Does anyone have good photos of taking in the gore on a bra? I can't get the Boobius Maximus photos to load, and everyone who ever mentions that alteration refers to that post. I need photographic handholding before I deface a $70 bra.
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I said this on a bra fit suggestion this morning, but I wanted to put it out here since it's information that some others might find useful. A couple of days ago, I sent Melissa Dessous an English email explaining some of my bra issues and asking what they could accommodate through customization. Essentially, they said (in quite fluent written ... English) they could do whatever I might need *at no additional cost.* This included making cups in different sizes to account for breast size difference, which I've never heard of any other company doing. And I prefer this to wearing a pad on the smaller side.
I understand their cup sizes run about 2 cup sizes small compared to UK. This might mean being sized out of their largest K cup for me, but it sounded like they could handle this in the email as well. I want to try them out as soon as I'm more certain of my UK size and the bra shape I need -- and have some money to add to my bra budget. Their prices are mostly $35 US and under, and apparently their bras are breathable (many are made of cotton and flax!). Also, it appears to me, at least, that there is much more of a range of bra shapes than I've seen at any other Polish bra sites.
I would encourage those with small band sizes that don't exist in UK or US brands -- like a 26 -- to contact them and ask about customization. They were very, very accommodating. They appear to be a smaller company than Ewa Michalak and some of the others, but I was really impressed.
And I don't think most of their stuff looks "granny-ish" even though much of it is made of cotton. I don't know how the final product turns out, but I think this seems really promising for those of us who have trouble finding fitting bras.
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Correction: Their standard sizes go at least to L, so maybe I'm not sized out.
Also, their maxi line includes sister models to a lot of the standard models for a few dollars more. It includes some extra bells and whistles for better comfort like foam in the straps.
How did I not know about this brand. I would love to try it but I am confused by their sizing. I looked at a couple reviews on here and I'm still unsure. Their size chart puts me in a G but as a UK 34H I'm doubtful. Any advice? And they don't have double letters so I'm not sure how to calculate two cup sizes up from a UK H.
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My comexim order finally came in!! Although I have a few issues with the fit I am in love. I'll be asking for fitting help when the pictures get approved, but in the meantime I have some questions about ordering and I don't think adding them onto my actual fitting questions is the best place for them.
So first ... of all, I've been trying to get on their site for 3 days and it says server cannot be found! I was able to get on a few weeks ago but decided to place my first order through wellfitting because it was easier. Well, if you want alterations you need to order from the Polish site, correct? Anyone have any idea what's going on?
Also, I read in someone's bra blog that you can order in Spanish... Can anyone confirm this for me?!? My Polish is non-existent but my Spanish is pretty good so that would definitely make things easier.
This should come up in my fitting request, but info about the kinds of alterations they are/aren't willing to do would be really helpful as well.
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Technically Comexims website doesn't need to work, as you place the order via email anyway.
Anna does speak fluent Spanish, I would still put Polish in the subject line when you send the email though so it doesn't get flagged as spam.
The known alterations that Comexim will do are raised or lowered gores, raised or lowered cup height, straps moved inwards on the cup, 3 hook bands instead of 2... There might be more but that's the ones I know of :)
Ah wonderful, thank you. Do you know if the comexim website has more bras available than the wellfitting site? And also what her email is?
Kind of an embarrassing question, but I haven't been able to find an answer... What exactly does cup height refer to? Is it the part of the cup that covers your breasts or how high the fabric goes up on the sides? Because the front is fine for me, but the fabric on the side digs in a little. Not the underwire but the fabric above it. The straps are also a little too wide so I'm not sure if fixing just that would help?
Totally thrilled to hear she speaks Spanish! But I just had a thought - so many bratabase users have ordered from comexim... does anyone have some translations they know are right? Like, "I want a gore reduced by x cm." Or at least what I should put in the subject line. I don't trust google translate... I know that it doesn't work that well for Spanish.
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Well,I got an Ewa Michalak Hm Magnolia (176) that was a band size or so too small and decided to cut up a bra that was all the wrong size that I had gotten on clearance sale to use the band to put on the HM.It ended up being way too loose and I wish I hadn't cause ... I could have sold both and used it to get a new EM.
