Bra fitting help » Should I be wearing a B- or a C-cup?
Victoria's Secret » Unknown Model » 32C 32:3
Issue resolved
The answer (which deep down I knew all along) -- neither! VS bras are not made for me. Unfortunately I still work there, but hopefully not for much longer...
Original problem
This pushup is pretty typical of all of the ones I have. I find with VS bras in general, either I wear a 34B and it's a little small, or a 32C and the cup seems like it has too much room. Since I freaking work there, I'd like to be able to find a bra size there that fits, but I genuinely can't tell if I should be a 32B, 32C, or 34B. Pictured - a 32C
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Suggestions (3)
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6
helpfulHello,
in what way do you think there is 'too much room' in the cup - where is the extra fabric at the side?
I think that the cup does not cover all of your breast, and is defiantly sitting on tissue at the sides. This is not too surprising, given the difference in cup depth and your breast perimeter.
Also, you listed your ribcage as only 71cm, which is only 28 inches, meaning that you likely need a 28 band size, or at least a 30 band, do you find that your 32 moves around on your body during the day?
I suspect that you would be much more comfortable in a 28E or thereabouts. This is not a size that VS sells, so you might be out of luck.
I'm sorry if this comes a shock to you, and you are welcome to ignore my suggestions, but i thought i should put them out there because you must find your bras to be uncomfortable at the moment, and no woman should have to deal with that!
Updated on November 16, 2012 Flag this
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You shouldn't b wearing Victoria's secret, that's all :D
I agree with everything cbear said and just want to add that I think you are a good candidate for a freya deco :) :) -
NeverTookHomeEc: interesting, it's good when we have scouts to do the field work and report back :) i'm surprised they are so tight, but i guess it's good if VS bands are tight - it means more women should be able to wear them... although, i do think that the band in the pictures about does look quite loose for the wearer.
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Thank you so much! Just found a freya deco 28E to order on ebay...let the proper fitting commence. And no, this doesn't come as a huge shock to me. As far as my stance on victoria's secret goes...let's just hope I get out of there before I implode. what a miserable work environment. maybe not all of them, but picture mean girls on crack, and these are my coworkers.
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Yay! Be forewarned that the Deco is known to be a little loose in the band, but that might be better for you, so you don't feel like you are in a straight jacket! Also, the cups tend to run large, so if you find the 28E to be a good fit in the Deco, you might need to size up to an F in other manufacturers/ styles!
Best of luck with the new bra, i hope it fits well!
i can all too well imagine the mean girls scenario, it's sad women have to be like that to each other, it sucks...
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helpfulI second cbear's suggestion regarding the band. It looks fairly loose in the pictures and is riding up at the back. I have a similar ribcage measurement as you and generally wear a 30 band - like a lot of thinner girls I find a 28 uncomfortable as I have little padding over my ribcage. I only drop down to a 28 band if it has a lot more stretch than usual. I think something in the neighbourhood of 30D/28DD would give you better support from the band.
I also agree that the wires *might* be sitting on breast tissue at the sides, it's a little hard to be sure and pushup/moulded cup bras can often hide fit issues. This is something you can check when you take the bra off - pay attention to where the wires have left a mark - they should be sitting just behind your breast tissue.
Updated on November 16, 2012 Flag this
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I do agree with the above opinions.
Band looks too loose, it is riding up. And also the wire looks like it might be sitting on breast tissue, though I´m not sure. Too bad, if you cannot find a suitable size at VS, but that´s sadly a problem for many of us :(
Maybe if you work there you might suggest them to start producing 30 and 28 bands? :) -
I totally agree with the previous comments.
Your measurements aren't too far from mine, which would put you into 28E or 30DD territory, depending on the tightness of the band.
Of the sizes you listed yourself 32C comes 'closest' to what you need, but from the photos I'd say the wires do not encircle your breasts comfortably and the band clearly is too loose. The cups on this 32C DEFINITELY aren't too wide -- if anything they are not wide ENOUGH. That the cups appear too separated is probably partly a style issue (this a rather extreme plunge), but I think it's MOSTLY due the fact that the cups are simply too small: they cannot encase and hold your breasts properly which makes them spill towards the centre. The cup depth measurement you provided for this bra also suggest this bra is too small for you.
So, up a cup size and down (at least) one band size -- if VS doesn't sell those it just shows they really need to expand their size range.
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I agree with everything I've read on here but the band part...perhaps it's from wearing the same (wrong) bra size for so long, but the 32C actually feels a lot tighter than previous sizes I've worn, so much so that I worry I've chosen one that's too tight. I'm wondering if maybe I've got the straps too short and that's why its riding up. And seconded about how VS SHOULD be carrying a wider range of bra sizes. Now I have to go back to work and tell women to make themselves fit into a 32-38 A-DD :( Thank you all so much though, this has been so helpful
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It might also feel too tight because the cups are too small. You can check this by putting the bra on backward and upside down, i.e. with the cups on your back and the fastening at the front. How does it feel then? How far can you pull the band away from your body?
But yes, it may also take some getting used to, wearing tighter bands :)
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When I first started wearing a smaller band I went from a 34D to a 32E which seemed good for the first month or so but I then realized that the band was too loose and moved down to a 30F. Like milkandhoney said, a too small cup can affect the fit of the band. Do you have a Nordstrom nearby where you could go try a few different sizes at?
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helpfulFrom the look of it you're wearing a bra that is too big in the band - you can see on the side view that that the back is creeping up, and the wrinkles by the cup in the first and second photo, and see also in the second photo, you can see the gapping on the band where the shoulder strap in the back meets it.
The cup is also too small - check out the twisting on the shoulder strap in the first picture. (you've got the straps crossed in an X? is the bra convertible to conventional, x, or halter? I'm guessing that you've got it in an X because it gives a better sensation of support, or because when you have the straps in the conventional position, it chafes or rubs along the underarm?
When you say too much room in the cup, do you mean the gapping visible in the third photo, where your bra wires sit below the root of your breasts? if that's what you mean, and you are feeling the chafing along the underarms, you'd probably get a better fit if the bra band went all the way around underneath the cups, instead of terminating along the side of the wire.
I know that this isn't good news for you but you're not going to find a VS bra that's going to fit you. a 32 band is way too big for you. 30 would be better, though in some brands like freya, they have very stretchy bands, so for a freya, try 28 bands.
Updated on November 16, 2012 Flag this
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Yes, it is a multi-way bra that I've adjusted to the racerback style precisely because of the reason you said -- because it *feels* like it gives more support. I'm going to go see what happens if I tighten the band up (it was on the loosest of the 3 notches), let it stay under-bust, lengthen the straps, and leave the rest up to the powers that be haha. But yes, I did order a freya 28E deco off ebay, so we'll see how that works. Thanks so much for your input!
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I've tried Victoria's Secret 32 bands in recent memory and find them to be surprisingly tight. (I wear 26 in Freya and 28 in Panache.) In other words, VS follows the 4+ and a 28 band in UK sizes would be appropriate.
They cups do look small, and I would expect even a pushup to cover the breasts a little more. Are you adequately scooping into the cups? I have a harder time distinguishing the edge of breast tissue with smaller breasts, and can't tell whether your wires are resting on your breast tissue. I also can't tell how the band fits. How far can you easily pull it away from your back?
Do you have a good list of fitting advice resources to read? Butterfly Collection's blog is AMAZING, but A Sophisticated Pair might be a better start. Venusian Glow's Bra Matrix is a classic and a must-read, especially for someone who works in the industry.