Nov 19, 2012
I just noted that eBay and Amazon have better bra sizing guides than most bra manufacturer's websites. Just sharing!
All bra adventures
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Bravissimo Experience
So I thought I would post a wrap-up of my experience trying Bravissimo own-brand bras.
On the whole, their bras are very good quality and very pretty. I appreciate that they are pushing the usual limits on sizing, but I wish they would push more. Customer service was pleasant and prompt, but had an irritating tendency to assume things about what ... I want/need or why I was interested in something, without looking at what I had ordered, to see that their assumptions made no sense.
The reason I care about this is mostly because I would like the company to have a realistic idea of what their customers are looking for and why. For example, one customer service person said something like "The Fleur Bra is very pretty, I'm not surprised it caught your eye". I'm sorry but no. Granted, I like it, and I actually do think it's pretty, but, just no. The reason it caught my eye is because it is the 2nd of only 2 "full-coverage" bras Bravissimo is offering at the moment!!! I care way the hell more about that than what it looks like. And I wish they would understand this, because they should make more variety of styles (and sizes). Also their constant reassurance that I can exchange as many times as needed without incurring additional shipping costs (on the them to me end, anyhow) doesn't make me feel any better, given that there actually is nothing else left for me to try.
Ultimately, I will have paid an awful lot in shipping (approximately $25 so far, and I haven't sent the last package back yet, probably gonna be another $10) for the privilege of trying on 4 styles (7 bras total) out of the really very few that exist from *any* manufacturer in my size range (32/34 K/KK ish). Now, as it happens, this round of try-ons actually taught me a lot about what shapes and styles are going to work for me, and how certain types of bras will fit. (It allowed me to, for example, look at a good picture of the Panache Jasmine and say that it would almost certainly work really well, with the exception of the straps being too wide/outward angled. Which is exactly what it turns out to be.) Also, now I can use these bras for comparison, since many people have tried the Alana bra and others.
However, I will admit to being fairly frustrated at this outlay of money that is still going to leave me with no new bras, and feeling like obviously my boobs are just too big for reality. Knowing how well full coverage bras can work to support soft, full breasts, I do not understand why Bravissimo does not add this style to those that come in KK or KK and L. Why stop at K? Why is that the cutoff? If they came bigger, it's possible I would have come out of this with something to show for my money. I think I am coming to the same conclusion as a few others here that a bra that really, actually fits me completely properly probably does not exist at this time. (And maybe never will? Although I have hopes for the Elomi Rita, assuming I don't care that I will need to tighten the band.)
I've written individual reviews of the styles I tried, so I'm not going to try to summarize here (I can try to answer questions about the differences or whatever, if there's something I didn't cover in my reviews.) What I tried was:
Alana 32KK, 32L
Oriental Bloom 32K, 32KK
Linear Rose 32K, 34K
Fleur 34K
Incidentally, I currently have Linear Rose and Fleur in 34K that I will need to send back. If anyone wants to buy them from me instead, that would save me the shipping cost. (Although you'd have to be sure you want them, or ready to resell them if not, of course.) Let me know in the next day or two and I will put them up on a listing.
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13 comments
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Wow, that's the same experience I've had with Bravissimo! Prompt, courteous service that misses the whole point of my questions, limited selection of the style I want in the size(s) that might work, and, of course, horrendous return shipping costs from the US. (I feel sheepish complaining about the above, since my size and shape are far easier to accommodate than yours, but still, the money! And time!)
It's funny how we in the U.S. can buy almost anything we can think of, except for bras outside that 15-size range available at, say, Victoria's Secret. I met a Frenchwoman who moved here after marrying ten years ago. She said it amazes her how anything she muses would come in handy is already made and for sale here. I had just met her, so I couldn't ask her about bras, lol.
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Thanks for reviews and pictures of these bras. Fleur and Linear Rose are on my wishlist. I recently got 2 Alanas and quite like them although I have the same problem with the seperation of the straps, they cut into my arms.
How would you compare Fleur and Linear Rose to Alana? Same size or size down 1 cup, since they are more roomy and open on top?
About bravissimo size ranges, I see more of a negative developement. They seem to produce rather less sizes than more on their new bras. The Lola Luxe basque used to come in a 28 band, but this season not anymore. The new Aleya bra comes only up to JJ cup in a 30 band, why that?! Couldn't they just produce 2 or 3 styles from 28D-40L? Also up to K-cup in 28 band? That would be great. -
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Bras Around the House
I go to college online and don't have a job so I am at home most of the time. I don't wear a bra around the house and never have but I read a lot of ladies here do. Is this something I should be doing? Does it make a difference? I would say I have smaller, firmer breasts so they don't need as much support as someone with larger breasts. I've also been thinking about wearing a bra to sleep because it's becoming impossible to sleep on my stomach.
