Bra fitting help » better fit for projected, round, wide, low shape
Panache » Tango Ii Balconnet Bra (3251) » 36HH 36:12
Issue resolved
Thanks for the suggestions!
Original problem
I've recently lost weight, and that "slightly loose at the top" thing with a lot of Panache bras has become a large wrinkle at both the top and sides. However, otherwise this bra actually fits great (I probably need a smaller band size too, but this one's still comfy for now). It's the only bra I've ever had that actually had wide enough wires to fully encompass my wide roots (they actually extend all the way to the middle of my side). I have 3 of these, and I like them just fine, but I'm just (a) tired of the way it looks and want something cuter, and (b) wondering if there isn't something out there that will fit me better.
In addition to the very wide roots, my boobs start low on my chest (breast tissue starts just about where the gore comes up to on this bra) and are very projected and round, even fullness but nipples pointing up, so slightly full on bottom. I'd describe them as a mango in a sock, basically.
Because of how low they start, balconette and full coverage cups nearly always wrinkle at the top--back in high school when I could still fit into a D cup I bought demi/half cups, but I haven't found one in my current size that isn't too narrow for me. They are also very close set: not even 1 finger width apart, but tend to go their separate directions.
If possible I'd like a shorter gore, because the gore on this bra often peeks out of my clothing and says hello to anyone taller than me, and it lays lopsided because there's not enough space for it, since that high up my breasts almost touch (but in a V shape, there's no fullness up that high). It's not particularly uncomfortable after the bra is broken in, but when it's new it does poke me in the sternum and leave red marks.
I'd also like them to go forward rather than east-west if that's even possible while still having wires wide enough.
My boobs are soft and malleable, though, so a less-projected shape can work (again, probably because of how low they start, they can be pushed up a bit and not be bothered too much). It's just the width that's not negotiable, and I'm having serious trouble finding any options besides this bra (and ones that look a lot like it) that seem remotely wide enough.
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Suggestions (2)
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1
helpful
I second wendybien's recommendation for Elomi. The Goddess Keira/Kayla might also be worth a try, ditto Cleo Lucy and the Panache Andorra / Envy / Jasmine cut.
Updated on May 17, 2014 Flag this
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0
helpful
Can you specify what bras, or even entire brands, that you HAVE tried so that people aren't making redundant suggestions?
Updated on May 15, 2014 Flag this
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OK, it sounds like you have a lot to try on then! If I search with the same width and depth measurements in the Search By Measurements tool on this site, for Elomi for example I find 5 different bras (and those are just the ones people have actually entered measurements for). Are you in the US or the UK? Are you near a large store where you can try things on?
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I'm in the US. There's a Nordstrom within 45 minutes or so, and with some planning I might be able to swing a trip to a boutique that claims to carry band sizes 28-44 and cups C-K a couple hours away.
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I would call the Nordstrom and ask what brands they carry. I am near Seattle and have been a bit disappointed by the small boutiques in this area... there is basically more choice at Nordstrom's! The only reason for me to go to the boutiques is if I want something high end, like Fauve or Prima Donna. I would definitely send someone who needs sizing assistance to the boutiques, but would never send someone there who knows her size to just try different bra designs and figure out what works--there's not enough real choice in higher cup sizes.
This is pretty much it. I've been a Panache Tango II girl for about 5 years now, which is when I realized that they actually made bras in my real size (before this, I was just buying bras where the wires fit and altering the heck out of them). This was the first bra I tried that actually came in the right size, and I was super lucky that it worked well enough that I've stuck to it (before I lost weight, the cup gaping was not nearly as bad). I'm mainly looking for suggestions of what to look for to try.
Oh wait, I did try a Freya softcup at one point. I don't remember exactly which one, maybe Pollyanna Soft Cup I think. I ordered the wrong size (band too tight and cups too small) and just returned it rather than trying a different size.
I also have a Panache Sport bra that would be fine if they made them one cup size larger -- at the time I ordered it, they only went up to 36H, so that's what I have, but I could use a larger cup.
Thus far I've mostly been messing around here looking at numbers, assuming that anything narrower than 7" is probably too narrow for me and not worth trying. I'd like to be wrong about that, though.