Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Bra Adventures: Fauve Arianne

Fauve, a subset of Eveden (which, I just discovered was either recently purchased by Wacoal or recently purchased it?!) is a brand I'd never tried before I came upon the Arianne (photo below). It's always seemed a bit mature for me. A bit fussy. I understand it is associated in some specific way with Fantasie (another "mature" Eveden brand I've only just started to explore in earnest). At any rate, I found a style that intrigued me and, as Figleaves was having a sale, I decided to give it a go:

Fauve Arianne
No doubt, this is not my usual fare. The quality is good (like Freya of yore) but the price point is higher than Freya. And the mosaic design is at the outer edge of exotic, IMO. On sale, it cost $100.00. That almost seems cheap and cheerful, now that I'm dealing in the currency of Empreinte, but it's definitely more pricey than the average Freya set.

I did return this - mainly because the bra band was insanely large. I purchased a 32, though in truth, a 30 would likely have been too big. I could have returned it for one cup size up and one back size down, but (when I emailed Figleaves for more sizing info) I was advised that there was but one left in that size and that I'd be wise to purchase it in advance of returning the mis-sized one I already had in my possession. This would have resulted in another 75 bucks on my credit card (for an interim period). I knew I really didn't like it that much when I determined it wasn't worth the interim expense or hassle.

I'll say that this style, my only exposure to the brand so far, fits generously in both band and cup size. In this respect, it's good for deep breasts with a narrow root, but most definitely go down one back size (at least). If you have shallow breasts, I'm not sure that this style is for you. It's hard for me to tell how this would wear given that, on me, it was so loose. I suspect, if the band were right, the fit would be quite uplifting. It does seem to suffer from the recent Freya "mega-stretchy band" issue wherein  the band fabric would likely stretch out quickly, regardless of the size.

The undies fit very nicely (true to size, IMO), and the material for the set is soft (if somewhat stretchy).

I will definitely consider purchasing another Fauve in the future, though probably in a 30 band. From what I've discovered online, it does seem to cater mostly to those who prefer molded and padded cups, from what I've seen online, and it is rather dramatic, but I'm always in search of bras that fit beautifully and I sense that Fauve has potential.

So, today's question: Have you tried this brand? If yes, how did you find the fit? Do you like this style? (Looking at it now, it seems strange that I purchased it. It's vaguely gaudy in the photo...) Let's talk.

11 comments:

  1. I've never heard of this brand, but I think it looks quite stunning in the photo. Black and beige together is a very classy colour combo :)

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    1. It is a classy combo! I totally agree. But the bra is VERY busy up close. Still, it's elegant, just not necessarily my thing.

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  2. I tried Fauve Lucia half cup in the shop, but didn't purchased it, because it was 34 and I need 32 at least (but band was snug for 34). Couldn't justify spending more than $150 (local mark up is insane) on a bra that will last only several wears (I can have it altered of cause, but I can't say that I really need it to begin with). I can report that it was quite generous in the cups with immediate volume from the root and very wide wires (so I was able to size down in the cup).

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    1. Thanks for the info - I wonder if the half cups have a different depth ration than the plunge or balconette styles. Maybe the Arianne is the outlier. I don't know enough about the brand to say that it fits in a certain way so it's great to hear different perspectives on different bras.

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    2. From what I've read it looks like padded half cups from Eveden group usually run wider than other styles, and in general Fauve seems to have wider wires than Freya and Fantasie. But of cause there are some variations from one bra to another.

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  3. My experience with Fauve so far has been that the band is super stretchy and the cup somewhat small, so I need a band size down and a cup size up. Bit out of my current price range, but I do really like a lot of their styles.

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    1. Thanks for that feedback! The price is at the upper end of the Eveden brand spectrum but it does go on sale on Figleaves on occasion! (Always seek out a promo code before you buy. I find I can usually get 20-30 per cent off just by googling for 5 minutes.)

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  4. I haven't looked at a Fauve bra so I can't really comment. The sheer side of the panties seems rather naughty (in a good way). Maybe because of the solid band above it highlights the fact that the bottom half is sheer. How three dimentional are the black squiggles on the upper cup of the bra?

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    1. The undies were, frankly, the best thing about this set. The squiggles weren't overly noticeable. They look more three dimensional in the pics than in real life.

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  5. I've bought eight Fauve half cup bras this year, all in 30F. They fit my shallow, wide-rooted boobs well, giving me epic, cakes-on-a-plate cleavage. I'm worried Fauve's balconettes' wires won't be wide enough for me. I doubt I'll try them.

    For comparison, other bras that suit me include:
    Cleo Marcie 30FF
    Fantasie Rebecca 30F
    Panache Loretta 30F
    Fantasie 4520 30F

    I am very relieved Fauve's half cups suit me, as I LOVE the materials and comfort.

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    1. Wow, good year for you! Thanks for giving us this great info...

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