11 comments

• Brands can vary, styles within brands can vary, and even different runs or colours of the same style can vary. It’s can be very confusing! As I understand it though, the stretched band measurements should be fairly close to the snug measurement because you are looking for the support of a snug band. This means a 30 band should stretch to 30” or so. That said, people in sub 32 bands often prefer to sister size up for comfort because they have less rib cage squish. Same thing if you’re in between sizes. In some cases, I’ve seen suggestions to look for stretched bands half to a whole inch larger than the snug measurement (usually the sub 32s again). For example, my snug under bust is 28” or so (sometimes closer to 28.75”). I prefer 29-30” stretched measurements in my bras based on the experience of the bras I have tried on and determined what is and isn’t comfortable. For me this means a) a true to size (tts) 30 band b) a 30 that’s either a little bit loose or a little bit snug c) a loose or stretchy 28 or d) tight/snug 32. My “technical” size is 28FF/G with the calculator, but it also says that I might be more comfortable in a 30F/FF (it’s slightly overstimulated my cup based on the soft and pendulous tissue so I’m usually a cup size down from the suggested sizes) and some Polish brands run tight so I need a 32. Lastly, there can be a bit of human error in the measurements...some might over stretch and others may under stretch. Also, entering in used bra measurements can lead to looser measurements. But it hopefully averages out.

  I’m not sure of cm equivalents, sorry, but maybe this helps?

• Ok, so basically the 'stretched band' should be closer to the snug fit rather than loose. But I should try a band size up if I don't find it comfortable on any individual bra...

  That helped a lot! Thank you! (Also for taking the time to detail it for me)😊

• This thread has 11 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

15 comments

• Freya and Fantasie have plenty of options (swimsuits, tankinis, bikinis) with good projection in your size range. Have you ever tried those? Do you know your correct size?

  Freya also has good sports bras btw. if you're looking for those as well!

• Have you considered Comexim or Ewa Michalak? Both have bikinis available with narrow wires (that don't force your breasts into your armpit) and adjustable straps just like their bras.

  https://www.comexim.pl/en/22-kostiumy-kapielowe

  https://www.ewa-michalak.pl/eng_m_SWIMWEAR_Biustonosz-do-kostiumu-205.html

  Both have new bikinis slotted for release last week haha, so we might see them available for purchase any day now.

• This thread has 15 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

Article: Are women's breasts getting bigger - or is it just our bras?

This is a pretty well written article. I'm glad they figured this out in the UK, now if only the US would follow suit.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/26/bras-womens-breasts-getting-bigger-larger-cups

Are women's breasts getting bigger - or is it just our bras?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/26/bras-womens-breasts-gett...

Filed under Bra sizing and fit

Shared on Jun 26, 2018 Flag this

7 comments

• Interesting! Thanks for the link!!

• ".....the logistical stock challenge is enormous: one bra, in one colour, running sizes 28 to 40 and D to L, as they do, would come in 90 SKUs (that’s a stock-keeping unit, or a single item for sale); if you do that in three colours, that’s 270. And if your USP is that you want to make every woman, whatever her size, able to find the bra she wants, that is an epic number of SKUs......"

  That really puts it into perspective, doesn't it? Not just the marketing/systematic requirements, but the actual production requirements and scaling needs. For the brick & mortar stores that must keep supplies in stock for sales, it requires so much materials and out of pocket pre-funds just to anticipate need and production.

  When sales are poor for those rarely purchased sizes, logic is to discontinue those poor selling sizes or limit the options they are available in.

  And all the more reason to love and support Ewa Michalak, or even Comexim.

• This thread has 7 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

5 comments

• well maybe youre measuring yourself wrong. Also Polish brands have tighter bands so you need to watch out that. I have 75-76cm loose underbust, 73cm snug and 71 very tight and im prefect in band 70 and cup E, however by their chart I should wear 70F (im fob/even with tall roots). Currently I wear 30F/32E in uk brand, 70E-F/65F-FF in ewa michalak. I tried few avocados in 65 but theyre hell tight - hardly could do them on my back.

• Sure, I'll double check. I've mostly worn 65 in Comexim, and I haven't tried any Ewa but have been recommended 65 bags, so it seemed like a large jump. I'm not used to reading cm though, so yeah I'll make sure I was reading the tape correctly.

• This thread has 5 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

3 comments

• "... it's a meet-and-greet for my nipples because I'm spilling out of it."

  LOL, lunarmonarchy . The Freya bikinis that are cut like this one require a lot of projection:
  https://www.barenecessities.com/freya-run-wild-halter-bikini-top-as4614_product.htm?pf_id=FreyaAS4614

  I would avoid the Deco based swimsuits as well as those with all vertical seams. I believe those require fullness on top. I would also check reviews on Bratabase.

• If you have close set breasts, like a bit of padding, & narrow wires, I'd recommend Ewa Michalak:
  https://www.ewa-michalak.pl/eng_m_SWIMWEAR_Biustonosz-do-kostiumu-205.html

  Ewa should be coming out with two new ones that aren't padded soon, which can mean any time between now and a year from now with her.

