I'm conducting a survey on bra size-only one question: What size are you? Please only give ONE answer, and if you have any questions, leave a comment =)
The survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kScu2NBMSsT3C5oPuWT_7TBVRbaW_niO2KG1x3XkI5U/viewform
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So I have this bra that used to fit me perfectly or almost perfectly especially in the cups. Lately when I wear it, one cup( the bigger breast) is almost overflowing and the other one, the smaller breast is gaping, I really don't understand why it happens as I don't think my size has changed. Do any of you have any idea why this is happening now ?
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You might have changed size or shape slightly? As soon as I get into bras that fit me my shape slowly changes. :)
This month, when Bravissimo releases the new Jasmine colorway, I'm of course going to shop it. YAY!
And to save on shipping, I'm going to use the opportunity to also shop my first sports bra in years.
My Jasmine size is either 32K or 32KK, but all other bras don't fit properly so I'm thinking my 'base size' is probably 32KK to ... account for stretch lace a bit
Anyway, question is: Bravissimo has the Inspire Sports Bra and the Impact Free Sports available to K cup now.
Which one should I take, and in what size? 34K I'm thinking because sports bras usually run tight? But which one is better?
http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sports-bras/inspire-sports-bra/white/au27wh/?show=all&cup=k&level=2
http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sports-bras/impact-free-sports-bra/white/ro10wh/?show=all&cup=k&level=2
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And as always, these things don't come in a 28 band up to the K cup. Bravissimo seems to believe that if you're a 28 band, your breasts meet some kind of event horizon around J and decide to stop growing out of politeness. Mine missed the memo.
I like the look of the wirefree one though- then I wouldn't have to worry about the wires being too wide for my frame, though judging by reviews, I'd have to size up quite a bit to fit in. Sports bras- why do you run so small?? I think that the wireless one is definitely more of a light impact bra from reviews and looking at it though- so good for yoga, not so great for running up stairs.
Yeah, the reviews on both are kind of dubious - some are super happy and say they're true to size, others say you gotta size up like crazy :/
which is why I prefer inquiring here - much better informed people!
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I finally got my mom into some well-fitting bras yesterday! She's been wearing some super old bras that I suspect were 34Bs/36Cs that she took the wires out of, but she was saying lately that she needed to buy some new bras, but until yesterday, she never listened to me or my sister when we tried to tell her that ... she wouldn't be able to find her size at Target and Walmart. Anyway, we were near Nordstrom Rack yesterday and somehow talked her into trying on some bras! After not being able to find much that would fit her, we talked her into going to Nordstroms near by.
After trying on probably 30 or 40 bras, we ended up with two decently fitting ones in 32DD and 32DDD (32E). I suspect she's smaller than a 32, but I've never measured her and she was already complaining about how tight the band was.
She has pretty soft breast tissue, is full on the bottom, and has pretty close-set breasts. Does anyone have any recommendations for some other bras she could try out?
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I'm new at this but people have been telling me about the freya deco soft cup bra. It might be worth checking out.
Sounds like me and I've been happy with Fantasie Lizbeth and Elodie. Stay away from full cup for FOB boobs. She might be happy in a Fantasie plunge since they aren't as plunge-y as some.
Also consider Chantelle, which might work depending on the shape of her breasts. I have had some luck with a sister-sized up Rive Gauche but little luck with the Icone (still trying to bend wires to make them work).
I found Wacoal holds me in place very well. Unfortunately, "in place" is not where I want them to be, since they are pendulous!
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Everyone seems to say that Ewa Michalak PL's you need to size up in band and cup but I'm finding I need to size up in cup in the CH & HP styles compared to my PL's. I do find I need to go down on band in CH & HP. Would this be the same for CHP? Has anyone else experienced this?
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The CHP is a quarter-half cup smaller than the CH in my experience. I hadn't needed to size up in the cups between the PL and CH as most have. But you also have to take into consideration that ALL models are inconsistent and you my not even get consistent sizing of the same model and different styles. This applies for both cup and band.
What is weird, I feel like I need a larger cup size in ch and chp than pl.
