Bra fitting help » Ewa Michalak - Which style??

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Freya » Deco Moulded Plunge Bra (4234) » 32GG 32:10

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  This bra is too small in the cups. You have quadraboob in even these pictures. The gap between your body and the bra where the strap attaches is because the cup is too shallow and pushes you flatter than what it should. You also have boob on it's slipping out of the cup at the arm hole.

  Taking the band in will only make it worse. It will make the cups even shallower as the band will be stretched and so will the wires.

  In your case I would suggest checking out either Satine from Bravissimo (available up to a J-cup) or the PL bras from Ewa Michalak, available up to a 30NN/32N/34LL...

  Updated on October 14, 2012 Flag this

  
  

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    I agree with Nessoa. Definitely around two cup sizes too small. So taking in the band would be useless. I can be very wrong, but judging from your pictures and your measurements your breasts look a lot like mine. I.E: full on top, wide-rooted, but also very close-set, although mine are not soft.

  • And I agree with Gervaise back about shape... :)

  • Nesoa: I always thought there was something wrong with this bra, but it was sold to me at a store (very expensive) and claimed an excellent fit. I knew not very much about bra fitting then so I thought it has to fit, because I believed the fitter. Hm... I have always wanted to try Ewa Michalak bras and I think now I will. But I've been confused so far with the sizing. Panache Andorra fits me well in 30J. 30HH is often too small, also 32H (and band too big). The calculator on EM site put me in a 70H but when I look at their size chart, I think my size will be more around 70 HH (109cm overbust) and 70J (111.5cm ) since my bust measurement is 110cm in bent forward position.

  • I know the feeling. I paid 65€ for a bra claimed to be a perfect fit once when I was "fitted". Came home, thought it was a bit of, but wasn't sure, it looked good. Thankfully I discovered it was faulty before cutting anything of and they didn't have anything in the same size so I returned it and got my money back. Later on I learned how to fit myself and needed to size up two cups... :/ Sadly fitters cannot always be trusted.

    Anyway, back to Ewa Michalak, you can't trust the calculator! In your size I would assume you to be a 28-32 band, depending on how the specific band runs in the band. Some are really really tight, some are really really loose. Sadly it's a bit inconsistent.

    Based on your sizing otherwise, I would probably go up a cup size compared to Andorra to get a good starting position, so a 30JJ would be my best suggestion.

    Based on your other bras we seem to be sort of size twins, though I'm a band size smaller than you, and I'm a 28K usually so a 30JJ would be my best bet.

  • Look at the size chart instead and then find your cm underbust and cm bust. I would round up the bust and down the underbust. Then you go down by sister sizes until you find your "true" band size, the one you usually wear. That's what I've learned works sort of good. Some might still need to size up though.

  • Gervaise: I’m not sure if my breast are considered soft because I can’t compare to others. But when I’m wearing a well fitting bra aka Panache Andorra they are quite firm. I thought the Deco does not fit me because my breasts are too soft for plunge bras. But it was just the wrong size then. What are your measurements? Mine: underbust tight 29inch/73cm / loose 30.5inch/ 77cm , overbust 42inch / 106.5cm. Maybe we could exchange our experiences with bras.

  • Ahh I spend a fortune on bras and shipping so far! There are only 2 stores in my country (that I know of) that sell bras up to british H-Cup. So I thought they know better about fitting there… but they also sold me a Cleo Chloe in 34FF which was much too small. I could not return it because they removed the tags. So I tried to fit myself and buy on the internet which often does not go so well. Thanks to bratabase I learned a lot about bras sinde then.
    Arrghh I think I should clear my drawer and sell all bras that don’t fit me because it only makes me angry looking at them.

    Thanks for your suggestions. I also thought that 70H can be it!
    Panache Andorra fits me well with a 30 band. If the band runs thight I might size up to a 32 band. I saw that there are only 2 aviable in 30JJ anyway. A PL Toffik and PL Black. Which EM bras does run tight? Maybe I could get away with a 32 band and have more choice.
    There are a lot aviable in 32J also CHP and CH styles.
    

