Bra fitting help » Looking for sizing advice

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Panache » Jasmine Balconnet Bra (6951) » 30K 30:15

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Suggestions (3)

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  There really aren't that many options available to you unfortunately. It looks like you have Omega Shaped breasts, so Comexim might work well, but I have yet to see it work fantastically in the upper sizes like it does in the medium sizes. Unfortunately Bravissimo is way better for full on bottom than full on top, so that's out. In fact, it seems like all the heavy duty support bras are designed for fuller on bottom breasts (smh).
  

  Updated on December 20, 2013 Flag this

  

  Jillsas

  2719 reputation

  63 bras

  
  

  • I'm aware that there's probably not a lot of options available to me, even bearing in mind my willingness to alter things. :( There's a reason why I'm working on being able to sew my own bras, very simply there's nothing especially suitable made for my frame and breast shape.

    I've just reached a point where I'm not even really sure which sizes I should be trying to get an acceptable fit. Doesn't hurt me to wear it all day is my primary goal when it comes to bras right now. Basically everything else is negotiable. East-west? Pointy? Fabric which is lumpy under clothing? I can probably deal with any of them if the bra is comfortable.

    I just don't really know where to start. Being slightly fuller on top, high set, narrow and short-rooted with lots of projection is basically the reverse of the intended design of every bra which I've tried over a J cup. Whilst closer to your chest is definitely more secure, I can't do either too much vertical distribution, or too much horizontal distribution.

    I'm a little curious about Comexim, but the few larger cup sizes I've seen put up confuse me a bit, because instead of the incredibly narrow wires which people speak about, the wires actually seem to be more comparable to the British offerings available in the size range rather than EM's narrower S/SM wires.

  • 2

    It seems like most people overshoot their size (by a lot too, 2-3 cup sizes) in larger sizes, so that might have something to do with it.

    You could experiment with brands that not many people try, like Dalia (the equivalent size of 30K would be 65 Ł I think, they sell on twojabielizna) and Milena (equivalent would be 65O, but they apparently run tight, so 70N might be more comfortable).

  • I know overestimating your size is an easy trap to fall into (I've made that mistake before when ordering online). It's also not like things are especially available to try out. I finally have a local lingerie store which actually stocks a broad range of sizes, but even so, they have to special order things in for me (and they only stock Freya, Panache and Cleo all of which aren't great performers in large cup, small band sizes), and a lot of ladies don't even have the chance to try anything on before they buy it. Also, I think there's a lot more emphasis put on how to spot a too small cup (and a too loose band) than there is on a too large cup (and a too tight band) in the English-speaking bra fit world. Completely unrelated to my fit request, but I'd love to see a post from you at some point about how you realised you were more comfortable in a looser band with a smaller cup, as I feel like it could be very educational.

    I'm really more of a snug 28 band girl (I think if the sizes were produced, I'd probably be between a 26 and a 28 band, as my ideal tension is at about 27" stretched length). Even the extra 5kg I didn't really need hasn't seemed to change my requirements for a small band size, and I like the firm feeling that I know some ladies find a little uncomfortable. Not so firm that I'm killing the closures, but I'd say that my preferences are definitely on the firmer side of fitting. I'm probably going to have future orders be longer bands which I'll take in and add extra closures to though to maintain consistent band tension (plus, it's so much easier to resell a 32J/JJ/K than it is a 28KK/L). The measurements on the bra are the unaltered ones, because that's clearly what's more useful to people interested in the bra, I'd probably only re-enter the bra with altered measurements if I wanted to list it.

    Milena's calculator (because I was just having a look) suggests 65P, using the method that I'd use to input into Polish calculators (very firm underbust + wear a projected bra to take bust measurements). I have zero reference, but the pricing is very reasonable, so I'd even consider buying a few bras around that size. It's more worthwhile anyway, as postage to Australia is terrible. Now to figure out how to order non drop-down sizes!

    Dalia's 65 M seems to be about the same as a 65JJ, at least if I go on the 'count up cup sizes' method, and that seems like it's the biggest cup volume they make, which would almost definitely size me out. Of course, the whole 'cup volume I require to get all my breasts in the cup' vs 'cup volume I would require if I didn't waste so much space because the cups are the wrong shape' thing makes it super confusing.

  • I'll definitely consider that now that I have free time since the semester is over. I feel that it's very important. I just wish I had more bras in my preferred size to show the difference. Maybe I'll head over to Nordstrom and pull a BIHAL and take pictures of all the bras they have in my size.

