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Elomi Adventures
So after the first Elomi attempt with the 36E - Elomi » Anushka Plunge Bra (4061) , I decided to try a half cup. I think I actually ended up sizing up another two cups partially just because of the price tag on Amazon, so I and ended up with the 36FF - Elomi » Opal Half Cup Bra (8660) which, amazingly, fit, mostly? The band was/is a bit too loose, but the cup was pretty much perfect, and the most surprising thing of all is that it was comfortable, not just for the first ten minutes, but over hours of wear. I have finally found a bra brand that doesn't bruise my sternum and/or feel like it's trying to slice me in two with the edge of the band.
I got the 34G - Elomi » Anushka Padded Half Cup Bra (4060) after that to see how a padded style fit and also see if I liked sizing down the band better, which I did prefer, and it also fits pretty well. It's not a great thin-shirt bra, though, the lace detailing is pretty prominent, which makes it a little useless to be padded for my use. It'll be nicer in winter, though, I'm sure, and with layers or stiffer fabric it's fine to wear without showing the seams.
And after realizing I had seriously undersized myself with the first plunge attempt, I decided to try a plunge again, with the 34G size and picked up a 34G - Elomi » Matilda Plunge Bra (8900) which, surprisingly, also worked well now that I had the right size. So with that and because I have been direly needing replacements I can stand for the 34G - Natori » Hidden Glamour Full Fit Contour Bra (736044) s that I have been loathe to give up even though they are very much the wrong size for me, I ordered 34G - Elomi » Portia Plunge Bra (4150) and 34G - Elomi » Betty Plunge Bra (8170) as well. My Natoris are really beyond the point I should have tossed them, but even though I like and occasionally still wear the Comexim and Ewa bras I picked up, the gores on both of those brands hurt me quite a bit to wear for a long period so I keep going back to the Natoris as everyday bras.
Anyway I can't speak to the long-term quality / how long they'll last sort of thing yet. But so far I'm impressed with the size and feel consistency across the brand's styles so far. After finding my size it seems like every style I try in that size is pretty okay. As someone who's even fullness on top/bottom and outer full but with basically no space between breasts with really firm breast tissue and more average projection, I've had a lot of trouble finding anything that both fit and didn't hurt. I do experience slight quadding during certain movements (particularly anything where my arms reach back and push the breast tissue forward & up), but I find it's so minimal it doesn't really show under shirts. At this point feeling good and looking okay is all I was going for.
But I do think Elomi has some cute styles that fit my aesthetic. Also of note, the plunge styles definitely are nice if you have outer fullness, the side panels help a lot to push the breasts toward the center and create more projection, though still a pretty round shape, not like the Panache which definitely kind of squared me off more (which I didn't mind, but I know some people dislike). The half cups on the other hand I'm finding are better if I need something minimizing. With the correct band size I'm also having less issue with the straps falling off, which is an eternal problem for me. I expect as they start to stretch out over time I'll start having more slippage, but so far so good.
If anyone has any recommendations for other brands that might be a similar fit, though, I'd be interested to hear it.
Filed under Bras ups and downs
Thats great that you found what works for you! My first bra on my process was actually an elomi, but I later found panache fit me better. Unfortunately I cant stop gaining weight . . . possibly related to perimenopause, but who knows.