Bra fitting help » This is possibly my first bra in a somewhat correct size.
Freya » Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) » 32FF 32:8
Issue resolved
Thanks for all your suggestions!!
Original problem
I had been wearing a 36DD bra from Victoria's secret after being measured at a 36C there. When I was clearly popping out of that they put me in a 36DD. I wore that bra for a while. At first I wore it on the tightest hook and within a week it was huge and the straps were falling down all the time despite my wide shoulders. I decided to do some internet research and ordered some bras from an online store that I thought might be closer to my measurements. I ended up with this Freya bra in a 32FF. I consider my boobs to be small to medium for my frame possibly because I carry most of my curves in my thighs and butt and that size sounds very big to me. I just wanted a more experienced eye on whether on not this is a good fit for me. I'm not sure about if the cups are too big. I feel like they really come over into my arm pit. However my bigger breast is almost getting squeezed at the top. Also does the band look like the right amount of tightness? I just have very little experience and have been wearing a band two sizes bigger since I was 14 and weighed like 30lbs less than I do now. Any suggestions or help is much appreciated.
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Suggestions (4)
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It actually looks pretty good for a first attempt at getting the right size! You did really good sizing yourself down.
The band is close, it looks nice and level through the back with a nice firm fit. But if you look at the amount this particular bra stretches (36inches when its a 32) I think I'd consider going to a 30 band. With your 30.5" ribcage you could vary between a 30 and a 32 depending on the style and manufacturer.
The second thing I'd point out is the slight wrinkling you have in the bottom of the cups. It is very hard to tell in photos if that is because the cups are stretched tight or if it is due to breast shape. Based on your description of wider breasts and your bust perimeter measurement I'd consider the cup too small and the wrong shape for you. It could be you just need to go up 1 cupsize (32G or a 30GG) or it could be that you need a wider wire.
The cups coming over into your armpit is something you get used to. Depending on the width of your breast the cups could actually come a touch farther back (another thing that is hard to tell in photos). When you wear the wrong size bra for so long you get used to having the wire sit more on the breast and more forward cups. You'll want to scoop and pull your breasts forward, but make sure that the wire fully encases your breast tissue.
Like I said, you did an amazing job getting into a smaller band with a larger cup. You also did right by choosing a soft bra with 3 part cups instead of a molded style. You should definitely test out a 30 band in Freya and a larger cupsize. I'd also test out a brand with a wider wire like Panache. On a side note, I used to have an 11" bust perimeter with full on top more narrow breasts. I wore a smaller bandsize, but the volume of my breasts fit will into a cup with a cup depth of 11 or 11.5". If that is the case for you with a similar perimeter measurement, a 30GG would probably be a great start.Updated on July 2, 2012 Flag this
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I thought that too, but there are two of these added in a 32FF, by two different users. Both have a 10" cup depth. It seems to be something that is with the 32 band. The 30G is deeper at 10.5" and a touch wider. I find that difference to be quite odd.
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If you have the luxury to try on a few sizes, I'd try on a 30G, a 32G, and a 30GG. The cups look okay, but they might be a little small.... it looks like you might have some tissue coming out of the sides. Try "scooping" (ie: lift your breast tissue from the bottom/side and drop it into the cup). You might find that some of the tissue that was under your arms is in the cups... it probably belongs in your cups.
Do you get "quad-boob" in a t-shirt? If not, then it's okay. HLAleo is right: the band looks really good. Of course, you should judge on comfort/fit.
If your bra is staying put, then it's good. If it's moving around (riding up in the back or front is sliding down), try a smaller band. It all depends on your shape and build.Congratulations!
Updated on July 2, 2012 Flag this
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I wouldn't recommend sizing down in this, even though your ribcage measurement suggests you should be in a 30 (if you use the "add 0-inch" method, this does not exactly work for everyone and I think you might be one of those women). The fact that the band looks snug and level in this size is enough to suggest to stick with this band size. Any tighter and the back closure would look strained/stretched (as I've seen too many times on here) and the elastic would wear out very quickly. There is a such thing as too supportive
This bra already has wider underwires. Most of Freya's bras are a plunge style and thus have very narrow cups. The cups on this bra (I own it in 30F) are wider because it's a half-cup (pretty much a demi) style. The only thing I would recommend is that you adjust the straps a tiny bit longer. This is causing the quad boob in one of your cups, probably on the larger breast. You don't want your straps yanked so tight, it's actually making this half-cup style look like a balcony on you. Generally, the top of the cup/bottom of the front of the straps should meet with the crease of your underarm. Yours are a little above this, especially in the (your) left cup.
Something else to note just about this bra in general - because of the way it's constucted and the material used, it causes those wrinkles in the cup next to the seams. I get them with mine and I still had them with a smaller cup size that I was badly spilling out of, the model on Freya's website with this bra on has them. They're unavoidable. If you notice other bras made after this same style but different fabric do not have these same wrinkles. So they're not a fit issue. As bybabysrules pointed out, there is space at the bottom of your cups. But it's from the straps adjusted too short, it's causing the cups to fit firmer across the tops and center of them pushing up on breast tissue which can give the quad-boob look, at the same time because they're pushed up, it's leaving what looks like empty space at the bottom. Make sure you scoop all your breast tissue (and any migrated tissue) into the cup, and when you're doing that, push in and up on the underwire at the outer curve of each cup to get it to sit just underneath breast tissue. Alternatively, you can also scoop and grab while pulling up and towards your back at the top of the underwire on it's outer edge. Both of these methods position the underwire right underneath the breast. After you've adjusted the sides in correctly, put your index fingers down in the front of the cups just after the wires to do what they call a "windshield wipe". This ensures there isn't any breast tissue sitting underneath the center gore.
Based on your measurements, the size in this bra is a good fit.
Updated on July 2, 2012 Flag this
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One thing to consider about bands: 30 s look a bit strained on me, but 32, which look good, don't stay put. Some body shapes .red tighter bands than others. The important test is whether the bra stays put. If the band rides up or the cups slide down, a tighter band usually helps... Even if it does look a little strained. My 30s look tight, but the fit is.much better than a 32.
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Sorry... Auto correct. Need, not red.
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Same here Glyla. A 28 does look strained at first when brand new but a 30 just rides up my back. Ironically, the 30 bands stretch out waaaay faster for me than 28s.
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But not on reggiegirl it would seem. The fact that her straps are tightened so much and the band is staying put suggests she could be one of those women who don't need to wear what they measure. And you're right, the bra is obviously new so it hasn't truly been tested out. It could slide around on her in another month or so.
@reggiegirl, is 30.5" your ribcage measurement pulling tightly, measured just slightly snug, or measured a little bit loose?
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Congratulations! It looks like you did a really great job sizing yourself.
As Bybabysrules suggested you could experiment with one cup size up to 32G or do the band size down "sister size" in 30G. I usually fit 2 sizes in the bust but take whatever size feels best in overall comfort. This has led to choosing a GG over G or vice versa. At that point it really all comes down to the best bra shape (and materials) for YOUR shape and comfort. Updated on July 2, 2012 Flag this
Her cup measurement could be off or maybe the bra had a slight defect. The cups on my 30F's measure 9.5". For being 2 cups larger, 10" is kind of small for this size. It should be around 11.5"