Anita and Rosa Faia - A style for everyone and every need

I have been a big fan of Anita and Rosa Faia bras and swim since my fitting career began in 2015. Back then, we affectionately called the Twin style “the butter bra” for its softness. The Josephine might as well have been the only style in existence for certain clients. The Selma spacer (such a personal favorite that I own it in several colors) was a huge hit right off the bat. There are so many great bras for mastectomy, nursing and wireless support and I still remember how excited we all were when the Extreme Control Plus arrived on the scene bringing Anita Sport to women up to a K cup. Anita and Rosa Faia have a style for virtually everyone in any phase of our journey through life.

In 2020 when cancer and the pandemic hit our family, I transitioned from in person fitter to virtual fitter and Lingerie Connections was born. During this time, Anita wireless styles got me through my cancer treatment in comfort and I regularly recommended Anita bras to my virtual clients.. Now that I’m recovered and living a completely different lifestyle on board a 38 foot sailboat in the Caribbean, Anita is still ever present with moisture wicking and comfortable fabrics for my live aboard life..

As I’ve closely followed Anita brands through the years I remember when I began seeing the PanAlp sports bra promoted. I confess, I mainly loved the color and design of it. I do remember thinking that wool lining in a sport bra seemed unusual. Growing up in Minnesota and Norwegian, I associated wool with heavy sweaters and the coldest weather.. More recently though, as I’ve learned about the temperature regulating benefits of wool, I decided I wanted to try the PanAlp bra for myself. On my recent trip back to the states I spoke to a friend at the company about ordering one and we ended up discussing some other newer styles that I was curious about, fabric wise, for wearing in a salty and wet conditions. It’s my goal to be able to offer good recommendations to other women in the sailing community and elsewhere in my virtual and in person consultations. After talking a bit about sailing and live aboard life, we settled on a few styles to try. There’s not enough space in a single blog to go into great detail about each style I received but these are my thoughts on each style that I’ve worn over the last two months on our boat I will be sharing more in the months ahead so be sure to subscribe below!

I wore the PanAlp merino wool lined sport bra on a recent crossing from St Lucia to Martinique. The sea was in a little more confused swell state than anticipated and let’s just say it wasn’t the most pleasant crossing we’ve done on our sailboat. My Anita sport bra was the only thing that didn’t cause me any trouble that day. Comfortable, moisture wicking and ultimately cool on body as well as quite stylish! It really did keep me dry and secure the whole day.

Earlier I mentioned the bestselling Twin style popular for its buttery soft fabric. I’m not sure how Anita did it but somehow this Leni style is even softer. Maybe the pillowy geometric fabric design has something to do with the softness of the fabric? I think the Leni, which is also available in a wireless version, is also a bit more rounded in the cup and maybe shallower making it a slightly easier fit especially for someone with asymmetry like mine. I wore it on the day we cleaned the sea growth off the bottom of our dinghy and put it back in the water. When you have a tough job to do you don’t want to be distracted by an uncomfortable bra.

I also tried the style called Joy with a subtle animal print (shown right). It's been around for a a few years, but is new to me. It's very similar in fit and comfort to the discontinued Josephine that many fans will remember. It also comes in a "big cup" version that goes to a 42I, a moulded cup version and a wireless soft bra version. A style to suit any need or preference. The comfort of this style extends to the matching panty. It's maybe one of the most comfortable pair in my lingerie drawer. Cute decorative straps complete the look of this style.

The Colette spacer cup bra (shown left) is very similar to the bestselling Selma spacer which is such an amazing bra I think I mentioned that I have it in several colors as well as in the wireless version. The Colette spacer is a beautiful option when you want cool breathability. It also works SO well for asymmetry because it hugs the breast and shapes itself to YOUR breast.. I love the lace detail on the cup and decorating the straps!

The last bra I tried out is the Performance WireX sport bra. I LOVE the details of this one. The cushioned straps and the curved strap hardware make it so easy to adjust the support even mid workout if needed. The exterior wire casing makes it so comfortable to move around in. It’s breathable and moisture wicking and also has a great profile under clothing.

I wore it on a grocery shopping and laundry day, which involves a lot of walking and waiting around in a steamy laundromat. I also wore it the day I went up our mast to fix one of our halyards. It is just a home run for Anita. I'm in love!

The last thing I want to mention briefly is Anita's pocketed swim wear. More than once I've come close to losing an expensive form while swimming. Anita has so much really amazing swim. I’ve long wanted a pocketed bikini which are quite hard to find. The one I was sent to try was every bit as soft and comfortable as expected and has a great fit with no gaping on my smaller side. I absolutely love it! I’m hopeful that more stores will consider ordering pocketed bikinis for those women that prefer a two piece suit and need to wear a breast form or equalizer. 

All this to say that Anita, family owned since 1886, is a complete lifestyle brand from the breast forms to the sport leggings and all the bras and Anita Care products in between. There is a style and product available to suit virtually any need.

https://www.anita.com/us/

Shop all styles at the link above or connect with me personally. Mention this blog to receive a «complimentary virtual fitting» for assistance in finding the best styles and size to suit your needs. Thank you to Anita for all these years as a trusted partner in bra fitting.