To object to paying £40 for a new bra?

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

Just cos I have Norks! (with a capital N )
There is one style and brand of bra that I have ever found, that I can just buy "off the shelf" that I know will fit me -as long as I take the bloody instrument of torture wires out - but the damn thing is at least £40 :(
I have tried others over the years, but they just don't fit, even in supposedly bigger sizes
I tend to have one really tatty one, one with no wires in that is on the road to being tatty, and one newish one for "best".
Last time I bought one I got lucky and found one in my size on eBay for £25, but today I had to fork out forty quid :( and to add insult to injury my new knickers were a ridiculous price as well
£48 for six pairs of giant pants!
I give up, I am becoming a hippy and wandering the streets commando, with my Mighty Norks swinging free in the breeze round my knees from now on!

30D or DD to start with.
Straps falling down usually means the band is too big and is riding up your back.

D cup? M&S fitted me with a 34B...

Thanks so much. I'll be hitting the shops at the weekend.

M&S are notorious for awful fitting (see any of the Bra Intervention threads). They invariably suggest huge back sizes and small cup sizes.

Yup, M&S are the devil's bra fitters...

I don't get it... I'm standing here in a fitting room in my 'corrected' size, and the cups are swimming on me

Have you scooped? Lean forward, put your left hand inside the right cup, and pull forward all the soft tissue. Repeat on the other side

And what size are you trying?

Yup, all scooped up. I'm a bit saggy though, post 3 dc, so nothing to 'flesh out' the cups

Is it the top of the cups that are gaping? Are you filling the bottom half? How are the wires - is the wire running just along the edge of your breast tissue or is there a gap between the wire and the boob

What bra is it?

Sorry, lots of questions!

Filling the bottom half, it's the tops that are gaping. I can lift an inch or too of empty cup upwards. Underwire is sitting flush with underside. It's a Debenhams own one...

Do I need a balconette type one?

In the Fantasie, I wear a 38 or 40JJ.
I've tried other brands, in different sizes, up to a K or L in at least one, and they just didn't fit, so I just stick with the Fantasie one, then I know it will at least be wearable and I won't have to faff on returning it.
I'm not sure what my actual chest underbust measurement is, but my maximum measurement round my norks is 54 (and a smidge) inches. I've never done the bending over and measureing the dangle though, I doubt the tape would be long enough
I've always measured in a bra cos they droop down to my knees a lot without one so it doesn't give the proper measure iykwim.

OK. How is the band? How far away from your body can you pull the band?

Have you adjusted the straps?

Is the bra quite "tall" i.e. has fabric which comes quite far up your body? If you have post baby volume loss, you need a bra which isn't tall at the top as you just won't fill it even if you are filling the bottom. So you want something more like this shape rather than a big tall cup

Now. The band should be firm - you should only be able to pull it about an inch or two from your body. Any more and the band is too big. Try to get the band definitely right first.

If you go down a band size, you go up a cup size to keep the volume the same. So a 42G=40GG=38H etc etc.

Sort the band then go and find some other bras in the same cup volume as you are trying, and the one below (so if it's currently a 42G and too big in the band, then try a 40GG, a 40G and say a 40FF to start with. If that's still big in the band, get a 38H, a 38GG and a 38G,

Yes, look for balconettes and even half cups.

Thank you for the tips, off to rummage some more!

M&S told me I was a 34B
Went to Bravissimo and she looked at me and presented me with a 32FF
I haven't looked back!

Lovely bras, so comfortable ,no back pain and I look about a stone lighter and so much better .
I spent £100 on 2 bras and matching pants last weekend.
Worth every penny!

Random question.

I'm seriously in need of a BI.

However. I am ebf, and currently losing weight at a minimum of 2lbs a week. I have 3 stone to lose. I'm also skint.

Can / should I wait until I've hit my desired weight and stopped bf until I buy new ones? I can save up then too. I'm currently in a 40F (supermarket) but saggy post baby boobs means I've lost all top boob volume :(

What do you experts thing?

Think.

Honestly, I'd get some that fit properly. Even if it's just two (one to wear, one to wash!)

I know you are looking to lose weight - I'm trying to lose the same sort of amount. But it's going to take a wee while realistically, and wearing stuff which doesn't fit (or flatter, or support) you isn't going to help as you will just feel even worse about yourself.

Measure yourself and I'll happily track down some bargains for you.

P.S> as long as they fit properly, it's safe to wear wires whilst feeding

Thank you sorral I don't have much overspill but they tend to be squashed together in the middle when scooped.
I will try some this weekend as I am very shocked I could be a ff cup

Can someone tell me my size please? or how to work it out?
I measure 32.5 and 42,
currently wearing 34 F

32GG, you're actually pretty close already.

Yea I am still in wires, they are a godsend, plus I'm handy with a needle so will just adapt normal bras to feeding bras.

Ok, will go and find a tape measure! Thanks.

I bra interventioned myself thanks to MN, and then got lucky in TK Maxx for £6!!!

36UB (not been that in years, I measured at Christmas and I was 40!) and 45!!! for boob dangle.

However they really are empty at the top :( I make that a 36g? Not sure about the double letters.

How does it go?

AA A B C D DD E F FF G GG H HH I ? Can someone clarify?

My best fitting and only bra from some years ago now pre children is a 38 H from bravissimo