Yeah...if I could even find a 28 band I would never even be able to close it. I tend to add a little less than they say. But no way could I fit a 28 inch band. My band does. not. move. at a 32. I can feel it restricting my breath as it is.
But that's because you are probably in too small of a cup. A 32B is a 30C is a 28D. Try a proper cup size and then the proper under bust size.
I've always been scared to get fitted cause I think they're going to give me some god-awful hard as crap to find size and I won't ever be able to wear cute bras anymore. I know it's not as important for older women, but being 22 and still young, I want to feel sexy in my bras!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mimsyborogoves
Aren't they expensive, though? That's another deal for me -- I only buy Lane Bryant bras right now cause they're the only place that has bras that fit me comfortably (Right now I'm in a 42D, but it's really too big now, band size AND cup size) and I have enough problems paying the 35 bucks for bras that I already do. I don't want to have to pay more =/
Your bras (if you are busty) are the most important thing in your wardrobe. You want to continue to be able to wear cute bras? You need to take care of your breasts. Proper bra sizing helps with sagging.
I'm wondering if the reallllllllllly bad nursing bras I had (that was what the professional sizer told me to get) is what ruined my breasts for like forever. All cotton, no wire bras with my cup size is a big NOOOOOO! Especially with the breastfeeding weight in the breasts.
36D - Massive armpit 'fat' boobs falling out the bottom of the band... what was I thinking???
28H now (just got another new bra yay) All my boobage fits in the cups and none spills out, Amazing!
What really helps is - I fasten the back, lean forward, shimmy shimmy and scoop all the tissue into the front of the bra. Then I stand up and readjust the band so it lays flat on my ribcage, and put the straps up.
I have been ordering 30/G and 28/H bras from Figleaves.com (check the clearance section!) and never pay more than $30 a bra. They have cheap shipping and are super easy for returns, too! I just put what doesn't work into a flat rate box and send it on back .
Yes the shimmy and shake is quite helpful, I can't get my bras to fit properly without it - LOTS of gathering and readjusting, and then they fit perfectly. Otherwise the cups seem too big and the bands too tight.
Go figure
Now if only I'd figured all this out sooner than a few years ago. I was doing my figure no favors from the wrong bra size. The right bra makes me look so much slimmer!
I am so poor ladies, so deeply poor, that I cannot buy fresh bras. But I absolutely love this board and posters for their commitment to helping the busty find the right fit. A great fitting bra changes everything That cute tshirt that just looks a little funny? That urge to suck in your belly and straighten your shoulders so your top falls "right"? The whole "skinny girls have nice cleavage but I have a chest-butt-crack thing". Oh my word, all changed the moment I went from a 36 to 32DDD.
I am positive I've gone down in size, my ribs are 27-28 and I'm noticing a lot more fat loss/loose skin in the girls. I cannot WAIT till things are a bit more cushy and I can get me some of those Ewas. Ahhhhhh the glory of a well fitting bra. It's like buying a completely new wardrobe. Everything looks so good again.
Ooh, I have a question for you bra experts. My ribcage measures 31". Should I go with a 30" or 32" band? My 34s are so old and stretched out that I'm tempted to tie some of them in a bow behind my back at this point, but they only really fit when I was pregnant and post partum, before my rib cage shrunk back. Which means I'm wearing 4+ year old bras. Duh. No wonder they don't fit and are all stretched out.
It depends on the brand, but while many advise you to go up to the correct size if you are in between, I get too much give in the band if I do that, nd so I always go down. When I was 37 inches I went with a 36 band and it was just right. Now that I am between 33-34 inches and still losing, I will likely go with a 32 when I get some new bras. But a brand with a very firm band, or very small band sizes, I'd say go up a size. There is less give, overall, to a smaller band (less fabric with which to have ease!) and some brands are much more rigid in the band than others.
But in general, with your run of the mill American and British brands, I'd suggest going down to the nearest size, not up.
While we're on the topic. Does this happen to anyone else....The middle of my bra fits nice and flat on my chest. I don't have any pucker up front and my straps don't dig into my shoulders. My bras are comfortable and I sit nice and high (when in a bra). I can't recall ever needing to adjust my bra once I put it on. In fact, they are really, really comfortable. However, the top of my cups pucker out. I mean I can fold the extra fabric on my cup that is above my breast. Literally, it seems like I have a half inch of "extra" fabric. Everything else is comfortable and I feel well supported. My mother...the southern woman that she is...would tell me if I was jiggly or loosely fit.
