Bra fitting help » Top of the cup somewhat empty, cup size wrong or shape issue?

• #1
• #2
• #3
• #4
• #5
• #6

Cleo » Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) » 28GG 28:10

---

You must be logged in to leave suggestions

• New user?

  Get an account

• Have an account?

  Sign in

---

Suggestions (4)

• 1
  helpful

  The bra looks very close to fitting perfectly in those pictures, but I can definitely commiserate with your struggles. I tried on the Maddie in 3 sizes, all either way to small or too large. If I wear a firm cup balconette, it often seam both too large (quadding when I take a deep breath in) and too small (gaping if I put my shoulders forward) at the same time, which is quite frustrating. From experimenting with sizing up and down, I've found that for me its just a shape issue, as my breasts aren't full on top and have soft tissue, so they just kind of pool into whatever room the bra gives them on top. For this reason, I've historically lent towards softer cut and sew or soft molded bras like the Fantasie smoothing balconette, as I feel like gaping/quadding just isn't as noticable when there's not a stiff cup. For firmer cups, it seems like a personal decision if you're okay with a little quadding or gaping, and it seems like some people prefer one over the other.

  Updated on March 30, 2016 Flag this

  
  

  • Luckily the gaping/quadding isn't very noticeable while wearing clothes, and overall it looks really good while wearing a low neckline.
    I can definitely cope with a bit of gaping/quadding, this bra is so comfortable!
    Thank you for your help!

  Entry closed

  
  
• 1
  helpful

  It's not a terrible fit, but this bra just isn't an ideal shape for you. It has shallow cups whereas you have quite projected boobs. This means that for you to get adequate depth in the cups in this specific bra, you will find yourself dealing with cups that are too tall and also probably wider than you need. This also means that this extra height and width means the cup is overall too large in volume, which is why your boobs have room to escape upwards when you take a breath--an overly roomy foam cup will not contain the breast tissue completely when you move.

  I'm not saying it's not wearable, but you can do a lot better. If you are in love with the color and overall look of this bra, the Fantasie Rebecca is a seamless foam cup design that comes in almost exactly the same color and would be more compatible with your shape. However, you would have to sister size into a 30 band of adequate cup volume and then alter the band since Fantasies don't come in small enough band sizes for you.

  Updated on March 30, 2016 Flag this

  
  

  • Hmmm. You are usually right on target, but I'm actually not sure I agree with any of this, except your general observation that this is ok but she could do better. What I take exception with really is the assertion that a Fantasie 30 band won't fit the OP. With an average UB of 28, she will fit into many (not all) 30 bands. If we look at this specific bra, its max stretch matches her comfortable UB -- meaning that since she's about a 30FF (the situation might be different if she were a 38K) this bra is too tight for her, pulling the cups shallower than they would otherwise be. As a seamstress (starting to make bras! :) I can super vouch for the fact that you do not want your garment stretched to its capacity -- that's a recipe for not just discomfort but also it getting stretched out really quick. Again, for women with really large and pendulous breasts, an extremely stretched band might be inevitable, but that is not our OP's situation.

    I don't think Rebecca is a good choice because the top cup will cut into her upper fullness. Plus it's kind of a matronly bra for someone who's obviously quite young. Maybe Deco, though I haven't seen it in person since the shape change. Or Maddie but in 30FF.

  • I'll try to keep an eye out for bras with deeper cups then :)
    The Rebecca is pretty and probably quite comfortable, but I prefer something with a little less coverage.
    Thank you for your help!

  • Maybe I'm hallucinating today but as far as I can see, MerryMomoka 's measurement chart indicates a comfortable ribcage measurement of of just 26.2" and this bra stretches to 27.6"... what exactly are you seeing that indicates it's too tight?

    Sorry my Fantasie suggestion offended you to such an extent melifish :-P

  • sorry, I must've misread her measurements.

  • Does it really feel too tight MerryMomoka ? Some people need a band much looser than the comfortable measurement...

  • wendybien The first few days it felt very tight, I almost struggled to close it... but after a few times it became very comfortable, though I noticed a few days ago that the hooks are straining a bit, so a few days ago I made a bra extender because I'm afraid the band is going to stretch too much too quickly!
    After I take it off I have red marks all over but no pain or chafing at all, and anyway my skin gets marks even from socks and jeans.
    

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment

  
  
• 1
  helpful

  Many people get this kind of gaping with Cleo Maddie.
  Maybe the new sister-cut Cleo Riley Moulded Shirt Bra (9141) would work better for you, as its rim is more closed on top.
  I've done a bra review of the Riley recently, (http://www.bratabase.com/bra/dida5/) with an explanation about the differences I found in the fit.
  I'd really like to know whether my impression is correct and that theory (Riley works better for FoB/projected shapes) turns out to be true

  Updated on March 30, 2016 Flag this

  
  

  • Thank you, I'll look it up! :)

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment

  
  
• 1
  helpful

  Well, no bra will fit you in all positions. Especially with a molded cup, but with cut-and-sewn bras as well, if you hunch, pull your shoulders way back, lie down, or go upside down, the cups will no longer fit perfectly. So normally fit pictures are taken in a neutral position -- otherwise it is very hard to judge because you can make any bra look like it does or doesn't fit.

  That said, this is about a cup big for you, judging by the space in the first pic which I believe is the neutral one, and also a band size too small -- Cleos run a little tight. See how the stretched band matches your comfortable underbust? Normally you want it to be able to stretch it a little bigger. It's not a comfort issue -- a band that's a little too tight will pull the cups too close to your body, making them shallower, which, as wendybien points out, is a problem for you. So I estimate you'd get your best fit in Maddie in 30FF, a band up and a cup down, but of course I can't guarantee it would work. Other good bras to try are Freya Deco starting with sizes 28FF and G, Cleo Marcie starting with 30FF, and Panache Jasmine starting in 30FF. As you've already seen you might have to try a bra in quite a range of sizes.

  Updated on March 30, 2016 Flag this

  
  

  • Thanks for the suggestions! Actually, in the pics the gaping is more noticeable than it usually is because of the akward position I was while trying to hold my phone to take the picture.
    Unfortunately in my country there's nothing even close to my size , so I have to order my bras online and this was my very first time- next I will try some of the bras you mentioned, and I hope they'll fit better.
    Regarding the band being too tight, I think you may be right. It's very comfortable now that it has stretched a bit, but I think next time I will go up a size (but I'll check first the band measurements on this site to be sure).

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment