Jun 14, 2013
There are only 15 people working at Ewa Michalak company. Now I'm not surprised about anything
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There are only 15 people working at Ewa Michalak company. Now I'm not surprised about anything
Filed under Bras ups and downs
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Because it is a saga!
I thought I'd post this adventure because its a classic example of how one bad fitting can have repercussions for years and years.
I was 14 when I went for my first fitting - my mum walked in on me changing and realised that my 34b training bra was ripped because i had outgrown it, ... she whisked me off to the pinnacle of British lingerie manufacturing- marks and spencer. I was very intimidated as a burly middle aged woman prodded and poked me with a tape measure- and she announced that I was a 36c- from memory I reckon that my measurements were at the time 32" under and 39"over (with a bra on). So back she came with a pack of non wired,full coverage white bras. For a 14 year old.
They looked like this: http://www.marksandspencer.com/Lace-Textured-Non-Wired-A-DD-Bra/dp/B00BMH3FZM?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_101&nodeId=1838623031&sr=1-101&qid=1371163134&pf_rd_r=1EPR7N14FGAQXXD8RVDP&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=1838623031&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3
She tried one one me (the only bra that she actually fitted me in) and pronounced it a perfect fit- I thought it must be as I knew no better. She then proceeded to give my mum quite possibly the worst piece of fitting advice I have ever heard which was 'she shouldn't wear an underwired bra til her boobs stop growing, as the underwire resting on the tissue will stunt it's growth, and you shouldn't wear anything underwired when you are menopausal!'
So off I went with my hideous bra - and spent the next year trying to hide when I got changed for PE as all my classmates had pretty bras that were pink and lacy, where as I had a huge white thing attached to my chest- and I didn't even have big boobs! They were only a C! I then saved up my money and bought myself a wonderbra - again in a 36c, only to realise that I was even more of a freak as even a wonderbra couldn't give me cleavage. I hated my body. I hated how my body looked in clothes, how I couldn't get my posture right no matter how I tried, and this went on for years. I then went to bravissimo, just for a try, and I remember saying 'I don't thinks my boobs are big enough for your shop' to my fitter. I came out a 32e with and waist and an hourglass figure- and it was amazing! I'm now in a 30HH-32GG and I'm so much more confident in my skin, I know that I have a slim waist and big boobs, and that no one can make me wear a white bra! My mum still thinks I wear underwires too much tho!
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Marks and Spencer's told me the exact same thing! I completely ignored their advice and wore underwires. They also first suggested a 34A for me, I was probably about a 28E/30DD, but I stood my ground about being uncomfortable and they conceded that I was a 32D.
Have you been there recently to see if they have improved at all? I doubt it but i am curious.
I'm glad you've found a good fit! I can understand M&S recommending non-wired bras for younger girls, but that's the first time I've ever heard of underwires stunting breast growth... I don't understand how that could work. Surely the wires shouldn't be resting on breast tissue in the first place.
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Today is Christmas for me, because a box containing THREE BRAS in different shades of red arrived. My OCD self would not let me rip the box blindly, so after battling with endless masking tape, I finally get to open the box!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (I screamed a lot today).
30FF Just Peachy Lace Non Padded Balconette Bra (dd-g) (FIG-113514), 30FF ... href="/browse/freya/deco-honey-1254/" class="mentioned-item">Freya Deco Honey (1254) , and 28GG Cleo Brooke (5141)!!!
Mini review.
28GG Cleo Brooke - Is it a sister cut of Lucy? Because seriously, this is Lucy (even the pattern reminds me of Lucy!), just a tad more open on top. The wires are too wide on me, the depth (considering the width) is perfect. A hint of quadboob on my bigger side, but nothing serious. Wearable. [ETA: Oops, no quadboob. I just had the straps tighten to the max. A habit I'm still trying to get rid off.]
30FF Deco Honey in Firecracker - Band is loose, a usual for Freya. As for the cups, hmmm. In my beige 28G Deco, I have a little gaping on top, but the gore tacks perfectly. In this one, I don't have gaping on top, but the gore is like 2mm away from my sternum. When I push it flat against my sternum, I spill out in the middle, giving me butt-crack cleavage (I used to like butt-crack cleavage in my 34C, but now, butt-crack cleavage in my proper size seems weird). Does this mean the cup is shallow near the gore?