  • Alisa, you can do a nipple test to find out if your breasts are softer or firmer. I saw you are Swiss, so maybe you can read German. There is a very good link for this on the Busenfreundinnen site: http://busenfreundinnen.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20382 . If you can push in your nipple a lot without any resistance from your breasts than your breasts are soft, if you can't they are more firm. I only can push a bit, because there is a lot resistance, which is also rather unpleasant. But I don't think very firm breasts are an easy fit, because they are sometimes very hard to mould in a cup, because of this high resistance factor.
    Regarding my measurements... My underbust is measured medium tight around 73 centimeters (28,7) and measured as tight as humanly possible around 69 cm's (around 27 inch). My overbust is around 107 cm's (around 42 inch) when I am bending forward.

  • Alisa, PL Black I found big in the band. I would need a 55, so I would assume you would need a 60 in that one. I don't know about the PL Toffik, the CH runs big in the band but I think the PL could be okay.

    Sadly I'm most familiar with the outgoing models, where there are quite a bit that runs tight. Some find the CHP a bit bigger in the cup, I'm still waiting for my first to try. I would suggest asking and checking the different styles here to see how they run. :)

  • Nesoa: Unfortunately it is not much aviable in 65 and 60 band sizes and bigger as J cup. Does that mean they don't have any of them at all or are they just "sold out" and they will restock them? I'm a bit hesistant to order one custom made bra because I can not return it if it does not fit. I will check out the reviews here maybe I find one that runs thight that I can try in a 32J.

  • Gervaise: Yes I can read german. Thanks for the link. This was helpful. Now I think my breast are more firm.

  • In 60 they don't stock anything at all, and they seem to start taking a stand to not make larger cup size ready-made in small band sizes either sadly. It is however very very soon time for the new collection to be released and there will be some news there, but I don't know how the size range will be affected.

    I definitly understand the hestiation of making a custom order, I would feel just the same. :/ That's one of the downsides with Ewa Michalak. I know that some of the new CHPs were tight, so maybe trying some of them? I think some were available in 70J? If they don't fit you will most likely know enough to make a custom order afterwards?

  • Alisa, did you already try the Butteryfly Collection bra calculator http://www.butterflycollection.ca/bra-size-calculator/ ? They are very near to the size I think I generally need in Panache and Curvy Kate bras, which is a 30JJ or a 28K. A Sophisticated Pair http://www.sophisticatedpair.com/bracalculator.htm also has a very good and reliable calculator, which works better for my Fantasie bra size - Fantasie tends to run rather generous in the cups. Unfortunately I never tried EM. I fear their wires are too narrow for me.

  • I just wanted to add that ewa michalak calculator put me at 70H too and you can see on my fit issue how well that turned out.
    Since you have 4 cm more than Nesoa in perimeter, and judging from the pictures, Id say you are about my size. The only downside is - I dont know my size :/
    But I can always detect a bad fit and in deco Id say you need a band size down, and two cups up. Sadly they dont make them in this size, thats why I never had the nerve to order it. Seeing this, glad I didn't. I would have had the same problems as you.

  • So, then potentially a 30K for you as well based on what Vlatka just said.

    Gervaise, I don't know what you normally wear but in these sizes Ewa Michlaak are not super narrow compared to CK. A 28J CK has the same depth and width as a 28JJ Ewa Michalak. The difference is in the shape of the band, the Ewa Michalak is made for a more triangle shaped torso, wihch means that the wires won't be as stretched as when wearing a Curvy Kate if you have a triangle shaped torso.

    I can wear both CK and Panache, but also Ewa Michlaak without any problem. I just go up a cup size in EM.

  • Gervaise: I know these calculators. The Butterfly Collection calculator suggests a 30JJ (or 28K, 32J) and the one from a Sophisticated Pair a 30J or 28JJ or 32HH. Now I don't know I think they give a good starting size but are not always accurate. For example I own a Cleo Lucy 30J which is too big in the cups. I have never tried any Fantasie bras but I heard they run big. I might need a 30HH in Fantasie. I have recently tried a 30HH Pour Moi? St. Tropez and it was much too big on me. A Panache Sienna in 30J on the other side was too small. So it is very difficult to figure out my "real" size. Or I have a different size in every brand.