LOL.
But I do have one other band from a different bra that is shorter and firmer I shall try before giving up.If that doesn't work,I shall do my best to make the HM as close as possible to it's original condition but the band will be smaller,it'll probably be around a 30GG or so if anyone would be interested.
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I could be! It's just what I'm looking for. What size was it originally?
It was this one,it's fairly open on top which is why I sized down,plus they don't make this one anymore,else I wouldn't go to all the trouble.lol
http://www.bratabase.com/browse/ewa-michalak/hm-magnolia/75GG/
I'll let you know if this second alternation doesn't work.
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This is more of a complaining adventure, but if anyone will understand, it's everyone on here!
I am getting so sick and tired of trying to find camisoles, tanks, and their variants in bras that won't require alteration, because if I want enough material to cover a little bit more than a centimeter or so above my nipples, I have ... to buy a larger size that needs to be altered so it doesn't look baggy/sloppy. I mean, what's the point of getting an non-wired bra to lounge around the house and sleep in if the only way that my boobs will be covered will also have a band with enough room to smuggle my 14lb dog unless I bust out the sewing machine. Is it the assumption that anyone who wears a size small or medium will not have more than a C cup? Maybe it's assumed that if they wear a larger cup size along with a s/m, the occasional wardrobe malfunction a-la-Janet Jackson-halftime performance isn't something they'd be concerned with (if it happens it happens)? Honestly I don't know, but it would be nice to be able to simply buy and wear these types of things when the weather is miserably warm, without all the extra work. Extra work when it's hot = I'm miserable and bitchy.
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Yes, it would be nice to be able to buy them :-/
I recently bought a top (officially a sports bra) for yoga and for lounge wear during hot summer months. I thought it will never cover enough of my oh-so-huge ;) 28 F´s in a size that would be good for my underbust, so I opted for L. Of course I had to alter the band massively. But still, the large L only covers about half of my boobs. I´m thinking WTF.
I'm not sure if this is the same issue you're talking about but my unending beef with tops, tees, tanks etc. is that due to my short torso and the fact that my boobs take up almost 50% of the height of said short torso and small build, EVERYTHING looks lower cut on me than advertised. Plus, my frontage tends to pull knit fabrics when I go about daily activities. So many V necks look perfectly demure on the 28DD models, yet plunge down to eveningwear levels of cleavage on me. So-called "crewnecks" that uncover at least 3 inches of skin below the neck (an issue because recently I was trying to keep my below-collarbone area completely covered to let it heal from a sunburn). I buy petite tops when I find them and when they're not too mumsy, but AUGH!
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I got my hands on the beautiful Ewa Michalak Sm Summer Time (554), but was heartbroken when it didn't fit like I expected. The band wasn't snug enough, the cups were not my ideal width, and the upper cup didn't support very well. Exchanging for a smaller size would likely lead to the same fit issues I had ... in the Sm Burek (and returns are too expensive anyway). So, the only thing that's left to do really, is to bend the bra to my will (and boobs) - literally. I bent the wires to the shape of my roots. DIY customisation. Bam. It's so much more comfortable. This helped with the loose band, too (I don't have to wear it on the tightest setting anymore, yay!) Now there's just the loose fabric to fix. It looks like it can be solved by bunching up the excess and fastening it at the straps. I'm going to make this baby fit!
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I recommend linking this adventure on your bra review, maybe just as a comment. So others can know how you got this to work ;-)
Done and done! I'll link to part 2 when it's finished :)
Recently I found this link to alter the strap position and enlarging the arm hole of the cup:
http://dressingcurves.blogspot.se/2012/03/alterations-moving-strap-position.html
Before this, I used a similar method for this alteration, but it didn't look as nice as the results I got with the method by Dressingcurves! I did it on my 65G - Ewa Michalak » Pl Słowianki (506) ... and the edge looks almost as good as new!
I also found her alteration method for equalizing the band tension:
http://widecurves.com/alter-bra-band-tension-better-fit/
Did anyone try this and have good result with it? I tried it on one bra but unfortunately I don't feel like it made such a big difference.
