Overall, I do not like the Antoinette. The cups are the perfect width and don't dig into my wide-rooted, shallow boobs, but two things make it insufferable. Firstly, the straps are way too far apart. I don't like that they connect to my armpit. Secondly, I can't stand how high the gore goes because it pokes my sternum. Of course, that's just the way bandeau bras are.

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Updated on Dec 20, 2013 Flag this

This bra possibly runs big in the cup. I had trouble filling it, which left the sides near the gore looking concave, especially since it has a center seam (which showed through the clothes I wanted to wear it with). Otherwise, it might have fit great with a smaller cup under some thicker clothes. It seemed like it would have worked well for my shallow breasts.

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Updated on Jul 16, 2013 Flag this

Love this bra in appearance! It fits well in my normal size.

My only minor complaint is that the top rim of the cups is fairly thick and rounded (not a fit issue, just the actual fabric underneath the lace) which leads to a fairly pronounced line under a t-shirt. Works best under thicker/firmer/textured shirts.

Updated on Mar 11, 2013 Flag this

I don't have this bra anymore, because the straps were so far outside the cups it really hurt to wear this bra.
Not very comfortable, even though it looks so great.

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Updated on May 25, 2011 Flag this

Oh my goodness. I have never tried a bra cut like this before but I love it. The straps are a bit wider set than I am used to, but it doesn’t feel like a problem. I never see my cleavage as I’ve only really owned full coverage bras but it’s so nice to see. The lace detailing is so fun and I absolutely adore the color! In general it seems like a good fit. It makes me interested in trying more in this style.

Updated on Apr 29, 2024 Flag this

This bra is too wide and too large in the cup for me. The straps are too wide on me as well. Otherwise, this bra seems really comfortable. The band seems normal for the size, so I had to tighten it down to the tightest hook.

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Updated on Apr 20, 2023 Flag this

This bra is lightly padded with two-part (vertical seam) foam cups. The straps are thin and velvet on the outside. There is a bow on the gore with a decorative bead hanging from it. The floral lace covers the cups entirely and comes up just above the tops of the cups. The wings are mesh. There are three rows, two hooks each.

As others have mentioned, the seam across the top is quite prominent and does show under most tops and only thicker sweaters will hide it.

Fit-wise, the cups run a bit wide and overall the bra is pretty shallow. The cups are definitely short in height, though they are open at the top so this may still work for average or tall roots.

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Updated on Jan 02, 2023 Flag this

The Masquerade Antoinette has been coming up in my Bratabase recommendations for a while, but originally in sizes 28D and 30DD. After doing some more research on this bra, it seems that the cups run at least one size small, so based on measurements, I decided to size up 1 cup from my normal 28E to 28F.

Luckily, this turned out to be a very good fit! The cup size is great on me, though the only slight issue is that the wires flare out a bit at the top, so there's a little bit of extra room (about 1 cm) at the upper wire edge under ... my arms. However, I consider this to be a very minor issue and it doesn't create any discomfort. This is a 2HC construction, so I'd say that the Antoinette runs on the shallow side, and if you have a shallow shape, you should go with your normal cup size.

The band is wide, firm, and has 3 rows of hooks, which makes it feel super secure in this size. The powermesh used on the wings is very sturdy, and I'd love to see this on all bras. The best part about this fit is that it would make an amazing strapless bra--it's one of the few styles that stay up without straps and gives great shaping without any padding at the bottom of the cup. It feels similar to the Cleo Swim Hattie Bandeau Bikini Top that I also recently picked up.

The only issue with this bra is that the straps are really uncomfortable on me. Most of the bra strap is made of velvet, with the back 1/3 being adjustable elastic. Since this is a bandeau style, the straps are attached with a split strap in the front, and are quite wide set. I'm seriously considering removing the straps entirely and keeping this to wear as a strapless bra.

Regarding the styling, I know a lot of people love it, but I personally think it looks a bit cheap. It reminds me of the B. Tempt'd by Wacoal Ciao Bella in that it is a 2HC cut and sew foam cup with lace overlay, but the Ciao Bella is a $38 bra at regular price, and I believe this bra originally retailed for over $60. The fabric and trims don't look very expensive to me, especially compared to the Masquerade Athena, and I think that the bow with plastic beads at the center gore looks quite cheap. If you like the Ciao Bella, I think this is a very similar bra in fit and styling and could be a good option. I had expected a more sophisticated appearance though, and styling that better matches the original price tag.
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Berry/Blush colorway

Updated on Mar 24, 2020 Flag this

This was my first real bra love and I still find this bra, especially this colourway, to be the most beautiful bra ever conceived.
This particular bra is one of my first properly fitting bras I bought back in 2011. I’ve always had a love hate relationship with this style. Despite its design, all the rest in this bra was thought to make you suffer. Or at least to make me suffer https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />
First, there’s an incredibly high and large center gore. I’m not particularly close set, but this is too much for me. Then, at least in this size, the band is ... way too high all the way long. It’s particularly uncomfortable under my armpits where there are placed vertical underwires. The cups are very wide but I imagine I was really spoiled with narrow EM wires. And to cap it off, the straps are unstrechy in their front part.
Antoinette is very difficult to put on. The bottom of the cup is quite shallow and you really have to pull the cup up to place the wire in the IMF.
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Updated on Jul 08, 2016 Flag this

This bra was disappointing. The straps are only half adjustable and the non-adjustable part feels like cheap craft ribbon. I think I prefer the normal strapping. The cups gave an awful pointy shape, although I think it might be because the cups are too deep.

The band is nice and firm, I actually find it slightly too tight. The lace overlay is really pretty as well. Overall, other than the straps, the quality of the bra is pretty good.

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Updated on Jan 13, 2015 Flag this