  • Alisa, don't forget that you don't have "one size". Basicly I have 10 different sizes, usually up to three in each brand... That's how tricky sizing is, however you will most likely get the hang of it quite soon. Usually there is different cuts within each brand that fits you slightly differently.

  • Vlatka: We seem to have rather similar measurements then. The 70H bra does not look bad on you but I found out that you could make almost every bra look somewhat good (putting it on wrongly) I have an old 38DD bra which does not look so bad from the front.
    I am determined to find out my size in EM bras since everybody loves them. If I find it I will tell you or you could tell me when you find out your size in EM bras maybe we could help eachother:)

  • Nesoa: I know that also... but it is somewhat confusing... I read a lot of bra fitting blogs in the past few months and a lot of them say often: "and I got the bra in my usual size..." so I thought I might do something wrong... also my measurements have changed since may 2012 (when I heard first about proper bra fitting) probably due to breast migration.
    I only hope it does not change too much all the time because I want some bras that fit longer than 3 weeks!
    I have not found any 65K on the EM site but I think it could be helpful if order a 32J and a 32JJ (maybe a 32HH too??) to compare cupsize... if the band is too big I can go down to either 30JJ or K and order a custom made bra. Some reviews here said that the CH Onyks and PL Black runs big in the band so I ruled them out. Every review here stated that PL Lilia runs small in the band so maybe I can try this... or a CHP style but I found not many reviews on them here. I really like the red (CHP Mak) one though.

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    Where do you live? Would it help if I sent you my burgund so you could get a feel for it? Cause Id love to try the andorra, so we could swap for tryouts if its not too expensive :)

  • Alisa, I think it depends quite a bit on where you're at sizewise and knowledge. In the middle segment styles and brands runs more equal between the styles, and not on the hunt for thge perfect fit, it's easy to get away with a slightly of fit or even finding a good fit with every brand in the same size.

    However when being on the outer edge pattern grading plays in and all differences comes to an extreme. Which means that we need to jump more between different sizes.

    Most bloggers I know mainly go for their average size as their "usual size". :)

  • Vlatka: I live in Switzerland. Do you live in europe? Sending one bra economy postage to europe is not so expensive about 5 CHF (4.20 Euro)

  • I'm in croatia. We can do bussines. :)
    Its cheaper than sending it back and forth with Ewa, shipping to croatia was about 8 Euros.
    So, Im planing to order some custom made bras from her, I'll let you know how it goes.
    

  • Nessoa, thanks for putting that straight. I often heard EM had super narrow/deep cups. But I am glad to hear you have totally different experiences. Regarding my size... Like some others on this site, I am still confused about what's the best for me. The Andorra in size 30J is too small in the cups. It looks like a rather open balconette on me, combined with a lot of quadraboob. The Fantasie Elodie I own in 30HH looks too small in the cups and could be a bit snugger in the band. I also think it's the wrong style for me, since I am having the orange in the glass-thingy, like I generally have with Fantasie. But I really like the side seams on the Elodie. The wires on my Curvy Kate Emily (30JJ) look fine, but I am having a problem with its east-west look. And somehow the cups exaggerate the size difference between my breasts. And I am also having problems with its brutal center gore. It's just too high and sits on breast tissue, even when I am pushing the wires up the channel. I now try a Panache Harmony Balconette in 28K. It's the first 28 band for me, so I am excited how it will fit. I think the bra which fits me the best at this moment is the Royce sports bra in size 32K. Many say it runs very tight. But I haven't noticed this. I only do some low inpact work-outs with it on the tightest hook. So what size do you think I generally would need in EM? By the way, do you know the Polish brand Gorsenia? I haven't tried anything, but their styles look very flattering.