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Hi every one.. i am new here...
well i got a lot of problems related to bra selection and sizing...i believe i never measure my size properly
and even if ever i did that , i didnt get any bra correctly... i am living in a undevelop country so good brands are not available so still i can go for some ... intl brands with good fitting.
well on this site i saw new way to measure the bra.. i have 31inch rib-cage and 10 inch breast perimeter and 6.5 inch neck to nip. so now i got the recommendation is 32E. but i am using 36 C or D bras
they main prob is rasher, i got delicted skin , i got rashes with my bra, even i tired 38 D but still rashes.
I got rashes under boobs , under arms straps and on back... i am confuse now.. i dont know how to get out of it. plz help me out....
thanx
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Welcome
Do you get the rash even with bras you've owned a while? My first thought is that new bras have dye chemicals and starch that come out after a couple of washes.
If you have sensitive skin, a too-large band will move and rub your skin and irritate it.
What are you using to wash your bras? I have very sensitive skin, and if a laundry detergent/soap is going to make my skin react, it generally does so where clothing is held tightest against my skin: bras, waistbands, socks, etc.
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I finally got the chance to try on a Freya half cup today, the lightly padded Totally Tartan, in 30D. I must say I was incredibly surprised to find it an almost decent fit and the shape it gave me too wasn't something I was expecting. I'm not entirely sure I totally dig it, but I've decided it's worth a ... shot. So, as I personally think this particularly design is one of the least appealing I've ever set eyes on, I'm considering extending my search for a fitting bra to other Freya half cups, in particular the Lauren and the unpadded Gem, but others as well if I can find a bargain (I am seriously broke at the moment). My question: how do the Freya half cups compare to each other? Are there significant size or fit differences between the different models? And what about the unpadded Gem? I just really NEED a couple of unpadded bra and this is about the only one I haven't tried yet, I think. Anyway, if anyone has hands-on experience that they'd like to share, I'd be eternally grateful
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Well, cupwise I found Freya to be the most reliable brand out there. They have their basic cuts and they don't experiment with them too much, which is why freya is in most cases true to size (deco has it's own sizing though) Obviously I haven't tried their halfcups, but if 30D fit you, then that's what you should be ordering in freya :)
But I do have to warn you - bargain freyas are really really hard to find :/
I thought my 34DD Cleo Melissa fit me fine (other than my current need for 32 bands), but despite the fact that it neither wrinkled nor caused quadboob, it gave me such an odd, flattened-toward-the-center shape that I almost never wore it. A real shame, since because of the adorable pattern I'd bought the matching panties, which I almost never ... do. So on a whim I purchased a 32F from the Nordstrom.com half-yearly sale (free shipping and returns, so no risk).
Oh, so that's how the Melissa is supposed to fit: projecting everything forward, but not squashing flat the outer halves of my boobs! The cups were too small in the 34DD all along. Looks like 32F is right for me in Cleo. (My 32E Juna is quite wearable, but in 32F it would be perfect.)
I don't even know what's going on with my boobs these days, between a bit of weight loss and a bit of remigration into the tops. A slight change is apparent when they're bare, but in a bra it's very clear that things are not as they were before I bought that first Panache Melody (sadly riding up even on the tightest hooks now) back in November.
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So the bra I have been lusting after is finally available on Figleaves... I'm fortunate that freya deco works perfectly with my shape, but I'm reluctant to order the deco flamingo just yet. I'm curious if it's truly the deco cut or closer to the taylor/ashlee cut -- which is a bit more closed off at the top and either ... won't work for me or I'd need a cup size up.
I doubt anyone here has tried it yet (but if you have, please let me know your thoughts!), but it's hard to wait even longer just to be sure when I feel like I've been waiting for this bra to come out forever!
It's gonna be equally hard to wait for the emerald green deco in the fall, too!
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amy__rebecca has reviewed it for Fussy Busty here: http://fussybusty.com/2013/05/23/the-deco-flamingo-reviewed-28g-and-notes-on-moving-up-a-cup-size/
Thanks for linking me :)
It's closest to the deco honey I think, I don't have any other 28G decos so it's hard for me to say for certain.
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I had a wedding reception to attend to yesterday and needed to wear my strapless bra, specifically, the Wonderbra ultimate strapless. The cups don't quite fit right anymore, but it's the best I have so I didn't have much of a choice. The last time I wore this bra was to another wedding and the silicone ended up ... leaving welts on my body at the end of the night. Not good. I wanted to prevent that from happening this time around, so I decided to create a barrier between me and the bra.
First try: I sewed a stretchy fabric tube to wear underneath the bra. That didn't work out as it was too finicky to keep it in place while putting on the bra.
Second try: I sewed panels of fabric inside the band, covering all the silicone parts. This seemed to work. Yay!
However, I notice that this bra is still uncomfortable to wear even with the silicone covered. I tends to push down on my fat pretty hard, and I could pretty much feel it all day. At the end of the reception when I got in the car, I noticed the band was pretty much at my waist. From what I understand, this could be possibly because the band is too tight, so the bra wants to travel to the narrowest portion of my body. When I put on this bra with an extender, it's more comfortable, but I feel less supported.
How tight do you guys usually wear your strapless bras? How well do they hold up for you? Am I expecting too much from a strapless bra?
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I think it probably happened because you covered all the silicone that's there to prevent it from sliding down. I typically buy strapless bras in the same size I would otherwise with the expectation that they'll be a little tighter. I have the Deco in both my usual 30 and a 32. The 30 feels a little tight, but doesn't slide down. I'm constantly tugging on the 32.And both usually peek up over the edge of my dresses. I wish they'd put silicone on the outside too.
What do you mean by welts? I don't have a fitting bra that doesn't leave red marks around my body, except for my braologie lacie.
I have the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless as well, and it stays put really well. It's tight, it leaves red marks, and I always notice that it's there, but it's supportive and pretty comfortable for me. I think the silicone is supposed to help it grip your skin and stay put.
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Pinging Vee, because I know you've recommended the Enell Sports (100) bra to me! x) Sorry for taking so long to actually go with your advice... It's just that I thought it was butt-ugly and I'd like to try everything out first to see if anything else works, but clearly I don't have the patience (it'd ... take forever) and nothing has worked so far. Would you care to give me a comparison of the Enell sports bra and the Panache sports bra (if you have one), Freya Active underwired and Shock Absorber Multi sports? I don't know which ones you've tried or had, but if you've had any of them, please give a good, rather lengthy comparison, I'd be so appreciative <3 I've tried all of those I stated above except for the Enell, obviously. The problems I always have with sports bras is that they're way too low cut in the neckline. Some measurements comparing the Enell and other sports bras would give me a great estimation on how it'll likely work out for me!
Also, if there's other people here with good information about the Enell sports bra, please feel free to contribute! Also... Those of you who has it or has tried it... Would you say that following their size guide will give you an accurate fit?
Underbust: 71 cm
Bust: 90 cm
I'm so fed up with shying away from exercising... I'm starting to feel really fat (although I'm not, but I've gained like 4-5 kilos and I really wanna reverse it, I don't think I'll gain more but jeez, I do not feel comfortable in my own skin anymore) O_O
I really want to believe in the Enell, and I'll never know if it fits me unless I try it, I'm just scared it'll be too wide for me just like the Shock Absorber multi sports was... I'm hoping the boob volume is dispersed more height-wise than width-wise, or else I'm screwed.
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I don't need your measurments to tell you that you need size 00 :) More compression = Less bounce.
Note that you will need to alter the "straps" on it to get the coverage you need under your neck and on the sides.
You just cut them at the top of the shoulders and sew them together shorter. They are not actually straps, they are wider then a tank top.
Now, Enell is compression bra so any comparison with Freya and Panache is redundant because they rely on different principles.
So the shock absorber is the only one enell can be compared to because both rely on compression not encapsulation.
They both flatten you out and plaster your boobs all over your chest.
The difference is
- In shockabsorber you get monoboob, in enell you get pancake boob :D
- Enell provides WAY more coverage EVERYWHERE. It's a freakin vest! Your whole back is covered and there are no straps cutting you in.
- Enell is WAY more comfortable. I don't know what it is, is it the fabric, the coverage or the weight distribution, it's just crazy.
alisa can confirm this :)
Thanks for the answer. Hmm... I'm still hesitant if it'll work for me. Even though there might be more coverage everywhere, as you say, I'm scared it'll turn out *too* wide to really conform to me =/ I guess I'll just have to try it. Maybe I misinterpreted you wrongly, when you say more coverage everywhere... Does that mean the "cups" (the boob space) are also wider than other sports bras, or do you just mean that it has a higher neckline and comes up higher under your arms?
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Most of my bras are 40D'S and the sister size of 38DD. And with a bra extender some
36DDD/E's will work too. Considering the cups are the right cut for my boobs.
I've discovered that 36DDD/E is as far down in bands size as I can ... go. Recently, I tried a 34F bra
with an extender and could barely fasten itAnd with a 32FF I had to hook together two bra extenders.
But this put the straps too far apart for me. I haven't tried the opposite direction of my 40D size, a 42C.
I have a feeling a 42C would be too big and ride up my back. I'll try one next time out bra shopping.
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I've always been curious to know a little bit more about sister sizing - like which brands grade the cups (and what changes are made) and which just tack the same cups/straps onto a smaller band. Thank you for adding measurements!
Usually when fitting yourself you don't want to sister size more than 1-2 band sizes off of your original/direct underbust measurement, though there are some exceptions.
Vee's recent adventure about flat/curved bottoms of breasts got me thinking about my fitting issues (largely because she called me lucky for having a rounded underbust which fits well in wires!). I am starting to wonder if there's a bra out there which will fit me perfectly. When I consider the list of issues I have, ... I doubt it. I'm fortunate that I have some bras which aren't uncomfortable, but there are still so many ways in which I'm dissatisfied. What about you? Will you ever find the perfect bra?
The problems I currently identify with bra fitting are:
* I have almost no difference between my loose underbust and tight underbust. At last measure it was just 1 cm. Most of my bras ride up in the back, but if I make them tighter the wires are distorted.
* My breasts are rather tall. The top tissue is rather thin, so most of the time it doesn't matter if it isn't in a bra, but it causes a lot of problems with sports bras.
* The bottom of my breasts has a lot of projection and many cups don't have enough depth for me, leading to a sort of orange-in-a-glass look where I'm constrained by the fabric rather than the wire width.
* Although I can wear gores of up to about 2 cm without discomfort, my ideal gore is narrower than any I've seen. This means a lot of gores wind up pushed away or end up tilted, even if the cups fit if I hold the gore in place.
* Wider wires don't sit flush against my breast root on the sides until they reach the armpit. Narrower wires are fine until my armpit, when they sometimes sit on breast tissue. I think I need wires which flare a lot as they near the armpits. This is probably why I have such a range of wire widths in my dresser and can't seem to figure out what works for me.
* My ribs get larger below my underbust; I've gotten the impression this isn't common. This means longlines don't work very well.
I've certainly learned a lot about breast variation from reading adventures here, and I've learned more about my breasts in the process, including an appreciation for things I hadn't considered but which help with bra fit, such as broad shoulders, low-set breasts which offset my (lack of) height, and a curve to the bottom of the breast.
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I think that it is probably correct to assume that no bra will ever fit anyone other than the fit model perfectly. That is just one person in one size. I worked in fashion before I had kids and even when fitting t-shirts or jeans if our usual fit model was sick or absent for some reason even though the substitute fit model would have the exact same measurements the fit from one model to the next was always a little off.
I always tell my friends when we go shopping that buying off the rack is just a starting place and the odds of finding a pair of pants or shirt or dress, that fit perfectly is unrealistic. I always try to find something that is nearly perfect and alterable. It isn't the body that is wrong it is the clothes. The clothes are made for an imaginary average size 8 or 10 or 12 depending on the brand. It is rare that a real person tries on a 0 or a 18 in front of the fit team to check the grading.
I haven't worked in intimates so I am only guessing that it is probably the same.
My ribs get larger below my underbust too. I don't think it's particularly uncommon to have an inverted ribcage, but it does seem like something bra makers never take into account. (This is not a problem for longlines, because they do not come in a small enough band or large enough cup for me to wear them at all)
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A few people triggered me to finally do this adventure (ping Galactica , lmross, Branarchist) on boob crease shape.
