Not too long ago, I discovered I was wearing completely the wrong bra size -- probably for most ... of my bra-wearing years! I simply thought that bras were meant to be uncomfortable, and suffered through various levels of discomfort from the mildly annoying to the OH GOD WHY IS THIS BRA ACTIVELY TRYING TO KILL ME D:

I put up with underwires digging into the sides of my breasts, gores stabbing my sternum, my breasts being smushed up by too-small cups and straps either digging in or falling all over the place, because I thought that it's just because my boobs are weird. This was the bra lot I was dealt in life because I didn't have Victoria's Secret boobs, I said to myself. No, I bore quasi-permanent indentations in my shoulders as punishment for not meeting dumb imagined boob standards.

I put myself in 34Bs -- don't ask me how, but I thought this was my bra size, I think because it was the easiest to find, and it SEEMED to fit around my chest. Sometimes I'd try 34Cs or 36Bs, depending on the bra manufacturer I knew at least that some bands ran "tighter" and some cups were bigger or smaller. I would do the biggest bra shopping no-no of all time and buy bras without even trying the damn things on. No, I descended upon the bra racks, quickly found what I thought would fit me and scamper home with my new torture devices. Sometimes I'd live ~dangerously~ and try out a 32D!

My first bra epiphany (brapiphany??) came when I chanced upon a 32DD Mimi Holliday bra on a clearance rack and, well, actually LOOKED at it. The cups didn't seem THAT big, why it looked like I could fit into it. And it did, better than any other recent bra. The underwires didn't dig in as much! Oh there were still problems --epic quadboob, for one-- but hell, a pretty silk plunge bra that "fit" me and was on clearance was going home with me. I don't know why it didn't hit me then that HEY MAYBE I'M WEARING A COMPLETELY WRONG SIZE. I think I assumed that Mimi Holliday's cups ran super small or maybe UK sizes were completely different (well...) and I kept buying shitty bras. I also kept an eye open for more Mimis on sale, after I looked online and noticed with dismay that they were like $90 a bra. I managed to find a couple of more for cheap, though. (Bless Nordstrom Rack and Last Chance!).

No, I have Reddit of all places to thank for helping me measure myself for real and putting me on the path to a better fitting bra. It's still a work in progress, finding The One Bra. Or, because I am fickle, The Several Bras ;)

I almost cried when I tried on a bra that was actually comfortable and didn't make me feel shitty about myself. Cried with happiness because OH GOD LOOK AT MY MAGNIFICENT RACK. Cried with anger because FUCK YOU BRA INDUSTRY. No, I'm not bitter at the shitty breast propaganda churned out by the Victoria's Secret machine and its ilk. NOT AT ALL.

Anyway! :) I'm on a quest for awesome bras. I'm trying to enter as many bras in the Bratabase as I can --especially the ones that DON'T fit-- and I hope my bra data ends up being useful to someone else. Maybe for a lol I should enter one of my old 34Cs before I burn it ;)

~*About My Boobs*~
They're actually pretty average, I'd say. They're not too wide set, in that I can fit about a finger and a half between them. They're a little bit splayed. I used to think they were bottom heavy but after doing the bending over test as described by Bras I Hate, they are more centered than I thought. They've spent god knows how many years in shit bras, so there's some tissue migration, I think. The poor things :( I promise to treat you better!

~*My Bra Mission????*~
Besides the usual "Hey how about one that actually fits??", there are other considerations like shape and ~cleavage. Since I like to balance out my figure with my, er, booty, I don't much care for minimizers. I like to have a little cleavage. I do like having that uplifted "cakes on a plate" look that polish bras are known for :) High and somewhat rounded!

I'm always open for bra recommendations :D
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