Bra Feedback. Fit, Quality and Styles

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

I piggybacked on another thread with a few questions. Now having had all the size advice I thought I'd post about the bras I ordered online and give feedback and comments and leave it open for anyone else to chip in with similar questions or feedback.

I always try and buy my underwear when the sales are on and admit I look for bargains, but I do like something pretty and for it to feel nice as well as being a good price because if you don't really like something that much, it's not a bargain really is it.

I ordered six bras of the size I measure up to and six pairs of pants too. Must admit I was a bit disappointed in the parcel that came. I got free next day delivery which was good, but the parcel looked a bit like a football, a soft plastic bag and everything bundled up in one scrunched up sheet of tissue. Some of the bras were fastened and some not, so overall I was slightly underwhelmed by my package of goodies.
On the upside though returns are free and replacements sent free of postage as well.

I'll post some links to the styles and thoughts so far.
The last thread I posted on was here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/a1964148-Nice-underwear?msgid=44678073#44678073

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Any joy?

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

I ordered all styles in the same size. 36F as decided by the measuring technique bending over and am trying them all on the loosest fastening after scooping everything into the cups.

www.brastop.com/nessa-matylda-bra-white?r=search
The Nessa Matylda balconette.
To be honest haven't even tried this on. Compared to all the others it looks and feels cheap to me. I wouldn't ever have thought its normal price is £29.
The fabric on the front of one cup looks like it's been snagged by a piece of jewellery or something and the pants are about a third of the size of all the other pairs. They look about like my DD's That said some of the others look quite a bit too big compared to what I already have.

www.brastop.com/flirtelle-tiffany-bra-chocolate?r=search
Flirtelle Tiffany Balconette.
This is the tightest fit of all on the band. I can still pull it away from my body but it's much snugger than the other two I've tried on so far.
I've scooped but there's a tiny bit of a bulge under one arm still (one breast is noticeably bigger than the other)
It gives an amazing cleavage, no spillage over the top of the cups, even though they are much lower cut than the other two bras.
Is it too small or do I just need to try it again when I have more time?

It's very pretty with a noticeably gold thread, probably a bra for wearing on nights out. It gives an impressive cleavage and was a steal at the price.

www.brastop.com/lepel-fiore-full-cup-bra-bluelemon?r=search
Lepel Fiore Full Cup
Very pretty, more golden cream than lemon in the trim. Feels lovely.
As soon as I put this one on it felt good. Will keep as an everyday bra, just not sure about the shape on me. It's more like what I already have.

I still have three more to try on later


Oooh just seen you Statistically. I was busy finding the links and typing all that out I'm a real convert. Did you see my comment in the other thread about what a fitter told me about back fat? the more I think about that the more cross I feel.
I also tried my very best to get someone I know to get a fitting and they went to M&S, who sold her a 38B bra that she then told me felt all wrong.
Even I could guess that she's more a FF, E or G cup and no where near a 38 band either.

[TheresLotsOfFarmyardAnimals]

Hi - that brastop place has amazing prices. I have fairly recently been converted and got fitted at Bravissimo. If this one fits me well, which others should do the job? www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sensational-sets/idina-balconette-bra/black/pn109blk/

Hope you don't mind me crashing the thread too much.

I have this and a cleo one that was cheaper but the underwire digs in at the middle.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

OK

The flirtelle - I haven't tried but I think they are a sister brand to Curvy Kate and share their wide wired traits! With that style you really shouldn't have underarm bulge and I think you might need to go up one cup. On me, a cup too small isn't in major overspill territory - it tends to appear at the armpits first. There are some tips on //thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk about managing asymmetry which you might find helpful.

The Lepel - looks like a comfy everyday type bra, I'm guessing it's comfortable but doesn't really do that much shape wise? Let's see how the others are but I think that you might want to try more of the balconette styles which tend to give good lift. I like Cleo and Ewa for this

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Thereslots SorrelForbes (one of the other crazy bra ladies) loves the Idina and she also wears Cleo Juna, Cleo Marcie, Ewa Michalak CH and CHP cuts, and has got on well with Fauve half cups. The other which you might like is the Panache Jasmine

For the cleo you have - assuming you cant return it you could try very gently bending the wires out a fraction. They do tend to have quite strong gores.