(Boob crease = IMF or inframammary fold, natural boundary of a breast from below, the place where the breast and the chest meet)
I have yet to take a better picture of mine, but for now this ... will do.
http://s9.postimg.org/5gmj9em8f/image.jpg
As you see from it, my crease does not curve at the bottom as wires do, it's just a flat line.
And then the root of my boobs slightly curves to my armpit in a round manner.
My root is relatively narrow, it ends infront of my armpits but my crease is definitely more
(__) then U shaped, like all wires are.
For me, this explains several fit issues I have
1. I get empty space at the bottom of the cups even in bras that have enough depth
2. I get empty space at the bottom even in bras that have way too wide wires for me
The only two bras that didn't cause empty space at the bottom for me were Ewas pl Karmelki and Bravissimos Boudoir Beau. However, both this bras had another problem.
At the bottom angle of my boob, where tissue start curving up towards my armpit, the wires sat on my breast tissue.
gore (__) armpit <- bottom right angle!
To sum it up, even though most wires are too wide for me at the top:
I either get empty space at the bottom of the bra OR wires on breast tissue at the angle where my boobs start curving up, and it's all due to the shape of my crease.
No, scratch that, it's due to wires that don't follow the shape of my crease.
Am I the only one with this crease shape? Please inspect yours and let me know
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I love this <3
I see no logic for wires to being rounded in the bottom at all. I even see more logic in the plus size bras with wires sloping outwards, at least on a fatter body. Oh and I'm the sloping type :D
Did you see MilkAndHoney suggesting wires should be flexible in the bottom but not in the top? I'd want that for the love of my life.
I'm thinking the wires are made in this certain way to force the boobs forward front, center and down? Because what other logic is there?
Look at this. This *could* be the answer.
http://www.asianproducts.com/product/A12777281526738169_P12784675926655820/silicone-underwear-wire.html
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Sorry Vee and other people who have gently tried to hint that my bras sit too low. I really didn't believe I could put them much higher. Then, once again as I was lying on my bed with an iPod and having trouble keeping my boobs in my bra, I tried something new.
I shifted my bra up ... where my boobs start (lying on my back) and shortended the straps considerably. And guess what? When I got up, it felt ok. Weird, but ok. The next day when I put my bra on standing up, I did it the recommended way, leaning over, cups and band first and straps on after that. I always lean over to put the bra on, but usually I've put my arms through the straps first. But that way it's harder to find the root of my boobs, it seems.
I need the straps to way tighter now. As the bottom of the underwire is about 2-2.5 cm up from where it used to be, the straps need to be shortened accordingly. Now my old Panache Tango Ii Balconette (3251)s have almost too long straps (they've stretched out I think) and the wires are WAY too wide. And my Ewa Michalak Sm Trefl that used to have almost too short straps fits much better. I feel that it's better to wear it without the extender now.
And my clothes fit better too, of course, with my apex being 2-2.5 cm higher.
All this time I really thought I might have low set boobs, high back and whatnot... And I really was wearing my bra too low. I just couldn't believe...
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A word of caution; bra fitting is mostly fat moulding and bras are not always shaped as our boobs.
The creases some of us have when on our backs is very often not the same as that when leaning over. I've seen this both on myself and on old pinup pics. Even on a skinny person creases differs with position.
I think what you might have done here is cutting off possible bottom tissue.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, I'm just saying a lot of times bra fitting is bullshit because the human body doesn't separate breast tissue from the body in the way wires does. This is why we swoop and scoop. It makes us end up with new bra fitting problems however which the bra fitting community hasn't so far addressed.
The way I see it bra fitting is fat moulding. And a lot of times we don't know if something is boobs or not.
Neither will we ever know it. It's about making choices.
I use the word "possible bottom tissue" because I don't think one knows for sure what is what.
Although I somewhat agree with your theory Branarchist you do have to note that there are women out there with not much to mould and/or very 'defined' boobs so the theory can't be considered an universal one :)
As for TM , I did suspect the bra was riding a bit too low, but maybe the best thing is to put up a fitting request with both ways of tutting the bra on featured?
