Brand Breakdown: What does Anita offer?

Anita is a German brand, a family-owned company founded in 1886. And if comfort is your top priority, they are worth a look, particularly their Rosa Faia line. 

Where the Brand Excels:

• High quality materials and construction. You are not going to find rough seams or crappy elastic in an Anita.

• Very popular with pregnant women; many styles are also available in nursing versions.

• Seamless styles with silky microfiber and high spandex that fit like a second skin.

• Wide wires that are on the soft and on the flexible side, yet supportive. These are the only wide wires I have ever found to be non-irritating on me.

• Well-designed bands that are soft, stable, and have 3 widely-spaced hooks; their support does not rely on a tight, constrictive fit as many UK brands do.

Their flagship style is the beloved Anita Twin, one of the first bras I profiled here as the most comfy I'd found. It still holds up well years later. It is an outwardly seamless bra, with a single very flat seam on the inside of the cup.

The Twin is the only style I have found to be super-comfy - and it is really comfy. 

Anita Twin   Anita.com

 

It comes in other versions, including a wireless, the Twin Firm (less spandex) and the Twin Art, which is just a pattern, always on the tasteful side, that changes every few years.  

Anita Twin Art       Anita.com

The regular Twin and Twin Art are the comfort queens; the other styles have different fit and fabric. I do find the wireless version to be less comfy, simply because I don't like the pressure a non-stretch underband causes for me when sitting, but that's just a personal preference. If you like wireless, this is a wonderful choice due to the very generous cups (their F fit me like a G, not the case with the wired versions) and flat, wide straps.

Twin Wireless      Anita.com

 Annnnd What the Brand Does Not-so-Well

Lift and Shape.  You are not going to get a boosted, lifted shape from Anita. That is just not how they roll.

Beautiful colors or flashy patterns. They are proudly focused on basic neutrals and the occasional quietly elegant pattern.  

Seamed and balconette styles. These are pretty much all dreadful, with horizontal seams and a high frumpitude factor, especially in the larger cup sizes. See Exhibit A.  

All styles are meant for a balanced or full-on-bottom shape. The Twin can accommodate some upper fullness, but none are built for inner fullness. But if you have lots of side-boob, you're in luck; the cups are very friendly for that. 

Who/What/Where Will Anita Work For?

For me, the comfort far outweighs the shape mismatch for projected full-on-tops, but the brand will be a great fit for:

• Wider boobs that are on the shallow side
• Lots of size fluctuation  
• Sensitive skin
• Pregnancy & PMS
• Long hours of travel or work
• A more natural, slightly minimized shape

 Sizing & Pricing

European sizing. Bands run slightly snug. When I measured 36" and wore a 38 band in most brands, I was able to wear a 40 in Anita quite easily, on the loosest hook. Now that I'm 37-1/2", I can still wear it due to the high spandex. Cups run true to size and are forgiving due to the high stretch, supportive fabric.

The Twin has the widest size range, from 32C - 40H, and bands up to 46 going only to an F cup. The Wireless stops at an F, but runs about a cup size large, and sister-sizing works well here. The Art likewise stops at around a G.

Full price is between $70-80. They are well worth that. The high-stretch fabric is buttery soft and still lasts for years. The bands do not stretch out at all and the cups keep their shape. You will frequently find them on sale for around $50, on anita.com and amazon or eBay, but I have rarely seen them go any lower than that.