I love this lilac/lemon color combination and I get my usual 40L Alana fit. But, the straps are a new material which folds over far too easily and even though the cups and band are doing their jobs, the folding straps are cutting in, making this my most uncomfortable Alana.

Sep 2020
A conversation with 2 fellow Bratabaser's compelled me to wear this bra again. I had worn this less than 5 times in the year since I purchased it, mainly because of the folding straps. The straps still fold over but, they did lie flat where they made contact with my skin. I think I am ok with this ... kind of folding straps.
Before taking this bra off I decided to re-measure the cup height and depth and to my amusement, both were about a quarter inch bigger than when I first measured (all of my bra cup height and depth data is with bra on/boob in cup).
It has taken a while but this bra has "grown" on me.

Sep 2020
I thought it would be interesting to compare my original measurement data for this bra to what they are today.

.......................................... original / current / difference
band length un-stretched..... 34.00 / 33.00 / (1.00)
band length stretched........... 40.00 / 41.00 / 1.00
cup depth.............................. 17.75 / 19.00 / 1.25
cup height............................. 14.50 / 15.00 / 0.50

The (1.00) inch change in un-strteched band length seems ok as I would have expected some shrinkage with 10+ hand washings.
The 1.00 inch increase in stretched band length is not surprising.
The 1.25 inch increase in cup depth is very surprising.
The 0.50 increase in cup height is a bit surprising.

These results lead me to wonder whether Bravissimo deserves its reputation of being small in the cup and a buyer thus needing to size up. Yes, a bra will initially feel small/tight but will it expand with break-in? I plan to explore this further.

Note: I do not use the cup over knee technique to measure cup depth as I think a more meaningful and relative data point is when a cup is occupied by ones breast. I think it makes sense that depending on bra style, bra cup dimensions can also vary during the life of a bra. Also, the cup over knee technique does not take into account the distance and hence volume I gain from a floating gore. With this lilac-lemon Alana, I have 4 inches of floating gore today, I did not record this measurement in my original review.
Read more
368 more words

Lilac/Lemon colorway

Updated on Sep 07, 2021 Flag this

The Alana in mint colorway was my favorite until Bravissimo released the papaya . I purchased 2 in early 2016 along with a mint 38L and I wish I had bought more. As usual, Bravissimo refuses to re-stock their Alana fashion colors so once they are gone, they are gone. I get my usual Alana fit and comfort, including days where
the 38 band is more important than the 40L cup, and vice versa.
I also have Bravissimo's Georgia in mint and while I like this bra, I prefer the mint Alana more.

June 2020,
The band is getting close to being stretched beyond comfort, the result of my wearing this ... colorway more than any of my others. I am thinking of moving the wings of my 38L to the 40L cups but my sewing skills are fairly poor and so I hesitate at the chance I may ruin both bras.

Aug 2020
The band and straps have suddenly lost most of their elasticity and so this bra has lost most of its comfort and support. Wearing this on the tightest hooks now results in a loose fit and can I easily fit 3 fingers underneath the band. Interestingly, the cups continue to provide comfort and support.

Sep 2020
I thought it would be interesting to compare my original measurement data for this bra to what they are today.

.......................................... original / current / difference
band length un-stretched... 34.00 / 33.50 / (0.50)
band length stretched......... 40.00 / 42.00 / 2.00
cup depth.............................. 17.75 / 19.25 / 1.50
cup height............................. 14.50 / 16.00 / 1.50

The (0.50) inch decrease in the un-stretched length was initially surprising but is likely the result of 50+ hand washings.
The 2.00 inch increase in stretched band length is not overly surprising.
The 1.50 inch increase in cup depth is very surprising.
The 1.50 increase in cup height is extremely surprising.

These results lead me to wonder whether Bravissimo deserves its reputation of being small in the cup and a buyer thus needing to size up. Yes, a bra will initially feel small/tight but will it expand with break-in? I plan to explore this further.

