Bra fitting help » Spills over sides, cups don't fit well, band fits ok
Cleo » Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) » 32D 32:4
Issue resolved
Shape mismatch bra not a good fit. Band is fine though
Original problem
I got my bra measurements from brasizecalculator.tk and they suggest I'm a 30DD or 32D. I ordered this Cleo Mddie in both sizes and neither of them fit correctly. Is it the band? The cup size? The wrong style? I think I'm FoB, Wide root, slightely splayed and projected. Maybe I'm wrong?
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Suggestions (2)
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This is absolutely a shape mismatch, and the wrong size. It's too small in the cups and too shallow. The cup depth is only 7.3" - your measurements indicate you need something closer to 8.5" depth. The band is small for its size, if your stretched measurement is accurate. Most padded Cleos run stretchy in the band, so I'd be surprised if this only stretches to 29.5, but it's possible I suppose.
If the band feels tight, it's likely because the cups are too shallow and too small. The wrong size/shape cups will affect how the band fits. I would absolutely NOT recommend 34 bands, ever. You should be fine in 32's and even 30s in Freya or stretchy bands. I don't think this band is too small for you. I think you should check out more projected cup styles, which unfortunately are usually not molded bras. Padded projected bras include the Polish lines, but I'd start with a 32DD in Cleo Lucy/Kali or Lily/Erin if you can still find one. Scoop and swoop, see how it fits (it may not, and that's fine) and go from there.
Updated on August 13, 2016 Flag this
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This is approximately the right size, just the wrong style for you. Cleo provides lower coverage than most other brands, while you need just a little more, so just stick with the 95% of other bras that offer more coverage. In most bras a 32 will be perfect for you, but this one, as you can feel, is a little tight; most Cleo bras are.
Are you scooped in? You don't look it. Do a quick search for "scoop and swoop."
As far as other sizes, it will def depend on the bra; you may need a 32DD in some, and the occasional 34C or D. I would not try any 30 bands. Since 32D is a relatively easy-to-find size -- Victoria's Secret, Soma, and department stores/chain stores all carry it -- why not try some bras in person? Even if you are located in a rural area and have to make a special trip for this, it's going to be well worth your time. Trying out bras painstakingly one by one by mail honestly is a sucky process, and there's no reason to do it if you are such an easy to find size.
Updated on August 10, 2016 Flag this
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Thanks for your reply. I may try going to a local store to try a few out. If bras didn't get discontinued we could just keep buying our old worn out ones right? But that doesn't happen and it's time for a new one.
First time I've tried to get a well fitted bra too so I really do appreciate the input.
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**PADDED** (wrote unpadded initially whoops) Cleos are actually pretty loose in the band, what's causing Elladeer to feel uncomfortable is the fact that her breast tissue is outside of the band.
Elladeer, I think you should scoop and swoop all of your breast tissue into this bra and see how it fits (scooping and swooping involves reaching across with your hand, grabbing all of your breast tissue and putting it into the cup, making sure to position the wire at the point where the breast tissue meets your chest wall). Here's a very good blog post on it: http://brasandbodyimage.com/2012/09/05/putting-your-bra-on-properly/
If the cup is now spilling over, try 32DD and 30E. If it's all right, then go for 32D and 30DD. I think 34s won't be secure enough to provide any support, even though they are easy to find. Bulges in your back are normal in a band size that fits as the elastic has to grip into you to be secure and support you, but if it is uncomfortable or straining then it is too small. However, as is happening here, cups that don't fit/aren't positioned correctly can change how a band feels even if the band isn't too small. A good way of knowing if this is happening is to try the bra on backwards and upside down and seeing how the band feels then.
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hugsforyourjugs the stretched band is the same as her UB. In OP's size range (as for all sizes except the very largest cups) it needs to be bigger by an inch or two. So actually a band up, not that I would recommend she pursue this bra, which is not a good match.
She probably won't fit most 34s, but i wouldn't rule it out -- aside from Cleo, Wacoal, for example, runs tight enough in many of their bras to warrant a 34 for a 31inch underbust. I WOULD definitely rule out 30 bands. Even if she didn't mind that extreme tightness, which from experience she probably will, she just doesn't have a cup large enough to warrant going that tight.
I have written extensively about the recommendation for overly tight bands from novice brafitters and feel very tired of saying the same thing over and over; you can peruse my history. I don't give the recommendations I do out of ignorance of basic brafitting principles but from years of experience.
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Although my account is new I am not a novice bra fitter. I also have years of experience, so don't judge a book by its cover. Believe me I understand reverse letterphobia and too snug bands, and I recently got kicked out of a group for daring to suggest looser bands than what they said.
If you look on the main page for Cleo Maddie you will see that it stretches to 30.5" in this size. Her snug underbust is 29.5". I have personally tried this bra and believe it runs looser in thr band than what the measurements suggest, but that'd neither here nor there. I don't use loose underbust measurements as the comfortable measurement shows what they'd be comfortable in (hence the name). Her breast tissue is, however, outside of the cups which will chance how a band feels so of course I recommend scooping all breast tissue into the cups and trying the bra on backwards to ensure it really is the band that's too tight.
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It only matters what this particular bra stretches to. She's not wearing someone else's Cleo, she's wearing this one.
The stretched band is admittedly a pretty unreliable number since everyone will stretch to a different tension, but assuming it were reliable, it has to stretch bigger than comfortable underbust. That's because you don't want to stretch the elastic anywhere near 100% of its capability during its daily wear or you will fatigue it and aside from being uncomfortable, the bra will stretch out very quickly.
My experience is that most people in an average band and cup range prefer a band that stretches (without undue strain) 1-2" beyond their comfy UB, or, handily, usually somewhere around loose UB. Small band (28-32) or small cup (D and under) or both often prefer looser than that, and under about F or so this doesn't affect fit. Very large cup (J+ or H+ in bigger bands) need tighter than 1-2" stretch, but even then sometimes they can't handle it.
The test where you pull out the bra band from the back is not just to check for a band too loose, but also for one too tight. If you can't easily pull 1-2" and she's also not a J cup, she will be unhappy with the bra and return it. Unfortunately that's why a lot of fitters fit too loose, they err on the side of too loose to decrease the chance you will return the bra for being too tight, which is by far the top reason for return.
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I appreciate all the advice given so far. I plan to try seeking out a couple local stores and perhaps give a few wire free bras a try as well as wired. I will give the swoop and scoop a try to but I def agree a 30 won't be a good band size for me. I once saw a list on here for FoB/wide root folks and bras that tend to fit better but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone know a good list?
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I tried a 32d and 32dd in a Cleo Kali and both had bands that were just bit to tight. The 32dd had less spillage under arm then the 32d and the cups felt better. The fit still isn't great, just better then the two I tried before. I'll post pics this weekend.