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Thereslotsof I don't mind at all, I felt guilty kind of taking over someone else's thread, but I think all the feedback will be useful so as to get an idea of how various brands size up and what kind of styles suit which kind of shapes best.

Statistically I think you've read it just right and I think I'm probably kidding myself about the Flirtelle simply because it's so pretty
I wonder if I had it on for long if the band would begin to hurt and be uncomfortable. I might ask you what size you recommend I try instead - will try the other bras on first though so as to give more clues.

You remind me of the first lady who ever fitted me. She was by far the best and even after she'd found a bra she was happy with for size, she looked at the shaping and said 'I'm sure we can do better' I felt very confident with her judgement and haven't ever found the same again.
I wish I could get to a Bravissimo easily.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Try the flirtelle back to front to test the band - I'm wondering if the too small cup is causing it to feel tight. It's an easy mistake to make!

I think we can do better than the Lepel :) I have a Fantasie that sounds similar - it's comfy and all, but it doesn't really do anything for me!

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

I put them all on back to front first off statistically and of them all the Flirtelle and the Curvy Kate bands feel the same, tight and not all that comfortable but still with a bit of give to pull away from the body. The Charnos is similar.

I've only had them all on and off quite quickly but have done this and scooped too.
But I'm a bit disheartened really.

This Curvy Kate
www.brastop.com/curvy-kate-entice-bra-ivorygold?r=search
feels tight on the band, but no matter the scooping still leaves me with armpit bulge and a bit of back fat on one side.
The lightly moulded cup also makes me feel huge and as if I'm packing weapons.

The Charnos Destiny is a full cup
www.brastop.com/charnos-destiny-bra-twilight?r=search
It's a nice bra and a reasonable fit but it does nothing for my shape at all, like two protruding bullets
So I'm thinking that probably proves the full cup isn't really for me, which I think you already suggested.

This Fauve Veronique balconette is my favourite bra, it's lovely fabric and has lots of detailing on it
www.brastop.com/fauve-veronique-bra-topaz?r=search
but it doesn't fit. There's wrinkling at the top of the cups and I don't quite fill it.
Do you think it's worth trying another size and if so what?

Unhappily this one is a reasonable fit
www.brastop.com/nessa-matylda-bra-white?r=search
but I just don't like it.
It's the only one of all the bras that has three hooks and eyes as well as three band positions.

I'm now thinking my perceived size difference in sides is less than I imagine and it's only the larger side that seems to have given a problem with these bras, on the wrinkled cup one it wrinkled both sides.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Entice I have tried, and it left me with armpit bulges too. For me, it was too low at the sides really. However, it also runs slightly small in the cups so again, you need to try and judge whether it would fit if it was a little bigger, or if its the shape

Haven't tried the Charnos but in general full cups don't give the best lift. The straps are attached to the top of the cup, rather than in the nessa one were it is attached to the piece that goes under your boobs. This gives much better lift

I have the veronique, and it works for me with slightly full on top boobs. I wonder if you are maybe slightly fuller on the bottom, but not by much possible. There is a half cup version which might be worth trying, along with possibly a size down in the one you have?

I think however we are seeing a wee bit of a pattern in what works shape wise - it looks like the Nessa type shape (what is sometime called balconette and sometimes balcony), not too high at the top but with decent height at the sides might be what you need. Have you ever tried the Bravissimo Alana? Or anything by Cleo?

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

I feel like I'm learning so much, thank you.
I've noted the bit about how the straps are attached, that's interesting and I think you may be right and I have a little bit more fullness lower in the breast, not much, but a bit.

I've looked at the Curvy Kate Entice again and I just don't like it. The material looks a bit wrinkly on the cups when it's not even on. So I shall definitely give that a miss. I've dug another bra out from the back of my drawer, it's a Chantelle full cup in a 34E, I think I stopped wearing that as the band felt so tight, but it's engineered totally differently - the underwires feel incredibly sturdy and I like the quality, so I shall try and work out what's wrong with the fit now.
I'm also taking on board the balcony-ette shapes and will avoid the full cup in future I think, although I will look for something with good support.

