I'm going to Berlin, and I'm wondering if there're any lingeri stores worth checking out..? I'm not really expecting there to be, but what if there is! There really aren't any good ones where I live (Copenhagen), and though I order bras online, it would be nice to try some on at a store. Maybe someone knows of a store in Berlin!
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I have come upon $50 USD to spend on bras. I am having a very hard time finding one to buy. I need a molded cup. My ribcage is 29" and my bust is 44". I no longer fit in the Curvy Kate Showgirl Range, having grown out of my 28J/30HH.
I'm very interested in buying an Ewa Michalak bra ... but it must be custom made to fit me. And that also makes me want to get it in a few sizes bigger to be able to grow into it, as I am only 17 and will most likely grow more.
But at the same time, i'm interested in buying a sports bra. I have Fibromyalgia and wasn't taking any medication for it, so wasn't able to work out or do much. I gained a total of 15 lbs and would like to lose it and more. Would a sports bra be the better buy? And if so, what size/brand would be best?
Any help would be great.
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Have you tried Ewa Michalak yet? My recommendation would be to order a bunch of bras in a 30/65 band (yes, EM bras run tight) and try to figure out your cupsize. Your cupsize can vary significantly depending upon cut/style. Since Ewa runs tight in the band, chances are good you will get something wearable from your first order. Only if you find you really need a 28 band would I custom order from Ewa.
Also, how do the regular Curvy Kates fit you? I also cannot quite get why you think you "need" padded bras - unpadded bras can be just as supportive as padded bras if they are the right size and the right cut for you.
I can also recommend checking out The Big Bra Bar, they have a good selection in 28 bands that you cannot find elsewhere.
As for a sportsbra, try the Shockabsorbers in 30HH. If this is too small, pray that Freya will bring out its Active Underwired in a 30J soon.
First thing: Can you wear two crappy sports bras combined to exercise in? This is what I do (I have FM as well, btw), but I am smaller than you-only 28FF/G to 30G/GG (UK sizing) at my largest. Anyhow, if that works, cheap out on the sports bras by doubling those and then get one nicer bra. Don't get a custom one yet since your size is still changing.
She didn't say padded, she said molded. I need molded as well-there are a host of reasons in my case, including a piercing, which shows through thin lace cups. Also, FM makes my skin hyper sensitive at times-molded cups work better for me, too.
Breakout bras is having a sale this weekend, and they have the Curvy Kate Smoothie-that might work for you.
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My little sister has bigger bra problems than I do: I suspect she needs a 28 or even a 26 band, and those are not available anywhere locally.
Fortunately, she and my mother are going to be in London next month. I've already convinced them, based on reading various blogs, that they have to pay a visit to Bravissimo. It ... is really important to me that my sister find some well fitting bars, as she has recently started talking about getting a breast reduction, and I'm very much against elective surgery for non-health reasons.
Does anyone have any tips? I'd like to know things like: which branch is the best for these sizes? Which day of the week and time of the day are best? Is it worth mentioning in advance that they're on a budget so they aren't brought the more expensive brands to try on? Should my mother get a fitting too even though she's probably not going to buy anything, or will that just piss off the fitters?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
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This is remotely off topic as I'm from Croatia and cant afford a trip to London for a proper fitting. But I can tell you one thing - A well fitting bra, even almost fitting bra may as well change your sisters mind about surgery. When she gets her hands on a bra bigger than she needs she will stop feeling like a freak of nature. You could try introducing her to sam bra blogs like bras I hate, invest in your chest, thin and curvy, sophia jenner... All of this really helps with accepting your body shape.
Like I said, I have never been to london, but if I did go, Id visit debenhams too :)
How old is she? And what cup size do you suspect she may need? If she is young, or just generally put off my many of the bras made for "big cups" (granny-bras) then she should definitely go for some Cleo's - they are young, 'light', and probably look a lot like those young girls with A-C cups wear.
I would also recommend they schedule a fitting. I know they of course also help out drop-in's, but to get the full attention of a skilled fitter, it can be good to have it scheduled.
And of course, they should try to go for the biggest one, more choices :)
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Today, October 5th, the order I placed on October 2nd ARRIVED! If that isn't fast, I'm not sure what is.
I have reviewed the three bras separately:
http://www.bratabase.com/browse/ewa-michalak/pl-onyks/65E/
http://www.bratabase.com/browse/ewa-michalak/ch-onyx/65E/
http://www.bratabase.com/browse/ewa-michalak/hm-gold-267/65E/
A quick summary follows here below:
The bras came packed in a little brown box, cube-shaped, quite cute really. I was very excited and became even more so when ... I started fitting them, even though the fit on none of them was perfect.
The PL Onyks was first: the band of this bra is nice and snug, a perfect fit for my 27"/69cm underbust. Killer cleavage like I've never had before it gives me and it just leaves me in general awe: wonderful wonderful shape, lifted and round, just such a pity the upper edge of the cups either gapes or cuts in -- only standing up straight and holding still seems to facilitate a perfect line. I THINK this is because the cups of this Padded Plunge are ever so slightly to big (especially on my smaller left side), but with the sides of this bra being so low my larger side threatens to spill as it is, so going down a cup size doesn't seem a solution. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, as I like this bra enough to give it another go in a more fitting size
The CH Onyx came next: the band on this one runs at least a full size larger than the band on the plunge version. It fits me snugly on the tightest hook, but is obviously too large. Again that most amazing and marvellous shape!!! Really, I'm so sold on the shape these things give me that I am now desperate to find my fit. The cups on this Padded Half Cup fit my larger right side almost perfectly, but gape strangely on my smaller left side. The 'cookies' included with this (and the previous) bra to correct asymmetry don't do the trick, so I am bit stumped as to what causes the enormous difference between the sides ... otherwise I like the fit and appearance of this bra even better than the previous one -- virtually no gaping and no cutting in on my larger side -- so I would really like to get it right. I'm suspecting I can do with a cup size smaller and I definitely need to go down a band size. I THINK, judging by the EM measurement table here http://www.ewa-michalak.pl/Size-Calculator-chelp-eng-10.html that a 60F might be perfect, but input is of course welcome.