Or I'm just curious to see how your boobs look like now :)
Anyway, how high you wear your bra - if it's not causing any fitting issues - is also about preferences. So as with bands, I'd say hre also we should differ 'as high (or as low as possible) and as high as necessary.
Personaly I like my bras yanked up as high as possible, not just because I am very high on chest, but also because I think that way boobs look younger and perkier :)
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Hello all,
I thought I'd ask your advice.
My parents and little sister (she's 15) will be going on holiday this summer to Scotland.
Both my mother and sister are desperately in need of a proper bra fitting (they don't know what they're missing!!), and the choice here in the Netherlands is just too limited.
They are arriving in the UK in Hull, ... so my mom is thinking of options as Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh and "the triangle inside edge and outside" (whatever that is).
Anyway, my question: Does anyone know of a good place for them to get fitted thereabouts? (bravissimo somewhere?)
My sister should be in 28G, my mom should be in 40GG according to the Butterfly calculator
Poor baby sister is wearing mostly 34s and 32s and thinks those are 'okay'... mom is more or less wearing the proper band but has got major uniboob issues. Please help me get them out of their too small EU cups and into properly fitting bras!
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List of all bravissimo stores in the UK: http://www.bravissimo.com/stores/
Yay! Stores in Glasgow AND Edinburgh!
And in Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne, that's between Hull and Edinburgh so might be on-route :)
And Aberdeen, if that's on route :)
Awesome, thanks :)
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My boobs are wide-rooted and shallowish (but not super-shallow), slightly FOB, and self-supporting. Molded bras are usually awful, gaping messes on me (of course, back in the bad old days, those were all I wore — the usual VS bras in a horrifically wrong size, naturally), but this week I've had some good luck:
Cleo Juna (6461) 32E (Nude): ... I could probably try a 32F in this one (and I will order that size next time I buy a Juna), but it's quite wearable due to the forgiving lace trim at the top of the cups. My only complaint is that the Nude color is too much darker than my very fair skin to be worn under sheer tops. Comfortable and makes my boobs look amazing. (I think the Juna is technically padded rather than molded, but other than the vertical seam in each cup it seems very close to a molded bra.)
Freya Deco Moulded Half Cup Bra (4232) 32E (Nude): Cakes on a plate! No gaping anywhere, and this Nude is lighter than the Juna's and so works better with my skin tone. Pretty much looks as if it were custom made for my boobs. (The 30F fits similarly, except for cutting into my back really unattractively — however, my boobs aren't large and heavy enough to require tight-as-possible bands, just tight enough to support and stay put. I'll try 30F again when I'm back to my pre-ankle-injury weight.)
I seriously did not think it was possible for me to wear a molded bra that doesn't gape, due to my lack of fullness at the top. I'm happy to be wrong.
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Those of you who like measuring yourselves, here's a new technique which was proposed on /r/abrathatfits: bust in a bra + above bust in a bra - above bust without a bra. For me it does not come close, but it would be interesting to find out if my experience is common.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/1eoaj8/im_curious_about_this_me...
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I was the one who found the link (it's sad when your measurements give you away even on a site where there's plenty of busty women). For me, it comes close and possibly overcompensates a little. I'd describe myself as being slightly fuller on top, but I have very full, projected breasts in general.
I measured up as per the method as a 28LL, and would estimate that I'd need about a 28L, which is pretty close. I certainly would be happy with one cup out as a starting size. Other redittors have found the measurement to be grossly inaccurate though.
I got confused on what to substract from where :D
I have 32 for underbust size and 44 for corrected bust size. So I *think* I calculate the cup size with band size 34, which makes a 10 in difference, and then add 2 cup sizes to get my 32 underband cup size. That would be 32L US, or 32HH UK. So about right maybe? I use 32H as my starting point usually.
I think that the "correction" with overbust difference is useless for me though, because my boobs don't bust out from my bra. My overbust is simply larger with bra on because my bra does what I want it to do - it lifts my boobs up. If I just use my non-corrected measurements, I get one cup size less, which I think is my "real size". But nevertheless, it works just about as well as most decent calculators.
