Bra fitting help » Too big or just too tall?

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Ewa Michalak » S Iwette (411) » 65L 30:17

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  To be honest, I would send it back (is it refundable?). Cups look like even 2 sizes too big. How is the wire under the arm? Not poking?

  Updated on June 4, 2013 Flag this

  
  

  • It can't go back, and even if it could, it would cost a small fortune to send it back (plus I've developed a totally crazy adventurous attitude to bras). It's a custom order, so is non-refundable- I can only resell it or swap it for something else (not that I think anyone else is ordering bras around the 60L/65L range at present). The wire is just right- it could be a little narrower ideally, but it's not too high or too low.

    The fact that the straps are too wide, and the cup is too tall makes it look bigger than it is, as it folds in on itself. My PL Toffik in 65L looked huge when I put it on, but post-alteration is actually a touch small.

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    I have no idea how you concluded you were an L cup :)
    But for what it's worth - that's CurvyWordy size so she might take it of your hands ;)

  • Vee - I'm not really that big (kind of). I've been finding that by the time I take the straps in and down on cups, I've been oozing out of things, my two most recent being a 65L PL Toffik and a 30M (like a 30KK) Pamela Joseph Jasmine. By volume, I should wear a 26L/28KK (because I've dunked my breasts in a bowl to find this out), but my projection doesn't like too-shallow cups very much. I'm similar in breast dimensions to alisa who found the Bezyk in 70K to be a touch on the small side as well. In good news, I've totally beaten the cup ooze! I definitely will not be going anywhere in this bra. In bad news, this is a whole different kind of problem. I think I overshot my size a bit in this order.

    What I think judging from what EllenMcIsaac said, is that this is one size too big, but that the 60L will be too shallow for me in the base, so I either have a cup which is too tall and I have to cut down, or I'll have a cup which is the right height and will cave in at the base. I love my breasts, but I hate shopping for them.

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    Hmm it is really hard to say over the internet and also because your shape is different then mine, but I would kind of put you in my size cupwise, if not even smaller. The last time alisa and I checked she was two cupsizes up from me and I am pretty sure she'd have no problem filling this bra up.
    So is it possible you might have overshot your size in general?
    Now tell me, do your boobs not like shallow cups or is it that you prefer projection? What I'm asking is - have you tried fitting yourself closer to chest?

  • I find that my boobs tend to fight the cups if they don't have enough projection, so they'll not fill out the sides of a bra at all, and just kind of try and make a run for it at the front. I'll put in my pre-alteration PL Toffik (http://i.imgur.com/D386FIHh.jpg) and post-alteration PL Toffik (http://i.imgur.com/MyWzVTBh.jpg). Sorry, the pictures aren't the greatest, but I think you can see how my breast is running out of the top of the bra, despite having room at the sides.

    Here's the Jasmine pre alteration (http://i.imgur.com/JixDoW5h.jpg, http://i.imgur.com/WPHla8hh.jpg) and post alteration (http://i.imgur.com/ZaVi5fPh.jpg, http://i.imgur.com/dF5LBunh.jpg). I actually think it's most apparent in the pre-alteration picture, how my breasts will totally fight a bra which is the wrong shape. In all pictures I've scooped and swooped, and I have the wire under my inframammary fold. This bra post-alteration isn't great, but I need another wire donor with a more stable underwire for it to work properly.

    Possibly also useful- the pictures of my Bezyk which I just got, just how it would sit on me (http://i.imgur.com/MVIclCeh.jpg) and if I show how it would look if I made alterations (http://i.imgur.com/m0pfFH4h.jpg). The Bezyk in the same size is a total keeper, so this can't be miles off.

    When I say I'm the same as Alisa, I mean that our bust perimeter and nip to neck are about the same (you can compare her recent fit request to mine)- we have a totally different shape.

    I think that my breasts are larger than they appear, plus I'm finding giving them room in the front makes them happy. This perhaps was a little too much room. I do think I overestimated based on my recent purchases, but the cup depth is finally fantastic.