30FF Just Peachy - IS THIS AN ANDORRA RIP-OFF BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, THIS IS AN ANDORRA. From the lace, to the stretchy lace on top, IT'S ANDORRA, EXCEPT! I don't get the pointy shape in this bra. The shape is more rounded compared to Andorra. AND THE WIRES ARE PERFECT. I LOVE THEE, NARROW WIRES. Gotta catch 'em all colours. The only caveat, the armhole is so small! I set the straps to the loosest setting, and the hole is like the halfway tight setting on Deco.
Big thanks to amy__rebecca for sending this Christmas in a box!
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Sorry about all the masking tape, I just wanted to make sure they got there safely :)
Ahaha it's alright! The box felt very secure upon arrival so my mind was at peace seeing it.
In addition to my 34J Bravissimo Boudoir Beau (PA07) , both my Panache Sienna (4471) 34JJ from kinkyminx and the matching briefs from Figleaves arrived in the mail today! Just like Christmas morning, I tell ya.
I have posted a Fit Check over in reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits on these two bras as well as the Bravissimo Paradiso Plume Bra (LN141) I purchased in 32J from sharayahw .
Spoiler Alert: None of these was the dream bra I was hoping for.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/1g95o0/fit_checksad_face_bravis...
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Bravissimo Paradiso Plume Bra (LN141) does come now in a 32JJ?! :O I thought it only got up to J-cup?
Nope, I just typo really well this late at night running on no sleep :P
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Whew! I feel as if I'm some crazy lady trying to convert people's religions.
I recently fitted a friend into a 32B (yes, she has a 32 inch ribcage with a two inch difference!) and insisted that my other friend was not the "32A" she thought she was. Apparently she had measured herself to be 28C, but I don't think she ... really is. We went over the LaSenza and got her to try a 30C (no mainstream 28 bands in Canada sadly) and discovered the band to be too big and it "fit" in the cups (will have to enlighten her more later).
On an online forum, some women were harping on a girl for discovering she is a C. Of course there were comments like "I'm a B and she looks smaller than me, there's no way she is a C". But I kid you not, somebody posted "just because you fit a C cup, doesn't mean that you are a C! You have to get properly measured! I wear a large in clothes and sometimes I wear a small". Oh my god, all that fail in one quote, I just can't.
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Since being in Greece, i have lost a fair bit of weight. My underbust still measures 29inches, (that is the size of my naked ribs, loose, tight, is the same - i had a bad Eating Disorder when i was younger, and still wore a 34 band after adding 5 inches to my raw rib measurement.) However, i realised ... that i should be in a 30 band when i weighed about 10kg more than i do now. However, I find now i have lost weight, my 30 bands feel tighter. It's like the wires are now stabbing into my ribs at the sides - i think it might be because i have lost the padding that was over my ribs. My ribs stick out and you can feel them, i have to bend over to grab skin / fat from the surface of my bones.
Although, when i try a 32 it rides up like anything.... I have ordered Comexim, i think maybe the wires are just crazy wide for my body.
Many people say they loose a band size when they loose weight, i have never heard of anyone having the opposite problem, although i guess it might be the same as when skinny girls have to band size up for their ribs?
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Actually, not weight loss in my case, but when I stopped breastfeeding and my breasts lost a bit of volume (although their perimeter and root width stayed the same) my underbust increased by an inch. The culprit, I think: the reduced volume meant my breasts remained ever so slightly higher on my chest. Because my ribcage is so very tapered the difference was quite significant. Anyway, my underbust measure 28" now (was 27") and I find I need relaxed 30s or snug 32s to be comfortable- Again, super-conical torso and absolutely no padding whatsoever.
Maybe you're in between band sizes now?
yeah, maybe. All of the 32's i tried have ridden up and been uncomfy. I think it has to do with the wires though. I have very close set, narrow rooted breasts, and almost all wires are too wide for me, they tend to sit right on a rib, so when i breath, ouch!
I have a cleo Meg in 30GG, and the wires are very narrow, U shaped in fact. The band on this bra is good, if a little loose in the 30.
I don't know, well fitting bras are so tough to find :(
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Posting a new one here ladies. I decided to try a few bras in store on, which wont work out as my breasts are wide-set. I tried on a 36D just to see if the band would work. I was able to hook the bra on the tightest setting but it felt too tight. But, I could hook it ... there. So, I tried a 34 band but they didnt have a big enough cup size. I could hook it but it was very tight. My deal is, in the last bra fit request I made I was told to band size down to a 34, and maybe go up to DD cup. Will I need an extender with a 34? Am I supposed to be able to physically hook the bra on the tightest setting, or should it not hook at all if I am in the right size? I am also still confused on size as I measure differently in the morning as I do at night. Morning I am 34 underbust, 38 over. At night it changes to 35, 39. Hoping for help.
