Bra fitting help » gore not laying flat, gap in sides, gap when arms raised

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Parfait By Affinitas » Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) » 36HH 36:12

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Suggestions (4)

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  helpful

  This is clearly not compatible with your breast shape unfortunately. I can't tell because you don't have any side pictures, but this is a shallow open on top bra. Chances are this is too wide for you as well. It seems like you have omega shaped breasts, which is wide boobs with a narrow root. The Masquerade Persia is a pretty good bra for Omega shaped, but it might not go large enough for you 38H is what I would recommend because it runs tight in the band. Comexim is also a pretty good brand for that shape (they make up to 80L which in theory is the equivalent of 36J and it might work well on you).

  Updated on January 27, 2014 Flag this

  

  Jillsas

  2719 reputation

  63 bras

  
  

  • Thank you, I wasn't sure what shape my boobs were, but I did think I had narrow root and wide breasts. I appreciate the help. :)
    I couldn't get side pics since my husband was working but I will see if he can take some side pics to add.

  • That's definitely too wide, I stand by my suggestions. Your pictures remind me of the user Ereshiy, so you might want to communicate with her about different bras and stuff (she has a different underbust, but overall your shapes look similar).

  • Thank you for your help, hopefully I can figure this out soon!

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    At least from these pics, you do look a lot like me. I have firm breasts with a narrow, short root and lots of projection, which means they tend to end up omega shaped in bras, because the only way to get a bra which would be deep enough for me is to have everything else be huge.

    Your measurement numbers in terms of volume look pretty similar to my own as well, but I'm more of a snug 28 band wearer. Depending on the shape, and what I decide to put up with in terms of fit issues, I'd need anything from a 28K to a 28LL in a bra. Well, to be honest, I need the wires and cradle and cup height of a 28K (or a slightly smaller cup size than that), but the depth of a 28L or 28LL.

    Parfait Charlotte is tall, wide and shallow, which is basically the reverse of the best shape to match your breasts. You'll want bras which are deep, narrow and short if possible (getting all 3 together is challenging). Comexim, which I've yet to try, could be a possibility, but I'd strongly suggest a raised gore. Plunges and I are basically no-go because any excess tissue just ends up spilling out of the top centre of cups, so something which is super open in the middle doesn't work. My breasts don't need any encouragement to spill out.

    Along with what Jillsas suggested, Ewa Michalak's S or SM style may also be worth a try or any halfcups you can get in your size (I think Masquerades go up to an H and the Bravissimo Halfcups go up to a J). Half cups do have the problem where the straps can possibly end up in your armpits, but I've found evenly open on top can work for me.

    My best fitting bras in the last 2 years have been ones I've done really unorthodox alterations to, but you should have a few more options than me not being in as large of a cup size.

  • Thank you for your response :) I took a look at your profile and noticed you've had a lot of problems too. I know exactly what you mean about the deep plunge just spilling out, that happens to me anytime I wear a bra like that as well.

    Have you tried Ewa Michalak's plunge style? It doesn't look like the cups are as low in the front as a normal plunge, and I am 29 weeks pregnant, so I will need nursing bras soon. EM is one of the few brands that I've seen that does a very large cup nursing bra, but it's based on the plunge style. I'd hate to order from Poland and not have them work at all.

  • The gore in EM plunges is definitely higher than what you'd think of when it comes to a plunge bra, but I still found the cut of the PLs unsuitable, because of being open in the centre, and the bra design being too wide for my frame. My breasts just fell into the middle of the bra and left the top and outside empty in both sizes I've tried. I could probably handle the lower gore in some styles, but plunge bras are designed to push you upwards and inwards, and my breasts already want to head in that direction, so the extra help isn't really necessary. PL bras do work even in the large cup sizes, but just don't perform well on this breast shape.

