strap width 0.7 Strap length 16 Hooks 2
Very durable and supportive build & materials, many great features as well as lightweight yet sturdy.
My sole quibble is the lack of solid frame structure around the outer part of the cup- there is no wing whatsoever to stabilize and prevent distortion.
Fits ribcage 27 B. perimeter 11.3 Stretched Band 31.3 Band Length 23.0 Stretch ratio 1.4 Cup width 5.8 Cup depth 11.5 Depth ratio 2.0 Wire length 11.3 Cup height 8.0 Cup separation 0.8 Gore height 3.5 Wing height 4.0 Strap width 0.8 Strap length 15.5 Hooks 3
This reminds me a lot of Cleo Kayla + Della. She run BIG, BIG. Anything that fits me has to apparently. Why didn't we meet sooner, Mae?
It's sturdy, thin, wires at a reasonable width, enough strap for those of us with gigantor shoulders or low set breasts, good sturdy band and embroidered upper cup, but nothing sharp/pokey/rough anywhere.
Undecided how to feel about the strap placement, which is too wide. However. there's so much space in the outside finally, I don't feel stuffed, pinched,or pushed out of the cup into my armpit. Amazing given all the other bras in the same size are just sort of tolerating the fact I have boobs in the outer limits.
I'm absolutely in love with this sports bra! This is the first one I've bought in ages, and it did not disappoint! It has amazing support for my size without feeling like it's too constricting... a problem I've had in the past with other sports bras. I was worried that having the underwire might cause some physical discomfort while working out, but surprisingly, the only discomfort i felt was from the actually workout! And the padded straps are such a godsend. It feels great, gives my bust a flattering shape, AND has a gorgeous design. I'm not one to go for leopard print usually, but with the blue, I want to wear it out as my top!
So I normally have a complaint that the wires go round to my back, this brings it to a whole new level, half of the cup is literally under my armpit, but as you can see from the photos the wire is literally visible from the back. This of course means my boobs do not fit in the cup as they don't start on my back! I've even now noticed in the little fit check booklet that you get with your order they claim that if the wires are digging into my breast tissue you should try a bigger cup size, what a load of ****.
I purchased a red Jenna about a year and a half ago, read that review as there was a lot I liked about the red but wished some things were different and hoped the narrow wired Jenna would address my issues
In a nut shell, the red was initially tight with significant quadding on top and an inch or two of empty space on the sides. Doing up the magnetic clasp was a chore and a second set of hands was always welcome. On the Bravissimo web page, the lace on the straps and back looked exquisite and beautiful but seemed a bit much on me, it wasn't ...as pretty or stylish as I thought it would be. It almost seemed more suited for a biker chic than someone like me. It took close to 6 months or 10 wears of infrequent use before I really started to appreciate the red Jenna.
I was hoping this new blush pink Jenna would eliminate the empty cup space on the sides and the muffin top that was hard to ignore. The wires on the blush pink use Bravissimo's narrow wires for J cups and up whereas my red Jenna does not. Cup depth for both bras measure the same but the eye ball test says the blush pink is much deeper. As a result, the narrow wires center more of that depth to the front so if you normally have unfilled space on the sides, these narrow wires will line up closer to your boobs. I had next to no empty space on the sides with this narrow wired Jenna and had minimal quadding on top and felt far less compressed.
As with my red Jenna, the band seems to carry 80% of the load but the remaining 20% seems to be spread evenly between the straps and the back. Moving as much as half of the weight the straps used to carry to my back while also helping improve my posture is mind boggling. I find I can stand up straighter without trying to. The blush pink does a slightly better job of spreading the support, not a significant amount but enough to notice. The blush pink also seems to minimize as much as the red Jenna does.
The wires on the blush pink Jenna are 1-3/4" narrower on each side and therefore 3-1/2" in total. I was thus fully expecting the pink to give me a narrower front profile so I was completely shocked at what I saw - I was wider in the pink than the red. Not by a dramatic amount but enough to make you wonder what was happening. The wires on the pink were the same length as the red so it makes sense that the pink had taller wires by about an inch on each side. The gore was also taller than the red by a little more than 1/2 inch.
My initial experience with this narrow wired Jenna has added to my confusion with Bravissimo's narrow wire products. When comparing this pink Jenna with the same sized Annie balconette and the full cup Gemma, the Jenna was more like the Gemma in terms of shape. The pink Jenna was similar to both as they all give me very little empty cup space on the sides and bottom and very little quadding on top. Both regular and narrow wired Jenna's though are much more comfortable because of these straps, a true godsend. Read more 465 more words
I performed the comparison back in June and submitted a comparison review but I suspect most members cannot view it so I have pasted a link to it here:
I am still disappointed the narrow wired blush pink does not have a significantly narrower front profile but nevertheless, both bras are so necessary for the big cup crowd.