Note: I do not use the cup over knee technique to measure cup depth as I think a more meaningful and relative data point is when a cup is occupied by ones breast. I think it makes sense that depending on bra style, bra cup dimensions can also vary during the life of a bra.
Read more
358 more words

mint colorway

Updated on Sep 08, 2020 Flag this

The Alana in mint colorway was my favorite until Bravissimo released the papaya . I purchased 2 in early 2016 along with a mint 38L and I wish I had bought more. As usual, Bravissimo refuses to re-stock their Alana fashion colors so once they are gone, they are gone. I get my usual Alana fit and comfort, including days where
the 38 band is more important than the 40L cup, and vice versa.
I also have Bravissimo's Georgia in mint and while I like this bra, I prefer the mint Alana more.

Mint colorway

Updated on Jun 22, 2020 Flag this

In my experience all Bravissimo bras are comfortable and are well built. They do not make my sizes so I tend to have the bras heavily altered. I had the straps removed by my tailor to convert this into a strapless bra that I wear around my hips. The bra texture is very soft/fine and looks great in person. Three hooks is a joke for a 40Q though.

White colorway

This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered straps, Had straps removed to convert into strapless bra

Updated on Jun 23, 2023 Flag this

Great Bravissimo bra. Like my blue one, this is also a first edition and is not sold anymore in this color. It does not fit me anymore unless I have the straps removed. Not a fan of the color and have not worn this for a long time. Open to selling.

Brown colorway

Updated on Jun 23, 2023 Flag this

Great Bravissimo bra. This is a first edition and is not sold anymore in this color. It does not fit me anymore unless I have the straps removed. Not sure I am going to keep this one, open to selling.

Blue colorway

This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered straps, Cut straps off to make this strapless to wear around my vagina. My second (white) one is unaltered

Updated on Jun 16, 2023 Flag this

I purchased the Papaya in 2017 in both 38L and 40L I find the 38 bands are perfect, especially since the straps seem to barely need to contribute any support, a real shoulder saver and I definitely do not have to worry about the straps sliding off my shoulders. On this 40L, I am still on the middle hooks but the straps do tend to fall off. I get some quadding on the 38 band but essentially none with this 40. My perfect bra would seem to be an Alana in 38LL or maybe 38M. I continue to hope Bravissimo will one day add these sizes to their ... range.
There seems to be nothing else in my range except the Ewa Michalak FB line. Although they have almost a dozen models, none currently appeal to me and at roughly twice the price or more, I simply cannot get interested in switching away from Bravissimo. My recent success with the Selina line pretty much locks me in with Bravissimo, perhaps forever.
This is by far my favorite colorway, with the mint a close second.

Aug 2020
Still my favorite bra in terms of fit, comfort and color. I estimate this bra has been worn more than 100 times and still looks and feels close to brand new. In comparison, my 40L Alana in Mint seemed to hit a wall a couple weeks ago. By that I mean the straps suddenly lost much of their elasticity and the band did the very same. I am not looking forward to the day when this papaya does the same and am thankful that I have more than one of these.

Jun 2021
Bravissimo introduced new bras with narrow wires last fall which I bought and used almost exclusively since then. I pulled this old Alana out yesterday though and was both amused and amazed at how good it still was. The straps and band have still not stretched out to the point of being unwearable and thus held up well throughout the day.
Read more
225 more words

papaya colorway

Updated on Jun 26, 2021 Flag this

June 2016
The daffodil Alana is bright and cheery. It also has that Alana fundamental rightness for me, I can put it on, go about my day and not be in a rush to get it off at the end of the day. As usual, the fit and comfort are spot on for me with just a little cakes on a plate and no quadding. The band is starting to stretch out and I will likely be on the last set of hooks before long.

June 2021
Wow, here I am 5 years later and this daffodil Alana is almost like new. Tbh though, I might have worn this 5 times ... a year since 2016 so it certainly is not in heavy use. I have been on the middle hooks for the past year so who knows, maybe I will get another 5 years out of this bra! Compared to Bravissimo's new bras that use their new narrow wires, I prefer this Alana less. The straps are not as soft as the Annie and Gemma but they do not fold over the way the new ones can, at least according to reviews here and on Bravissimo. For whatever reason, these folding straps are less of an issue for me as the folding is barely noticeable. The cups are smaller with a little less depth than the Annie and a lot less than the Gemma. My current cup depth on this Alana is 18" on my left side and 18.75" on my right side using the bra on method of measuring.
I wonder if Bravissimo will ever release a narrow wire Alana? That would be really exciting.
Read more
164 more words

