Pretty Bras for Big Breasts: Éprise (Reprise) . . . and Antinéa and Antigel

Éprise by Lise Charmel has always been a mythical lingerie brand for me. When I first learned of its existence six years ago, the pictures were so beautiful it seemed like a fairy tale. I had another brief sighting the first time I attended Curve in 2011. The perfect happy ending would have been finding their haute couture large bust bras in a store where I could try my size. Instead, until last month I simply cast a wistful glance at their Curve booth on my way to visit the brands I knew our readers could find in America.

This year I found two reasons to revisit the Lise Charmel booth. First, you read my Antigel swimsuit review in June where I couldn’t find ANY background info to share with you about this Lise Charmel subsidiary. What was Antigel? What sizes did it offer?

Second, I sat next to Xavier Zorn, the Americas & Middle East Export Sales Manager for Lise Charmel, at the Truly French blog launch and learned that going forward, all Éprise styles will continue the Lise Charmel designs instead of being completely separate. Across from him, Cora from The Lingerie Addict mentioned a gorgeous Lise Charmel continuity style called “Dressing Floral”. If these tulle based cups with their tattoo-effect lace were also available to Eprise’s large cup customers, then I needed to learn more.

Personally, I find the Lise Charmel website confusing, so I’ve tried to fill in the gaps about this company through conversations with Xavier Zorn, as well as Sandra Jones, who is the US sales manager for Lise Charmel, and Hannale, who sells Lise Charmel brands at Le Piege des Boobies in Brooklyn.

Let’s begin with some background on Lise Charmel. Founded after World War II, Lise Charmel now has 150 employees at its headquarters, the majority of whom are women, which gives the company most of the sizes that it needs for testing fit. Everything is designed in France, while cutting and stitching takes place at their own factory in Hungary where they maintain tight control over quality.

The three Lise Charmel brands relevant to Hourglassy readers are Éprise, Antinéa and Antigel.

Éprise is the large cup version of the Lise Charmel luxury line. It shares the same high quality materials and workmanship, but Éprise band sizes range from 30 to 44, and its cup sizes extend to a French H. A 32 is the smallest band paired with an Éprise H cup, and this combination only comes in the 3-part full cup styles. Demi cup styles are available from a 30G. Hannale at Le Piege des Boobies told me that her typical advice for sizing in French brands applies to all three of the brands I’m writing about today: go up a cup size and down a band size from what you usually wear.

The Éprise version of the Dressing Floral bra is called the “Guipure Charming” (it has the same style number 98 as the Dressing Floral). The 3-part full cup style has wider straps, a double layer of tulle at the base, and a side sling. As part of their continuity collection, the Guipure Charming will always be available in black lace and a light lace.

While the Guipere Charming doesn’t have the same degree of fragility as the Dressing Floral, Eprise has successfully created an exquisite adornment for the large bust. I’ll report more on the actual fit of this piece in a later post.

In addition to its continuity styles, each brand develops two spring/summer and two fall/winter collections that follow a certain theme. The fall/winter 2015 theme is “Indalousie” and is inspired by India. You can visit the website to see the other Éprise styles that follow this theme, but my favorite is the Love Karma.

You have to do some sleuthing to find where Éprise is carried in the United States, which explains why the French women who live in the vicinity of Le Piege des Boobies, enticed by its window display, will walk in demanding to try only the Lise Charmel brands. According to Hannale, European women remain more comfortable with the pointiness of the cut-and-sew style than American women. This explains the strategy of the next Lise Charmel brand I’m going to write about, Antinéa.

Antinéa began in the 1920’s and has a distinctly Parisian style, so although Lise Charmel acquired it 18 years ago, it has been developed with its own personality rather than as a moderate version of Lise Charmel (Antinéa’s relationship with its holding company makes me think of Huit’s relationship with Eveden). Antinéa bras tend to cost $120-$130, and they attract women looking for something high end but everyday.

Antinéa’s main foray into U.S. markets is certainly everyday–and not very Parisian. It’s the Essentiel Fit 3D spacer tee shirt bra. With the rounded shape that American women feel so comfortable with, this bra is a bestseller in Canada, and I’ve heard good things about it from Hannale up here in New York and Liz at Lion’s Lair down in the Florida Keys. And it comes in a 30H. The suggested retail price is $89, which makes it competitive with Simone Perele and Chantelle.

Of course it’s the Antinéa fashion collection that excites me most, and for fall/winter 2015, the theme is Precieux Voyage. My favorite is the Fleur de Kerala that begins delivery this month. I’m drawn to asymmetric designs, so I love the velvet touches. Plus, the navy makes it a great basic instead of black.

Unfortunately, the Essentiel Fit 3D spacer is an exception to Antinéa’s typical size range. All 3-part styles that go up to a French G cup begin with a 34 band, and F cups begin at a 32. The gorgeous Aruna Passion below is not available in a 3-part full cup style, but it goes to an F cup in 32-38 bands in the demi cup style.

Here’s hoping that the Essentiel Fit 3D spacer will be such a hit with American women that they beg for a similar size range from Antinea’s fashion styles.

Finally, what about Antigel? When I wrote about it in June, it was called “Antigel by Lise Charmel”, but with its younger styling and prices below $100, the company has wisely rebranded this line as a standalone. Look for its own standalone post next!