Joie
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On a new bra, it should feel quite snug and supportive on the loosest setting. That way, as the bra stretches out, you can hook it on the smaller hooks (extending the life of the bra).
Hooking on the smallest hook on a new bra may or may not be possible depending on your build and the stretchiness of the bra, but it certainly shouldn't be comfortable until the bra has had a few months at least to stretch out.
Did you try the bras backwards (with cups in the back or upside-down)? Cups too small can also contribute to bands feeling too tight.
Some brands run smaller in the band. What brand was it?
Did you try to hook it upside down? This keeps the too-small cup from affecting how the band itself feels.
For instance, if I try on a Wacoal 36G, it feels too tight and a 38G feels snug but okay. When I try on a 36H, the band feels normal. A 34H is snug, but fits better. I suspect a 34I would fit perfectly, but they don't make it.
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Sorry about the cussing headline... I just received my Enell sports bra in a size 00 (pinging Aaa ) and the bra itself is probably constructed in an awesome way. Tons of women are super satisfied with the Enell. It seems to me that no sports bra ever will contain ALL of my breasts. So I have to ... ask you... Do your sports bras contain you in such a way that it fully encapsulates your breasts? I get encapsulation from the side, on the bottom, but I just measured how much of my boob tissue is not contained ALL THE TIME while I'm wearing my Enell. 6 cm. That's quite a lot and it hurts. Sometimes I wish my boobs were full on bottom just so that they'd never peek out the top in sports bras. I dunno what's normal to expect from a sports bra, but this doesn't seem to cut it for me It stops the bounce from the side and the bottom but I still get painful up-bounces
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Hmm... Just a test. When I'm braless, I can push my boobs (using one hand on one breast, or two if your boob is too big for your single hand,) approximately 3 cm ABOVE my clavicle. That's crazy. I wanna know how you guys compare to me. Of course my boobs aren't that high up unless I push them up that far, but I'm wondering because that's basically what sports bras do to me; exaggerate the height in which my breast tissue is concentrated. The best thing for me would be a sports bra that held my breasts tightly in place instead of elevating them, I think. My breast tissue starts super high up, it attaches ON my clavicle, not under it.
Thanks for pinging me. FoB isn't the answer, though, because I'm largely FoB but I have 6 cm of tissue beyond the top of most of my bras (I just have a very tall root). I'm sorry that the Enell wasn't the magic bullet for you.
I guess this means I don't need to try it, since it won't help me with coverage and I get pretty good lack of motion with the Bravissimo Inspire - for the part of my breast that is inside the bra, at least.
:(
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Sienna, you are so beautiful , but why the underwire is so so long under the armpit??? Can I take the underwire out, cut 2cm off and put it back????
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I have a Sienna basque that's gorgeous...except for the stabby wire -_-
Why not? I have tons of bras that have wites shorter thenthe wire channels and they work quite well! You just have to find something to coat the end of the wire after you sew it off, otherwise it would hurt you more then this way.
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I used to have a 30DD Masquerade Delphi and I loved it even though it didn't fit. I just happened to find one in a 28FF! The only problem is that I just bought the Lottie and I've wrecked my car so I don't have the cash to get it either. So sad! I think the straps might be too far apart anyways, like the Rhea. It seems I'm running out of bras that will work since most balconettes have such far apart straps. Ugh! I have the worst bra luck.
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It's quite easy to move the straps on a balconette (nowhere near as difficult as expected anyway), I have to do it on most of mine.
In my quest to find Polish bras that fit me. I've bought so many lately in wrong sizes! Searching for Ewa Michalak and Comexim bras. I've recently lost some weight and I'm trying to figure out my size without spending a ton of money on new bras. If any of you have Ewas in sizes close to 65J/70HH or Comexim ... in 70/75 J/K I would be willing to buy or exchange what I have. I am also waiting for Ewa to come out with some new colors in the PL style. Can anyone comment whether you prefer the Ewa or Comexim plunge and why? How do I know if I need narrow wires?
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Just curious, why do you want only Polish bras?
Well, what other brands have you tried? If you get space in the cup under your arm before the underwire, then the wire is too wide. Ewa and Comexim are quite narrow so if the wire is okay in them, then you need narrow wires.
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I just got my new Shock Absorber Active Multi Sports (4490) bra in the mail and the band is INCREDIBLY TIGHT. My ribcage is 25.5-26 inches and I could only just do it up in a 28FF. I'm sitting at my computer and I just heard stitches pop when I inhaled!! That can't be good!
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I´ve heard Shock absorber has a tight band, but that tight?? Why don´t the call it 26 if it really is...
