The bra Interventions continued....

[StatisticallyChallenged]

We filled a thread, so here's another!

Well if anyone wants to swap any 32H/32HH bras for 32J/JJs please let me know

Interesting to hear, Stat! Once you realise the mistakes, it's very easy to start spotting badly fitting bras on all your friends ... as my friends are currently finding out! (Not that I've got myself completely sorted yet, but anyway.) I'm hosting a baby and coffee morning tomorrow with friends who last week all claimed to be in 36B/C, and swore blind that I couldn't be more than a C. I'm looking forward to brandishing my measuring tape at them

I mean, I've always known I've got quite decent-sized boobs, but never thought of myself as GG-big of nork!

DH is an actual 36C. I think the only one on this thread!

Oh please do BabyLab - there's a longish fitting advice article on the blog if they are the sort of people that are easier to brandish something written at (I know a few of those)

They're all German and don't really speak much English (I'm in Germany), but I intend to show them your blog and some of the others I've found to prove our point!

When my mum visits in a couple of weeks, she is also going to be measured! She claims she measured herself as 30/40 last week. I pronounced her a 30H and told her about Brastop. She laughed, went to her local department store and came back with four 36D bras, which "fit wonderfully". I'm sure they're slightly better than her old 34B bras, but they still can't possibly be right. I tried explaining the whole ten-inch difference between her bust and underbust, but she said that she is "four inches from underbust to nipple, which is a standard D, don't you know"

As she has full-on-bottom boobs, her nipples are likely to be on the "top" side of her boobs, right? If she had full-on-top type norks, the nipple would be much closer to the bottom, and thus her measuring way wouldn't work, I don't think. I need to have a good argument to hand, otherwise she'll never believe me!

I thought I was all sorted last year but have been prompted by this thread to purchase a couple of larger cup sizes for the pre-period week when my general hideous swelling means I go up a cup size.

The nipple measuring thing is seriously bonkers. Nipples can be just about anywhere - very low, very high etc...they can also be seriously uneven on otherwise equal boobs. It's also got a lot to do with breast width. Someone could measure say 3" from underbust to nipple but have breasts which are very narrow rooted - so they might have say (making numbers up) an 8" difference between overbust and underbust. Yet, someone who has wide rooted breasts where they go right round under the arm would have much more volume so might have say a 12" difference

I'm currently washing the only bra that fits me while waiting on a online order.

A word of warning though - if you have to wear a name badge at work be sure and move it once you have a correctly fitting bra. I was walking around this morning with a badge right in the middle of my lovely forward facing boob which used to sit above them in old droopy bras

Oh yeh, hadn't thought about the width of the boob! Of course that makes sense.

Actually Babylab - how about this for ammo

I linked to that on FB and tagged my mum so she could see. But she obviously didn't read it properly, as she said it "proved" she was a D cup and that I was wrong! I think that article is brill and explains about volume really well ... but it would appear she didn't get past the picture.

She then linked me to that dreadful Daily Mail article where they covered the Boob School thing, but at the end it had an M&S fitting video! I sent her the Telegraph article that someone linked to on here (where they actually explain about the adding four thing being bollocks), and although she "liked" it, I don't think she actually read it.

Why are some people so stubborn and convinced that they're right?! ----

I know, I tweeted about the irony of M&S fitting guide on the end!

How on EARTH could that image of the ds prove her point, that's utterly bonkers!

Here's a question: How is it possible that I get side-boob and wrinkly cups at the same time? This is with a tight back, and after scooping (scooping doesn't last - it pops back out the side).

Can I ask what it means if the wires dig in inbetween your breasts? I find in most some bras that this happens and I have to put something like a tissue under the wire to cushion it!

I measure 28 underneath and 31.5 over the top. I have such flat, wide breasts with no volume at the top that it hardly seems worth it! I am currently in a 30C (measured at HOF last year), but I can pull it away from my body and get my hand in the space easily (although it was a revelation from the 34AA that M&S had me in!). My one worry is that as I am quite slim, the lack of 'padding' on my ribs means that the bra strap does tend to dig in at the sides by the end of the day, so would this be even worse if I went down a back size? The cup in the 30C fits very well, all breast tissue is inside and it sits flat, it is just the issues with the band.

Many thanks!

BeksyBob when you first start scooping you might find you need to redo it occasionally. Is the wrinkly cups plus sideboob happening on all bras or particular ones?

Toffeefee - where the wire is digging is it sitting on breast tissue or is it sitting between your breasts? Also your over the top measurement - did you try leaning forward? I'm sure we can figure something more comfortable out but strangely a smaller band may not make the digging in worse as it would just stay in the same place. I suspect the 30 i smoving and sort of dragging.

Thanks for the reply, SC. Yes, the wires are digging in on my sternum. The bit in the middle of the cups sits flat between my breasts, but it kind of tips inwards after a while and the ends of the wire dig in (does that make sense?!).

I did the over measurement leaning forwards, I am just very flat chested!!

I find it so difficult to get bras that a couple of years a go I just gave up and wore those vest tops with a 'shelf' in!

Well, I haven't actually tried all that many non-moulded ones on, to be honest. I sort of dismissed them based on a couple with wrinkly cups. The majority of bras I've seen are moulded to some extent, so I can't really tell if the cups are a bit empty in the top half! So far I find I only get cleavage with a push up.

Toffeefee I definitely think you should try a 28 - the topping suggests too much movement to me. If the cup on the 30C feels about right then give a 30D a try.

Many thanks SC, I'll give it a try!

Toffeefee, if it helps, I am also of the small-boobed variety and I had given up completely (just stick nipple covers on to stop them showing through clothes). Not convinced I'll get used to wearing a bra even if it technically fits. Just don't like having something tight strapped to me. Just like I don't like tight clothes or tight shoes...

Beskybob, I am still hopeful that the right bra will magically give me a chest!! But yes, if it weren't for nipple issues, I would gladly go bra-less!

Having done a panic post on Friday night that my new Bravissimo bras were causing me to wince with pain, I have followed your advice and worn them for a couple more days and they are now comfortable. As someone said, it is like breaking in shoes. I think for me the transformation from non-wired breastfeeding bras to Panache bras with long wires (as they were the ones which fitted me best) was initially a bit too much. I did also speak to Bravissimo who were very helpful and noted that I'd contacted them to say I was having problems which would mean that I could wear them for a few days but still take them back & exchange them - which I thought was fantastic customer service.

Toffee - when I put my bra on in the morning, I have to play around with the tops of the wires between my boobs to make sure they're sitting on bone rather than just under it. Its only a few mm difference but makes a huge difference to how comfortable my bra feels by the end of the day.

Murtette that would have been a huge change so I can totally understand having problems! I have always found Bravissimo customer service to be great though

Toffeefee, I am also hopeful of this!

Murtette I've never managed to break in a pair of shoes, they always break me first Bras are a bit the same. I took a bra back the other day because it was killing after one afternoon of wear. Maybe I should have persevered.

I used to think I was small of boob too. But when I looked with a true eye (after reading these threads) I realised I have wide boobs.

I am broad shouldered but narrow front to back IYSWIM (always been shallow, you see...). So although my boobs don't stick out much at the front they need a bigger cup than I used to think. The B's I used to wear dug in breast tissue in the middle and didn't encase all the breast tissue at the sides.

helloooo D/DD cup on someone who actually looks fairly flat chested and skinny

We sound similar, AnyFucker I suspect I am broad shouldered but skinny too. I also seem to fit a DD. Now, just to find a flattering and comfy one! What are your measurements, and what good bras have you got?