Beautiful lingerie that also gives real support gets harder to find as your cup size goes up. PrimaDonna has built its whole identity around that problem for more than 150 years. We've been fitting it at Plums since we opened in 2006, and it's still one of the brands our customers return to season after season. Here's where it came from, what sets it apart, and the collections we'd point you towards now, including four that have become permanent fixtures in the range.
Where PrimaDonna Began
PrimaDonna's story starts in Germany in 1865, in a small atelier making corsetry. From the beginning it paid particular attention to women with a fuller bust, and by 1890 it had a reputation as a specialist corsetier to well-to-do women. That focus never slipped. Even in the 1970s, when fashion was fixated on a slim, straight-up-and-down figure, PrimaDonna carried on making lingerie for women with curves.
In 1990 the brand was bought by Van de Velde, the Belgian lingerie house in Schellebelle that also makes Marie Jo. Van de Velde moved PrimaDonna from purely functional to properly fashionable while keeping fit at the centre of everything. New fabrics such as nylon and Lycra came in, and the size range kept growing. The first H cup arrived in 1997, and a deep plunge bra from B to H cup followed in 2004. I cups came in 2007, and later J and K. With the Montara collection, PrimaDonna went further still, to L and M cups.
Along the way the family grew too. PrimaDonna Twist launched in 2010 for women who wanted the same support with younger shapes, more moulded cups and bolder prints. PrimaDonna Swim followed in 2013, with bikinis up to an I cup, and PrimaDonna Sport arrived in 2017. Today more than 2,500,000 PrimaDonna pieces are sold around the world every year.
How a PrimaDonna Bra Is Made
A Prima Donna bra is designed to feel as though it was made for you. Designers and pattern makers work together on every style, and measurements are worked out to the millimetre. That applies whether the finished piece is a seamless t-shirt bra, a soft lace full cup or a padded plunge.
Once a pattern is agreed, every component is tested for durability and performance, from the fabric and lace to the elastics, fastenings and wires. A single bra can contain up to 50 components. Assembling it takes 40 to 50 steps, with far more handwork than most brands would put in. The wires are cushioned so they sit comfortably against the body rather than digging in. Each finished bra is inspected by hand twice before it leaves the factory, because with something as intimate as a bra, only a human touch can judge whether it's right. From first sketch to launch, a new style can take up to 18 months.
What Makes PrimaDonna Different
The fit. This is what our customers talk about most. PrimaDonna fits a slim woman with a large cup just as well as it fits a fuller figure, because the bands and cups are graded so precisely. When a PrimaDonna bra fits, it feels secure and settled rather than something you're aware of all day.
The size range. PrimaDonna now runs from a B cup right up to an M cup, which adds up to more than 90 bra sizes. Matching briefs and swimwear come in a generous range as well. If you're not sure where you sit, our bra size guide is a good place to start.
Tested on real women. New styles are fitted on women with a wide range of shapes and sizes, rather than on models or dummies. Their feedback shapes both new launches and changes to existing ones.
It doesn't look "functional". PrimaDonna has worked hard to shake off any idea that supportive means dull. You'll find embroidery, prints, tattoo-style tulle and fashion colours alongside the classic neutrals.
The Icons
Deauville is PrimaDonna's bestselling bra, with one sold somewhere in the world every two minutes. It's also one of the styles we've fitted longest. The ribbed microfibre is soft against the skin, and the embroidery on the cups and straps gives it a polished finish. The three-part cup and high side panels lift and centre the bust into a smooth, rounded shape. It's especially good for a fuller or heavier bust. Many of our customers have been wearing it for years, and there are matching briefs and a body to complete the set.
Madison is the more playful classic, with its checked fabric and stretch lace at the top of the cup. That lace is more useful than it looks. It moulds to the breast, which makes Madison a good choice if you have some asymmetry or find that a more rigid cup cuts in. It comes in several shapes, from a full cup wired bra to a padded heart-shape, and every one is built for full support and lift.
The Continuity Collections
Some collections come and go with the season. Continuity collections stay in the range year after year, so once you've found the one that fits you perfectly, you can come back for it again. Four of our favourites are now part of that core range.
Figuras
Figuras is PrimaDonna's answer to the everyday bra that disappears under clothes. It's completely seamless and remarkably light, made from breathable spacer fabric that holds its shape without the bulk of a traditional moulded cup. The full cup and plunge styles lift and centre the bust. The padded heart-shape creates a lovely neckline, even on a smaller bust, and there's a strapless version too. If you live in fitted tops and knitwear, or simply prefer a bra without lace or embroidery, this is the one to try. You'll find more smooth styles in our t-shirt bras.
Montara
Montara was the collection that took PrimaDonna into L and M cups for the first time, and it has become a firm favourite in our fitting room. The lower cup is made from firm simplex fabric, which has less give than the fabrics used in some other PrimaDonna collections. That makes it a good option if you prefer a secure, firmer cup. The upper cup is made entirely of stretch lace that lies flat against the chest, so there's no gaping at the neckline. Side panels bring the bust forward and centre it. As well as the underwired full cup, there's a plunge and a wireless version, and Montara sits at a more accessible price point than many PrimaDonna collections.
Salerno
Salerno is built on the same frame as Montara, so it offers the same exceptional size range, from B right up to an M cup. The full cup bra is cut in four sections for a naturally rounded shape. A side support panel runs up into the strap to lift the breast and bring it forward. As with Montara, firm simplex fabric in the lower cup does the hard work, while a soft, stretchy patterned lace across the top contours to the bust. There's also a half padded plunge bra for a little more shape. For days when you want comfort without a wire, the wireless longline bralette goes up to a G cup and is made partly from recycled yarns.
Sophora
Sophora is PrimaDonna at its most daring. Graphic embroidery sits on sheer tulle for a tattoo-like effect, so it looks bold and a little bit sexy. Underneath, though, it's a properly supportive underwired full cup with a sturdy double lining. The lower cups lift, the side panels gently bring the bust together, and the result is a smooth, curvy silhouette. It's proof that you don't have to choose between support and something that makes you feel fabulous.
Caring for Your Prima Donna Lingerie
Hand washing will always give your lingerie the longest life. Fill a sink with cool water and add a little lingerie wash. Leave it to soak for a few minutes, then rinse in cool water. Squeeze gently rather than wringing, and hang to dry.
If you do use the machine, put your bras in a lingerie bag and choose a delicate 30°C cycle, otherwise a wire can work loose and end up in the drum. Never tumble dry. Rotating two or three bras rather than wearing the same one every day also makes a real difference to how long they last.
When to Replace Your Bra
A well-fitting bra should feel comfortable enough that you forget about it. Once you start noticing it, it's time for a new one. The signs are a band that rides up, straps that keep loosening, fabric that's thinning or a wire that has started to make itself felt. The same goes if your weight has changed, since even a few pounds can alter your size. A bra that no longer supports you properly shows in your posture and can leave your back, neck and shoulders aching.
Find Your PrimaDonna Fit
PrimaDonna has been making lingerie for curvy women for more than 150 years, and it still sets the standard for fit, quality and design in fuller cup sizes. It isn't the cheapest option, but the fit, comfort and longevity more than earn their place in your drawer.
You can browse our full PrimaDonna collection online. Still, the best way to discover which collection suits you is to try them on. Get in touch to book a fitting at our boutique on La Colomberie in St Helier, and we'll help you find your perfect PrimaDonna.