Is your 25.5 - 26 measurement the tightest you can get, or looser, exhaled / inhaled?
25.5 is with the tape measure pulled really tight, and it's 27 loose and 28 inhaled. I'm never sure what I should use as my measurement! Yeah it's silly, they should definitely call it a 26!
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I have been wanting a Curvy Kate Lottie for such a long time! I finally found someone selling one in my size so I got it. It just arrived and I quickly tried it on. Everything seems to fit but there is a little puckering in the cup. I tried it on with a t-shirt and it was just dreadful. ... I look like I have coneboobs! The dreaded upside down 7
I wish it weren't so hard to find a nice unpadded bra that will work with my shape. I guess I'll try to trade it or sell it for something that might work.
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Would you mind putting a picture up of the fit issue before you decide to get rid of it? There's a possibility that you might be able to save the bra and make it work for you, we just need to see what's going on :) Upload it either here or on imgur (set the album to "hidden" and it won't pop up on imgur, only those with the link can see it), or a site you prefer.
Will do soon :)
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I bought what I thought was the perfect Ewa for me from another Bratabase user, and when it got here I was so excited to open it... Then I realized I'm an idiot. I thought, Poland is in Europe, so European sizing, and I ended up with a bra one cup size too big. I needed a DD not ... an E! Ugh. And this was the most I had ever spent on a bra, the rest were from Ross or Figleaves clearance.
It is so cute, though, even though it is just a nude color!
I guess I will measure it and try to pass it on
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I'm a member of that "oops" club too. Frustrating.
The good thing is, it's generally pretty easy to resell EM bras, so try to resell it for what you paid!
The other good thing is, it's really hard to estimate your EM size without actually trying one on. So great! Now you probably know what size will be best for you :)
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Like most women I am wearing the wrong bra size right now.
I thought I was wearing the right one, finally, after getting fitted in an independent bra shop in Columbus, OH. See, I *knew* the 38B bras weren't doing anything for me for support, I *knew* there had to be a better fit. I thought 32DD/34D was it. Apparently ... I was wrong.
I tried Swooping this morning, wearing the only bra I own that is close to what the Bratabase suggested for me, and I see a difference already. There was no back/underarm roll. I was spilling out of a bra that I thought was too big in the cup. Oh dear god, I really do need bigger than a DD.
The bra I am wearing isn't a good fit because moving my arms up allowed tissue to escape and go back to the back, and I can fit my entire hand under the band, but it is a start. I think I see the light. Now to figure out who fits a 33" ribcage best...
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Oh, I'd love to know where you were fitted. I'm not having luck at the shops here in Columbus, @Boobicca, and Nordstrom is back to adding +4. Nor do they have much in the 28/30 -- DD+ selection!
Good luck finding well-fitting bras. It's a lot of trial and error (as I'm sure you know). Also, what is perfect in one brand or even style will be too tight or too loose in another!
The shop I went to was in the Short North, and is now closed. :( I was re-fitted at Mattie's Bra Shop in Ellicott City, MD and had the 32dd result, but that was over two years ago.
I am really excited to see how the bra size suggested here fit and feel.
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Hurray, my first fitting bras have arrived today!
I ordered the Pl Cappuccino and Pl Milady from Ewa Michalak in 60G, and these finally fit me! Both are really pretty and comfortable. The only thing is the bands could have been a bit tighter, or maybe that is just me getting used to really tight bands
I ... am not as excited as I was when my first orders arrived though. It's more relief that I don't have to resell these as well and a bit tired after a long journey and finally achieving some results
Probably I'll feel a lot better about it tomorrow!
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Congratulations!! Any advice for someone just starting on this adventure?
Well, if possible try the ones that are in stock to estimate the right size. I had to order some that were custom made due to size, but this is more costly and time consuming since those cannot be returned or exchanged.
Also, comparing brand sizes helps! Especially here on bratabase you can find how different brands compare to each other in size. In Comexim for example, I tried 60HH (because of the cup size indication in the matrix on the websit, the reviews stating that you should pick your true band size instead of the bra band indication in the matrix), and by comparing what others wear when wearing both EM and Comexim), but I found these both too large in the band and the cups. I exchanged them for 55HH, which will have to be custom made as well. Still waiting for those :)
Unfortunately I have not yet found a way to rule out the possibility of ordering the wrong size entirely...
Ordered yet another bra. This time it's Midnight Grace Paige Italian Lace Dd+ Balconette Bra (123101) in 30FF. I have been lusting this since forever and when there's a discount code in Figleaves [HINT: ONEDAY25, EXPIRES MIDNIGHT TUESDAY 11TH JUNE], I couldn't say no!