I'll give them a ring about the returns tomorrow and see what they have as substitutes to reserve and I'll look at the Cleo options.
I'm interested in the Ewa range, but feel like I need to get to know more about what I'm suited to before I take the risk of ordering from abroad.

Thank you very much for all the help so far statistically

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I have a sneaking suspicion that when it comes to Ewas you might like the S and SM styles. The CHP is a definite half cup with vertical seams, where the S is sort of like a plunge balconette hybrid. The SM is an unmoulded S. At least you are in their standard size range.


I'm a fan of the unpadded Cleos - Marcie for example. Gives good lift and a fairly upfront shape but the cups are a little more open at the top. The bottom right one on this page is a marcie. Melissa (the blue one which appears twice on the second row) is quite nice too.

This is the bravissimo Alana.

[todaysdateis]

Sorry to gate crash but measured myself the 'mumsnet' way and think that I am a 34E rather than a 36D not too disimilar but obviously the fit is better.

So I'm now upgrading my bras and have just bought a Curvy Kate Gia in black in TK Maxx for £6.99 I think it fits ok - no back fat, no overspill, no wires digging in :) So I looked on the internet to find a white one and noticed that in the pictures of the women showing off the Gia that the cup seems to cover more of their breasts than it covers mine just wondering if I should go up a cup size or whether the women on the pictures where just a smaller cup size! Any help/suggestions appreciated.

[SorrelForbes]

It's very possibly just the way that style fits on different people. Have you tried the bar on with a tight fitting t-shirt over the top? If not, try that (remember to scoop) and then have a look from the side. Any quad boob should show up.

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

You're not gate crashing todaysdate no apology necessary.
I think it's great how much I'm learning reading about other people's questions.

I'm making notes on the advice to me and am currently wearing my old Chantelle bra just to see. It feels very 'sturdy' of band, but not necessarily too tight or uncomfortable if that makes sense?

I do have a real ache in my shoulder on the bigger breast side though. I wonder if this is coincidence or if I just slept funny or the bra?

In the past I've always seemed to have problems with straps slipping down. How tight should they be? to slip one finger underneath? or two? I've forgotten.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Once the band is right you should find that the straps stop being a problem. Normally they fall down becausetthe band is too big

[SorrelForbes]

Straps slipping down is a sign that the band is too big. At least 80% of the support should come from the band and only 20% from the straps.

[SorrelForbes]

Cross post

By the way Stats, who are you calling crazy

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Like it's not true! [Grin]

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Thank you, but how much should you adjust your straps? should you still be able to get one or two fingers beneath?

I wish crazy bra ladies would stage a face to face intervention with my DD. She lives in her own place and I was quizzing her. She's wearing a 32 or 34" bra. She says she has nothing and I have heard that in the past she's considered a boob job. She is very slender, so I tried telling her she's more a 28 or 30" and she will be amazed how a correctly fitting bra will look and feel, but she won't listen at all.

I explained the method to measure, talked her through arm pit bulges, back fat and scooping, but I think she thinks I've lost my mind

I left it that I want her to tell me the two measurements and it's a kind of challenge. I might have quite a wait, but I'll keep on.

[SorrelForbes]

Fair point!

I can get one finger under the strap of the bra I'm wearing today, two at a real push.

I'd love to! Do you live in the SW

Keep persevering. My friends and family are all used to me bossing them around pestering them about bras. I think I've managed to pretty convert everyone with about one exception.

[todaysdateis]

Thanks sorrel I've got it on today with a tight fitting t-shirt and no four boobs! But feel very out there if you know what I mean!!

I think I'll be collecting all the colours now

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

todaysdate it's strange at first when you look down or look side view in the mirror and see something particularly different

Can't believe you still have a resister Sorrel
I've adjusted my straps a little bit more and later am going to retry my bra delivery again with the extra information I have.

Sadly am not even close to the SW shame.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Sf and I are at opposite ends of the country connected by bra elastic! I'm in Edinburgh

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

we make a triangle then.

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Crazy Bra Experts what's your lowdown on Kris Line bras please? they look so pretty.

I need you to talk me through everything now