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For me there are 2 reasons I wear one.
-Comfort because otherwise they do feel like they're dragging my neck down and by the end of the day my posture is worse and my neck/shoulders hurt.
-Appearance. I don't have the perkiest of boobs, and to me it's almost like not making the bed or brushing your teeth...something's amiss. I work from home and leave the house maybe once a week, but I still like to be completely dressed every day.
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hmm, maybe that is why i'm always slouching so bad! is it ok to wear a bra with a too big band? i only have a 34c and i don't want to wear one of my newer bras
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What do we really mean?
Ok, bra fitting language, it makes me crazy sometimes. It seems there is no language to use for describing our actual shape of breasts, we just have found a lot of ways to explain "if you have XX boobs your boobs will act like XX in a bra". But there are several reasons our boobs acts a certain way in ... a bra.
I want more detailed descriptions on boob shape. I want descriptions as clear as the plastic sergeants makes them. I want more descriptions about how the boobs acts in themselves than in a bra.
I want fit issues to be listed with more alternative explanations rather than just one.
And I want a bra lexicon. What does people mean when they say soft breasts? What do they mean when they say full on top? What do they mean when they say shallow?
I often use those terms that I've found at the plastic sergeant pages or medical pages to describe fitting issues. I go straight down to the bone structure and body shape, fat distribution, glandular tissue distribution in breasts and so on.
I have so many fitting issues my boobs makes me go nuts and I have no clue what so ever to describe them since people clearly use totally different names for the same thing.
It's a language issue of course, but not only. It's also the fact that bra fitters has constructed a language of their own that often are not thoroughly explained.
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Could we start a glossary using the medical terms you learned about? I agree it would help everyone troubleshoot their own and others' brafitting issues.
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Hi Eliza,
Actually we've been working on exactly that the last few days on the site, some users have helped with this but it is still not quite ready :( -
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Tip: Bra Liners
I wanted to share something that I realized many people may not be aware of: bra liners.
(Specifically, I recommend the brand Pambra's.)
I always get sweaty under my boobs, even in the best lifting bra, even in the winter, I just get sweaty.
Also I often find that the wires and/or casing irritates my skin, not because it doesn't fit, but just ... because my skin is sensitive and/or the material is scratchy. (Or sometimes, yes, because my band is too big, because, for example, I'm wearing an old worn out bra on a stay-at-home day.)
Bra liners are awesome for both these issues, I wear one pretty much every day (on hot/sweaty days I often change for a new one once or twice throughout the day) and I seriously don't know what I would do without them. At this point I have about 15 of them, so I can wear them all the time, and just toss them in the wash. I just have white ones, but apparently they make black and tan now, too. I might need to get a set of black ones, hmm.
I know I sound like a commercial, but I really am just happy these exist and wanted to share the info with you all!
The liner is several layers of cotton (other materials inside? I don't know.) stitched into a smooth strip that you just tuck under your band in front. Ignore any reviews that claim they don't stay in place, if your band is properly tight, they should stay. (There's a small bump upwards in the middle that goes at the center gore. I don't know if they've changed them since I bought mine, or the pictures are just weird, but mine definitely do not go up nearly as high as on the models in the pictures. I kinda wish they did go up some higher, though, it would be useful.)
They are a little expensive, but they're really durable, so they should last a really long time. (I bought my first set about 5 years ago, I think, and they're still going strong.)
For sizing, ignore the band size ranges they give, and just measure how far around you want it to go and match to the actual length listed on the chart. (I like mine to go around my sides and fully past the ends of my very wide under wires, so I have size large, which is 26".)
They may be a little hard to get a hold of, depending on where you are, but the website does list retailers in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as the US, and some online retailers that ship internationally. They are also on Amazon US (which I think has the best prices here).
I hope this helps some folks
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The Original Bra Liner | Pambras
http://pambras.com/products/original-bra-liner/
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New bra fitting clues again
All bras are made for the middle range. There are no really shallow bras out there. Neither are there any really deep bras out there either.
There are no bras for the really petite, nor any for the really tall.
The fact that Panache and Curvy Kate seems shallow for most doesn't mean they are shallow enough for me. And even ... if a lot of cups seems deep for most, still someone with really narrow and big boobs will need more depth and narrower wires.
Bras, just like clothing is made for the middle range. They are not made for either broad or narrow shoulders but for avarage shoulders. Clothing is not made for the very broad waist, nor for the really small waist.
Mass production after all is made after the mass. I am no where near the mass, and those struggling with fit often are not.
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118 comments
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If only there was a place where one could truly custom order -- "I'd like THIS band with THOSE wires and THAT cup, pretty please ... ?" *sigh*
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I agree with you. Off the rack clothing works perfectly for such a small percentage of women I don't even dare to guess at the number. I cannot think of a single woman I know who buys off the rack and is happy with the fit.