The HM Gold was the last I tried on: the other two bras are mind-boggling, but this one is truly miraculous. Really, how is it that a bra made of such delicate, sheer lace-and-nothing-else provides such lift and shape?! I'm hooked and slightly gutted that this bra runs so much larger in the cups than the other two bras. The band falls somewhere between the previous two bras: tighter than the CH Onyx, but not as tight as the PL Onyks. I can close it on the tightest hook with relative ease, so I should probably go down a band size. But then the cups: again, my larger, right side ALMOST fits, but I do have to tighten the strap more than I like to reduce the gaping at the top edge to a minimum. On my smaller left side the difference is, again, significant. There's just too much space there and no amount of tightening gets rid of the gaping. I REALLY need a smaller cup size in this one and I REALLY want to find out what will work ... 60F? 60E? I'm thinking the latter as the cups on this model seem to run significantly larger than the cups on the CH Onyx.
Oh well. Let me deal with returning these beauties first (*snif*). I must say this is all rather addictive -- and oddly enough I'm having fun
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I wouldn't go down to band 60 in HM. Bra with band 65 is designed for person with your ribcage measurements. Cups in Hm are usually smaller so it it recomended to go down one size.
Yes, I read that too ... and the band measurements match my Panache Andorra's so it SHOULD be fine. However, when I tried it on it closed fully on the tightest hook. Oh well, I think I'm going to try this one in a 65DD first anyway as I'm not quite ready to enter the land of custom-made and no-returns yet ...
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Just looked through the Sales stats, in the last 30 days 99 bras were listed, in the same time 37 listings were sold via Bratabase, and 29 successful transfers, almost one daily exchanged hands
I've noticed ever since I bought my first Deco over 3.5 years ago, that the cups tend to get a dip or crease in the bottom of them. If I slouch (which is my normal posture anyhow) it turns into a fold. It happens right on the curve near the center gore. And more so on my larger side. It's a lot worse now than a few years ago, and it happens on both new and old Deco's. Does anyone know why it does this?
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Making an educated guess is that the wires of the Deco only fit you 95%, not 100%. I think the fold happens bc a tiny amount of cupspace is not filled out by your breasts in that particular area.
If they were up any higher they'd be sitting on tissue. I was recently considering going up a cup size too. The fold happens more in the larger breast, not smaller.
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I'm trying to list one of my bras, but it's pretty difficult (or I'm too stupid), so I put the bra on eBay, it's a 30 G Wonderbra in cream and rose, model 9212
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In order to list a bra, you need to measure it, add it to the database and include a picture of the bra. Only after that bratabase allows you to list the bra in question.
Done all that, but sorry, it's a hell lot of work, it still doesn't work, so I put it on eBay, if it doesn't sell I throw it out. Most of the bras here seem to be on forever anyway and I want to have a big clearing as we are moving soon
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...that one day my bra will fit me like a glove,
It will make my boobs crazy round and uplifted and upfront as some cleos do
It will encase my boobs perfectly, leaving no empty room a the bottom and the sides
It will pull me in with side support pannels so my boobs will stay in line with my torso and will ... never ever make me look east-west
It will hold me in tightly so i feel no jiggle while I walk or even run from rain
It will have wonderful comfortable wide straps that stay adjusted
And a nice tight band with 4 hooks closure that minimises back fat
I have a dream...
That the wires wont hurt me ever again.
That the fabric will scratch no more
That the straps and the band wont strech out
I have a dream
That one day my boobs will sit firm and high up where theyre supposed to be
And I will feel no pain because of that
I have a drem...
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Have you ever tried Bravissimo? Especially the Linear Rose and the Boudoir Beau?
Followed your suggestion and ordered the Boudoir Beau :) I think this could be the perfect workbra for me... I ordered a 30 HH in cream I managed to find on ebay. Im a bit affraid it'll be too small though :/
Bratabase says 32 H would be too small for me in the cup and the 30 J would be too big o.O
The absolute best bra fitting store in Berlin is DoppelD, http://www.doppel-d.eu/
A friend of mine works there on Mondays, she wears a 32J herself and really knows her way around big breasts. She is also fluent in English.
Other good stores are:
Korsett Engelke - very traditional, a bit old fashioned, a small shop stuffed to roof and bursting with all kinds of lingere. No website, Adress Kantstr. 109. Watch this video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ndVVyZt3N0 from about 0:30 to 2:00 to get an idea of the interiour of the store and see the owner, she is Berlins most senior brafitter. At 6:15 to 7:00 you can see the outside of the shop and her daughter, who also works at the shop.
BH-Total, http://www.bh-total.de/
Fittings on appointments only, call ahead to reserve a fitting, try to get somebody who speaks decent English. They have Freya/Fantasie only, no Panache.
The stores of the lingerie chains Change and Hunkemöller would also be worth a try, they are in the Alexa shopping mall near Alexanderplatz.
And if you are interested in a corset instead of a bra, check out Tomto (tomto.de) at Torstrasse 22. Tomto corsets are pricey, but they are some of the best in Europe.