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I think I've read around that some people have been complaining about their moulded cups eventually curling outwards, especially like the Cleo Neve Plunge T-shirt Bra (7196). I've come up with a simple solution to repair thisI've linked my blog post below to it.
http://noobsboobs.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/how-to-uncurl-your-curled-cups/
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Thanks for this! My parfait casey is curling out :(
Do you know what causes this? I thought that maybe the outer fabric shrinks causing it to curl. :\
This is a fantastic tip! I'm sure I will end up doing this, thank you!
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Maybe I should post pictures & a fitting thing, but I think maybe I want to start with words.
I got 2 mix and match bikini tops that were on sale from ASOS (NEON ORANGE HORRAY).
One fits pretty wearably. The other one has constant threat of boob escape through the top. It's this one: http://www.bratabase.com/browse/asos-swim/mix-and-match-50s-halter-padded-fuller-bust-bikini-top-d-f/
There's just not quiiiiite enough ... room in the cup for anything but sitting around being vaguely decorative, & the wires in the middle tend to rest on boob. Or boob pushes under them. Whichever.
I'm thinking if I take out the padding & line with some lycra scavenged from something else it might work, but I might be missing some reason this is a terrible idea. Thoughts?
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I've seen evidence of this working: http://questfortheperfectbra.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/alterations-how-to-deal-with-awkwardly-wide-gores/
Be careful though. The cup may end up too big. If you haven't removed the tags, you'd be better off using asos's free return service.
Aaaand now I want that halter bikini. As if I needed another swimsuit.
Kallisti23, if the one you have isn't pushup, I agree with Jillsas that you may want to take advantage of Asos's free return shipping and order it a cup size up.
If Asos doesn't offer a cup size up in the same band size, can you sister size up once or twice? and take in the band? It looks like the halter ties wouldn't be difficult to move, if they were too widely placed.
Does anyone have any experience with products (clips, other bands, etc) to make your bra into a razorback? I know that clips are sold at stores or eBay... At this point I've given up on finding a bra for razorback shirts. But if I could find a cheap remedy that would work, I'd be perfectly content. Thanks in advance!
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The term is actually racerback or racer back, if you've been spelling it "razor" perhaps that is why you've had a hard time finding things when searching online? Bras listed as "multiway" usually offer this option. They are sold pretty widely although perhaps they're scarce in your size range.
The clips people seem to mention most often here are called J-hooks.
Spelling has never been my forte. That's my bad. But that aside, I can't afford a bra purchase right now (let alone the journey of finding one that fits). I just don't know if those "j hooks" actually work and if they are comfortable at all. I'm still new to the bra community, so I apologize for my lack of terminology. Thanks for the help.
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So I got myself one of those "leisure"-type bras that are wire free and resemble sports bras but in no way are they suitable for exercising in, and didn't notice that it has 'cookies' inserted, but they're not tacked down at all. Good thing I didn't plan on wearing it out in public because those 'cookie' things moved around into ... some weird positions - one made it look like I was growing a third boob, the other migrated to the furthest side like it was trying to get to my armpit. I need to figure out if there's a way to tack them so they stay where they're supposed to, just in case I end up running errands in the thing and don't want people staring at nipples. (The material is pretty thin so the 'cookies' do have a purpose for being there...if they'd stay put!)
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Have you tried double sided tape to tack them down? I'm not sure if it would be too thick, but good luck!
Hrmmmm...that might be a better choice than hot gluing them :P That was my first idea, then I remembered that I'm not very good with hot glue guns and the glue would probably wreck any of the material it touches.
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Has anyone ever altered their own bra before? Some bras I've bought would be perfect if not for the too big of a band and I want to alter the bands so their smaller, but I don't know how to do it.
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Here's some links for that
http://www.bratabase.com/knowledge/bra-alterations/
Hi! I run a blog that specializes in alterations:
http://allsfairinloveandlingerie.com/alterations-and-fixes/
I've altered almost every bra that I own in one way or another with high rates of success. I recommend band alteration 2 as I've found it to work the best. Also check out a collection of methods to tighten a bra band!
