Greetings, all. I will have another swim top post coming soon, but today I thought I might share my experiences with Fantasie’s new vertical seam bra, the Allegra. I bought this bra in size 30FF (whereas I am usually a 28GG/30G in other brands).

Allegra boasts beautiful Swiss embroidery. It has a sophisticated and sultry look, and the red color here (which has a hint of a raspberry tone) is pretty juicy.

I tried this bra on first at a Nordstrom, and was actually astonished by how the way the cup is constructed allowed for my upper fullness to sit quite nicely without any quad boob. The top of the cups have a stretchy elastic that can accommodate such fullness without cutting in (if your breasts are very soft it may be a different story, however). There is actually a good amount of projection (for this size range) and the vertical seaming allows for a round shape with some cleavage. Take a look at the projection:

I left the bra at Nordstrom, as it was priced somewhere in the $70 range. Too much for me! But for weeks and weeks I couldn’t stop thinking about the lovely Allegra. I was waiting desperately for her to go on sale, somewhere. I finally caved and bought the Allegra for a far too slightly reduced price.

Unfortunately, there are some issues with the Allegra. The most significant issue is the band size. Fantasie 30 bands run large, and this one is no different. If the band was wider with 3 rows of hooks, it may have been supportive enough, but alas, the Allegra’s band has 2 rows and is rather flimsy. I am starting on the middle hooks, and definitely not feeling enough support from the band. The band rides up while I’m moving about.

The other issue is that the straps are placed a little too widely (at least for my frame) which also seems to take away from the supportiveness of the bra.

Some pros (besides its embroidery and shape) include its fully adjustable straps and the glitzy jewel at the gore. The wires are a good length (medium) for me, and do not poke oddly. In fact, the bra is for the most part soft and comfortable, and doesn’t cut into the armpits. If it weren’t for the lack of band support, this bra could even be a great every day bra!

Here is what it looks like under a shirt:

This is a thin H&m shirt, so the vertical seams are quite visible. Also, there is obviously no nipple coverage! But the bra does give a nice shape (even a slightly minimized one) under a shirt, and the embroidery is not very visible at all. I like it!

Overall, I give this beautiful bra a grade of:

B

I approve of Fantasie experimenting and making an unlined vertical seamed bra in larger cup sizes. Now, there just needs to be a bit more support with a band that runs firmer and wider – and for us sub-30 band souls, 28 bands please!

The Allegra vertical seam bra currently comes in red, black and butterscotch. Next season it is coming out in blue – stay tuned!

Amicalement,

Little Lucie