Bra fitting help » Better size or different style (Freya Patsy)?
Freya » Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) » 36F 36:7
Issue resolved
The comments helped me determine how to find a better fit for me.
Original problem
I immediately noticed the gore does not sit flat when I tried this on. It pulls away about an inch at the top. The bottom of the band under the cups also sits uncomfortably low under my breast tissue; the bottom of the underwire feels like it's about an inch down from where it should be on a properly fitting bra (it makes me constantly want to pull it up when I wear it).
The band itself sits pretty parallel across my back, but it feels too big (does Freya run big in the band? I'm used to Panache which feels truer to measurement size to me). Putting it on the tightest clasp feels only slightly better- definitely not enough of an improvement to keep the bra though.
As far as the cups go, I have a slight bit of overspill at the top which is barely noticeable. If nothing else bothered me about the bra I would probably keep it, to give you an idea of how much spillage there is.
I do usually wear balconettes, and cannot do plunge (not enough support in the center), so maybe half cup is just not a good style for me? Or should I try a different size?
For reference I also recently purchased a Freya Deco Vibe and Cleo Maddie Spot (same size): the Deco has the same issues, gore gap and feels big in the band with some cup spilling; the Maddie fits great except for the too short straps (which seems to be an issue with Cleo I'm noticing).
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Suggestions (4)
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Wires too low usually means not enough immediate projection. I love Panache, and I believe I was told that Freya wires are not as firm and will never give as much support - so I wonder if thats part of why the wires arent behaving? But your cup depth there measures smaller than any of your perimeters, not sure if your other fitting bras fit that way too?
Updated on June 23, 2016 Flag this
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when you are looking at bras on line, you just come here to bratabase and look up the size you are thinking of buying and look at the measurement here. Cup depth should be close to your perimeter, and stretched band length should be around your underbust.
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Thank you so much for the tips! I didn't know this site had so much bra info like that, I haven't really used it much before now. Hopefully I can be better informed now when I look again :)
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helpfulFreya runs loose in the band, yes. Are you scooping and swooping? This bra is both too small (unless you really didn't measure cup depth properly) and too shallow. The Deco is very shallow and tall, and the Maddie is even shallower, so I doubt it fits - my assumption is the cups are stiffer so you're less likely to notice the empty space at the bottom of the cup.
Half cups and balconettes could work great for you, just not this particular one. If you're stuck on having a padded half cup, I'd suggest Ewa Michalak's CHP in 80FF. What Panache bras do you currently own?
Updated on June 23, 2016 Flag this
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I do try to scoop but my breast tissue is very... whatever the correct term for the opposite of firm would be, so it tends to then pile over in the middle and go under the underwire there if it's not sitting completely flat. It was difficult to measure that, but I think that's as close as I'm going to get for cup depth. Sorry, I'm not very familiar with all the different bra terms, what do you mean by 'shallow' exactly? The Maddie band is definitely a lot tighter, I guess if I stick my fingers under the underwire I can feel a bit of space in the bottom of the cup, but I don't really notice it otherwise, probably because of the stiff cups like you said.
I was mostly just looking for something that was on sale that I could wear under shirts without lines in a brand I knew, that's how I ended up with the Patsy, I'm not set on the style really. My more recent Panaches are the Andorra, Ariza, and Tango (I've had a few Tangos) but I've gained weight and had to seek out new bras in a new size since they're too small now. I used band and bust measurements to suggest a size, but apparently 36F wasn't right.
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You could try Freya's unpadded 'plunge balconies' like the Freya Patsy Plunge Balcony Bra (1221). This particular style has deeper cups with narrower wires and may suit your shape better. They are not 'true' plunges but a mixture of plunge and balconette, so the center gore is not too low.
I'd suggest to size up one cup size or two, and perhaps try the sister size with a narrower band, as Freya bras do indeed run stretchy.
Updated on June 23, 2016 Flag this
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Thanks for the suggestion, I will give that a look! So maybe a 34FF or G in Freya then?
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So, if you look at the measurements for that freya, the 34FF is here - http://www.bratabase.com/browse/freya/patsy-plunge-balcony-bra-1221/34FF/ - and the stretched band length is close to your comfortable ribcage, but the cup depth is 11.4, whereas your breast perimeters are 12-15. 34G shows a cup depth of 12.2, GG is 12.4.
those are very small differences between cups?
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Ah I see, thank you! That's very helpful.
Maybe it's a measuring issue (soft cups and all) or a factory error between the ones measured (it looks like two people measured the GG and got 12.0 and 12.5 each which is pretty big gap for the same size isn't it?)?
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helpfulFreya's padded half-cups are unlikely to be a great shape for you--the cups are relatively wide and tall compared to their depth, meaning they suit people whose breast tissue is shallower, i.e. more spread out and does not project away from the ribcage as much. If you wanted to get sufficient depth in this bra, you'd be forced to size up to a cup volume that is much larger than your actual breast and it would be wider and taller than you need. Maddie is similar--very shallow, does not fit people in your size range terribly well unless their breasts are shallower than average. What you perceive as straps being too short is probably a feature of the cups failing to contain enough of your breast tissue to make the whole bra stable and supportive. In fact you need more cup depth, not more strap
Try Cleos which are a little deeper, such as the Marcie. It has medium depth, not super deep but not shallow either.Updated on June 26, 2016 Flag this
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Yeah, I think I'm gonna try and stick with balconettes since that shape seems to work for me. Well, what I mean by straps too short is they dig visibly into my shoulders even at the longest possible length. They're actually 2 full inches shorter than the Freya's straps (and there are numerous posts about Cleo strap length if you google it, it's not just me). I do have a long torso though, so I think that plays into it. I will look into the Marcie though.
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Hmm that's interesting, could be why. I'm really kind of out of actual fitting bras right now, that was what I was trying to get with this shopping attempt (I've gained weight and my old bras are too small now). The best fitting old bra I have is a @Panache Tango which is 34F, the cup depth on it is about 10.5 in (though that is a very difficult thing to measure on a soft cup for me). There's some overspill but I've had it for a quite awhile so the band has stretched and isn't too tight like the other 34Fs I own (plus the Tangos run bigger than other Panaches for me). I took those measurements for the site after I ordered too; I was just going off band and bust measurement size suggestions. Though I'm kind of at a loss as to what size to try now since the band is loose and the cup is small. Is there a way to gauge the cup depth of different bras when buying them online, it's not something I have ever noticed listed before?