Everyone has their own problems I guess for me my lack of height is a problem as almost everything is too long for me (pants especially).
Strangely enough I find tops for me are often too short though (I attribute this to a longish torso relative to my height).
I also have a lot of problems with tops that just don't sit right. This is difficult to explain but despite me matching the ideal measurements recommended for some clothes they still don't fit me. I can only put this down to my curves not being in the right place. I can wear a top that states it is designed for a 80cm chest with room to move even though standing up I have an 85cm chest and bending over it's closer to 90cm. Thing is I have small boobs but I'm big across the back and chest since I spend a lot of time swimming.
I just think we have more problems these days since so few of us sew our own clothes. I sew very little I must admit but I know my mum and gran sewed nearly all their own clothes and got a perfect fit in the process.
I have to admit it would be hard for any clothing maker to come up with clothes to fit every size, shape & height out there.
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Nov 18, 2012- Wondering about Ewa Michalak
So I was pondering getting some custom Ewa Michalak bras when I got the money. I remember reading somewhere that you can order custom EM bras through another online retailer that DOES accept returns? Can anybody tell me which store that was? I tried googling but I must be doing something wrong.
Also, does anyone in California have any experience of ordering EM bras? If so, did you have to pay customs fees?
Thanks to anyone who reads this!
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Join The Big Bra Bar facebook page, they notify when they order from EM, you can request your size then. https://www.facebook.com/TheBigBraBar
Buy from here: http://www.thebigbrabar.com
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Thank you so much! :D
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7
Nov 18, 2012 - Bratabase makes my job at VS a little more bearable
I started working at Victoria's Secret in late August. I was hoping (and still do) that it will only be a temporary source of income until I receive my EMT-b certification and can move on to the more exciting stuff. That wish only escalated to an urgent desire to be able to get out as quickly as possible without leaving ... the woman kind enough to hire me, along with my co-workers, high and dry for the holiday season. I've worked in restaurants, Starbucks, laboratories, and libraries before, but I was not prepared for how much I would come to despise retail.
I'll spare you all the details, but suffice to say as time went on I grew more and more frustrated with one of my supervisors in particular. After getting off work one day, I stalked out to my car, slammed the door, and proceeded to scream at the steering wheel until my voice was hoarse. That was about the time I realized something needed to change.
Incidentally, that weekend I decided that if I'm going to have to work at this place I despise, I might as well ACTUALLY find a bra that fits. I started posting bras on bratabase, getting feedback, and troubleshooting the current VS bras I have. I learned a lot about the way bras should be measured (cup depth, gore placement, even how tight/low the band should be) that I had not once encountered at my job -- a place that actually bills itself as "best at bras" in its employee handbooks.
I came back into work yesterday and lo and behold, my least-favorite manager was there. Instead of answering her "shift warm-up" questions like the trained monkey, as I normally do, I raised the issue of my suspicion that Victoria's Secret bras don't fit me, period.
Now, let me put this into context for you -- this woman is a "company standards" nut. I suspected even before broaching the subject that asserting that my VS bras didn't fit me, and that they don't carry my size, and that I think I'm really a 28E or maybe 30DD rather than a 32C, would be tantamount to blasphemy in her eyes. My suspicions were confirmed by the horrified look she gave me afterwards, as if I had just hacked up a hairball on her shoes.
However, she didn't scream or pitch a fit. Instead, and to my surprise, she got our "bra specialist" to refit me while I was on the clock because she wanted my "personal testimony" to customers to be genuine. I've never been one for the trite sales platitudes they teach you to spout at VS ("bonding questions", "features and benefits", "inspire her with...") but I thought this was admirable.
Turns out the size I had been wearing from VS -- a 32C -- was indeed the size I *should* be wearing from there. However, my problem lay in the type of bras I chose for my breast shape. Every single bra I had worn from there was a push up, mostly because I've always been self-conscious about the size of my breasts and felt I needed the extra cleavage boost. In reality, I ended up fitting into the demi-style unpadded bras MUCH better. As our bra specialist (whose title I have now deemed worthy of at least removing the quote-unquote) succinctly put it, "no more push ups for you." She told me that even though I was smaller-breasted, my boobs were perky enough that I didn't need the extra padding to create cleavage -- push ups were more effective for people with a fuller-bottomed and/or saggy breast shape, neither of which really describes mine.
I walked away with a little bit more faith in VS and a little bit less faith in the sizing system on here, to be honest. The biggest take away message was that it's not necessarily about your measurement in terms of numbers -- this is just a starting point. Equally as important is the style of bra, because not all bras are meant for everyone. Sounds obvious, I know, but it took a while for it to finally sink in for me.