Could it be that my cup is too big but the rest of the bra is not????
RUNNINGFROMFAT...HELP!!!!
I get that and it is related to my breast shape - mine are teardrop shaped, and not very full on top, thus if it isn't a slightly structured cup (like Ewa, now we know why I love the brand so much ) I get some puckering/rippling in the fabric even when the fit is otherwise perfect.
Unless it is noticeable enough to see through my clothes I ignore it, otherwise pinching the fabric in toward the center gore and stitching it down (almost like a dart) is a good way to take up the excess without real affecting the rest of the cup.
Some brands and cuts are better for breasts like mine than others. Demicups, in particular, and plunges work too. Full cup bras almost guarantee I get the ripples at the top, because I just don't have enough breast tissue to fill that section of the cup. But going down a size or two in the cup often leads to improper fit of the entire cup for me, so I deal with the least evil option. If you're trying on in person, do try going down a cup size and see if that fits better and if not, you're in the boat I'm in
Last edited by Arctic Mama; 04-06-2012 at 07:13 PM.
I always thought I was wearing the right size, anyway, but I still have armpit fat. Cause, like before my 42D's became too big, the middle part (the thing that connects the cups) sat perfectly against my chest, my boobs sat nicely in the cups. The only thing was my band rode up in the back, and I always tightened the straps cause it gives my boobs more lift -- if I didn't do that, my bra felt too loose. I guess I'm not wearing the right size now, but I'm gonna be upset if I can't shop at Lane Bryant for my bras anymore (at least for right now, lol). I freakin' love their bras. So comfy!
Ok, first off. Don't add inches to your band!!!! Take your underbust measurements and start there. You're not going to get the correct cup size until you get the correct band size. Now if you're in between too band sizes you have to decide for yourself (and might want to try two different sizes). For me it's always better to size down but other women decide to size up. It's something you really have to decide with by trial in error.
Cup size. Like I said, you can't get the proper cup size until you get the band size correct. Cups can look like they're fitting properly. You can even get the center gore to sit flat against your sternum but if your band is riding up then the band is too big. That's really, really BAD for your back!!!!!! I can't emphasize this enough. What happens is the pressure of your breasts sits between your shoulder blades instead of your underbust, which can actually hurt your back.
RE: filling out the top of the cups. Look for shorter cups. Full fit bras might not be the best for you. Try balconettes, which typically have a lower cut. Ewa Michalak bras are amazing and tend to have shorter cups, which can help a lot. Moulded cups might be very difficult for you.
Also about adding inches to your band. You have to understand that this advice is very, very outdated. The entire reason that it started was because when bras were initially sized the material was not as strechy as it is today. However, over the years more and more spandex was added to bands so now the vast majority of women should not be adding inches (there was a recent study on this actually, so I'm not just making it up either and see this too). There are a few RARE exceptions and sometimes women find it easier to slowly go down in band size and get used to tighter and tighter bands over time.
However, in terms of pain, proper support etc band=underbust measurement is absolutely the best starting point. A band should be tight enough that only two fingers can fit comfortably underneath the band but not an entire hand.
Now, if you think that you can't fasten a band in that size it's because the cups are too small!!!!! Understand about sister sizes. So if you wearing something like a 34D it's the same volume as a 32DD. However, because the band is tighter then it might show fit effects that weren't present before so you might really need a 32E instead of a 32DD when you go down a band. If you're wearing a WAY wrong band size it's best just to take your measurements and go from there.
Re: cute, affordable bras. CHECK OUT CURVY KATE AND BRASTOP!!!! Today they're having a sale for up to 20GBP off of bras. They carry 28-46 bands in cup sizes D-K! The prices are amazing and they ship around the world (I've ordered from them before). I also love Ewa Michalak bras, again, they ship around the world and the cost is around $30-$40/bra. You don't NEED to pay a huge amount for wonderful, well-fitting bras. I live in Brazil and the currency here is worth much less than the dollar or the pound and yet I'm still able to buy well-fitting bras that are absolutely adorable!!! And I wear a 28J, so um a very, very hard to find size!!!!
Just an example of a great curvy kate bra....
It's listed at $15 over at brastop, HARDLY breaking the bank there!!!!
Anothering that can help with a lot of armpit fat is high underwires underneath your arms.
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