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    Just by looking at you I'd say it was at least 3-5 cm smaller then 40.
    I would expect breasts with 40 cm perimeter appearing much larger on such a small frame. But boobs are weird, I'll give you that, I'm just pointing out there isn't just one way of fitting yourself and one should be opened to try other options. I think you are doing similar things Branarchist did, even though your shape is completely different.
    But from what I saw, I'd say - sometimes you don't need alterations, sometimes you just need a different/different size bra.
    Your root seems to be quite narrow, especially on such a small frame.
    This means you *need* narrow wires.
    Personally, I think both Curvy kate and Pamela Joseph are very wrong for you. Starting with wire type and width to the whole cup construction. I wouldn't really have bothered with them personally.
    In the PL, you have same problems Alisa and I had with them - it seems too big and too small at the same time.
    So, you need stability, narrow wires and deep cups.
    I think newer Cleo models would be good for your shape in the right size. I also think some bravissimo balconettes (Beau especially) could work for you - in the right size. S and Sm look promising in 1-2 cupsizes smaller. I also think Panache Ariza and Jasmine could be a revelation for you.
    I wouldn't put you in any of them larger then UK 28HH/28j/30HH/30J.
    And those sizes by no means translate to a 65L in Ewa, especially in S and SM :) 30K would be more like it.
    Also, on some pre-alteration pictures all your bras seem to be sitting way too low on you!

  • Vee - the wires don't actually go up any higher. It's a shape incompatibility thing. I have a very 'U' shaped root, whereas wires tend to have a 'C' shape, so they reach the bottom of my root and stop dead, with space at the side. The other problem is that the fabric under my arms physically prevents the wires from coming up any higher, because it's cutting in. That's why I've been cutting down the side wall of the bras.

    I'm going to grab a couple of Arizas off Ebay I think and see how they work out. I'm just very limited with options being small framed and large breasted. I've just been trying to find things that I'm not falling out of at the moment and wearing them, even if they suck, as the 28K bras that I have really weren't cutting it (especially as they weren't a great shape to begin with, but I decided to put up with it owing to lack of funds at the time).

  • I get that. I have the sam problem and then some. And speaking from personal experience, I don't think your options are that limited - I think you are just choosing very very wrong bras.
    From all the one I have stated, I think ariza is a maybe option for you because it's a very tall bra and you will definitely need to alter it but it is worth a shot. A bra I always like having in my drawer. Others I recommended would probably be better. Especially Bravissimo and freya, because they have lower wires and less fabric at the armpit area, more centered straps and they go up to K. Also - Cleo Zia, Natasha for sure, maybe Meg, maybe Belle, although I fear Cleo straps might be too far apart for you, and those are tricky to move.
    S and SM in the right size will probably be very good for you, but I wouldn't experiment with other Ewa cuts.

  • I know that the PL sucks on me- that's not going to work no matter what size I get. I'm going to pick an Ariza up off Ebay to see how it works out for me. I just wish I could try a whole lot of things on without the hassle of having to send them back/resell them if they don't fit. I don't know whether the half-cup styles would be big enough, and I know they'd almost definitely be too tall.

    Freya was too wide and high for me. I tried some on recently in 32K, 32JJ, 34J etc (what the bra store I went had in stock) in the Gem, the Ivy and I think maybe Babes in the Wood? The cups were still cutting me off and the wires were most of the way around to my back. One of the other problems I think I need to overcome was stubbornly sticking to only getting 28 bands, which kind of shot me in the foot when it came to options, as there's a lot of stuff which isn't carried in a 28 band over about an H/HH/J. That's one of the other reasons I ended up in CK- because it was that or Panache styles which have never worked for me- the Tango was too tall and the Melody/Harmony were awkwardly wide (I think now that the Ariza could be okay). The CK stuff didn't really give me the right shape, but it was physically more comfortable, and I wasn't as worried about perfect fit as I am at the moment. I need a 28 (or sub-28) band for comfort and support, but I think being more open to trying on sister sizes will help me with what I need. I may ring up the other bra store that I go to sometimes (they helped me with my braphiphany, but they're 3 hours away), to see what they have in stock in smaller bands and larger cups. I may end up going back to Cleo- they've worked well for me in the past, though I can't remember off the top of my head which cuts I tried.

    If I can sell the Iwette, I'll place an order for another S a size or two down. I can fix the Bezyk to make it work because it's fabric. I plan to share the finished result so you can all have a look.

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    Aww Vee, thanks for thinking of me <3 However I have the S Wiśniówka in 70K and 70KK and neither fits me properly, so I'm not sure this one would either. I got 70 bands because that's all that was available at the time (it was when the S bra was very new and Ewa said she'd only stock sizes she herself had fitted onto women so she could be sure the construction was good and sufficiently supportive) but my preference, funnily enough, would have been 65L. As it turns out, band fit aside, the 70K is too small in the cup for me and the 70KK seems too big, at least on top, kind of in a similar way to Ereshiy . I should have written my review some time ago - bad blogger! I took some photos a while ago but they turned out to be poor quality so I have put the bras out in the hope that I can retake them tomorrow and get my review posted before too much longer. Essentially the cups on the 70KK are far taller than on the 70K, so much so that it seems there is more than one cup size difference between the two. I actually wore my 70KK today under a dress that has decent bust coverage and it worked well but the high cups and strap position caused me some discomfort :-/ So I am still undecided about the S shape and whether it is right for me - perhaps writing my blog post will help organise my thoughts more clearly. Sorry for rambling; hope this all makes sense!

  • I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on the S shape <3

  • CurvyWordy - Well... that effectively squashes my idea of selling the bra, but I may be able to fix it to make it work. I don't think that there's anyone else in this size range, unless a larger lady wants to try it out with a couple of sets of extenders. It was surprisingly huge, especially in comparison to the PL cut which I tried, which I'd pin at about 1 cup size too small once I'd cut down the sides, this is probably one (and a bit) sizes too large. I think that PL works a lot better on you than me.

    If by any chance you ever feel like selling your 70K, I'd certainly consider trying it out.

    I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the S and seeing and review though!

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    I agree with Vee that this bra just looks like it is just too big of a cup size for you. I looked at your other bra pics, and it seems like the alterations that you are doing are actually making the cup size smaller (whether it be vertically or horizontally), which makes it fit you better in the end. You're not going to get any sort of support or uplift in a bra that is 2+ cup sizes too big. I understand that you have a lot of projection and are trying to accommodate that -- I totally get that because my shape is very similar -- but when you're having to shorten the straps so much that it actually forces the cup depth shorter, then it seems as if the problem would have been more easily solved with a smaller cup to begin with. Also, especially in the case of the Sm Beżyk , the extra fabric from too big a cup makes the coverage seem over the top compared to what it should be (in the pic where you are pulling up the straps to your desired fit.) Everyone's got their own fit preference, of course, but it almost seems like you are sacrificing a good fit just for a larger cup, perhaps?

    I have the Ewa Michalak S Porcelanka in 70JJ and it is borderline too small for me. My measured breast perimeter is less than the cup depth of this bra, but because of that, I get a little uplift on top which I like. I think most people's preferred cup depth is less than their actual measured perimeter (if there's no resistance, then you get no support!) You mentioned doing an alteration that would give you some cleavage, but I really think you could achieve this by wearing a smaller cup size (horizontal volume will be pushed vertically....at least somewhat.) Here's me in an S bra so you can see how different we look: http://www.bratabase.com/browse/ewa-michalak/s-porcelanka/70JJ/

    If you want to sell this one, you could perhaps ask cellosubmarine. I think she's close to this size as well.

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    BumbleBean - I have decided that this is just too big, but I've been finding in smaller bras my breasts that I've tried that my breasts just run off, they don't seem to like to conform to cups very well. The other problem is that the cups are too high for my breasts, I think I have short boobs which are high on my chest, so I can't use the full height of most bras anyway, the arm holes are too high. This was an attempt to compensate for that which went a little wrong. I just don't have a great frame of reference at the moment on which to base my purchases.

    I'm feeling like I can't get a classic 'good fit' in a bra, though maybe I've just been trying the wrong things.

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    Now, I am drifting a bit offftopic here, but I kind of jave this theory on Ewa michalak bras that her models kind of comfirm.
    I have been quoted saying that EMs are somehow wearable even in a few cupsizes too small and this is true, you rarely get serious quadboob you get from other brands.
    I have always thought her models were fitted in too small bras - they are always borderline spilling out of them, but from my own EM tryouts I kind of concluded that's the best way to go - support and shape wise. So I think EM will probably look best and work best if it's a tiny bit too small.
    Not to mention - Going two cups down would make a bra much shorter, and free the armpits.
    And Ereshy, my dear, you are preaching to the Choir, I have yet to meet someone with sizable breasts that are higher on chest then mine.
    http://s9.postimg.org/5gmj9em8f/image.jpg
    Do you see the permanent discoloration of the skin because of the straps cutting in and armholes being too closed? That didn't happen overnight. So, yeah, I really understand your problems :) And this is why I am being pushy for you trying on smaller bras ;)
    

  • Oh, I totally have those marks, and also other ones under my breasts too from where overly wide wires have cut into my sides, and notches on my shoulders from holding the straps on there. The reality of breasts this size isn't always pretty, and I theorise it's partially because differences between bodies which could be fairly minor in a smaller size become pretty pronounced once you get to a bigger size, plus general lack of fit testing. That's probably a rambling adventure by itself if I can ever get my thoughts organised.