    Oh! Sorry about that! I sometimes skip J when counting in cup sizes because H and J rhyme.

    You can request sizes that aren't in stock. The one bra that they seem to make in a lot of sizes is this one: http://www.milena-bielizna.pl/biustonosz_verona_20_soft_371.html

  • I figured that bit out, but thank-you! The Verona soft does seem to be the bra which comes in the largest size range, but I've put in enquiries about a few bras, as I figured I may as well do so. I'm not sure how long things will take to hear back and such, with it being so close to Christmas. I know a lot of companies take a break around this time of the year.

    I'm personally of the opinion that you don't need a lot of bras. I usually get by with about 3 wearable ones at any given time, because I still don't have a stable size, so I can definitely understand not having a lot. More options are nice, but not required. I'm sure you could always take some sneaky changeroom photos like BIHAL if you need some extra photos to help with your post. :)

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  After seeing this I understand your boobs much better.
  But that doesn't mean I have a solution -.-
  From what I see, this is the best size for you in this bra.
  It has it's problems (empty space on the sides, too wide wires, straps too far apart and the slight bulging on the bigger boob) but overall I think it's decent enough for everyday.
  If you were to try envy, go with the same size. It has more depth near the wires but the lace is more rigid,
  but I think it would all even out. I do think envy could work better for you but you'll need to take the gore in though.
  Will you be adding extra closures to this one? Seems like it might help.

  Also, have you tried making the straps racerback? It should relieve the pressure and pull the straps from your armpits.

  I also think you should send Panache designers these pictures. That's a brand that really listens to their customers, and I think everyone could benefit from them hearing your fit issues out.
  Because you see, it's not just you. 70% of the issues you described are in common with other women in that sizerange.

  Other options? The cheap one would be hunting down and altering Cleos in 32J or 34J, depending on the generosity in cut (I think you could pul meg and chloe in 32J) . Adding closure would be a must.
  Ewa S bra. 60KK would be my best bet, o sistersize of.
  Comexim, have no idea about the size -.-

  Also, fantasie? 30K should work.

  
  

  Updated on December 22, 2013 Flag this

  
  

  • I'd need more powernet to put an extra set of closures on this bra because of the shape of the back. I can certainly get some though, and it's probably worth a go. I think that this could possibly be okay as an everyday bra if I tweak it a little more.

    I've discovered problems with racerbacking bras (and convertible straps for that matter). Basically, because even the 10-20% of the weight which is supposed to be held up by straps is a heck of a lot, I find that the racerback clips will just fly off during wear doing everyday tasks. I had the exact same problem when I tried out a PL Onyks (I did a trade with izzylawliet , but I ended up sending the bra back to her as it didn't work very well on me, and she grew enough to fill it). The straps just popped off when I moved around in the bra! Unless you have a super-durable solution, I've had no success with storebought accessories. I could possibly try crossing over the bra straps, but I'd have to sew them down, or I'd have the same problem, and I'm not sure if that would make it too difficult to get in and out of. I have some intact bras I can probably play with to see whether it's feasible to wear a bra like this and not get stuck.

    I may give my local store a call and see if they can get in an Envy and a few Cleos for me to get a feel for sizing (maybe they'll have yellow Marcie, which is the first bra I've really wanted for some time, though Australia is so backwards, I probably won't see it in store until December next year). I buy a lot of guilt pantyhose from that shop, though they're actually really nice and haven't pressured me to take anything that doesn't fit.

    I've found Fantasie bras to be too tall for me. It's like me wearing Curvy Kate (which I know I shouldn't and I'm curing myself of the habit). By the time I'm contained, the bra cup is up in my armpit and so it gives no real support. I haven't tried a full selection of styles though, and I'm not super familiar with Fanatasie's offerings (being a confirmed 28 band, it's only been recently I've looked at stuff which starts at a 30). Would you have any specific suggestions?

    I realise my problems aren't uncommon at all. I wonder whether it would be worth trying to get a group of people to contact Panache at once about their bras? They actually probably have some of the better options in terms of durability and design for large cup sizes, but they're still not great on the smaller frame sizes (also, why no 28 bands? Tango is not a good guide for how well 28 bands would sell in large cup sizes, the wires were so tall and wide they poked me in the back of the armpit, so I fail to see how anyone would be able to wear that bra in a 28K). If they listen, it could be helfpul for future cuts. I'm planning on sending them some feedback with pictures regardless.

