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First non-moulded, unlined bra in 8 years!
At least I think it's 8 years. I was one of those poor souls in a stretchy B-cup who had no clue that my breasts were languishing in ill-fitting boob slings. I made the common mistake of going up a band size when I really ought to have gone up (two) cup sizes instead. I was finally fitted into a moulded D-cup, and since then, I've not looked back. Moulded cups 4 evah! At least until now.
I'm now an F cup (UK sizing). Up until now, moulded cups have always been easy to find - VS fit me pretty well when I was in their range, and then I started wearing Chantelle. But Chantelle doesn't make the next cup size up in any of the styles that fit me, and despite being 33 and 2/3 years old, my boobs just seem to keep getting bigger. Thus, I embarked on a journey to find bras I liked that are also available in the next cup size, just in case 6 months or a year down the road I need to size up and find I've been sized out of all my go-to styles.
I was pretty adamant at first that they had to be moulded cups. Despite years of refusing to wear a bra with even light padding, once I got used to it I found that I preferred the feeling of a little more space between my boobs and the world. Plus, I get some epic nipplage and was happy that took care of it.
But of course a moulded cup must be the right shape, which I've struggled to find. I finally was pretty satisfied with Curvy Kate Smoothie (my breasts look so great in that bra, I just want to feel myself up all day), but that is a SERIOUS bra and sometimes I want something a little less rigid. In my desperation, and because they are just so pretty, I ordered a couple of unlined bras from Figleaves on sale.
You guys, I wore a Freya Babes in the Wood all day! It was so comfortable! I didn't feel like I was exposing myself! My nipples didn't come out and scare any small children! (It might have helped that it was quite warm today.) My breasts look great in it! This bra actually was deep enough in the cups that the wire stayed in the fold underneath my breast all day! (Moulded cups never do that, even when I size down in the band.) I now, of course, want All the Freya Balcony Plunges.
I also ordered a Panache Jasmine, which I was less sure about. It made the girls look great, but was SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Really quite scratchy. Plus, despite being quite wide of shoulder with wide-set breasts, the straps feel a little too wide on me. Who was this bra designed for, anyway?
I was half-convinced to send it back, when I had a thought: this band is shorter and less stretchy than my Freya. Maybe if I used an extender? Hmmm, better. Not as tight, but still quite scratchy. Then it hit me - line the wires with something softer! I now am lounging around the house in the bra with a silk scarf tucked all around the bridge. And you know? Pretty comfy! I'm going to line the entire bridge with a couple layers of silk twill.
But what about those times when I want a little more space between my breasts and the world? I bought a set of Wacoal "No Peeks" to try. They are essentially a little moulded foam liner to put in an unlined bra. They are a little awkward to get in the cup, and I doubt they'd work for someone with a breast volume much bigger than mine, but overall I was satisfied. I won't wear them everytime I wear an unlined bra, but it's a nice option to have.
In celebration, I ordered myself a Cleo Melissa.
Filed under Bras ups and downs