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    It sounds to me like you should give Cleo a chance. It will solve your east west problem, and I think you could get away with 30j because of the cut. I may be wrong, but I think the harmony will be huge on you. I had one in 30jj and it was laughably big - and Im not that much smaller than you.
    In looking up on gorsenia too, nobody knows anything, And nobody is taking any chances. I tried to persuade curvy wordy to try but she says she doesnt fit their range :/ let me know if you find out more.

  • I'm a 28J in Harmony, but it's just too wide in the wires and more so too high I woudl also suggest Cleo, more so the ones with a full band that runs a bit deeper in the cup (Chloe, Alexa, Marcie etc). And yes, a 30J should be enough for you.

    I think that in the sizes a bit below us Ewa Michlaak is a bit narrower. And, compared to say Panache Tango II and Harmony it's narrower as well. But in general in my sizes, definitly not if the cup depth is taken into account.

    Gorsenia looks amazing, however they only seem to go up to a UK J-cup and doesn't even make 28/60-bands. :( I can only squeeze into a J-cup in very few bras these days sadly. :(

    Curvy Kate are great on the shape they are meant for, shallow wider etc, but if the cup is even a tiny bit too small they do look east-west, and they do in general not have the strength nor shape to lift heavier bigger boobs.

    When you try the Harmony, if you plan on keeping it, consider taking the center gore in. That's what I needed to do on mine in 28H/HH when I still could wear them. Could never wear them without it. I sitll don't get why they make wider center gores in a K-cup, there is not that much space betwen the boobs...

  • Vlatka, thanks for the suggestion. Do you think their 30J's generally run more generous in the cups than the Andorra 30J's? And with which Cleo styles do you have positive experiences? I ordered the Harmony because of the very wide wires, but I am not certain anymore I need such wide wires. But like you say, it's probably too big for me anyway - I will know in a few days. I am beginning to think the Andorra has the best wires for me. They only should extend their sizes a bit. I guess their new style Jasmine is comparable, since it also has side seams and stretch lace.

  • Gervaise, it might also be a transission period. I used to really really wide wires in the beginning, but when my boobs started to adjust to wearing the right size I could wear more narrow wires.

    If the wires are perfect on the 30J Andorra, Cleos in the same size should have the same wire size, but if you go for the newer ones I listed earlier you get a bit more room in the cup, without getting a bigger wire.

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    My words exactly - the 30js should work like a charm in cleo. Except for lucy - the band on that one is quite loose, an the word on marcie is tight enough for sizing up.

  • Lucy has a partial band with the wires wide apart though... :( Very similar band construction to Harmony.

  • Is that why I suddenly don't need those crazy wide wires either?

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    Thanks for all the tips Nessoa! I am definitely going to try some Cleos. The Marcie probably would be a good start, since I guess it's suited for full on top boobs. At least on Bras I Hate it looks great;) And yes, I really should take in the center gores from some styles I already own and probably from the Harmony as well. Its center gore looks huge, that's what was putting me off when I saw some pictures. I think they assume that women who have wide roots also are wide-set. But those are rather different issues. My boobs are unfortunately both wide-rooted and close-set.
    Regarding the wires of the Andorra, they looked good in 30J, but probably were a bit too short, but I had no orange in the glass syndrome. I guess a 30JJ would have been a perfect fit.
    I saw Gorsenia indeed stops at an European M cup and 65 is their tightest band. That's rather dissappointing.

  • Might be so... I grow a cup size each 6 months and I go through this cycle everytime. I grow and the bras I have is starting to get a bit too small. I then go for larger bras but need wide wires. Then after some wear of the right size I can suddenly size down with the wires. I think it's migration really, but in the more minor form.

  • Gervaise: Are there any pictures out there of you in bras? Since we are somewhat about the same perimeter from what I remember?