    I wish Edwards and Millers would launch already. I hate the aesthetic (red? black? silk? it's just not me), but I am hopeful as the driving force behind the brand wears a 28K or thereabouts that the bras may be fit tested on her (and thus stand a better chance of working on me).

    I'm also thinking of ordering from Milena like Jillsas suggested as a long shot as long as the postage isn't too expensive. 70PLN bras? That's incredibly cheap. It's a total unknown, but it's not overly expensive for a gamble.

    I guess I'll just keep cutting up bras around a 30K/32JJ and sewing them back together -.- I'm not sure whether other site users in this size range don't have the problems to the same extent I have (I do know some have got a really good fit in EM), or whether I'm the only one who is crazy enough (or has the skill set) to extensively redesign my bras to get a better fit.

  • Of course I meant sewing the straps on the back in racerback style, no other way is secure enough :)

    It is a tad more difficult to get into, but not impossible. And in my opinion, worth it. Especially if you have a bra that is splaying you east and west a bit - because apart from moving straps from your armpits, this alteration also pushes you in and up.

    Maybe you don't even have to sew it down. I imagine if you could get your hands on some sort of security clasps it should work.
    Also, maybe sewing a 1 - 2 hook extender on the straps and the band. I'm sure that would be safer then the stupid horizontal hooks on multiways.

    You are not crazy for altering your bras. I have been nearly your size, and now dropped down to 28GG/H. And I can tell you the difference is unimaginable.
    The fit issues that occur with small back and J+ cups are excruciating and we are left with choosing the bra we perceive as a lesser evil and then altering it to make it bearable.
    Women who are in smaller cups can never fully understand how it's like being a K cup. They (or we at this point, I still can't really grasp how small my boobs are now) don't need to alter the bras. Some of them do, but it's not a necessity because it's far more likely you'll find something that is comfortable, if not also aesthetically pleasing.
    I really feel strongly about having the voice of J+ women heard.

    As for fantasie..
    I saw a 30J Jana in (and on a) person. It looks very matronly, but it had loads of depth and it was described to me as extremely comfortable. Personally I have always found Evedens bras more comfortable then Panache or CK.
    So if it's comfort you are after, that's the place I'd look. Maybe even Freya active has a chance of working if you don't mind the bullet bra look.

    Now. If you have a sucky CK bra, why not experiment with lowering the armpit area alteration?
    I think I saw it somewhere once, have no idea where -.-
    

  • You mean nursing clasps? I hadn't considered that, but they'd be much more secure than loops on multi-way bras or the racerback clips (which I'm sure would work on other people, but apparently they aren't designed for supporting the ~1kg which would be about 20% of my combined breast weight). Also an extender could work as a strap converter. Hmm. That's a bra hack which I hadn't thought about before. Looks like another project to try out in the new year.

    You're very fortunate that weight loss has made your boobs shrink down a little. Bras fit great on you now! I am yet to lose weight from my bust or go down a cup size ever, even when I've lost a reasonable amount of weight. Like every other woman, the place where we lose weight isn't the spot we'd prefer. I'd rather take a bit off my tummy and bust, but weight always comes off my waistline first.

    In the past, I've always found that Freya bras were some of the more comfortable ones I've had. Maybe Freya Active is worth a shot, even if the wires are a bit on the wide side. There's worse things in life than slightly pointy breasts. While I'm not enamoured with that look, I actually prefer it to super-spherical on me. I've found the couple of EM PL bras I tried for instance made me feel like I had basketballs stuck to my chest, which is not a look I covet.

    I've done the lowering the armpit thing in the past- it's a great alteration to get the cup out of my armpit, and kiss goodbye to that discolouration from it cutting in there. I got one of the Gias with the faulty seafoam fabric though, so I've been putting off actually doing anthing to it. I could buy more powernet and get it sorted, I'm just not super sure as I know it's not going to be a great fit regardless. CK and I have a weird relationship. Whilst the shape compatibility is really poor, somehow, the actual shape they give me is quite nice.

  • If you've seen some of the Shock Absorber racerbacks, they have hook and eye closures at the usual band as well as where the straps connect. You might be able to do this yourself, since you could maybe sew the clasps onto the straps? Maybe experiment worthy? Or possibly you could make a strap with the hooks on one end and the eyes on the other and then clasp it around your straps. The bra you're wearing looks quite uncomfortable. It seems to be pushing your breasts up and into themselves. I would suggest a larger cup size, but not this style, since the wires keep extending farther into the sides and back of the band. Tutti Rouge is expanding their size range, I've only tried one style so far and it had the wide wire problems as well, but it could be an option.