So thank you, bratabase, for enabling me to broach the subject of bra sizing in a knowledgable way with my terrifying boss. Everything went better than expected. I'm taking in my horribly outsized 32D push up I was given for on-boarding and exchanging it for a 32C unlined demi today, and look forward to posting my triumphant review shortly after
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Fit is relative to the wearer. I don't agree with some fit methods on here either...because some of them don't apply to me. Some will say to measure as tight as possible and break the measuring tape in order to read how squishy your frame is...but what does this do? It puts you in a band that strangles. Granted, the larger your boobs the more support you need, so some do need a bra to give them a reverse muffin top - it just doesn't look very attractive under a shirt.
I'm glad you were able to stand up to your employer, and at least it's putting the word out there that not every store knows what should be standard...because there isn't one.
However...even with an unlined or lightly line bra...the cups are there for your boobs not your ribcage. And all the bras you have on here ride up. If you still have wrinkles in the band (those horizontal ones that extend up as they go around) then you do infact need a smaller band. I'm curious though...how did they measure you? Was is with the angled measurement that assumes women wear the bra upside down or was it taken from around your ribcage under your boobs? And did they add anything to the result?
VS bras do run a bit more snug in the band, I'll give them that, but they also stretch quite a bit because of the higher spandex/Lycra content. So they may fit you for now, but in another month they'll stretch out and you'll be replacing them sooner than if you were wearing one with less stretch.
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My suspicion is that the stretchiness of the material of VS bras is intentional. Think of it - at first it fits fine and you are happy. After a while the bra stretches. The easiest and fastest solution is to buy a new bra, again from VS of course.
Regarding the shape issue - this is something that is most easily done when you have the woman in front of you, preferably without any bra on and can see her natural shape. Telling this from pictures is very hard to do. Yes, I did see yesterday that the shape was not quite right for you. But in this moment I considered the too wide band the bigger issue. :)
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Nov 17, 2012
After an (unsuccessful) fitting, I've come away with two things about my breasts:
- Broad shoulders.
- prominent sternum.
Couple that with what I already know:
- Shallow breasts
I didn't find anything that fit well. Went through Freyas, Masquerade Rhea, and a Cleo where the gore caused a lot of pain, and some others..
The journey continues.
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Everything will most likely hurt you at your sternum if you don't bend the wires. :( It's sort of the natural thing with flat wires and body that bends.
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Maybe you should give panache a shot? And the curvy kate padded styles could do wonders for you :)
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Nov 16, 2012
I've got one thing to say: Cleo's Alexa is the best bra ever - the lift is so good like in EM bras, shape is round, underwires are perfect for me and it's unpadded!
What is your experience with other Cleo bras designed like Alexa? Do you go for the same size ? Is there any difference between models?
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I've tried the Marcie and the Meg as well as Alexa. For me....Marcie is more open on top. I couldn't get a good fit with the Meg. I would say they are all a little different. I do think Marcie gives just as much lift and support and the shape is round, almost slightly flattened. Think the opposite extreme of pointy...still a good shape for me. I have Marcie in 28FF and Alexa in 30F...beside the obvious band size difference they fit pretty similar in the cup.
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I love the Alexa too :)
About other Cleos I tried:
Meg: I found it the most similar to the Alexa in shape and size. I own both in a 30J. The Meg offers 1cm more coverage on top than Alexa. http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/269/dvci1679.jpg
With both bras I have a bit of empty space on top of the cups (nothing severe, not visible under t-shirts) on smaller days, while they just fit me right on bigger days. So I would say both bras are quite similar in size as well.Natasha: Shape is not entirely similar to Alexa. I think it does run a bit smaller in cup than Alexa. Natasha in 30J fits me best on my smaller days.
Zia: Does run small. I tried the black/yellow one in 30J, and black bras do tend to run smaller. The band (61cm unstretched, 75cm stretched) was far more tight than on Alexa and Meg. Cups were also with an extender too small for me. I would need a 32J in this style.
I can say nothing about the bravissimo exclusive one though.Marcie: Epic fail in 30HH. Looked weird on me and made in-cup-quadraboob because of that seam between under and upper section of the cups.
Sasha: I have this one in 32GG, and back when it fitted me, I really loved the round shape.
I hope this helps a bit. I plan to write reviews on these bras as soon as I have time.
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I can't find any size guides on eBay or Amazon, unless they're specific to a seller. Where are you finding these guides?
The one for Amazon shows up next to the size dropdown box, as "sizing info" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ajax-handlers/apparel-sizing-chart.html/ref=dp_sizechart_c?ie=UTF8&asin=B003L1NB9W
edit: I didn't notice it was overbust measurement! D: I thought it said underbust. Oh well, close enough if not for the overbust measurement.
As for the one on eBay, it seems it was a user written guide. There's more inaccurate ones on eBay though, my bad ._. But I saw a guide that did plus 1" for odd band sizes and no addition for even numbers before.