  • Eliza, unfortunately not at this moment. But I will try to place some pics soon. My old photo camera isn't working like it should and my cell phone has been stolen. But in a couple of days, I have a new one;)
    But I indeed have like you also a perimeter of about 40 centimeters:)
    

  • Nesoa: Pardon my impertinent question but how old are you? :D Are you still growing from age or from weight? So to speak :)

    I'm trying to reconstruct my boob journey since young ages and I think my boobs might have continued to grow, after 20 :O

  • Gervaise: Ah I see. I look forward to that! :)

  • Nessoa, interesting. I am using the CK Emily mainly for my remigration/transition plans;) I lost about 10 kilo's in the last couple of months, but probably because of a change in hormones due to a hysterectomy, I haven't lost any breast tissue. And I assume that because of some heavy pectoral muscle training my breasts even got firmer than they were before. I only lost fat in the band area. But I still have tissue around my back and armpits that looks like breast tissue instead of fat.

  • Vlatka thanks for the additional info on the Cleo styles. I am getting more and more exticed about them:)

  • You have my pictures in 30j cleo alexa. The word is it runs large in a cup - for me it's a cup size to big, I dont know how would it look on you. You can still find it quite cheap on ebay, so that might be a good start. From what Ive seen in the pics, I don't think the marcie is the best representative of a cleo shape - others actually look better.

  • Eliza, I'm 22. And, yes, they've definitly grown on me after 20. I was quite "average" and wore a 32C from age 13 to 17-18, without any growth at all, and then boom, they decided to get bigger. I was probably more of a 28DD/26E back then, but from that to a K-cup... Yeah, there has been some things going on.

    I have not really gained weight. I have the same ribcage, waist, arms and upper hips (like tummy/belly button level) as when I was 14. I have however gotten slightly more hips, more butt and mostly, just boobs. So, I have gained some weight steadily, but I really just think it's mainly due to "second puberty growth" after I turned 18 other than actual weight gain. I still wear partly the same clothes as when I was 14. :P

  • Nesoa: Ah then I understand. I had never heard about the second puberty thing. Quite interesting. Have to read about that!

  • Haven't heard of "second puberty" either, just a word I've made up as I've met quite a lot of women/girls that has had sudden boob growth at 17-20...

  • My grandma claims its from the hormones they put in meat nowadays :D thats her theory on my boobs also, but I got mine when I was nine :)

  • I have big boobs on my father's side so I think it's mainly genetic. Especially as his mother has the same body type as mine (petite but curvy without being short) and had really big boobs even after breast reduction... So, I blame it on genetics.

  • Vlatka: Since the Cleo Alexa in 30J is too big on you... would you exchange against a Cleo Alexa in 28J? I love this bra it is the best Cleo bra I tried so far but the 28J is now almost too small on me and gives light quadraboob. So I'm looking for a 30J.

  • Yes!!!! How do we do this? :)

  • @Vlatka, I looked at your pictures of the Alexa. It seems they are just a tad too big on you. But it's a very lovely bra. I will keep this in mind. But why do you say, the Marcie isn't a typical Cleo? Is it more Panache like than other Cleo's. I.E. more shallow? I am going to looks for both of them, I think.

  • Marcie is more shallow from what I see and the shape is a bit different. My favourite cleo shape is that of a george cut, but those are hard to find. Alexa cut comes in second and lucy third. Id say marcie isnt as uplifting as others and not as round either. In a way it gives a tad flattened shape in places. But if you havent had any cleos before, I think marcie should ba a big improvement too :)

  • Hmm, thanks for the info:) From your description, I think the Alexa sounds way more attractive than the Marcie;) I used to wear Fantasie for a lot of years. But the wires are probably too narrow for my shape. Only the last couple of months I tried some Panache and one Curvy Kate. Although I think the Emily is a lovely bra, it doesn't look lovely on me. Somewhere I can't size up or down, because of the difference in size between my breasts. I once tried the Panache Tango, and that was definitely a huge fail. Just too small in the uppercups.

  • "The Marcie probably would be a good start, since I guess it's suited for full on top boobs."

    The Marcie is also the most shallow of all recent cleos, plus the band runs really tight.

    Also the Cleo Marcie works well on smaller cups, but not as well in the larger sizes. Plus the Cleo Marcie has a horrible tendency to produce in-cup-quadboob. This is a production error, the stitching tension on one of the seems was too high when they sewed the bra.

