Bra fitting help » Cleave-tastic, bit too much

• #1
• #2
• #3
• #4
• #5
• #6

Bravissimo » Satine Bra (AU15) » 28G 28:9

You must be logged in to leave suggestions

• New user?

  Get an account

• Have an account?

  Sign in

Suggestions (3)

• 4
  helpful

  I actually think the cup is too big and/or just not the right style for you. Look how much cup you have under your armpit, the space you mentioned at the bottom of the cup, the too-wide straps, and the cup/strap biting the front of your armpit. The wire looks to be almost on your back. Can you try an extender and see how it fits?

  It's sitting VERY high in the back, yet it's not riding up and feels tight. Do you have the straps tightened quite a bit? Perhaps they are pulling up the band in back?

  I think this is a too-big cup/too small back combo. The tight band is pulling the cups to the side, making them too small in front.

  I think you are right that in the correct size this might give you even more cleavage or just as much, so I don't know if I'd pursue it.

  Hope that helps!

  Updated on January 20, 2014 Flag this

  
  

  • The fact that the underwires are too wide for me (I know they are, but not crazily too wide) doesn't bother me, because for some reason, my breasts stay firmly in place inside the cups anyway. Sometimes wide underwires are is an issue because it might be uncomfortable, or your breasts might jiggle inside the cup. It's neither uncomfortable in this case and my breasts don't jiggle inside the cup, which would make it unsupportive. I actually don't feel like it's so tight that it's pulling the underwires a lot, maybe just a fraction.

    I always have much cup under my armpit :P My roots are very high (lol, sounds like they're on crack, I'm just saying that my roots are set very high on me naturally, without a bra on you can see that it's higher up than "between elbow and shoulder") and my shoulders are very short. I'm a small woman, only 5 feet tall and bras are simply always scaled too big for me. If I were to buy it in a bigger cup size (or keep this is it was fine) I would for sure alter the bra a little, "shaving" off some off the side-cup and attaching the straps a little closer.

    If you look at all the pictures of me wearing bras, you'll see that ALL bras sit very high up on my back because I simply don't have a lot of back, lol, and my as my roots are very high up, the band has to follow in that order.

  • I'm not very good at Bratabase. Is there a way to view all your pictures?

  • Just click on my username, you'll be directed to my profile, and there you'll see "bras" on the left! :)

  • 1

    ah ok. Thanks, that information helps, and i see how your high root and small stature complicate the fit.

    I do stand by my assessment that the cups are too big and the band is too small, causing or accentuating the fit problems like cup in your armpit, wide straps, etc. However it seems like that's how you like to wear your bras, since all the ones I looked at had cups that big.

    To each her own! I think you might find a better fit if you went down in the cups and maybe up in the band, but obviously it is your own personal preference. Good luck!

  • 2

    I think this is a relevant concern and I don't understand why anyone would vote it as not helpful. The assessments melifish made are supported by the data. The band looks too tight and the stretched band is shorter than the comfortable ribcage by almost 2 cm. The cup looks too big and the cup depth is 1 cm larger than the horizontal perimeter.

  • The band IS too tight but not by much. If I were to keep this bra I'd use an extender to make it just a little bit bigger. I have to say though that some underwires are flimsier than other's, and this bra's wires don't bend unless you pull way too hard so I know for a fact that the underwires are as wide as they are on me simply because they are that way. No distortion. Even though the depth is greater by 1 cm, you have to remember that since the wires are too wide, some of the depth is not used. It's on the side, you know? In effect, that means the depth is actually smaller on my particular body.

  • 2

    When the band is too tight and the cups too big it's not just an issue of overstretching the wires that causes cups to flatten. Too big cups simply sit wrongly on the body; they are not balanced out properly and tend to tilt 'backwards' towards the body -- see how the wires and side seam slant sharply backwards? Because the wires are tilting backwards too, the cups appear shallower than they are, in a very similar way as when the wires would be overstretched. The result is less depth in the bottom of the cups. The fact that the bottom depth issue lessens with closer set straps just confirms that in the current configuration the cups are pulled too much backwards as closer set straps pull the cups more together and to the front.

