7
My experience with bra size changes (weight gain / loss)
I feel super insecure about this topic. On the other side it is no secret for those that read my posts on this site that my size has changed over the years. I think it is a topic that affects many of us. Weight fluctuations happen. For me it was a bigger one when I gained 25 kg in 2 years time then maintained that weight for a while and since summer 2018 I have been slowly loosing those extra 25kg. I'm now back at my weight of 2012 when I started Bratabase. I started at 32H/30J went up to 34KK/L and back to 32HH/J.
I had to buy a lot of bras over the years. Once I knew how life in a proper fitting bra is so much better I couldn't never be without one. What I noticed on my journey when gaining weight and buying new bras: you can queeze into a too small if you don't swoop and scoop and loosen the straps or wear an extender and still make a bra 1-2 cup sizes too small work.
But when I started loosing weight... at first I could close my bras on the tightest setting to get more support and shorten the straps. But that can give you neck pain very quickly. I really tried to avoid buying a lot of bras in because I wanted to loose more weight and would not be that size very long.
So when gaining weight problems were quadboob or tight bands (extenders helped) and when loosing weight (neck and back pain from unsupportive bras). 6 months ago I thought my size has now settled and I bought a few new bras but since then I apparently went another cup size down. I'm happy about that because yeah my boobs are still very big, but it means having to buy bras again. I'm currently at 0 bras that fully support my boobs. My Ewa michalak bras are only doing okay... but at the end of the day my shoulders hurt. My Elomi sports bra somewhat helps with the neck pain because that bra just keeps my boobs pushed close to chest.
Since I only ever knew the feeling of bras getting to small I had trouble at first noting the signs of a bra getting too big. (Maybe I was also in denial since I did not wanted to buy another bra) I tried many bras this year that were obviously too big. I couldn't believe that I need a smaller size now. I still don't believe it when bra calculators give me 32H/HH
Another thing that I learned: if the cup fits properly you can get away with a bigger band. No I won't buy too big bands. But also I won't buy too small bands to get proper support it will only hurt. My underbust is between 30'' and 32'' these days and I want to wear (true to size!) 32 bands for as long as possible. When bras got unsupportive I tried 30 bands or wore my tts 32 bands on tightest setting... but that gave me pain from elastics and wires cutting in.
I also need slightly different bras now than before. My boobs got softer but are still very center heavy. I need narrow wires when in the past I could get away with some wider wires. Also many bras that used to be great on me are now too tall! (But I have tall roots.) So my main problem at as a 34L was finding bras big enough that are supportive which were Bravissimo full cup bras. A bra couldn't be tall enough. Nowadays I need narrow wires, deep cups and moderately tall bras.
What were your experiences?
Filed under Boob and body issues
8 comments
Well done on your weight loss!
I've gained around 15kg, managed to loose 5, but the remaining isnt easy! I need bit more of motivation.
Before weight gain I was wearing La Senza bras in 32D, they fitted ok, then I discovered Panache and Gossard, slowly moved to 32DD. After these I learnt about Ewa Michalak and was wearing 70DD. Shortly after I started to gain weight (changed job to be more office based..), I had to replace bras to 70E/32E. Since then i've been gaining the weight slowly... last year I lost 8kg but my boobs grew by 0.5 size lol .I put back again 5-6kg and since then I'm 70F despite going down again 5kg.
My shape was FOB at the begining, now I am more even.
**btw i ve got for sale few 32H bras for £10-£15 per bra - I can pm you the models and pics**
My size has been in constant fluctuation for 5 years now. When I started wearing properly fitted bras I was 30DD at 120ish lbs. Then I got pregnant with my son and gained 50, ended up around 32G. Lost all the weight plus a few more pounds and went back down to 28E. Got on a new medication and gained 15-20 pounds, then got pregnant again and gained another 50... and again I was wearing mostly 32G. Once I lost that pregnancy weight I was comfortable in 30G/GG for quite a while until I night-weaned my daughter, which is where I am now - 138 lbs and 30F/FF. I’m still trying to lose that weight I gained after the meds.
When I first started noticing my size changing during that first pregnancy, I stupidly sold all my old bras. Had to buy new ones for every slight size change after that. :/ I learned my lesson with the second time around and kept every bra that has fit me at any point, because I know I’m going to change again. So right now I have all my “mid” sized bras in my drawer and my “small” and “large” ones in storage, haha.
This thread has 8 comments. Log in to read them