Bra fitting help » Underarm fat?
Charnos » Cherub Padded Balcony Bra (105040) » 34E 34:6
Issue resolved
Accepted that the underarm overhang is just my shape
Original problem
This is currently my best fitting bra. In general, I think it fits pretty well - the band feels secure on the 2nd hook,I fill the bottom of the cups, and although I get a little gaping on the top it's not substantial. It's the overhang by my armpit I'm trying to fix.
Pretty much every bra I have gives me this problem whether the cups are bigger than this or not. I think it's more noticeable when the straps are farther apart, which is one of the reasons this bra fits me than the others (the bras are more towards the center than other bras I've seen). I'll post another fit help for another bra shortly where there's even more overhang - the other one has wider straps. I'm not sure if there's another style that will help - cut higher under the arm? Cut lower under the arms? Wider wires? Or maybe it's just underarm fat and I won't be able to get rid of it.
I'm definitely open to suggestions for other bras as well. I've lost a lot of weight over the last year, and it seems as though my cup size shrunk faster than the rest of me (I went from a 34/36I/J to a 32/34E). From reading descriptions on here I think I would describe myself as widerooted and shallow. Because of the weight loss, my breasts are currently pendulous and I'm definitely no longer FOT.
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Suggestions (5)
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2
helpful
Hey Acacia , Not sure if this will be helpful, but I think you might want something with slightly wider set straps. Or not necessarily wider set straps, but a style where the cup is slightly higher cut on the side and tapers more evenly to the strap, which may help contain any stubborn fat that's too high up for the cup. So maybe plunge or full-coverage styles? I see that the one that you have on here is full coverage, so maybe just pay special attention when looking at pics of potential full-coverage bras to see how the strap is set and tapered.
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googled and found this page: http://www.babsthebrafitter.com/armpit-fat-the-truth/
A lot of it is the author telling us to love ourselves/our bodies/our natural armpit fat. And while I agree with her, I also totally hate my own armpit fat bulge moments so whatever! Anyhow, if you skip down about halfway she makes some suggestions on bra styles and particular models. Hope it's helpful
EDIT:
Just found this: http://www.spanx.com/shop/spanx/bras/bra-llywood-hills-side-slimming-underwire-zid38-1499/cat-38-catid-tn_spx_br?CategoryDomainName=SPXNA-38&_t=pfm%3Dapr
It gets mixed reviews, but I read a few and it seems like people think it really works in the side slimming dept, just that the hook construction is poor. But if you sew at all (and the bra works for you), it might be worth it to just snip off their flimsy hooks and sew on a bra extender in it's place to avoid that issue.
It makes sense that choosing something with no elastic edging in general might also help. I find that the Sunnie bra from Aerie (which has that kind of band and also is full coverage) works nicely for me in that way, but unfortunately they only go up to DD and run small
Updated on February 22, 2015 Flag this
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Also, thanks for the suggestion of looking more at plunge bras. In my previous size the balconettes always fit me best, so I find myself only looking at those. But I've changed shape and my search preferences may need to change too!
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helpfulIt's obviously hard to judge from photos, but I'm fairly sure that the tissue you have there is not fat per se. It could be that you have some axillary breast tissue, or it could be just a matter of the skin in that area being quite loose after your weight loss. Anyway, all this to say--unlike fat, loose skin and breast tissue are pretty sensitive and you want to avoid subjecting them to friction and garments that dig in, so I would tend to say you will feel better in bras that are cut lower and just leave that area alone (as opposed to trying to cover/contain it). The armpit area is subjected to constant movement throughout the day and a bra that covers all the tissue when your arm is down, is likely to be an irritant when you raise your arm, and vice versa.
Updated on February 22, 2015 Flag this
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Thanks - I'll keep this in mind when I'm trying in different bras. I've found so far that the extra fold/bulge doesn't bother me except for looks. The tissue isn't extra sensitive so far at least
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helpfulOk, so first question - have you seen the scoop-and-swoop videos, where you kinda smooth the flesh in from the underarms in to the bra? Sometimes that can make a huge difference. I also suspect that you just have some loose flesh that might be hard to contain. I'm not entirely sure what the answer is, but a good scoop-and-swoop was my first thought
Updated on February 21, 2015 Flag this
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Thanks for the suggestion - I do scoop-and-swoop. Usually multiple times. My breast tissue is a lot looser now with the smaller cup size and it takes a lot of adjustment to get them to even sit in the cups this well.
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helpfulSwoop and scoop! Learning this method I went from 34DD to 30G once I found those didn't fit and swoop/scooped with the 30gs I went to a 28hh/j.
http://bustyresources.wikia.com/wiki/Scoop_and_swoop
Updated on July 12, 2016 Flag this
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helpfulEdit because I didn't understand commenting... nor know how to delete it.
Updated on February 21, 2015 Flag this
Thanks for the suggestions! I had suspected that the underarm bulge might be something that was just the way my body was shaped, but thought (hoped?) it also might be due to a poorly fitting bra. I recently bought a couple 32DDD plunge bras here and just tried them on -- the underarm bulge does seem less noticeable in these. They have quite a short wing, so that may also have something to do with it. I'll have to keep an eye out for a plunge that has a taller wing and see how those fit.