    Both on the basis of your photos and the measurements you provided I have to agree with melifish and Blush that it looks as if you might be better off in a larger band smaller cup combination, if not for comfort (which is an entirely personal matter anyway) than at least for fit. A looser band is very likely give you more depth in the bottom of the cups, more space in the front of the cups, less wide and backward slanting wires, and less strap issues. Have you already tried this bra on with an extender? What happens when you do?

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment

  
  
• 3
  helpful

  It looks a little to me like the band is too tight and is pulling on the wires, contributing to the orange in a glass effect. However, if you like/need a tight band, I think a cup up probably isn't worth it, this looks like shape/depth incompatibility to me, especially if you find you have a lot of centre fullness for most bras.

  Updated on January 20, 2014 Flag this

  
  

  • What do you mean by orange in a glass effect? I've heard of it and I know my own definition of it but it seems like different people have different images of what that is. If you mean that my breasts are simply too wide for the bra (cannot settle in the bottom of cup and pours out on top), I'd have to say you're unfortunately wrong. It's quite the opposite really, if anything. Your analysis of shape/depth incompatibility was right though ;) Just the other direction.

  • I think she's referring to the opposite phenomenon that I've heard being called cheekily aubergine in a bowl.

  • Yes, Jillsas is right, I meant "aubergine in a bowl" (great name!) the cup looks too shallow/wide for you. I find the tip-off for this is as much the empty space/wrinkles in the sides of the cup as much as the emptiness at the bottom of the cup.

  • I've never heard of that :P I'd like a visual of an actual aubergine in a bowl haha, it's a little hard to get that mental image. (I'm not very visual)

  • Oh, in that case, in that case I agree with you smoulderandbraids. No bras are ever a good fit for me as is, but strangely enough, I found that when I simulated a closer-set strap, the wrinkling issue disappeared, and so did the "not filling the bottom of the cup" issue". I'm not a 100% sure why that is but since I MUST alter the strap-setting in all cases, I'm highly considering buying this in a bigger cup.

  • 2

    What looks like 'orange in a glass' -- empty space/folding in the bottom of the cups -- can indeed be caused by different things. Breast roots wider than the wires is the 'classic' explanation, but a much more common reason is lack of depth in the bottom of the cup. This lack of depth is relative, though, and can be due to shape incompatibility (breasts that are more projected and/or 'bottom heavy' than the cup shape allows for) or fit issues. Fit issues are most commonly related to band tightness and wire width. A too tight band pulls at and potentially stretches the wires in a way that flattens the bottom of the cups. Too wide wires tend to tilt and 'wrap around' the body in a way that pulls the bottom of the cup flat against the body, again reducing the amount of space available for the breasts to settle. Seldom mentioned, but an equally important reason for this latter effect, though, is cups that are too large, especially when combined with the band and wire issues already mentioned. Too large cups are simply not balanced out properly and they're simply not sitting 'right' on the body. The band doesn't even have to be that tight (or tight at all, for that matter) for the cups to tilt backwards against the body, with the appearance of flattening in the bottom as a result. Other symptoms are wires and a side seam that slant backwards -- this is visible in your photos too, by the way -- and what you describe in your last reply: tugging at the straps improves the situation. It is logical that this happens, as what you're doing is pulling the cups more together and forwards, essentially 'correcting' the current backwards tilt of the cups. Centre gore discomfort can be another symptom, but as the gore of this bra is quite low, this may not be an issue here.

  • Here's an album with me wearing it with an extender, could you please have a look at it? I value your two cents. http://imgur.com/a/Xx9Tr#0

  • 1

    Definitely too big. Maybe 30F will fit better?

  • What's your reasoning Jillsas? Nope, I'm not being snarky and I'm not being stubborn, just wanna see what you're seeing 'cause right now I don't :)

  • The empty space on the side and bottom and the looseness on top? Assuming with the extender you still feel supported.

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment

  
  
• 1
  helpful

  What happens when you loosen up the straps? Does the quadboob lessen? I'm the same height as you, and I've never had to tighten the straps that much, certainly not on a tight band.