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My friend went to the States last week and tried a Victoria's Secret just to see the store/have the experience. She said they measured her as having 34'' underbust and 31'' bust... Which, of course, makes perfect sense!
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It's because the bra is obviously supposed to be worn upsidedown with the band fastened over the top of the chest!
lol
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Over the last year a group of women over at busenfreundinnen.net has done some research into what bras work well with wide root shallow breasts. We started out with suggestions by several forum members as well as the list one ingenious forum member had put together all by herself before (she tried on an incredible number of bras ... and also came up with the original description and definition of what we call "small wide breasts": these need wider wires as well as less depth in the cups). These are the bras that have worked for at least two out of 18 of us. (Two out of 18 doesn't mean they didn't fit the others in the group, but simply that others didn't get a chance to try them on). I'll put bras that fit five or more of us well in capitals.
Bras for wide root shallow breasts:
- Calvin Klein Customized Lift Strapless (push-up)
- CLEO GEORGE (unpadded balconette, like some of the other Cleo balconettes usually produces some wrinkles in the thinner material at the top of the cups on wide root shallow boobs, but this does in no way detract from its great fit and the great shape it gives them, plus the wrinkles are usually not visible under clothes)
- Cleo Marcie (unpadded balconette)
- Cleo Brooke (unpadded balconette)
- Cleo Lucy (unpadded balconette - there were also some it didn't fit in the group )
- CLEO JUNA (padded halfcup, runs smaller in the cups)
- Juna-sisters: Cleo Martha, Poppy, Sadie, Rita, Ellie, Rihanna, DARCY, Cara (padded halfcups, some have even slightly wider wires and shallower cups than the Juna)
- Ewa Michalak HPs (padded halfcups - there were also some they didn't fit in the group )
- Ewa Michalak: PLs (padded plunges, there were also some they didn't fit in the group , PLs with open cups at the top are better, e.g. PL Czarny Kropek, PL Black as opposed to PL Milady or Amethyst)
- Fauve Brianna (unpadded halfcup-plunge)
- Freya Summer Halfcup (padded)
- Freya Libby Halfcup (padded)
- Gossard Esprit (unpadded halfcup)
- Gossard Tutti Frutti Balcony (padded halfcup)
- H&M "Leo Strapless" (there are push-up and non-push-up versions of this)
- Lepel Fiore Balcony (padded halfcup)
- Masquerade Hestia (padded halfcup, runs a bit smaller in the cups)
- Masquerade Maia (padded halfcup)
- Masquerade Rhea (padded halfcup, not ideal, had to be altered by those it fit)
- Masquerade Rosetti (padded halfcup, usually gapping at top of cups)
- OnlyHer Latte Plunge and Tabasco (padded plunges - the halfcups did not work as well)
- OnlyHer Amaretto (padded halfcup)
- SugarShape Dolce Vita (padded plunge)
There are some more bras that could work, but have only been tried on by one of us or present problems:
B.tempt’d Ciao Bella (padded halfcup), Cleo Lizzie, Bonnie, Melissa, Bella (unpadded balconettes), Cleo Maddie/Karen (t-shirt bras), Curvy Kate Thrill Me (padded halfcup - gives a rather flat shape, wires dug in for all of us), Fauve Bethany Halfcup (padded), Freya Erin and Elize Halfcups (padded – fit single ones of us, but generally aren't as suitable as the "Summer-type" halfcups), Freya Deco Strapless and Deco Moulded Soft Cup (t-shirt bras), Gossard Noir Allure, Lepel Flora Balconette (padded halfcup), Masquerade Tiffany Plunge, Pour Moi? Opulence Gel Bra
Sports bras:
- Panache Sports Bra (underwired and padded)
- Shock Absorber Classic (Level 3) B102/N102
- Shock Absorber Max (Level 4) B4490
- Shock Absorber Pump (Level 2) B4246 (comes with thin pads that can be removed)
We also came up with some recommendations for boobs smaller than a (30)D cup, because most of the recommended brands only start at D (at least in the smaller band sizes):
- Calvin Klein CK One Convertible T-Shirt Bra Microfibre (Multiway, band is very tight, maybe order sister size up)
- Calvin Klein Envy Demi Lace Bra (padded halfcup-plunge)