    Smaller bras are coming. I wish there was some way to instantly get the bras from the internet as soon as we pay for them, although constantly waiting for bra parcels is kind of like having Christmas all year round.

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  Hmmm, I know it's not the S bra, but I had quite a similar problem with the PL - the top gapped like crazy and it looked heaps too big, but a size down turned out to be too small. Moving the straps inwards improved the fit immensely, so I'd actually vote for the cups simply being too tall.

  Updated on June 4, 2013 Flag this

  
  

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  Can you pin the straps so they are more narrow set and see if that makes a difference? I bought an S fiolek for my mum and it looked too big until we shortened the straps and then I moved them in about 1cm or so on each side, and the fit was much improved.

  Updated on June 4, 2013 Flag this

  

  amy__rebecca

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  • I'm hoping to move the straps in a bit. I've done this with all of my recent purchases, but I'm just struggling a bit with deciding whether I'd be better off ordering a smaller size and selling this one, or whether this is the best fit that I'm going to get.

    I don't suppose that you have any pictures of what the cups looked like on your mum pre-alteration (I know not everyone takes photos of themselves in their bras and puts them on the internet like I do :P)? I'd really love a comparison.

  • That's a good point... it does look like it might still end up being too big, godamn Ewa being non-refundable.

    I have a picture of me wearing it before the alteration (I'm a little smaller than my mum, the bra is 70FF and I usually wear 60G/GG in Ewa)
    http://imgur.com/m4Qgb5k

    After moving the straps it's still a touch big, but wearable on me.

  • You're totally getting the same shape as I am, only a little less extreme. I've come to think of my breasts as vertically challenged- they've got lots of projection for their height. You've got a full bottom, and gapping at the top. Your cups aren't quite as tall as mine, so the collapse isn't as bad in that size as it is for me.

    I understand why they don't refund the orders in these sizes (come on, who else is going to order a 60L or 65L in the next 12 months, though I wish that 60 bands in more common cup sizes could go back), but it is a real pain, especially as they're the best option for me getting a good fit. I'm tempted to just try and fix the one that I have, as I think with determination, I can make it work, but I do think if I order again in the near future, perhaps a 60L would be more suitable. I think I overcompensated from my PL being too small.

  • Im actually full on top and shallow, this bra is just totally wrong for me in size and shape, I need balcony styles because 3 part cups just don't work :(
    Looking at the pictures maybe you might want a cup or two down... it's difficult with Ewa, I wish there was a reliable way to take some volume out of the cups without jeopardising the shape and cut of the bra. Or maybe if they used a more standard sizing...

    This tutorial might be helpful for you if you haven't already seen it, so you can move the straps and lower the sides
    http://dressingcurves.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/alterations-moving-strap-position.html

    Good luck :)

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    I have this bra in 70J, but I would have been better off special ordering 65JJ/65K. I have S Fiolek in 65K. The 65K is perfect in the band (that one ran tight!) and slightly too big on my smaller boob, and the 70J is too big in the band and slightly too small on my larger boob. I have short boobs, and based on the way I've seen my too-large S cup fit, this is not just too tall on you, it also has too much volume, by at
    least one cup size. When you size down, the cups will also get shorter, so those things will help with the fot in the top half of the cup, that but when you lose volume the fit may get messed up at the bottom half of the cup. My S cups in the correct volume wrinkle at the bottom because they don't have enough immediate projection. I suspect that you will have the same problem if you size down to the correct volume. I also think strap placement is causing some gaping, because I get that too.

    I'd try sizing down to 60L and moving the straps. By the way, I think the S runs bigger than PLs for future reference.

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    EllenMcisaac - Thanks! That's exactly the kind of feedback which I wanted to hear. I think I overshot what I needed when my PL in 65L was a tad small once I'd moved the straps. I knew the S was bigger than the PL, but depending on breast shape, people seemed to have sized down by different amounts, plus I'm not really that clear on what my 'normal size' would be at the moment. I think I'd need a 60L in an S (or a 55LL if I was feeling really brave and they'd make me one), and a 65LL (or a 60M/55MM if again I could get one made) for the PL style at present if I wanted to order more bras. Consistency in custom sizes is not EM's strong suit

    I may see if I can get any takers on this bra, and if I can't sell it/swap it I'll probably cut it up and try and fix it. The depth is beautiful and it's nice to not have that weird crease I get at the top of my boobs where they get squashed in and to the sides for once. The next size down is probably going to be better on top, but too shallow at the bottom.

