Original Review May 2020:

Annalise is my third attempt at a Fantasie Padded Half Cup bra. I really like the aesthetic of this line and was happy I could try this in a different cut, since I've tried so many different styles from Fantasie so far. However, this particular bra fits really oddly, and was also totally different from Marianna and Mae, the other two padded half cups I have tried.

The biggest problem with Annalise is that the bra simply seems to be the entirely wrong size for me, as I felt the shape worked for me. The band measures 10 cm longer than my normal ... 28 bands, which puts it in the range of a true 32. The band is so big that I can't get a true sense of the fit, but what I found is that while the cup width and depth seem pretty normal, the wires are quite flexible, so once I hook the band (just hooked closed, not snug), the wires end up really wide on my ribcage. Between the large band and the wide cups, which are also taller than normal, the fit of this bra ends up one band and one cup size larger, so my 30DD fits like a 32DD.
(Update: I have since ordered the 30D and can confirm this style runs one cup size large. The 30D fits like 30DD in cup volume. The band size of this particular 30DD is probably off-spec as it was 4.5 cm/nearly 2 inches longer than the band of 30D)

If I could get this in a real 28E, I think I would end up liking this bra. Unlike the other two padded half cup styles I tried, I like the shape of these cups. The cups have a 3HC bottom cup construction and one horizontal top panel, and give more projection than your standard padded half cup made from this light foam. The upper cup is more closed off than the standard 3HC. Mae and Marianna were both made as standard 3HCs, though Marianna was too short and small, and Mae was too wide and large. On my larger side, the cup fits pretty well, although I can tell it's slightly large as there is a little extra room in the cup. On my smaller side, there is definitely emptiness, so the dreaded issue of the strap pulling on the empty cup fabric and causing a vertical drag line is horribly prominent.

The wires on this bra are also slightly different from other Fantasie bras, and have more of a short U shape, where the bottom of the wire is slightly flatter than normal. The wires are quite flexible horizontally so the cup spreads out a lot. The fullness of the cup is once again on the center full side, but it isn't as prominent as on some other foam cup bras, so it didn't bother me a lot. It's really a shame that this bra was so big on me, as I find it to be quite nice. I’ve decided to give the 30D a try in the Camellia (white) colorway despite the hefty price tag because I love the styling and the shape of the cups.

The styling of this bra combines floral print and embroidery to create a lovely appearance. The outer cups are made entirely from mesh, with the bottom cups and cradle made from floral printed mesh with small scale floral embroidery, and the upper cup and center cradle made from solid mesh with solid embroidery. The upper cup embroidery is really gorgeous as it is a large scale floral and nicely textured with long satin stitches. Since I have the black colorway, it is hard to see the detail, but I think this makes the bra look quite luxurious. As is common for Fantasie bras, there is a bit of printed fabric topped on to the front straps, and the rest of the straps are textured picot edge elastic and slightly narrower than usual. The band is fairly plain and made from standard powermesh, but I can't comment on how firm it is since it didn't fit me. Back is a standard low leotard back, and the only decorations are simple satin bows at the gore and strap attachments.

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Update November 2020:

I repurchased this same bra and it now fits me much better in my current size of 28E/28F. The cups are a great fit, but the band is still a little too big. I'll probably alter the band down for a better fit, but although the band rides up a bit, it is wearable currently on the tightest hook. Since I am on the larger side of 30DD now and closer to 30E, I still find that this fits at least a half cup large.
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Black colorway

Updated on Nov 07, 2020 Flag this

Such a lovely fabric: white floral with shimmery white embroidery. The fabric at the top of the cup flares a bit, so it looks like there's some gaping. The cup does seem to fit, just not on my smaller side, so not ideal for asymmetry. The band is pretty stretchy so I had to size down from my usual 32FF. The biggest problem for me is the width of the gore. I'm close set, so I need a narrower gore than this one gives.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 27, 2020 Flag this

I liked the original Annalise Padded Half Cup I reviewed in size 30DD, but it was grossly gigantic on me in both band size and cup size, so I decided to order it again in 30D. I was able to get my hands on the Camellia colorway, which is white-based with pink and green flowers. Based on my experience with the 30DD, I felt the cup shape was pretty suitable for me, but ran one size big. The band on the last bra was gigantic, and I am happy to report that sizing down fixed the issue (the band is still loose on me but ... it is true to size when compared to other Fantasie 30 bands as they all run large on me), so I would order one cup size down.

Unlike the other two padded half cup styles I tried, I like the shape of these cups. The cups have a 3HC bottom cup construction and one horizontal top panel, and give more projection than your standard padded half cup made from this light foam, so it creates a nice rounded shape. The upper cup is more closed off than the standard 3HC. Mae and Marianna were both made as standard 3HCs, though Marianna was too short and small, and Mae was too wide and large. The fullness of the cup is once again the center full side, but it isn't as prominent as on some other foam cup bras, so it didn't bother me a lot. The only slight fit issue is that when I am fully scooped, it gives the appearance of some overflow, but this is really because the upper cup is a bit too closed off for me and it's cutting into my tall roots. There is a slight bit of room in the upper cup so if my tissue were distributed evenly within the bra, this would not happen, so the cup volume isn't a problem.

I noticed that the wires on the 30DD were more of a short U shape, where the bottom of the wire is slightly flatter than normal. However, the wires on the 30D are pretty normal and look like the wires of my other Fantasie 30DD bras with a gentle curve. The wires on this bra are very flexible, so while it measures too narrow for me on the flat, it ends up fitting ok, however I would have preferred slightly taller sides and slightly longer wires as these days I prefer more side coverage from my properly-fitting bras.

Thus, the only fit callouts I have are band size, which will forever be a problem to me with Fantasie bras; slightly short feeling cup height/wire length at the outer cup, and slightly too closed shape on the upper cut that cuts in a little bit to tall roots.

In the Camellia colorway, this bra basically satisfies all my cravings for a pretty, frilly Japanese bra without having to deal with the ridiculous padding and V shape of a real Japanese bra. Unlike the Black colorway, which combined floral print and black lace, the Camellia is printed throughout the entire cup. The outer cups are made entirely from floral printed mesh, with the bottom cups and cradle having small scale embroidery detail, and the upper cup and center cradle with large scale satin embroidery. The upper cup embroidery is nicely textured with long satin stitches, and the edge of the upper cup gives the appearance of 3D lace so prominent in Japanese styles. As is common for Fantasie bras, there is a bit of printed fabric topped on to the front straps, and the rest of the straps are textured picot edge elastic that is slightly narrower than usual. The band is fairly plain and made from standard powermesh. Back is a standard low leotard back, and the only decorations are simple satin bows at the gore and strap attachments.

I paid pretty close to full price for this bra, but I might just keep it because I've wanted a frilly Japanese-style bra for a long time, and I think this is the closest I will get to achieving this aesthetic while keeping the cups lightly lined. This is not a bra for everyone, but could be a good option for those that find typical 3HC-style padded half cups too shallow. Just be sure to size down in the cups and potentially in the band if possible!
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Camellia colorway

Updated on May 24, 2020 Flag this

Didn't write a review

White/Camelia Floral colorway

Added on Jun 27, 2020

Didn't write a review

This bra is not owned any more

Added on Nov 26, 2020

Didn't write a review

Added on Sep 29, 2021