- Calvin Klein Push-ups Coverage Level 1 and 2 (Lace & Micro has got especially wide wires)
- Debenhams set of two balcony bras (halfcups, moulded cups with two vertical seams for decoration, probably also work for people who need wider wires)
- Elle Macpherson Intimates Contour Bras (padded halfcups) e.g. So Pretty It Hurts, Dentelle, Artistry, Cloud Swing
- Ewa Michalak: especially PL, 3D (padded plunges) and 3DM bras (unpadded plunges)
- Lepel Fiore Balcony (padded halfcup)
- OnlyHer Latte Plunge und Tabasco (padded plunges), Amaretto (padded halfcup)
- all of the Shock Absorber Sports bras in this list (tight bands, order sister size)
- The Freya Swim Bikinis listed below and Cleo Juna sisters in a D will often fit women who usually wear C cups, because their cups run shallower and smaller than other bras
The main reason why we started our "research" was that there are a number of women who need even wider wires /shallower cups than the bras listed so far provide. These are the bras that have fit at least two of those women:
- Bravissimo Tanzania Stripe (unpadded halfcup)
- Bravissimo Mademoiselle (unpadded halfcup)
- By Caprice Gardenia (padded plunge)
- Change Basic Florence (padded halfcup)
- other Change styles (e.g. Balcony Bisquit, Rita, Thelma)
- Cleo Frances (unpadded Balconette, does not fit people who need very wide wires)
- Curvy Kate Tempt Me (padded plunge, does not fit people who need very wide wires, fits better in these colours: scarlet, gold, coral)
- FAUVE MERISSA Halfcup (padded, does not fit people who need very wide wires, but some people who need very wide wires have successfully bent them to make the bra fit)
- Fauve Isobel Halfcup (padded)
- Figleaves Just Peachy Daisy Embroidery Padded Balconette
- Figleaves Just Peachy Lace Padded Balcony
- LEPEL FIORE PLUNGE (padded with removable pads) This style has been changed, so only older models work - buy seasonal colours that came out before 2013. Apparently Lepel is going to go back to the old style next winter.
- Panache Harmony Balconette (unpadded)
- Pour Moi? Renaissance Padded Bra
There are some more promising models, but these have only been tried on by one of the people needing wider or very wide wires:
generally Bravissimo halfcups such as Rococo Charm, Demi Diva, Moulin Rose (some are padded, some aren't), Cleo Darcy und Cleo Marcie (not for people who need very wide wires), Debenhams set of two balcony bras (halfcups, moulded cups with two vertical seams for decoration, probably won't work for people who need very wide wires), Fauve Celine Halfcup (padded), Fauve Mia Halfcup (padded),
Rosme balcony bras (are really halfcups)
These fit some women requiring wider wires, but not others:
OnlyHer Latte Plunge and Tabasco Plunge, Ewa Michalak CHPs
Sports bra also for people who need wider wires:
- Shock Absorber Run
Bikinis:
There were no differences in how they fit among the people in our group, so we'd recommend these to everyone with wide root shallow boobs (even if they need very wide wires):
- Freya Swim Soft Cup Triangle bikini tops (padded, no wires, e.g. Bamboo Island, run one size smaller in the cups)
- Freya Swim Sweetheart bikini tops (padded and underwired, cups run a bit smaller)
- Freya Swim Triangle bikini tops (padded and underwired, e.g. Carousel, cups run a bit smaller)
Somehow linking to all the bra models didn't work, sorry! I hope our list is helpful for some of you
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34 comments
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing! I'm sure this adventure of yours will be linked quite a few times :)
Thanks, Vee! I really hope so. The original list we had has been so very helpful to me, and since I've started looking at fitting requests here I've found it frustrating that I couldn't link to it, because it was all in German. I didn't know where else to put this, but I sure hope it will be of use to people.
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Is there an option for "I have no idea," because I have no idea what size I am. :)
drownedsalad , that doesn't really help me survey-wise. What size do you wear most of the time? If you have more fitting bras in one size over another, that would be the one I want (answer in for the UK size in the survey)
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