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Shopping success?
Today I took a trip to the store where I first successfully got fitted. I haven't been there for a few years, because of the internet and also some shops opening up more locally, but after ringing ahead, they definitely had enough stuff for it to be worth me travelling the two hours. Every time I've been there, the staff have been great, and they're very knowledgeable and helpful, with awesome customer service.
I tried out a variety of different things around 28K, 30J/JJ/K, 32J/JJ/K. Obviously the backs on a few of these were a bit laughable, but I'm pretty open to altering bras to make them fit (possibly too open to the idea).
I got to try out Curvy Kate Portia (CK4001), in the new seafoam and pink colourway in a 28K. It's definitely deeper and narrower in the cups than their older unpadded balconettes, but still much too wide and shallow (and small) for me. I'd say that it's probably a similar width to something like a Panache Tango? I tried on a few more assorted CK styles, including a Princess and an Emily. I think that I'd pin down my CK size at about a 32K (to be altered to a 28L), but that's partially because of wasted volume.
I tried out a few Panache bits and pieces, including the Tango II balconette in an 30JJ (a bit small, and those wires are the most ridiculously high, long things on anything that I've tried on). The Andorra in 30J was also too small and too wide, even with the stretch lace. I tried the Ariza in a 32J, and it was a bit small, but a better shape. It seems like I may have backed a winner by ordering the 30K off ebay. The wires are borderline wide on me, but a bit better than a lot of other offerings.
I tried on a few Fantasie balconettes, but I don't recognise the names, owing to not really paying attention to brands which don't carry 28 bands. They had way too much bra for me- the cups were just too tall to work effectively, and I'd imagine that Freya would be much the same.
We then moved onto some Cleo stuff, and it seems like Cleo and I are going to be good friends (except why is there only a 2 hook closure in their bras? Seriously?). Marcie and Marcie clones have good wire width and cup depth (as in they don't wrap around my back and cut in, even though I could use a bit more immediate projection than the bra offers), though I'll probably have to do something about the top bit of the cup, which is a bit loose owing to the width of my shoulders. A 32J in Marcie is borderline small on me, I have the weird internal quadboob thing happening, so I'd think my Cleo size is 34J (equivalent to a 28KK post alteration). I got a Meg though in 30J, as that cut runs quite large. I'll enter the Meg into Bratabase when I've had a chance to wear it a little to gather my thoughts, and taken some pictures.
That gives me 3.5 wearable bras once I'm done with alterations, and maybe one more depending on how good the Ariza is when it arrives. As far as I'm concerned, that's almost a success. It would have been a real success if I didn't have to alter every single one of them. No more bra bingo for me until I wear out or grow out of this lot (my money is on growing out of it, but that's just me).
Filed under Bras ups and downs
3 comments
That's awesome news, I'm happy for you! :D Yeah, even I want 3 hooks in the back and I have a much smaller chest than you do. I'm somewhere in between 28F and 28FF usually. 2 hooks in the back doesn't feel supportive to me and I can imagine it feels much less supportive for you with two hooks! I've also taken the alteration route, like you might remember from my recent post of my alteration success :P It really seems to be the only way for me, unless I want to do the holy-grail-search. Altering just opens up a whole new world of brawesomeness for me! :)
On the plus side, I'm planning to take the band in, and I may just see if I can get a 3-hook closure and stitch it on. I get that Cleo wants to have a young, fun vibe, which they do really well, and a lot of younger girls don't want thick bands, but they really are more comfortable. You can have a fun bra which has a 3 hook closure, or even a more hook closure, like Freya's longlines.
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your alterations. It definitely gives you a lot more options for things that you can wear, although I sort of reached this point via desperation in not being able to find anything that fit even vaguely correctly without alteration. Brawesomeness- I like that word. :)
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