  Her bras are great, so I assume her bikinis would be as well though I have not tried one. The bras are accommodating for projected center/bottom full breasts, at least in my size range.

  Or for more selection & color pop, there's Comexim:
  https://www.comexim.pl/en/22-kostiumy-kapielowe

  I have tried one Comexim bikini & it was also accommodating but was too small in the cup & too big in the band. (I ordered the wrong size as it was during my "trial & error" phase after weight loss & breast growth & not an issue with the brand.)

• This thread has 3 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

8 comments

• A non-tacking gore is usually caused by the cup being too small. Your boobs push the cup away causing the gore to bend outwards, which also causes gaping at the top.

• Typically gore not tacking is due to the cup being too small. If you have gaping as well, that can be due to a number of issues.

  First, where is it gaping? Are you talking about the whole top of the cup? Just by the gore? Just by the armpit? Do you have room at the bottom of the cup (aka orange in a glass) and/or the wires sliding down (due to not enough projection at the wire)?

  If the band is too tight, that could be distorting the wires, pulling the cups too wide and shallow, and that can also cause gaping. It's hard to diagnose this without a fit check tbh.

  Overlapping wires are pretty typical for Comexim. I think for most of their bras it's standard.

• This thread has 8 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

5 comments

• With Comexim now making their bands larger "due to customer complaints" & the bikini top only having one connection point (so no adjustments to it's length for a snugger fit) I wouldn't recommend sizing up on the band.
  The one Comexim bikini I tried, the bottoms were much larger than the size range stated by their chart, so based on that singular experience, I again wouldn't suggest sizing up on those either.

• I haven't ordered a bikini from them in a while (I think it was like two years ago), but I agree that the bottom ran about a size larger than their briefs. The band on mine was also about a size big, and I've also experienced them recently making bands bigger overall. I'd agree that you probably don't want to size up in either the band or the bottoms

• This thread has 5 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

5 comments

• Yes it does run smaller (I bought mine in 70E - my usual size - and is both small in cup and tight in a band by half size at least), also saw other opinions that are same as mine

• Thanks! I may order an 80F instead of my normal 75F then. :)

• This thread has 5 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

5 comments

• you can look up bras and see how many hooks are listed. I havent worn an HH other than 1 cleo marcie, i'm above a J. but the ONLY bras i've had with 2 hooks were cleos. All my regular panache were 3. the only bras you have listed that are panache are really cleos. Just try regular panache bras

• http://www.bratabase.com/browse/panache/size-range/30HH/measurements/

  I assumed 30HH based on your bras entered, though I see they are older entries. For Cleo there appears to only be one, Alexa. It's the last line on this one:

  http://www.bratabase.com/browse/cleo/size-range/30HH/measurements/?filter_by=hooks&order_by=hooks&system=UK&style=&name=&hide_discontinued=False

• This thread has 5 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

3 comments

• In general I wear a 30F in Panache. My Freya size hasn't been this consistent. The 28G fit me in the Freya Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) and the 30F in the Freya Ooh La La Plunge Balcony Bra (1481).

• I find that Freya bands generally have a bit more stretch and the cups are a bit generous, but it does still vary a little by style. The new Daisy is definitely snugger than say the Kiyoko half cup. I’m told that the Deco bands are pretty TTS. I wish I had more information, but you might just have to give your Panache size a try in the styles you’re interested in and go from there.

• This thread has 3 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

3 comments

• Yes, the Ja wiem and Ty wiesz they do have narrower straps. I cant wear SF due to wide straps but the both above are like a heaven comparing to other bras. I have very narrow shoulders - gym bag doesnt want to stay on my shoulders for longer than few steps... BM arent very bad also, im buying them most often as straps dont bother me too much

• So I actually use suspenders to clip ewas straps to eachother so the bra doesn't just fall off my shoulders and cause massive ribpain until I can descretly re- adjust myself. When ever a friend witnesses this contraption I've made they start laughing." Like is that really necessary? "My response was to make said friend endure me being shirtless with out my suspenders clip for my straps to stay on my shoulders( this is a friend who's a bit OCD and would stop you mid important presentation to fix the clasp of ur necklace) so obviously it did not take long for her to allow me to wear my silly suspender to keep my boobs from popping out .

• This thread has 3 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

Ewa Michalak SF styles

Anyone have any general advice for how the SF styles fit? I need to re-measure myself but I am in the 34GG/H range. I have my eye on the new release at Zathiya

SF Milk Chocolate Bra

https://www.zathiya.com/sf-milk-chocolate-bra/

Filed under Bra sizing and fit

Shared on Apr 17, 2018 Flag this

8 comments

• It's looking like Aisha is almost sold out of it. :-( But Ewa should be releasing it directly this weekend as well (though I was told that about the last two weekends and for the other teasers she has on FB and instagram so there's no promises with that.)

  Sizing for SF seems to vary greatly by person, but what Kaska at Ewa told me was that the cups of the SF are slightly smaller than the half lace BMs, which are slightly smaller than the full lace cupped BMs. I wear the same size in SF as I do in Ewas PL. It is the same as my "general" size as well, but I know that varies by the person.

