Bra science try on! » All bra adventures

Bra science try on!

(Yes I will get to my Cabernet review soon, but I want to try to get this experience into a post while the data is still fresh in my head!)

So we used to have a few non matrix sized independent boutiques in town. I’m not sure if the first one that closed was full bust or not, as I had only found out about them as they were closing and the selection was limited. I was also less aware about my size and shape as I am now. I was more aware than most. The second one has had a multitude of locations in the city and suburbs, with a main location about 45 minutes once out of town. This store had Freya and Panache among the mix and was definitely a more full bust location. But due to constant moving in whatever mall or plaza that they were in, the location closed and merged with the location that was/is in between here and the other main location. It’s still a good 20-30 minutes once out of town. In short, I can’t just hop on a bus at random and go for a visit. I have yet to get to the new location. This leaves me with one location. They are fuller bust but more in the full cup full bust. They barely have any Freya and Fantasie and are moving away from them, and stopped carrying Panache quite some time ago. They also don’t have a whole lot in my size range though I tried on a good number of bras, some of which were hideous, one that I really want to work, a few that sorta worked, one that it’s really a hard debate between the sizes, and one that was a complete and total surprise. In the end, I left with two styles in mind, however one was the sizing debate that I mentioned.

My primary reason for going was to try on sports bras. I knew that they had Anita sports bras and that AprilGoulding recommeds them. They also have the Chantelle sports bra which is very close to the Panache one in looks and fit. I tried one over the summer that I had really liked but had been uncertain about the size, feeling like that was just a titch too small in the cup. So these are the two main ones I tried. The Chantelle is only the one style but multiple colours, and the Anita bras have a number of cuts...I tried 3 but only two styles had any potential.

Btw, I am going to add the bras and review them with pictures, but I wasn’t totally successful with measuring them in the fitting room. I did have my tape measure with me though. I got a few. This is just sort of an overview or collection of my thoughts.

As I said, 2 of the 3 Anitas were fine, but I kept feeling like my boobs were crushing the cups. I’m not sure how to go about explaining it. Based on the writing on the tag, one was momentum and the other one was momentum pro. Both were 70F/32F and I had tried the momentum in a 65G/30G I think. The biggest concern that the fitter had was the straps being so wide and no j hook.

The Chantelle was definitely better, but I had major size indecision which I will go into further details when I review. Even the fitter (who was different from the one I had last time, I will add) also agreed that it was a better fit than the Anita bras. That said, if I came across one of the Anitas in the listings for super cheap, I’d possibly consider getting it, but the Chantelle was just so much better.

Once I had determined that either the 30G or 32F were the best sizes in the Chantelle, we moved to actual daily bras. This is where we had the most trouble because they tend to cater to small busts and larger busts, but not really much in between, and most of the styles are either t shirt bras or full coverage. I tried a Fit Fully Yours Nicole, I think, in a whole whack of sizes and none were right. It’s a beautiful bra, but it’s too tall and a little bit of a shape mismatch. I tried a Fantasie in an animal print that was horrible in both 30F and 30FF. I can’t find it online with a quick search but it’s not honestly even worth the time right now. The 30F was the best of the two, but both sizes were too tall and the top of the cups had really tight elastic that dig into my upper tissue. 🤢

I tried a really beautiful Chantelle that I so wanted to work, but the wires were too wide, cups were a smidge shallow, and the top of the cups were also lined with elastic to a less extreme than the Fantasie, but it also dig into my upper tissue, causing a little bulging. If it was not elastic, it might have been a better fit, or if maybe it was more of a balconette or demi. I’m trying to figure out what that style was...I’ve seen two similar ones but not exactly the same. I’ll update when I find it. The lower part was semi soft, I think, and the top was sheer. Only the overlay was done beautifully and the seams are somewhat hidden. Edit: I found it. It’s the Parisian Allure Lace Plunge bra.

The surprise bra was a Passionata Brooklyn plunge in 65G. I was convinced that it would be too shallow but I decided to try it out for bra science. This is the part of the conversation with the fitter when I had to explain what I meant by saying that I needed depth at the wire and since and such bras are too shallow. Once I explained it, she knew what I had meant, but not in such the same terms. This one is going to get a full review for sure but the tl;dr takeaway on it is that I love it. I didn’t really have time to determine if long term wear would be too shallow or not. It’s a beautiful icy blue colour with the top designed to be seen under tops like a bralette, and it was very light. The cons were that the material at the gore puckered, for lack of a better description, and that the band was way stretchy, that it was comfortable on the second hooks (of 4) in. It might be ok in summer with swelling from the heat, but I think that I ideally would need a sister size down in it or alter the band. But it’s really the perfect summer bra.

All in all, I got a lot of information, and now I have to sort out the sizing issues with the Chantelle bras and see if they make a 60H in the Brooklyn. I’m really so in love with it, but I’m having a hard time with the $75 price tag when it is already so loose in the band. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if I could 1) determine that long term wear won’t be too shallow and 2) if it was reduced.

I’m grateful for the kind fitter who spent so much time with me. I’m only sad that they have so little for me to wear. And I also forgot to try the Montelle bralette again now I’m a bit larger than I was before when I tried it over the summer.

Stay tuned for the reviews!

Filed under Bras ups and downs

Shared on Dec 29, 2018 Flag this