  Updated on January 21, 2014 Flag this

  

  PetitePlentiful

  1004 reputation

  115 bras

  
  

  • It would feel extremely uncomfortable and weird if I loosened them anymore than this, height is not the only factor, our build may be very different and I find that I can only barely get them short enough even in this (it's short enough but any longer would be uncomfortable). In this album I have attached a photo showing you the strap tension, I'm barely tugging at it (I'm not pulling hard or anything): http://imgur.com/a/Xx9Tr#0

  • 3

    I'm smaller than you in frame with slimmer shoulders, but I don't see how that affects length of the straps.

    It would feel weird and uncomfortable if I suddenly had to buy a t-shirt in size XL instead of an XXS or jeans in W30" instead of W24" because I'm always the smallest size in stores. But you shouldn't let your habits and stubbornness get in the way of trying to find a perfect fit.

    Try the bra without an extender and the straps loosened to over your shoulder for starters.

  • 3

    I agree with PetitePlentiful , and I think you need to try a different size. I can wear a 28G and I have to tighten the straps all the way like you have, and in a bra like the satine it would look similar to yours, but that doesn't make it a good fit. I actually wear more like a 28F, and find that the straps can be much looser in a smaller cup, the wires are narrower and the armpit coverage is much lower and more comfortable.

  • Here you have it, PetitePlentiful http://imgur.com/a/DVvoi

    Saying that I shouldn't let my habits and stubbornness get in the way of trying to find a perfect fit... I don't even know what to say. I think it's sad that you jump to conclusions, that just because someone says they feel uncomfortable in whatever it might be, that you just assume they're being stubborn and not willing to try something else out. It would've been a whole different story if you just asked me if I had actually tried that out first and awaited my response, now I'm just... I don't know, I feel offended.

  • 3

    The cup is too big. You're only getting support from the straps, yet only 20% should come from the straps. The band is too tight also. I agree with Jillsas , you should try a 30F.

  • 3

    Well seeing as you posted here it can be assumed that you're open to suggestions, yet you don't seem to receive them well. In my opinion, with the straps loosened it's really quite clear that the cups are too big.

    But if you feel like trying a cup size up is the best option for you, then I wish you the best of luck finding a good fit.

  • It seems like no one even paid attention to the thing about an eggshaped ribcage, that's why I'm
    not receiving it well because no one has even mentioned that.

    Ignoring that means skipping a significant factor.

  • 2

    This is exactly what I looked like a couple months ago. I didn't find a comfortable fit (let alone a perfect fit) until I sized up in the band and down in the cup. By eggshaped ribcage do you mean the pointier end of an egg is the shape of the front of your ribcage? If so, that's exactly my ribcage shape. I've seen this before on my own body. Please take my word for it.

  • Yeah, that's what my ribcage is like. I'm not 100% sure we're similar if you haven't read the blog post yet though, some of the issues I have here is brought up in the post. Like too much space on the side and too little at the front, plus straps that always interfere with your arms.

  • 5

    Yes, and I know that on me those were fixed by a larger band and a smaller cup. Empty space means too much volume. Plus smaller cups mean narrower wires, mean more centered straps.

  • Smaller cups does mean narrower wires, but it also means less depth. The depth of this is off by 1 cm (if even that, I think it's BIHAL who said that ladies with firm breasts can even need bras with a bigger depth than their measurement). The difference in depth in another size would be much bigger than just 1 cm. I have a 28F bra at hand in my home and the straps are not more centred, and if they are, certainly not enough for me to notice because they cut off my arms either way and it's the same way with another 28F I've had. I appreciate your input but I don't think there's a quick fix to all women who have had similar issues, because they're just that, similar.

  • 4

    It might be due to a too tight band. A too tight band will make cups with enough volume too small and pull straps into your armpits. I'm not saying that you must do this and it will work, but it is worth a shot because it can work. I know you won't like this, but it is classic reverse letterphobia (both fit and bra fitting philosophy).

  • I'm well aware of reverse letterphobia and you don't get to say what I have or don't have. It's NOT due to a too tight band because I've attached an imgur album showing the fit with an extender and the result is the same. I lengthened the band to the max with it.

  • 4

    That's because the letter part also refers to the cup size. I stand by my suggestion that this bra is too big for you.

  add a comment

  Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

  You need to sign in to comment