Bra fitting help » Gaia semisoft seems to fit but lacks support
Gaia » Sandy Semi Soft (BS0594) » 65F 30:6
Issue resolved
The cup is too small and the band is quite stretchy. I'll be trying it in a larger cup size and go from there.
Original problem
Though it technically fits beautifully (gore tacks, wires follow and stay in my imf, nothing gapes or cuts in), it's not supportive. I've been encountering this a lot lately where bras check all the boxes but I'm left with back, neck and shoulder pain and straps that carry far too much of the weight.
I'd really like to figure out what I'm missing and how to better judge the fit of my bras, starting with this one. My only guess is that the band is stretchy and the wires are soft, which creates problems somehow.
Thanks so much in advance for any help that can be provided.
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helpfulWell, it looks like the band rides up and the straps are overtightened. And your measurements look a bit odd, tbh. Cup depth is 22,9cm (on a 65F bra?), and your horizontal perimeter is 24,1... Something is definitely wrong here. Are you sure all your breast tissue is encapsulated in the cups?
Anyway, just for starting point try to loosen the straps and use the tightest set of hooks.Updated on March 10, 2020 Flag this
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@orangekate I wore the bra for 2.5 hours this morning with looser straps and the band on the tightest setting and I think the cups are sitting on tissue at the bottom??? I can't tell for sure, but I think the wires are above my imf...is it possible it works it's way higher with wear due to the cups being too small? Is that a thing? I'm used to the cups moving down because there's not enough projection at the wire.
I took pictures with nipples covered and upped the contrast and turned them b&w (to make them obviously...clinical?) but I'm not sure if I can add them. If those would be helpful, please let me know and I'll look into whether or not I can add them.
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Wires sitting above the IMF is usually a thing with the band being too big and the cups being too small. Judging by measurements your band should be an ok fit, but it's just in theory.
Pictures of the wiremarks would be helpful, you can post them as is, ofc covering your breast with your hand and showing just the marks. Some people also cover up their tattoos.
But why do you think it's sitting on your tissue? -
Orange_Kate thank you so much for helping me!
I've uploaded pictures that show the wire marks. In all but one of them, the wires marks are on breast tissue. However, the last photo, in which I lifted my arm up, the wires look like they are a little wide. I don't know why the skin didn't move along with my breast. I have a connective tissue disorder but I don't know if that's would explain it (or if everyone's do that, too)???
It sounds like I need a bigger cup but the band might be okay. Is that right?
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You definitely need a bigger cup, but I don't know about the band size... I'm confused because wires sat on your breast tissue and it's usually a sign of the band being too big. Maybe it's really too stretchy. Did you scoop and swoop before putting your bra on? How did the band feel on the tightest hooks?
Btw my skin doesn't move as much as my breasts so I think it's normal. And I'm glad to help! -
Orange_Kate I did scoop and swoop (though it was after...how do people do it before putting the bra on?) and it seemed to all fit, but I think either it was difficult to tell that it wasn't really fitting because it's a very center full bra and that's where I'd normally notice the overflow that accompanies a too small cup or because things moved around with wear.
The band didn't feel very snug even on the tightest hooks. With my comexim (30G 3hc) it feels uniformly snug and supportive but the Gaia just felt off. It's hard to explain. I've read similar observations in reviews on here, so maybe it is something odd about the band?
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I think it's probably because of the stretchy band. Like it's 25 cm difference between stretched and unstretched band! I just checked my bras and their bands stretch to 10-15 cm, I find less stretchier much more comfortable and supportive.
Does your Comexim bra in 30G fit any better? Isn't it too small in the cups? -
Orange_Kate I do agree that the band is weird on that bra. I've ordered another with a larger cup to try on and maybe hopefully confirm that, once the cup fits, just the band would need addressed (and maybe I could reinforce it somehow? But that's neither here nor there).
I think it does. At the least, my back/neck/shoulder pain are significantly reduced. The wire marks line up well (not sitting on tissue that I can tell). I have tall (though shallow on top) roots and am center full and I think it being fairly open on top and in the middle allows it to accommodate more tissue without that tissue actually being inside of the cups. Does that make sense? I think I'll also try to measure myself again because maybe I did it wrong?
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http://allsfairinloveandlingerie.com/?p=286 if you need tutorials on shortening the band. Don't throw away this bra yet, it's good to have a bra a little smaller and a little bigger than you need currently especially if your weight fluctuates.
It's good that your Comexim fits! I hope your new bra will do so too.
Thank you for replying! I will try loosening the straps and wearing it on the tightest hooks.
As for the potential measurement mismatch, it's entirely possible I measured something incorrectly, bit I could also be misjudging the fit. I'll see where the wire marks are after wearing with adjustments and report back.