Now I have to write down what bra I'm expecting to arrive because I've lost ... track:
- Midnight Grace Paige in 30FF
- Just Peachy in 30FF
- Freya Deco in 30FF
- Cleo Juna in 28GG
- Freya Antoinette in 30FF (it might be too big on me, most probably I will resell)
- Cleo Brooke in 28GG
- CK Emily in 28FF
- Fauve Dominique in 30FF
I think that's all?
I also think I'm going to list my Bravissimo Satine Floral Bra (LN119) in 28GG. Gotta resell those that aren't a perfect fit cup width-wise.
Signing off,
Braholic Anonymous President
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Ahh I didn't knew about that code :O Is it 25% off? *heads over to figleaves* I'm hopeless :D
I have three files. Bras I own (or did own at some point in the past), bras I rejected, and bras that are on order. I find it is useful for keeping track of packages which haven't been delivered but should have been.
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Just a quick question if anyone knows if the Curvy Kate Smoothie in the Raspberry colour has the new cut? I know the Black smoothie has apparently changed cut since its first release.. I imagine the Blush and Raspberry have also followed this. Anyone who has the smoothie, how is the fit? Shallow? Did you find the need to size up?
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The raspberry and the nude one has the new cut. The black one was the nly one released in the old cut, but is also available in the new cut, which means that it's a bit of a lottery to order it... :( (Curvy Kate , Curvy Kate Smoothie (CK1401) )
You can see on the model-page which colours that were released which seasons, and in the SS2013 the cut was changed, which means that bras produced before that will have the older cut and bras produced for SS2013 and later will have the new cut.
Nesoa , thanks.. I didn't think of that.. sorry bit brain foggy. I was thinking about the other curvy Kate styles and how only some colours are in the new cut at the moment.. Thanks for your help.
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Humorous moment of the day: Pulled an old 30A bra out of my closet and held it up to my chest while changing into my PJs after work.
The edges of the underwires hit at my nipples. Let's let that sink in for a moment: AT MY NIPPLES. And I thought that was my correctly-measured size!
I'm SO glad I found Bratabase and Reddit's A Bra That Fits community. My poor squished boobs! I may not have a bra that fits perfectly yet, but at least I'm not trying to wear that murderous contraption anymore!
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Nipples?? Seriously??? Thank God for Bratabase and bloggers!! :D
Ouch!
HI all,
I have something I consider a bra adventure, along with some questions maybe you all can help with. Two weekends ago, I was out shopping with family and their car broke down, so the kind folks at the store let us sit in some of their display chairs until our ride came. As I was sitting there, I noticed ... a lady in a very pretty dress walked by, and a family member of mine commented how tacky it was there her bra band was showing. I looked at the woman and noticed when she was standing side on, that her bra band in the back was really riding up, her straps were adjusted almost as tight as they could go, and the weight of her breasts was clearly making the band go up . I never saw a worse case in person of a bra that did not fit, and would say she could have probably gone down two band sizes. In the right bra this lady would definetly be outsized in most stores. The bra also would not have shown in her dress if she was the right size too. I was so tempted to say something but realized that may not be ok. Has anyone ever seen this situation, and said something, or is it right to stay quiet?
Also, it was suggested to me that since I did not have a correctly fitting bra, that I should measure for cup size bending over. When I do, my wide-set breasts and all the migrated tissue seem to come front and center. The measurement I get though, is about two inches more then if I measure standing up. The measurement I get bending over works better for me in the cup department, but is a two inch difference normal? I thought maybe I would only be one inch different than when standing.
RADIO
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Hi RADIO10465,
I know that feeling of seeing a badly fitting bra on a stranger and wanting to physically do something about it! I think I must be the only member of my Zumba class who wears a correct fitting bra- that's 1 out of 50!
I think a 2" difference is pretty average really- especially on shallower boobs that are spread out over your torso more- I measure 41" leaning forward and 39" standing- and my boobs are pretty narrow and very front and centre even when standing, so I think you have nothing to worry about!
:)
I see ladies with bra bands almost up to their necks an awful lot. I think in this part of the world, probably 50% of the ladies need a 30 or smaller band. But do these bras exist here? Hell, no.
I would be very busy if I pointed these things out to every lady in an ill-fitting bra. ;)
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It seems to me they don't really know how to run a business. Sure, 15 would've been enough at the beginning, but 15 right now when their customer base is so large... Ain't gonna work.
Does anyone know how big their customer base is? (just interesting :))
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