daffodil colorway

Updated on Jun 11, 2021 Flag this

2016
Purchased in Oct 2015, this white Alana is still comfortable and supportive despite at least 100+ wears. I purchased this Alana along with a nude and Teal on the same order and the white seems to now be just a little bit less supportive, especially in the cup where I have a bit of sagginess, especially when compared to the teal. The teal was worn far less than either the white or nude so that could explain why it is still holding up.
At the time of this purchase, Bravissimo was enduring a controversy relating to wires popping out of their channels prematurely. I was so thrilled with the ... fit and comfort of my initial purchases that I decided to double up on my Alana orders with the expectation that I too would have to deal with the wire issue. I have never had to. I hand wash all my bras regardless of brand so that may have contributed to my success with the Alana.
One inconsistency I have noticed between different colorways is the softness of the hook and eye materials. Some, like the Papaya's I purchased in 2017 are very soft and luxurious while others, like all 3 on this order are rather plain. Curious.

2019
If you don't mind a tendency to a cakes on a plate look, the Alana may become a staple for you as it is for me. Through the course of time, I have noticed that my Alana's tend to initially have the cakes on a plate look but will soften and become a rounder shape with frequent use. This white Alana does not do a very good job of masking my nipples though so I tend to wear a camisole or add additional layers of clothing or if I have to, nipple covers, to compensate.
I recently purchased the lilac/lemon version which has different straps that tend to roll up and dig in. That feels like a step backwards for Bravissimo.

2021
Well, I have had this bra for over 5 years and while I wear it far less now than before, I am amazed by the longevity of the Alana. Yes, I have owned many Alana's over the years (21 of them!!!) so that is the reason why they haven't worn out sooner but still, both of my white Alana's have had more use than all of the other colorways I have.. Just this past weekend, I have started using the tightest hook and while it certainly feels tighter than before, the support is still amazing for a bra that has been in heavy use for 5+ years. In the past year, my preference has switched from the Alana to the Selina and recently to Bravissimo's Annie but as of today, Alana is still my go to bra for regular everyday wear. I initially gave Alana a "Good" quality rating but I'm upping it to "Excellent". Any bra that lasts this long deserves this rating.
Read more
379 more words

white colorway

Updated on Feb 08, 2021 Flag this

I purchased the Papaya in 2017 in both 38L and 40L I find the 38 bands are perfect, especially since the straps seem to barely need to contribute any support, a real shoulder saver and I definitely do not have to worry about the straps sliding off my shoulders. On this 40L, I am still on the middle hooks but the straps do tend to fall off. I get some quadding on the 38 band but essentially none with this 40. My perfect bra would seem to be an Alana in 38LL or mybe 38M.Maybe oneday they add this size to their line.
There seems to be nothing else ... in my range except the Ewa Michalak FB line. Although they have almost a dozen models, none currently appeal to me and at roughly twice the price or more, I simply cannot get interested in switching away from Bravissimo. My recent success with the Selina line pretty much locks me in with Bravissimo, perhaps forever.
This is by far my favorite colorway, with the mint a close second.

Oct 2020
I thought it would be interesting to compare my original measurement data for this bra to what they are today.

.......................................... original / current / difference
band length un-stretched... 32.00 / 33.00 / 1.00
band length stretched......... 39.25 / 41.00 / 0.75
cup depth.............................. 17.75 / 19.00 / 1.25
cup height............................. 14.50 / 15.00 / 0.50

The 1.00 inch increase in the un-stretched length is surprising. This should have shrunk by about 0.5 inches
The 0.75 inch increase in stretched band length is a little surprising. Most of my other Alana's have increased by over 1 inch
The 1.25 inch increase in cup depth is no longer very surprising since my other Alana's have increased by a similar length.
The 0.50 increase in cup height is no longer surprising.

These results lead me to wonder whether Bravissimo deserves its reputation of being small in the cup and a buyer thus needing to size up. Yes, a bra will initially feel small/tight but will it expand with break-in? I plan to explore this further.

Note: I do not use the cup over knee technique to measure cup depth as I think a more meaningful and relative data point is when a cup is occupied by ones breast. I think it makes sense that depending on bra style, bra cup dimensions can also vary during the life of a bra.
Read more
351 more words

papaya colorway

Updated on Oct 26, 2020 Flag this