    It's quite possible to convert a regular bra into a nursing bra (if you're not confident with sewing, it would be something you could pay a seamstress to do), and another option for nursing bras in large cup sizes is Decent Exposures http://www.bralessinbrasil.com/2013/06/decent-exposures-affordable-customized.html . June of Braless in Brasil was really happy with her nursing bra, especially because as it was unwired it meant she could wear it early on when her size was fluctuating a lot with milk supply.

  • That's something I've been considering, converting bras rather than struggling to find nursing bras that fit me well. It was an absolute nightmare with my youngest, I actually gave up and just wore a normal bra which came with it's own fun challenges.

    I will take a look at that link, I have found most non-wired bras tend to give me uniboob though. :(

  • Pregnancy hasn't been something I've personally experienced so far(and if I do fall pregnant and my breasts go crazy and go up a bunch of cup sizes I don't know what I'd do as I can barely buy anything now). However, it does seem crazy to me the lack of nursing bras above a G cup. Surely full bust manufacturers should consider that most women increase in breast size during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so it's more important to have these large sizes available.

    All the best with the rest of your pregnancy. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. :)

  • Thank you :) I have never understood it myself. I have gone up a couple of cup sizes and they don't seem to go back down (much) when I'm finished nursing. And this time around they've gotten their wires crossed somewhere and are growing exponentially already. I shudder to think what I might end up at once my milk comes in. Custom bras? ;)

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  I've added a side, and another front. On the newest front shot, I pulled the band down and the gaping stopped, but then the cups look like they are empty towards the bottom. I don't know if this helps with figuring out whats going on or not.

  Also when I first put it on and get everything situated, it looks great. But then it's as though my boobs 'settle' and then the gaping starts.

  Updated on January 27, 2014 Flag this

  
  

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  I think it's that the bra is too small -- maybe by two cup sizes. I'd try out a 36JJ before tossing in the towel on this one, but you might find that the gore is too wide regardless.

  Updated on January 27, 2014 Flag this

  
  

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    How does explain the massive gaping at the top?

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  It looks to me like you need to give yourself several more cup sizes, the cups on this bra are too small. You will also need to tighten the back up as well. For every cup size you go up try a back size down to retain the support. Taking the back size down as you size up in the cup should also get rid of the gaping at the sides.

  Updated on January 27, 2014 Flag this

  
  

  • That's not really a good idea. This could cause problems associated with reverse letterphobia, try reading this article: http://drueberunddrunter.blogspot.com/2012/04/english-reversed-letterphobia-and-war.html
    The wires are already to wide, going up will make them wider, and a too big cup will cause her to loose support. Combined with a too tight band, it will likely be agony to wear.

  • Sorry I don't follow, if Letterphobia is the fear of sizing up in cups then reverse Letterphobia is the fear of going down in cups yes? I wasn't suggesting that she went down in the cup size but up. I fail to see how anyone can say that the wires are too wide without having seen where the wires sit under the arm. i always suggest that a lady looks at a bra in two parts, the front from underarm to underarm, and the back from underarm to underarm. From these pictures you can clearly see that the breasts are full at the sides, bottom and front so more cup would stop the frot of the bra squashing her. So if you add a couple of cup sizes you are effectively adding a couple of inches to the front of the bra making it necessary to then detract from the back of the bra.

  • Yes, but if you read that carefully you would learn that people often end up in too big of a cup size in too small of a band. I know the wires are too wide because she says the wires are too wide. Additionally, as you can see, the bra is already too tall/open on top for her. To get the gore to tack in the style will mean sacrificing good fit in other areas.

  • I can see what you mean now having seen the side images. I always err on the side of caution when someone tells me that their wires are too wide as from experience the majority of ladies we fit think that the wires should sit on their breasts.

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    kathbbm Not at all here. Most of us are ladies who have been trying to be comfortable for a while. It's not cautious to suggest a fit problem that's fairly uncommon in a certain size range with clues that that fit problem is happening (without the problem being shown, like the gaping on top, especially towards the armpits usually means too wide).

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