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Has anyone ever removed embroidery from a mesh bra before, and if so, how did it turn out? I got a Freya Untamed rather cheap, and I'm in love with the silly purple butterfly print, but hate the weird embroidery at the top.
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I wish I still had my Untamed (also didn't spend a long time in my house) to look at the inside of the cups and see... In most cases I would really, really not advise it. In theory yes you should just be able to pick it off oh so carefully with a tiny (1") seam ripper. In practice... One single hole in a mesh fabric and you are in a world of trouble.
I've got an embroidery machine, and have tried to unpick designs when I messed them up or didn't like the color or something. It doesn't really work. The stitches will leave little holes of you can even get them out without destroying it. I'd check with a local (highly recommended) tailor/seamstress, but don't be surprises if they turn you down. I wouldn't attempt it.
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I finished my first bra alteration! I shortened the band on my 42H - Cacique » Smooth Balconette (36851) to about 32". I need an extender with it, as I expected when measuring and pinning. It feels pretty good. The gore still doesn't tack, but the other fit issues were fixed.
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It's fun huh? Congratulations!
In seamed bras, I have a problem because I have somewhat soft breast tissue and fairly pointy breasts without much projection. So I get what I believe is called in cup quadboob, I remember seeing a solution for this around the internet over a year ago, so anyone have any suggestions?
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I'm not sure I understand, are you talking about when the seam makes a visible indentation in the shape of the breast?
If so, it's not due to the shape of your breasts in most cases--it's because the seam is too tight and/or the cup construction isn't great. If it's the seam, you can stretch it a little as indicated here:
http://www.investinyourchest.co.uk/cleo-meg-bra-review
Info is in a comment by a user named Mariah: "It is possible to stretch the seam of the bra a bit when it is wet, this helps with the rigid seam. Quite a lot of women had this issue with the Marcie, a too tight stitching tension in the seam between the upper and lower cup caused in-cup-quadboob on them. Stretching the seam helped in many cases."
Thanks, that's exactly what I was talking about. I couldn't remember the exact process.
I have this problem in a lot of three part bras because of how my breasts are, even in well-made ones.
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Like anyone ever I have accumulated my fair share of non-fitting bras and today I took it upon myself to try and shrink down a couple bras that fit great in the band but are too big by 1-2 cup sizes. I'm a quite experienced seamstress - I do a lot of self-drafting, especially dresses, since we all know the ... joys of getting something to fit both waist and bust - but I hate alterations. I'd rather make something new from scratch than alter something that doesn't quite work. But I'm also a cheapskate. And unreturnable bras ...
Sorry, no photos now, maybe later. But I thought I'd share what worked and what didn't.
first victim: 30H - Cleo » Chloe (6601), which I got yesterday.
This should have fit but ran a cup size big. I loved the shape I got from it, but got craaaazy wrinkling all over. So I wanted something that maintained the shape but just sort of shrunk the whole thing. I did this alteration: http://allsfairinloveandlingerie.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/how-to-make-your-bra-cups-smaller/
Pros: it worked exactly as it should have! The cups got smaller. The alteration isn't at all visible under a shirt. The only change I made was I tucked the extra fabric under the wire instead of over it, so it's on the inside. It feels totally comfortable.
Cons: It makes tons of wrinkling at the bottom of the cup, by nature of sewing down just a portion of the fabric. It's not noticeable under clothes but it might be a pain if that bothers you. Also it ended up making the bra very full coverage because I nipped it in at the top (I'm very FOB). To combat this I ended up folding the lace section in half and sewing it under. I actually don't think this is a con at all -- I love the folded-over look and almost wish more bras came that way.
Conclusion: Total success! I salvaged what I thought would be a total flop of a bra. I wore it all day and was totally comfortable. Yay!
second victim: 30HH - Freya » Lyla Balcony (4302)
this was more challenging. This both runs large in the cup in this model (30HH and 32HH have the same size cup!) and I bought a size too big, so it's At LEAST two cup sizes up for me, maybe even 3. I got an extremely pointy look in it. And the shape in general is slightly less pleasing on me ethan the Cleo Chloe, so that was two strikes against it.