Highly recommended.
This blush pink Jenna has stretched out a little and I think I now have a narrower profile than my red Jenna.
The last 2 times I have worn this Jenna, I have fastened the band and neck magnet BEFORE pulling it over my head. I know that sounds weird but I rarely fasten my bras the normal way and always front fasten and spin the cups around, something I cannot do because of the neck magnet. The most difficult part of this process is squeezing the straps over my shoulders but I prefer this to having to attach the magnets from the back. I doubt I could do this with a 38 band though.
Bravissimo has released a new bra named Alicia which is a balconette version of the full cup Jenna. The initial colorway is called emerald green, which is absolutely gorgeous but I don't care for the fabric pattern because it seems a little too busy for me. The same could be said about the Jenna for that matter.
Mar 2023
I wore this bra today and sort of amused myself after putting it on. I normally fasten everything together and pull it over my head but today I absent mindedly fastened the band in front, spun it around and reached behind me to fasten the neck magnets. EASY PEASY!
My front profile is an inch narrower than my red Jenna which tells me the cups have stretched and yet my over bust perimeter is 2 inches less than with my Alana's and Annie's. The cups seem taller but for me, that is a dimension I feel is less noticeable than any other.
I didn't think I would love this bra, but I do. It's the first moulded cup bra I've loved and kept during my bra fitting journey! I was shocked that the construction of the bra allows the boobs to come together in the center without quadding - it feels very Polish to me, lol.
Also, maybe the band is stretchier by nature or due to the previous owners of this bra, but I feel like the wires don't get pulled weirdly when I put this bra on. A win!
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. Read more 656 more words
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,
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?
The Pink/Red color's a new color released for Valentine's Day, with 10% of sales going to CoppaFeel, a charity fighting breast cancer. Absolutely beautiful color, I really love how the deep red straps contrast with the pink of the bra. As someone with short roots and no upper fullness, it's very difficult to find bras that are short enough in the cups/closed off on top- I wear almost exclusively half cups, and the Millie's the only exception, and this 34E fits perfectly.
My second Flora. Had to have the blue. The color really is beautiful. This one is tighter in the band than my red one. I thought it might just be that it's newer, but measurements show that the band really is a bit shorter. Aside from the tighter band, it's the same great fit and support as the red.
Beautiful bra! Very similar to the Anaïs and Aurora half cups from the same company but in forest green, this color's even prettier in person. As someone with short and wide roots, moderate projection, and is very full on bottom with very little tissue on top, this bra is one of the few whose cups are short enough to avoid gapping. Band was a little snug at first, but loosened with a few wears, and is very comfortable.
The Niya is literally the only bra in Bravissimo that fits me and has been since 2018.. now, though, I actually need a bigger cup and smaller band but this is the biggest size I could get in the Niya.. I have tried other bras there and I don't like how they fit me.. The Niya in 38J feels a bit loose in the back so I tighten the arm straps to compensate.. but as I walk and move around the straps loosen which is annoying, its not ideal but I prefer this to all the other bras at Bravissimo - Niya is the only one that ...gives me a rounded shape and a look and feel of actual lift..so, until I can find another that does this or I lose some weight, Niya is the one for me.. I would love to find another that suited me in my actual size, which is prob 36JJ but I havent had any luck with that so far. Washes well, is comfy and attractive but boobs look quite splayed in this.. which I dont like but I prefer it to having torpedo or rugby ball boobs.. which is what i get from the other Bravissimo bras Read more 96 more words
I do not know how to measure this or add fit criteria since there's no gore or separate cups so I will write a review with some details. The fit on this is great for a sports bra. I measure at a 30G with the ABTF calculator and this bra seems to fit true to size so far. There's not much adjustment for the straps, so it may not work on a taller person. I have them adjusted as long as they go and it fits well and I'm fairly short. Cup height and construction work well for my size and height, there's no discomfort in the underarm ...area or the straps or band. Due to congenital symmastia, I need a wireless sports bra. Since my boobs are not separate and are connected by tissue in the center, I get the feeling of pressure and heavy weight pulling down on my breasts if I am not in a supportive bra basically at all times. Exercising in a non supportive bra is very painful. I don't care about uniboob at all, my main concern is support with no pain and this fits my criteria. I tried running, jumping, and all sorts of exercises in it and the boobs barely move at all and there is no pain! The material is pretty lightweight and does a decent job of moving sweat away from the body. Since there aren't separate cups, I do experience some cleavage sweat but I am used to that and it's easy to stick a towel in there to absorb it. This is a great option for a wireless sports bra and very comfortable. Read more 167 more words
I've never heard of this sports bra, but it looks sharp! also well constructed.
