so... i have never tried any of this bra fitting, ive been guessing, but my underbust is 42 inches, and i have always sat between a c and a d cup. how do i find what will fit me properly? ive read a little of your bra blog, but i have a hard time understanding. oh, and i usually wear a 40d, but even then the straps seem too big. so maybe im confused, but i could definitely use some pointers

Before I make some recommendations, maybe you could answer some questions first just so I get a better idea:

- How does the back feel? Does it feel too tight/too loose? How far away from your body can you pull it?
- Does the center gore sit flat against your sternum?
- When you put on the bras do you bend over and scoup all of your breast tissue into the cups?
- Does the band sit parallel to the ground or does it ride up your back?
- Are the underwires comfortable or do you feel like they dig into your ribcage or underarms?
- Do your cups lay flat against your breast on top or do you have any quadraboob?

-the back is fine, it tends to be a little loose
-the center sits pretty flat, but often can go outward a little if my breasts fill out the cup more
-i tend to put all of my breast tissue (never heard it called that) into the cup, but the sides are loose enough that i tend to fall out
-the band sits parallel most of the time, unless i fill out the cup more, then it will ride up a bit
- i have a hard time with underwires, they dig into my cleavage, not so much the sides
- its hard to get a good fit on the cup. in some sizes a d is too small, some it is too large. in my current bra i have enough space to fit my cell phone and many other random items into the cup, but my other bras are too small on the cup

(current bra is a 40 D)

Thanks for the answers! That definitely gets me a better idea. I'd definitely suggest sizing down in the band to a 38DD (as a starting point).

Lots of signs there that the bands is too loose (your breasts are not able to stay inside of the cups and slide out the sides, the center gore does not always lay flat, the band rides up when you fill up the cups etc). Often in 38 bands and up they can be pretty stretchy so it's quite common for someone with a 40"+ underbust to need to size down (the blogger Bra Nightmares has also experienced this and is around the same band size as you).

I find that often women who are in too big bands have this issue with being in between cup sizes, once they go down a band size then they can get a more accurate fit, hopefully this works for you!

Some suggestions for bras:

- you say that the center gore digs in, I'd suggest looking for plunge bras or bras with lower center gores, you might find them more comfortable.
- look for bras with higher wires underneath the arms. It'll help to keep your breast tissue in place (as will a tighter band).
- start with a 38DD (maybe try also 38D's and 38DDD/E's too). But make sure the bra band is parallel to the floor even if you move around, lift your arms above your head etc. If it moves around still go down another band size.
- make sure to hook the bra on the loosest hook! The hooks are there to tighten up the bra as it stretches over time so you want it on the loosest hook at first.

Also, when trying on bras, always, always, always, make sure to lean forward and scoup all of your breast tissue into the cups (do this always for that matter and it will help to prevent underarm fat).

As for bras to look for. If you're in the states Lane Bryant carries your size so that might be a good starting point (and they have good quality bras for low prices... often they have a buy 2 for 1 sale there). Another good brand is Elomi and I know they have a lot of side support to help prevent breast tissue migration (i.e. underarm/back fat).

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!!

Thanks! i will be going to check some new ones out tomorrow, god knows i need a new bra