help me, mystic bra whisperers!

[leedy]

So I recently lost a lot of weight (via the magic of gastroenteritis, do not recommend) and needed to buy new bras as my existing (lovely, sob) ones were all too loose in the band. There is nothing more tragic than a baggy bra. Popped in to department store, got looked at by bra lady (I had indeed gone down a band size - 34D to 32DD), tried a few bras, got a great fit from a Triumph Amourette Spotlight - boring enough t-shirt bra but looks good, nice shape under clothes, fits well. It was so super comfortable after a few days wear that I bought another one in the same style without even trying it. I just put on the new one this morning and the wires are digging into my sternum. What gives? Do I need to adjust the straps? Have I mysteriously changed bra size since the day before yesterday? Can two bras of the same style/brand/size be different sizes? Or do I just need to let the band stretch out a bit? Help!

[northdownmummy]

Check out
m.facebook.com/BoobOrBust/

They'll help work out what your perfect fit should be

[leedy]

That does look helpful! Though doesn't address my current problem where I know what size I am (I've measured myself using the Mumsnet-approved method, and got a lot of helpful advice about styles that suit my shape here before) and have two identical bras, one of which was very comfortable, the other of which ... isn't.

[leedy]

Specifically, would letting the band stretch out by wearing, or loosening the straps (I adjusted them in a fairly half-arsed fashion), or adjusting the band fastening stop the gore digging in? A lot of stuff I've read said gore wires digging in means the cup size is too big but the cup on this bra is PERFECT, even for my weirdly widely spaced/wide at the bottom breasts - no gaping, wrinkling, overspill, armpit squashing, nothing. Tried the smaller one in the shop and got horrendous quadraboob.

[mrsvilliers]

I think unfortunately sometimes even the same make of bra can be difference sizing wise. I recently bought a panache tango in the same size as I've been wearing for 6 months and the cups were too big. I think unfortunately you still need to try before you buy
The band might stretch though, is it on its loosest fastening?

[leedy]

"The band might stretch though, is it on its loosest fastening?"

Second-loosest, so I'll try a)putting it on the loosest and b)just wearing it for a bit. I presume a too-tight band can cause the underwire to dig in a bit?

Also damn you, inconsistent bra manufacturers! [shakes fist]

[leedy]

AHA. Turns out it was actually on the loosest fastening, and tightening it in a notch counterintuitively actually helped A LOT. Gore is now sitting slightly lower down and not digging in at all. (may have to write "loose" on the label of this one to distinguish it from its nigh-identical, different-banded brother)

Bras are weird.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Is the new one a different colour by any chance?

[leedy]

No! Same colour! An otherwise IDENTICAL BRA.