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    Ereshiy, yeah, I think you are bound to end up with a fit issue either way, it just depends what fit issue you prefer. Good luck!

  • EllenMcisaac "I think you are bound to end up with a fit issue either way, it just depends what fit issue you prefer."

    I've been trying to write a bra adventure about just exactly that for like two months. The way I see it it sums up how bra fitting works in reality.

    Btw; should you ever have your Braologie left somewhere tell me :D

    amy__rebecca I also have my 75H - Ewa Michalak » S Fresh looking like that a lot of the times. I think I will get a 32J Ivette and move the strap.

    Ereshiy I'm impressed if you could actually keep your boobs in your cup with that low a height under the arms as in the experiment. I need very high coverage there or elsewhere it's just armpit fat party :D

  • Branarchist oh no! You should have asked earlier, I totally would have given my Braologie bra to you, but I don't have it anymore :(

  • EllenMcisaac Ah, I thought about it then but then I couldn't decide if it was a good idea. Did you get a new one btw or did they decide to give up on you?

  • How could it have been a bad idea if it would have been free? Oh well.

    They said they were planning to use me as research and would try until they got it right, but I have not heard back from them, so I am not sure what the status is.

  • Branarchist - it's so true, I guess it really boils down to which I prefer. I kind of like the too tall, rather deep cup, but it's going to be a pain to alter. Foam cups resist alteration like no tomorrow (I know because I've tried). It's actually one of the nicest things which I've put on in a while (because my breasts are very large, and my frame is very tiny, so everything sucks).

    My breasts are very firm and hold their shape well. Perhaps a little too well, as they don't mould to cups at all and just fight them. I may talk to my mum about what she thinks, and who knows- an HP or CHP Iwette may be born! My short boobs never have cleavage in anything, so literally making half a bra could be a solution.

    EllenMcisaac - I'd love to see any new things you get from Braologie as you seem to have a similar shape to me. They said that they thought my breasts were too big for my frame for their bra to support, but that they were working on it and may have something suitable in the future.

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  Main fit incompatibility: I think you have short boobs.

  I think that, though the overall volume of this cup is too big because of the height, the bottom of the cup does not project out as immediately as your boobs need and angles upward too sharply for your shape. This is what is causing the funny wrinkling seen in pictures 5 and 6. The cup apex is attempting to "shimmy down" to where it wants to be on your boob. Eventually, it causes that 'fold'.

  Solution: I have no idea. I'd say size down the cup, but that won't solve the bottom-of-the-cup fit problem and it will probably make it worse. Depending on how malleable your boobs are, maybe you can squash them in, but that seems mean (to your breasts).

  Ultimately, I think the cup is just wrong for your shape.
  

  Updated on June 4, 2013 Flag this

  
  

  • I think that my boobs are as vertically challenged as the rest of me *sigh*. The more I learn about bra fit, the harder I find it is to actually get something that works. This is about as projected as it gets, and I could still do with more projection than what I'm getting a size up from what my ideal size would be.

  • Ereshiy
    This you wrote: "ordering too large bras and trimming them down may be a solution for my fit problems in the future."

    Is exactly what I've been thinking for my own short boobs. Basically, find a fit for wire, band, and deepest perimeter (including immediate projection) and then dealing with flappy cup tops and strap issues if needed with alterations.

  • The Iwette is actually really nice on! It's comfortable, and it has pretty good immediate depth compared to a lot of stuff that I've tried on (it looks bizarre under a shirt though). The main reason why I'm a bit leery about keeping it is that I've found it's really hard to make nice alterations on foam. I may even order Ewa's next SM Style in the 65L, I don't know, I'll see how my Bezyk turns out when I'm done with it.

    I feel like I've actually accidentally stumbled on a really good solution to my fit problems with my short boobs.

  • Not sure if it helps but I just posted my review of the S Wiśniówka here http://www.curvywordy.com/2013/06/ewa-michalak-s-wisniowka-bra-32k70k-and.html.

  • CurvyWordy - thanks so much for the review! As I know EM doesn't scale cups between sister sizes (which can be good and bad), it does seem like the 60L would be a better choice for me. I think the S cut is a pretty good match for my shape, and if I order anything else in the near future, knowing that I'd have a much shorter cup is quite reassuring.

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