Eggplant in Cotton/Lycra blend 26K unlined

My love for the Decent Exposure bras continues, as does my need to experiment with the sizing, haha. This time I ordered the 30K to be made as a 26K (since 30 is the smallest band they list but not the smallest they make) in the unlined Cotton/Lycra blend for the up and coming summer days. While the unlined 26L is fine for night wear, it doesn’t offer as much support for days as I desire, and I go through spurts where I want a good wireless comfort but don’t want to be constricted by a Sports bra. I also ordered the looper ... (The loop fabric that creates the gore and separates the breasts) to be 6” tall which is 3” longer than standard (per DE) for this size. I have some major gore tug going on in my other DE bras and it finally dawned on me that it’s the looper not being tall enough to accommodate my taller than average breasts. This is just one of several customizations that can be done to accommodate individual needs. The looper can be ordered wider as well, the band as elastic or a softer ribbing, the strap area lengthened or shortened, the armholes raised or lowered, cookie pockets added, band length adjusted to between sizes (25,27,29,31,33” etc) and even front opening. Plus there’s about a dozen fabric options including lined and unlined, as well as swim fabric options, and a large selection of solid colors, with a few having patterns available too.

A 26K in Decent Exposure is 26:11 which I’m sure sounds insane for my normal 28:16-28:17 size, and this can be very misleading, so let me give a quick rundown on their sizing.

The band ordered should be your underbust measurement. Their cup sizes available are A through M, with A-C increasing 1” each, then D&E 2” each cup, F-I 1.5”, J 2.5”, and K + being 1.5” with a one cup adjustment made for Lined vs Unlined versions. So 26K is intended for 26” underbust, and 39-41.5” overbust for lined bras, and 41.5-43” for unlined. This makes the unlined 26K true to size for my bust. While the index sizing can give you a bit of reverse letter phobia when compared to your normal bras, especially in the upper end of the cup scale, once you’ve tried a few, you get a better sense that their sizing chart is pretty accurate, and sizing up based on normal logic isn’t going to give you support. Sizing up is wonderful for sleeping and comfort mind you, but for an average day, not so much. That being said, the sub 30 bands get more complicated than that.

I had my suspicions confirmed about the sizing and 26/28 bands. Per Decent Exposures, the 26 and 28 bands are created like this:
“So the material will fit the ribbing or elastic better, we do take some fabric off the bottom edge of the bra, but it’s graded to standard (30 band) halfway towards the armhole, so the upper part of the back was standard on the bras we’ve sent.”

So honestly a 26K, 28K, and 30K has the same cup area but the 26 and 28 are just shorter at the bottom to hug the ribs. This means a 26K & 28K really are 30Ks with a band shortened just as ordered. This functionally makes the 26K not a 26:11 but a 26:13 (sister size to the 30K) instead. Does this matter? Not at all, but it may help combat some of the mental math confusion their sizing can create.

Pricing varies by cup, fabric, and option selection, ranging from $37 (30AA-D unlined cotton) up to $91(60J-L lined lycra/dri-release etc with front closure & w/pockets.) So, yes, they do increase the price based on the cup and band size. So the more fabric used the higher the price. Also, I have been told that if you order 3 or more un-Bras in a size/style you have previously ordered, you get a $3 per bra discount. I have not done this yet, as I am still dabbling with the sizing and options, but it’s nice to know! Not included on their drop down menu is the M cup which I know is $2 more in the 26-30 band range, though is possibly higher in the upper bands.

They also have Cami style bras and tankini top options as well ranging in price from $52-109 depending on options chosen. Really, the options are almost endless!

Now for measurements:

All measurements are taken prior to trying the bra on to insure no figure is obscured by the body. I also take all flat measurements before taking the stretched cup then band measurements for the same reason.

The band measures 20.5” and stretches to a max of 32”. It has no hooks, so it is a slip on.

Cup Depth as measured by:
1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance.
This measurement is: 9.25”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance.
This measurement is: 15”

I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands. Since Bratabase only has one cup field, I enter the larger of the two, as it’s this larger number that determines if a cup is going to fit me or not since I am on the max end of the cup scale, but do realize that some may need the lower number to determine fit for their needs, so I will always include both figures in the reviews for full disclosure. With these types of bras, I am measuring the cup depth from center looper to wing seam to determine the cup depth.

The cup width measures 7” from center looper to side seam, and has a height of 12” mid way on the cup area. The looper puts the gore height at 6” and width at 1/2” but in this size it would normally be 3” tall-I specifically ordered it at 6” tall. While the looper can be removed, I wouldn’t recommend it personally. It does a great job at putting a bit of separation between the breasts.

Additonal measurements:

The back is 4.5” tall, and 16.5” wide at the top wing to wing. The front gore is 14.5” tall with the looper removed.

I have 6 Decent Exposure Bras now, 3 Lined Cotton/Lycra-two in 26M & 1 in 26L, 1 Lined 100% Cotton in 26M, 1 Unlined Cotton/Lycra in 26L, and this one. Of these, Two were ordered with ribbed band instead of elastic (26M lined Cotton & one of the 26M Lined Cotton/Lycra blends) which are more comfortable on the rib area if you have sensitive skin, but are more difficult to get on as the ribbing does not stretch like the elastic. If you have a large bust or a larger rump than rib measurement, this makes it close to impossible to pull over your bust from above or shimmy up from below, and after doing so a few times the ribbing loses some of its tension, resulting in a looser than desired band. It is still comfortable and supportive, just not as much as in the beginning. So due to this, I would recommend sticking with the elastic band for most people, especially if you plan on using them as active day support.

While these are far from sexy, they are so comfortable and have so many options, I just can’t say enough how much I recommend them.

I am really eager to play with the customizations for these bras. I view it like a puzzle, trying to get the perfect balance between fit, support, and comfort.
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Eggplant Organic Cotton/Lycra colorway

Updated on Apr 30, 2019 Flag this