I have worn this bra for years as it is so comfortable. I keep looking for something sexier that sits lower at the front but I always come back to it. A lot of the bras I have tried are to high at the side and the wires poke into my armpit. It is a little tight at first but slackens off.
Updated on Jun 17, 2014 Flag this
This bra was purchased at the same time as a beige Belle. Check that review as well.
As with the beige, the first thing I did was measure the un-stretched and stretched band lengths, both of which seemed quite normal at 31 and 39 inches. Cup depth and height were 17 and 16 which put this Belle in the same territory as my Alana's but as with the beige I was quadding everywhere. Top, sides, bottom, everywhere! To be fair, this bra still needed to be broken in.
Being a black bra, I was not surprised that it seemed a little stiff but I was surprised how less uncomfortable it ... was. I was expecting soft and luxurious but instead got even more stiffness than the beige. As with the beige, this black Belle is also pretty but they are both already a little east-west which will likely get worse as they stretch out. In my review of the beige Belle, I mentioned another review of a 38JJ whose measurements seemed way off compared to what I got, I cannot imagine this bra stretching anywhere close to that other entry.
The cup dimensions seem to be very similar to my usual 38L Alana's but I was quadding far more than my Alana's ever did.
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Black colorway
Updated on May 12, 2022 Flag this
Earlier today, knowing I would be home all day, I was going to go with a 42K Elomi Caitlyn but so put off by it that I switched to another older be a, a 40KK Panache Melody which was also fairly awful to wear. I went to the other end of the spectrum to this Belle and I have to say this was better than the first two.
Truthfully, this is faint praise as this bra was still very tight. Again, I am really contused with the measurements provided by another member, I cannot imagine this bra stretching to even anything close to the measurements they provided.
It is tight and I am still quadding quite a bit but I will practice what I preach and continue breaking this bra in the rest of the day. Hopefully, it stretches a bit more after today.
Wore this again the other day and once again it seems to be fitting better and better, it must be stretching ever so slightly each time, When I look at my back, the straps seem to be wider than what I get from my balconettes, which is the opposite to what I would have expected. I was especially pleased by the lack of back fat I had, not that I have much to begin with but still.
Wore this yesterday for the first time since my last comment with very similar results. I had on a rather tight fitting top and noticed how obvious my asymmetry was but decided to go with it as I knew I would have a jacket on which would hide everything. Still, it was a bit disconcerting. I did not feel as east-west looking as when I first wore this so that was encouraging. Also, the overall tightness seemed to be a lot less than ever or this bra.
One thing I had not noticed before was the side wires ending almost 2 inches below the top seam, which explains why I never had any pain from the wires. I really wish all wired bras would do this.
The year prior to joining Bratabase in 2015, I had never shopped online for my bras but once I did join, I became aware of the Fantasie Belle. This bra certainly did seem old school in appearance but all the reviews I read emphasized how comfortable it was. The measurement data here though were concerning and in particular there was one where the stretched band of a similar 38 was 44 inches! As a result, I was left hoping someone else would review and measure the Belle to confirm it was really that stretchy but here we are, 5+ years later and no additional entries with confirming data. ... The Belle appears to be discontinued as it is no longer available on most online stores, the one exception being Bravissimo. In fact, Bravissimo seems like they have a significant inventory of them as they are regularly purchased and reviewed. I don't like the idea of buying and returning something that "I know won't fit" but I decided to bite the bullet and ordered both a beige and black while fully expecting to return them.
The Belle is an under wired, non padded, full cup design with 3 hooks, adjustable straps that are supposedly closer set than normal to reduce slippage and is still available in white, beige and black at Bravissimo. Yes I know, pretty boring, especially the available colors but there have been no new color releases in over 5 years.
The first thing I did was measure the un-stretched and stretched band lengths, both of which seemed quite normal at 31 and 39 inches. Cup depth and height were 17 and 16 which put this Belle in the same territory as my Alana's but I was quadding everywhere. Top, sides, bottom, everywhere! To be fair, this bra still needed to be broken in but I am comparing a UK 38JJ bra to my more typical 38L
The bra seemed a little stiff and was less comfortable than what I was expecting. From all the reviews I read, I was expecting soft and luxurious but instead got stiff and meh softness. For me, it is pretty but it is a little east-west which will likely get worse as it stretches out.
If I did not have any well fitting bras, I would consider hanging on to the Belle but I have so many that are significantly more comfortable and better fitting that I will likely return it.
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Beige colorway
Updated on May 12, 2022 Flag this
3. months later...
This is the first time I have won either of my Belle's since my purchase in May. The quadding I complained about is still there although there is next to nothing at the bottom of the cups. The cups have stretched just a smidge, enough for me to notice. Not surprisingly, the wings have also stretched and the band is still quite supportive. The straps seem thicker and stronger than what I am accustomed to and I do not expect them to become flimsy and fold over like other bras are guilty of. The wires are quite comfortable and like my Bravissimo bras, the wires end a substantial distance from the top of the wire channel.
I get the arm rubbing that I, for some reason, am not very tolerant of, especially when compared to my many Bravissimo bras. The cups are definitely wider than the outside of my torso and look and feel very east/west. Being squished into this bra, which is 3 cup sizes smaller than my L-cup Bravissimo's, I do look and feel minimized.
Yesterday, for the first time since buying this bra in May 2022, I wore my beige Belle for pretty much the full day except for about 15 minutes when I initially wore my black Belle. It was still tight and uncomfortable and I was still quadding out everywhere but I chose to continue as this was my first commitment to breaking it in. After my first hour I realized I had forgotten I was wearing this bra and noticed it was a lot more comfortable.
At the end of the day, I was about to change to get ready for bed when I stopped to look in the mirror and only then realized how pointy I looked in it. This was a surprise as I have never read a review mentioning any degree of pointiness. Hopefully this goes away as the break-in continues.
3 months later and this black Belle has not changed much. Still very stiff, still too small. It is all very puzzling as the cup dimensions seem to be similar to my L cup Alana's and that includes the wires not going as far back by about an inch.