I’ve been a Panache devotee for years, but I have flares of costochondritis/rib cage pain that make it difficult for me to wear such a firm bra band. SADNESS. Lately I’ve branched out to Freya and Fantasie to find something that is still supportive but not as painful. Overall, I like the Fantasie Fusion. The fabric is nice, if stretchy, and the metal accent (gold on the black cherry colorway) is subtle. Straps aren’t too wide, and wires don’t come up too high into my underarms (another increasingly painful occurrence with my beloved Panache bras). The band feels supportive but not too painful, stretchy but not too stretchy. The gore is not wide, but not super thin either. It’s not as open at the top as a balconnette, but the cups aren’t super-tall like a lot of full-cup bras are (I have low-set/short roots, so this can be A Problem). The outer layer of the cup covers where there’s an inner seam that makes it a four-part cup—nifty! There’s a couple things about this bra that make it a subtle shape-mismatch for me.** First, it’s not very projected at the wire (bottom/center). I get that weird wrinkling/dead space gap thing at the bottom as my tissue seeks higher ground, but not enough to be uncomfortable—wires aren’t being pushed to my stomach. The outer sides of the wire fit well, though, where they’re supposed to be. Second, the top part of the gore does this weird thing where one side of it wants to tack, but the other wire ends up flipped up/pressing on tissue. I am center-full and close-set, so this happens sometimes. Probably not enough projection at the center gore wires for what I have going on. Finally, the outer layer of fabric doesn’t attach to the inner center cup seam (what makes it a four-part instead of a three-part cup). Basically, it’s a four-part cup on the inside, but a three-part on the outside. The outer layer wrinkles/gathers funny where the inner center cup seam meets the top-across panel. I can’t tell if this is a size issue, a fit issue, or if it would be helped if the outer layer was attached to the inner layer. It could be that this is where the projection in this bra is, rather than at the wire. It’s not obvious under the shirts I wear, but the knowing it happens makes my eye twitch a little bit. The concept does conceal the inner seam, so if seams annoy you, this might be helpful. I think this bra is definitely worth a shot, especially if it’s a shape match for you. It’s comfortable enough and classy. I’m keeping it, since it usually takes more wear than a mere try-on allows for me to figure out if something is not right. **Edited to clarify: In addition to needing immediate projection at the wire and being center-full, I’m also splayed, meaning close at the top of the gore but set wider toward the bottom of the gore, which contributes to the weird gapping at the bottom and the not-tacking at the top. The bra generally stays in place all day, which is great! (Well, it stays in place, but that place is the wrong place.)