I decided on a different alteration just to shake things up. http://imgur.com/a/6IlDI Unlike the Chloe, it wasn't a bra I cared all that much for in the first place, and I figured why not.
I'd done this alteration before on a different bra with a machine and it hadn't gone well so I decided to hand-sew it, as I had the Chloe. I put it on, pinned away, then took it off and sewed the seams down.
Pros: well, it shrank it. It's about the right size now. And I like how much smaller the upper lace section is.
Cons: MANY.
1) the seam gets very thick in this alteration and shows like crazy under shirts. It's not as bad as the last time I tried this, because I was more precise, but it's not good either.
2) The shape is weird on me. Because it was much too big, it altered the shape enormously - it's not pointy any more at all, but it's very shallow (this is an alteration I've seen recommended for making a bra shallower, so there you go). It's very minimizing. I don't like it.
Conclusion: I will probably take it out and try the previous alteration.
TL;DR:
If you have a bra you're happy with but that's a little bit missized, a little alteration goes a long way and you can really make something work with minimal effort. But a bra that's less satisfying in the first place is going to be a lot harder.
I might check back in if the first method works with the second bra
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I think you did great work!
I´ve tried those alterations as well. I´m a person, who tries just about anything to get a nice-looking bra fit... It was a success for example for my too-big-pointy CK Lottie :)
Yeah, I find myself having to do the same, though I've gotten better at sending things back if they don't fit, instead of just keeping them in hopes of making them work. But of course your don't always have the option of making a return.
I so want to make that upper seam alteration (the second one I mention above) work because it looks so great in theory, but it just changes the shape too much for me, not to mention shows under a tshirt in the worst way. I've taken it out and am hoping the Chloe alteration will work...
Oh bras. I've done enough sewing to know how difficult it is to make something perfectly fitted, so if course it makes sense that something straight off the rack and so close fitting will often need alterations. But I still resent the need. :)
so i bought a cheap-o bra from the goodwill and practiced: narrowing the gore, removing the wires, shorten the band, moved the straps over.
i now have what is a pretty darn close 32D bra from a 34C, that doesn't look half bad!
it was a great learning experience, but don't think i will do it again anytime soon or with any other bras that cost more than like $5, ha!
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My Bravissimo Alana (AU01) arrived, I had a go at taking in the centre gore, and alas, it didn't work. I'm not surprised, but it was worth a try - Bravissimo make so many pretty balconettes that don't fit me in any size, and it would have been great if there was a way to alter them to get them to work for me!
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Has anyone taken an underwire bra and removed the wires to make it wirefree and it still be a good bra to wear?
Seems like it could work on tighter fitting bras?? What do you think?
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I feel like I've heard of it, I couldn't say where I read about it though. Have you googled a bit?
I have two older Fantasie bras that are pretty much ready for the bin as they are (a)quite worn and (b) Fantasie and Freya no longer agree with my post baby shape due to wires being too wide and tall in relation to depth. I can't get to them this afternoon because my toddler is sleeping in that room, but this evening I will try this just for kicks. I'll let you know how they behave post surgery.
wendybien i can't wait to hear the outcome!
i googled a little and couldn't find any good step by step process with details and photos; but will try a little harder tonight.
good luck with your bra surgery ;)
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I've taken in the centre gore on some of my bras (Panache Melody and Cleo Lucy) - as recommended by Bras I Hate to make the tops of the cups more open and avoid quad-boob - and now I'm wondering if the same thing would work on bras that give me serious rather than minor issues with quad-boob, like the Bravissimo Alana and their balconette styles. Is it worth trying, or would it be a waste of effort? Any advice would be appreciated!
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You could baste it first to try it, and then sew it permanently if it looks like it will work. If it doesn't work you just remove the basting, no harm done. I did this with my old 30DD - Panache » Porcelain Lace (5726) bras.
I think it's an excellent use of your time and energy, since I want to see the results, lol. Seriously, though, I second peanuts4's suggestion to baste first.
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bybabysrules wrotr a post about this too
http://bybabysrules.com/2012/08/25/bra-alterations-taking-in-the-center-gore-lowering-staving-wires/