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  I've never heard that the Jasmine is "supposed" to give a minimized look. In fact I think it is the opposite: minimizer bras move tissue to the underarm area, whereas Jasmine is deepest near the center of the chest. So it's not supposed to minimize, at all.

  I do think you're going to have to go in the direction of custom/severely altered bras and I am sorry. I hate that once you get over H cups start getting wider and wider and wider; it makes me so mad!

  A possibility: trying on the Jasmine in larger band sizes, to see if you get a cup that fits you a bit better, then alter the band on that. I suggest this because "sister sizing" in Panache is really not precise; they really do have a different cup size for every letter of every band size. This would be a total pain in the butt, I know, but you might end up with a better-fitting cup.

  Instead of adding extra closures, you could try blocking the band. My Jasmines have very, very stretchy bands. You can block the band using ribbon. Here is an example: http://www.boosaurus.com/2012/04/bra-alteration-tightening-30gg-deco.html

  I don't know how far you want to go with this, but you might also try moving the straps inward a bit, like this: http://dressingcurves.blogspot.com/2012/03/alterations-moving-strap-position.html

  Also: do you really need the altered center gore? I ask because your breasts actually look less squished and more comfortable in the photos before the gore was altered. The severe crease above the breast appears after that alteration.

  Updated on December 28, 2013 Flag this

  
  

  • 1

    I'm sorry if minimising was a misnomer. I used it basically because it provides a slightly flattened look from your side profile, as opposed to say the super deep, round, uplifted look you'd get in an Ewa Michalak PL bra, not because it's supposed to push everything out to the sides. My breasts aren't being affected by the side support panel at all, and seem to be sitting in the other parts of the cup. The side support may as well be part of the band.

    I think that the thing which has caused the cups to be a bit more squished is the fact that I have moved in the strap. That's as far in as it will go because the rest of the cup is stretch lace on the top. It's a bit of a balancing act- if I don't move in straps far enough, they just want to slide right off my shoulders, and if I move them in too far, they close off the side of the cup, and it's possible to end up with a really unusual shape. The gore is definitely more comfortable than it was previously. My breasts are close-set to the point of having a small bridge of breast tissue between them to about halfway down my root, so the more close-set gore is, the better! Wires which are actually in the shape of a 'W' would be ideal, but they don't produce them in a large enough range of sizes. It's also been about 6 months between the sets of photos. I've definitely grown a little since then, so that's the other reason why the bra looks a little smaller. :)

    Stretchy or firm band, it doesn't really matter. My breasts are very heavy, and I've tried everything from riding up through to bands so firm I have to exhale to fasten them (P.S. neither extreme is especially comfortable), but the weight still ends up on the bottom strip of elastic and the wires roll under. I was quite happy with extra closures on a test project, as it seems to provide even tension across the height of the band. The backward force on a 3-hook and eye closure just doesn't extend up far enough on the band to counteract the forward force from my breasts.

    One of my new year plans is 'try on a lot of bras', and hopefully I can test out a few Jasmines of different sizes. It is actually logical that Panache uses wires of different widths for different sister sized volumes, as it's probable that someone who needs a larger band size has a larger frame, and thus probably a wider breast root (unfortunately it seems to totally break down in large cup sizes). It really depends on what's in stock when I go to a bra shop, as for me, it's actually more economical to pay full Australian retail for a bra than fuss around with returns and such, and in this size range, if a bra fits like rubbish on me, chances are, it will fit terribly on everyone else around that size, so it's difficult to resell things. Perhaps extreme frustration will drive me to speed up my 'sew my own bra' project.
    

  • See, I get a moderately uplifted, deep, and pointed profile from the Jasmine, not a flattened look at all. All in the boobs, I suppose.

    It WOULD make sense if Panache used narrower/deeper cups in higher sizes, but that isn't really what they do. What I mean is just that they don't really sister size. The volume of a 36GG is less than the volume of a 34H. The volume of a 32H is less than the volume of a 34GG. Etc. So it's a total crapshoot. That's why you might be able to get a deeper cup, but you might not.

    I feel you, my boobs are heavy and close-set too :(

    One further thought: have you had a look at any longlines? I ask because the wider band better distributes force, so you would have less curling and riding up, and less cutting in, band discomfort, etc. You might do well with a Freya half-cup longline. brasihatelove showed on her blog that they don't really grade the cups, so you could get the highest band/cup size and alter the band down.

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