It also looks good for people with narrow or sloping shoulders.
BraOdyssey thanks! I hadn't heard of it either, got it from someone in the UK. It would definitely work well for narrow or sloping shoulders! I'm not used to racerback bras or narrow straps (thanks to Ewa Michalak!) And I accidentally punched myself in the face trying to scoop and swoop lol
Beautiful bra with the floral design over mesh cup lining (I think this is in gg+ cups per the Bravissimo description). It reminds me of the Freya Offbeat soft lace, but this one has more cup support than the Offbeat. The straps are not wide and are long enough for me, but there wouldn't be enough extra to put into a j-hook if that was an option. The cups are slightly too wide for me, but it doesn't compromise the fit. The band fabric is less stretchy than some other brands, which I feel I need for my shape and size.
The straps are too wide for my frame, also tightening the straps enough to be supportive makes it painful for my shoulders, cup is wide but not as wide as Zara's. The band doesnt really do any of the work. I understand bralette's are hard to find for bigger chests, but I also dont want ones that hurt my shoulders and arent supposrtive at all. I dont think this is enough for even lounging. This does seem like it would be a good option for nursing, because by lowering a shoulder strap, the whole cup can come away on either side. It was nice that this is one ...of the few bralettes I've tried that hasnt pushed my breasts into my armpits a lot, however Im normally a 34HH and this 34J almost seems like a cupsize too small, not too large. (After measuring, the bust perimeter on this is 44.25 inches, not 47 inches like I would expect from a J cup, so I would recommend sizing up in the cup if possible) The first cup nicely supports the bottom of the other breast with the tail that crosses down to the band, however on the second cup the tail follows the other side's cup up and then sort of cuts into the tissue of that breast. It's like a one-sided quad boob effect that isnt attractive at all. The apex of the cup is definitely sitting too far east/west I think if the straps crossed in the back it would solve a lot of the support issues, as the cups seem to de designed to hold strain from a cross-wise direction, not straight back. As it is, the shoulders holding the strain in this way make this uncomfortable enough I really dont want to lounge in it.
The outer fabric is wonderfully soft and smooth, compared to that, Im a little sad the inner bra is just like a meh- jersey fabric. I'm happy that for a lounge-bra the company didnt add weird details on the side of the bra for my arm to rub against.
The hook&eyes are the same blue color as the rest of the bra. Read more 250 more words
Normally wear a 34HH I would prefer a band that didnt roll up for more support, the entire 1-2 inches rolls and just sits in the intermamory fold. (Perhaps the tanktop version would have helped and had the weight hold down the band?) Without much strap help, it requires support from the straps, and adds pressure there. Straps also seem to want to crumple up/ not sit flat and are not adjustable. Aside from the band, the center does not touch my sternum at all, and would look very uni-boob if I wore this under any shirt as the material simply goes from apex to apex. The cup area is ...somewhat wide and somewhat not projected enough (Im learning with this shipment Bravissimo and me are not the same shape), due to this, the cup forces tissue into armpits somewhat. This is a bit irritating when I move my arm back and forth. I was hoping to use this as a summer lounge around the house/ sleep top, but the material may be slightly too abrasive/not as soft as I hoped. The material feels soft, but I think the holes in the fabric combined with me not being used to having that much tissue pushed into my arm's path that combine to make it irritating. Especially if you are a 34J I would urge you to consider sizing up in the cup if larger sizes become available (this is the largest size currently), Im not sure there's much extra room. (A note from after measuring, my bust is normally about 46-47 inches and measuring with this on it is squishing me to 43 inches- explaining why it feels like so much tissue is squished in my armpits, because it is squishing me four inches. For a bra meant to fit 34:13, this is measuring at only a 9 inch difference, not 13)
Nipple bumps definitely show as this is unpadded, although since there is an outer layer and lining layer, a skilled seamstress could likely add padding if wanted, however these two layers are sewn at each seam, so it'd take a bit of effort.
