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The month of May has been a slow month for me in bra news, not because I haven't ordered anything, but because literally all of my bra orders have been cursed so far--delayed (1), in international transit limbo (2), lost in the mail (3), or the wrong item shipped (this one). Since the original Caroline Plunge I ordered was super pretty but not quite the right shape for me, I decided to try the Side Support version. However, I didn't end up getting this item in my possession for almost a month due to Amazon shipping me a random Calvin Klein bra in its place and ... being slow to process a replacement. Imagine my disappointment when my worst fears about this style came true--it is one of the side support styles that is incompatible with my shape!
According to the list of related styles listed for this bra, this is supposedly the same cut as Susanna, Mollie, and Estelle. Having tried all three styles, I can tell you that Caroline doesn't quite fit like any of them. It is definitely not the same cut as Mollie, as the measurements are different. It is similar in measurements to Susanna, but the cup height is taller, and the proportion of the upper cup and cup shape are different. It is the closest in measurements to Estelle, which I no longer have in my possession, but I remember that the shape of the Estelle cups was very pointy as well as being projected. The cup height on Caroline is one of the tallest I've found in all Fantasie bras, and I noticed this on the Plunge version as well, but assumed it was due to the cut.
There are several issues with this fit, which unfortunately made it once again fall in the camp of "Fantasie Side Support cuts that don't work for me." First, the band on this bra is pretty loose, even larger than most of the other 30 Fantasie bands I've tried. It definitely doesn't stay in place, and I had to try it on with the tightest hook or I wouldn't be able to tell anything about the fit. Second, the cup shape is very strange and oddly distributed. Like Estelle, this cup shape is very projected, but it isn't quite as pointy. The side support panel is also constructed weirdly, and I can tell by looking at the cup shape that anybody would experience drag lines at the side support panel and outer wire simply because there is too much tension in the panel and no room for breast tissue to go. For this reason, it creates emptiness at the wire along the outer cup while simultaneously reducing the amount of horizontal room available in the cup. Most strangely, the fullness of the upper cup is cut to be very center full (in a shape reminiscent of some Masquerade cuts, like Athena, Rosa, etc.), and I definitely don't have breast tissue there. Usually a little bit of cup wrinkling or slight emptiness can be corrected with inserts or foam pads, but in this case even the foam pads could not smooth this out. There was simply excess fabric at the cup near the gore, while there wasn't enough room at the wire near the wings.
Unfortunately, this is a very poor fit, and I really have doubts that this would work for anybody. Maybe very soft tissue could be squeezed into this bra's restrictive shape, but it doesn't exactly give a pleasing profile as it creates a deformed and slightly pointy breast shape. It is really hard to tell how many of these issues could be due to manufacturing inconsistencies and how many are intentionally due to the cut. I believe this is meant to fit like Estelle, but both bras had such oddities in the cup shape that I am not sure which bra is more representative of how this is supposed to fit. I would not recommend this bra to anybody, despite the fact that it is so pretty.
Aesthetically, it looks exactly the same as the Caroline Plunge, which is probably the only positive thing I have to say about this bra. The construction of the bra is classic Fantasie, with lightweight single layer silky fabric for the cups that feels like nothing but provides great support. Caroline is all about roses, with pale pink and fuchsia combined to make a more modern take on the classic rose. My favorite part of this bra is the upper cup embroidery, which has gradient tonal roses on mesh done in very shiny satin stitch to give an elegant texture. Unlike some of their other styles, this embroidery is soft and comfortable right off the bat. The straps are a lovely textured satin that reflect the shine of the embroidery threads. The bows are identical to those on Camilla, with a larger ivory bow topped with a thin pink bow to resemble a blossom. Printed powermesh wings and a leotard back complete the style.
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Ivory colorway
Updated on May 16, 2020 Flag this
Thanks for your measurements. For some reason, I have not tried Fantasie yet. But, my wire intolerance makes me hesitant. ;-)