    Compared to that the Cleo Alexa is relatively deep with a lot more projection and a looser band. The Cleo Alexa is closer to the Panache Andorra in shape.

    I would thus recommend going for the Cleo Alexa.

  • t_maia: So there is really an error on the Cleo Marcie... I thought there has to be something wrong with it! It was looking very weird on me!

    Apparently to Bravissimo the Cleo Zia has the same cut than the Cleo Alexa and Olivia... but I read here on bratabase that Cleo Zia is the same cut like the Cleo Marcie, George, Eleanor etc. and Cleo Meg is the same cut as Cleo Alexa! But I wrote a E-Mail to Bravissimo and asked about Cleo Zia and they claimed it is the same as the Alexa... so I'm confused.
    

  • All those bras are based upon the very successful Cleo George, which is why they are listed as the same cut. And they are the same basic cut, which becomes clear when you compare them to a Cleo Brooke, Cleo Bonnie or a Cleo Lucy or a Cleo Juna which have different basic cuts.

    However each of those bras with the George basic cut fits a bit different. I think with each bra they are trying to improve the fit a bit or adjust it to the fabric they use. It is sadly a trial and error process, one bra out of the range might fit you and the others don't. It is more of a "cut-family" than a truly identical cut.

  • Ok so maybe there is a chance that I find another Cleo bra that fits. Maybe the Marcie would have not been so bad on me if there wasn't an error. I actually have a Cleo George in 32H which was not bad fit but now I'm grown out of it.

  • The issue with the Cleo Marcie can be resolved by stretching the seems when the bra is wet. This will only work though if the bra is otherwise a good fit.

    The Cleo Marcie will come out in turquoise this spring, I hope they will fix the issue with the seem then.

    I have also seen some good reviews of the Cleo Meg.

  • Is that Cleo George really that big btw? When looking at the measurements it seems as it would fit me. But as a general rule I would not fit a 32H bra. It looks as one of the dresses I had when I was ten so I want it. But I'd still think it's too small :O

  • No, the Cleo George is not big in the cups. Cup volume on the Cleo George is similar to the Panache Andorra or the Cleo Meg.

    The Cleo George only has a very big and very loyal following in the brafitting world, bc it it is a bra with some serious push-up qualites that works on a very wide range of breast sizes, something which is very rare.

  • Thanks! I think it's the measuring thing that got me puzzled 35cm cup depth (why couldn't there be a better word than depth, that one irritates me since I really want to know the literal depth of every bra :D) and the 18cm wires seemed more like a 32HH to me.

    Push-up qualities sounds even better.

  • Eliza: I don't think the Cleo George runs especially big. But compared to a 32H Cleo Brooke (which I grew out of after about 3 weeks of wearing it) it has deeper cups.
    I can post some pictures if you are interested.

  • Ah I see.

    Well, t_maia fitted me and now I'm trying 36FF bras and around that instead so no more 32H bras for me :)

    But I probably will want this in like 36FF in the future :)

  • t_maia, thanks for comparing the Alexa and the Marcie in detail. I am definitely going to hunt for a Alexa on Ebay. By the way, from some pictures I had the feeling I saw a side seam, or am I wrong? I am a sucker for side seams;)

  • There's no side seam but the cup is constructed in such a way that it pulls you in more than any side support bra Ive seen :) I think you will enjoy it very much :)

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  I've often heard that plunge style bras don't work too well for women with soft breast tissue as their breasts escape further and further into the middle over the course of the day causing major overspill. It may be that plunges are not going to work for you for this reason.

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  I think you probably have a problem with the shape of the bra vs the shape of your breasts, and the Deco is not a bra that gives much ground in that fight. The funny thing is that in the pictures you've posted, it looks too small in some areas and too large in others. If you have softer or heavier breasts, I think the issue is that the bra doesn't really move with the tissue as you move around, so you get spillover at the bottom and emptiness at the top. A less rigid, non-molded bra might contain you better. I don't think it means you can't get a plunge, but you'll need to be pickier in terms of coverage.

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