I really liked the quality detail that I've seen in the Bravissimo bras. I got the caramel colorway- a sort of coppery medium brown color. For the hooks in the band they used rose gold. It seems like a high quality touch and complements the color nicely. Read more 291 more words
Normal UK size 34HH, which is what I tried. Im more close set than this bra, While the cup sort of elastics to my shape, there is an obvious dent in the cup where it changes from following my torso to my root. There's about 3 finger-widths between the outer bottom wire and my tissue. I am Omega-rooted so this is a common fit issue, but the dent impression left by this bras looks really weird. I am definitely more immediate projected, with my tissue not sitting in the bottom of the cup. Without tissue sitting in the outer/bottom cup, it is fighting to come out top/center/front and is ...quad-boobing. This effect is not helped by the weird mesh frill added along the top of the cup seam, making that area more bulky for not reason The bra would have looked just as good or better without it. (Also looking at you weird badly sewn on button on the gore and bows on the straps.) The gore surprisingly tracks well and isn't painful, which is rare for a non-Polish bra with how close-set I am.
Quality wise, it seems ok. I would say it's definitely more in a daily wear category than anything luxe, despite the satin finish. Many of the materials seem basic and hopefully durable. Read more 106 more words
As always with my close set, projected, narrow roots, the wires are too wide on this for me, but going up a sister size, or playing around with sizes adjacent doesn't work and this is the closest fit I can get. Not quite filling the bottom, but also expected as I've got short roots. However, it's incredibly comfortable, and ticks the boxes where it should to make it a nice comfy everyday bra. Also love how supportive the straps are and soft!
Unfortunately with the Satine bra it suffers from the age old problem of the cups becoming wider and taller, and the same with the gore and wires as the cup size increases. The band also becomes deeper. As a result, whilst this bra used to be the best available fit for me in a smaller cup size, now that my breasts have grown larger it seems that I have sized out of it.
Major fit issues for me are the way way too tall gore. Others comment on it being a "true" plunge and being decently low, but unfortunately for me with my high and close set short rooted ...bust, a gore over 2 inches is just pain. There is no space in between my boobs for the wires to sit so they dig into the bottom of my breasts and this pushes the bra out of my IMF. Ideally for a bra to fit me well, the gore should be not much more than an inch in depth so that the wires do not try to come up between my breasts. At 2.5" this gore is nearly the full height of my breasts so is closer to a balconette in this size. The last truly comfortable gore fit for me was the 32FF.
The cups also don't work well as plunges due to how high up the cups come - so they show underneath any neckline which is below the collar bone. Again likely more to do with my high set breasts, but again, the 32FF hid well. If I could just have more projection on the 32FF frame.... But no. Instead its just too high and too wide cups. I was used to bras not correctly following my breast roots at the side after getting past a DD cup, but the 32GG really takes it to another level. I don't understand why the wires have to be under my arms, I don't have any boobs there - they're on the front of my chest! In addition to this, the cups now are so wide that they dig into my arms in a very uncomfortable way and after wearing I have to scrape off deodorant because they sit right up in my armpit.
Then the band issues - too tall! I don't need 3 hooks, I don't have the torso length for that. It just causes pain over my shoulder blades as my torso is too short and my breasts too high set to wear the band below my shoulder blades like you see on all the photos of the models.
Worst thing is that I've now gained even more bust volume so need to size up a few cups. I have no idea how I'm going to manage now (and unfortunately my attempts with Ewa and Comexim showed they were either comparable to the Satine, or worse in the places I have issues with). Read more 375 more words
It was my first bra that I fitted myself through online shopping and thanks to which I really got to know my size. Lace is very kind to the bust, especially asymmetrical and less firm. Perfectly adheres to the body and emphasizes the neckline. The quality is brilliant. The lace is of the highest quality. The tube material is flexible but stable. I was captivated by details such as, for example, the gold finish of the hooks instead of the standard metal painted in the color of the material. The band seems flexible enough to me, but still stable, that I have it both in size 32H and 34GG in a different color and both fit well and I feel comfortable in both. In total, I have 3 Millie bras: black and white, size 32H and forest green, size 34GG. This is my favorite bra so far. Generally, most bras bite and hurt me, but this one is reasonably comfortable. My bust is heavy, low set and a bit hanging, full on top.
I performed the comparison back in June and submitted a comparison review but I suspect most members cannot view it so I have pasted a link to it here:
https://www.bratabase.com/compare/dicdg/#review-1483
I am still disappointed the narrow wired blush pink does not have a significantly narrower front profile but nevertheless, both bras are so necessary for the big cup crowd.
Highly recommended.