• Wahhh of course it's nearly sold out. I hope Ewa releases it soon...I get paid this week and I need bras soon

• This thread has 8 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

• Most people wear one cup size larger in the padded styles than in the unpadded styles, so that would point to GG or even G. I only had 1 SM ever, and it was a full size too small in the band, but with an extender it ran big in the cup - specifically on top, even tho I'm fot. but it may have been an exception. Hopefully others will check in. Meanwhile look at pictures here of SMs in those sizes and try to see if you can get a feel by looking!

• Hello!

  The SM is my favorite bra from Ewa. It has been my go to, daily bra for almost 5 years now, and I've owned an embarrassing amount of them. I do not think they run smaller in the cup than the PL, in fact I normally need to go *up* a cup size for the PL cut. I would probably start with an 80GG. Ewa usually does the trims pretty well, I think I've had maybe 1 or 2 that ended up more closed off on top than expected, and I think she's gotten better at accounting for that over the years. I feel like they're quite roomy on top, really the only area they sometimes struggle with enough depth is along the gore area.

  FWIW I tend more towards an even shape, with very tall roots (that admittedly get pretty shallow as they head towards my collarbone), with lots of inner fullness and very close-set breasts.

add a comment

10 comments

• what measurement are you trying to get where you need your arms down ?

• Can you share the link of your recommendations? There's an option to share them. IT would be a matter of seeing which 32F was recommended since not all fit the same. It could be a matter of brands? Knowing the exact results it's more viable to diagnose why are you getting that.

• This thread has 10 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

7 comments

• size range makes a huge difference with recommendations. you might want to consider a fit request with one really bad bra and one fairly good one, and people might be able to help steer you
  

• So I should go to "Fitting help" section? or can I continue here? Sadly I don't have a camera to take a picture :(

• This thread has 7 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

3 comments

• The BM is always stretch lace on top.
  The full lace BM cups are larger in the cup than their half lace BMs, and those are a bit larger in the cup than their SF style which is also stretch lace on top.
  Another tidbit that may be helpful is that I noticed their lace lined bands don't stretch as much as their no lace bands. I'm not sure which Mojito has.

  Zathiya would be a good place to look since you're in the states- orders usually take less than a week to receive and they stock a lot of Ewa styles.

  A padded style option to consider (for more support) would be the CHP, as it's more open on top to allow for the extra growth.

• Thanks for the detailed info, that helps a lot!

  With Zathiya, I noticed a lot of sizes in bras I was looking at are out of stock and they "may be able to order" it.... I assume this is probably not the case for clearance? Some of the clearance section had no sizes in stock at all but were still listed for sale, which made it kind of frustrating browsing the site.

• This thread has 3 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

6 comments

• Generally, that pointy shape happens because you are wearing a bra designed for full-on-top breasts, but you have full-on-bottom breasts. I think its also too deep at the apex for you, not necessarily too big. I am not knowledgeable about bras in your size range tho
  

• Definitely too deep at the apex (plus the apex is too high for me) in both. I need lots of base depth/immediate projection, but pretty moderate overall. It's a tough balance!

• This thread has 6 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

Lively Bras

Just fell in love with this wireless bra and have to try it! Ordered one in 32DD to see.

Anyone have experiences with Lively? I imagine we aren't really their target audience, so I'm not too surprised they don't have a page here. They act like they're so inclusive with a few DD and DDD offerings for the "Busty Crew", it's ridiculous.

Their Busty Bralette seems popular, and I'm curious about it. The prices and promotions are surprisingly fair. I ordered a few items and will be adding them here (and probably using their return policy to it's fullest).

The Long-Lined Deep V No-Wire: Toasted Almond Jet Black

The long-lined deep v no-wire bra stands out in a sleek colorblock toasted almon

https://www.wearlively.com/collections/no-wire/products/the-long-lined-deep-v...

Filed under Bra sizing and fit

Shared on Mar 15, 2018 Flag this

3 comments

• These are reminiscent of Fortnight bralettes. I think you can still find those for sale, if you're interested. Undiegamer reviews a bunch of them:
  http://windiegardie.wordpress.com/

  I love the look of the Lively and Fortnight stuff but they wouldn't do anything for my shape. Even in wireless bras I'm looking for some centering.

• I am curious too! I am pregnant and looking at wireless styles for nursing and sleep, interested in the busty bralette. I came here to see if anyone had reviewed it before clicking purchase!

• This thread has 3 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment

• I've never had a band stretch more than 1 clasp worth, other than my berry marcie. I think it is because the only bras I buy are high quality - tho i stopped buying cleos more because i sized out, they are lower quality

• I found that mine stretched out a little bit (maybe one clasp) during the first few wears and then stayed the same.

add a comment

6 comments

• I am about 104 cms in hips and I can wear any size from M to XL. The sizes are pretty damn inconsistent, sometimes I can fit into S.

• From my experience, the briefs run really large while the thongs are slightly more true to size

• This thread has 6 comments. Log in to read them

add a comment