To be so frustrated with my bras?

[Elephantina]

Last year I tried the "bra intervention" method of measuring, and after years of wearing a 36G found I was more of a 34H or HH. 32J at a push.

So I bought a multitude of different makes of bras in various sizes, shapes and types, and spent a bloody fortune. 50% went back as they didn't fit me at all. Some fit but the wires dug in at the front or under the arms, or the side boning was uncomfortable. Some fit but the straps constantly slip.

After 12 months of trial and error I still have no bras that fit reliably, so I kept the ones that felt most comfortable and bought some clips to hold the bloody straps up, and binned the rest.

I did finally find some nice 2-packs in great colours on Simply Be - the 34H was a touch too small in the cup, so I ordered 6 of the poxy things in the sale, in a 34J. Cup is too big, and it doesn't come in an HH or a 32K.

Bravissimo is expensive, Brastop is alright but I haven't had much luck with the fit really, Simply Be don't have any value packs in my size and I just want some inexpensive bras that are vaguely the right fit!

Any ideas? My bosoms crate a massive shelf about 4 inches wider than my actual ribcage. So fed up with looking so wide.

Bravissimo for me. At 28HH no bra is going to be cheap and I know I can rely on them to fit it properly (had bad advice some well known department stores in the past). If you buy 10 you get your next one free, better than a kick in the teeth.

G sorry not FF! Here’s a link x

direct.asda.com/george/women/bras/embroidered-mesh-balcony-bras-2-pack/GEM621726,default,pd.html

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_150010324066_-1

I'm a 34H and this is my go to bra

After I finished breastfeeding I went to my local lingerie shop and got fitted properly for the first time ever. I always wore a 36c but they measured me at 34E!!! This is the kind of place where the cheap bras are £30 (I wouldn't normally spend that on a twin-pack!) but they had a sale on and I treated myself to a couple of really lovely bras that fit perfectly - all around 1/4 their usual price! If you have a local lingerie boutique, try there - especially if they have a sale on!

I used Bravissimo for years, they didn't last any longer than the ones I got from catalogues really, and the last two I got from there were uncomfortable. There isn't a store near me, I'd have to make a special trip for a fitting.

I tried non-wired, the Doreen ones, but the boning was more painful than any wires!

I don't think it's as simple as fitting, once you've got a measurement (which I have) it's trial and error to find the right style and fit for comfort depending on whether you're fullest at the top, the bottom, have a wide root or narrow root etc. That's the point of my post - I've tried dozens and can't get the right fit, and when I'm almost there I find I can't actually buy them in the correct size (eg a 34HH when the 34H is too small and the 34J too big).

It doesn't matter if they're £6 or £60 if they don't fit. I resent paying out what to me is an extraordinary amount of money when I haven't found my holy grail yet.

Go to a proper bra shop. Not M&S or dept store.
One with staff with tape measures who will measure you and let you try on different styles. You don't need to buy a whole pile of bras just a couple.

Proper bra shops don't use tape measures

the point is that a fitting doesn't just involve telling you your size, it also involves advising on different styles to find one that fits correctly.

Emma would bravissimo actually do that? If so I'll make a trip, but I'll be gutted if I don't end up with something perfect! I'll pay for the right ones.

For now I have ordered 2 side support Pour Moi bras from Next, I'll see how that goes.

check out the Triumph amourette, its been a life changer for me. 5 years of struggling with a frozen shoulder fixed by wearing a decent bra!

I use these to stop my bra slipping off my shoulders - Can't do them myself but DH is a dab hand and it takes him only a second.

amazon.co.uk/SelfTek-No-slip-Adjustable-Elastic-Holder/dp/B01HZBS8B4/ref=sr_1_9?s=clothing&ie=UTF8&qid=1546280900&sr=1-9&keywords=bra+strap+holder]]

Emma, the one I use does. Not that they need to, because they can tell what size you are.

Bravissimo isn't that expensive imo.
Wacoal also make freya, fantasie.
When you find your size you can buy online. But trying on using online is incredibly frustrating.

Doreen are totally different to the ones I have now.
The Doreen is an old fashioned lift and separate jobby

I'm a 38ff, however bravissimo told me I was 34g (and actually none of that size fitted!) when I questioned why it didn't fit they told me to ignore the size and just choose ones that fit.
I've found peacocks and Sainsbury's bras to be quite nice.

The best bras for a forward shape that i have found are all Polish. I only wear Ewa Michalak now as everything else seems to do that East West thing and pull my breasts apart. I have narrow ribs and no central gap.
I would be a 28H or thereabouts in Freya, I wear a 30GG in EM

I had no end of trouble with bras and looking shelflike and lumpy for years.

After finishing breastfeeding dd1 I bit the bullet and took myself to Rigby and Peller and asked them to help.

They don't measure, sized by eye and then bright loads of bras in. Some were not right for me at all (style issue, not size). We tried loads until I found two that I loved and my clothes instantly looked better! It cost nearly £100 for them, (one skin tone one black). But I wore them every day for 18 months. So worked out at less than £1 a day.

I've gone back since and they have been amazing, during pregnancy, breast feeding and post feeding. Their advice has been wonderful and I felt like they understood what they were doing.

It is pricey, but in the end I spent less. No buying a 2 pack of bras for 20 quid, then binning 2 months later. Then repeating again and again.
I reckon I actually saved money!

I cannot, cannot recommend Rigby and Peller enough.

I agree with others, finding out what styles of bra suits you is key and an understanding what doesn't work and why will get you there quicker. Going somewhere like Bravissimo or a local specialised bra shop will give you access to loads of styles - plan to spend a couple of hours and take a close fitting t shirt as it's easier to see what works if you pop a t-shirt on. Pay attention to 1. the height of the gore (bit in the middle), 2. how far apart the straps are 3. width of side straps, 4. angle of wire (does it come straight up under the arm or point toward your back) and how high it comes up, 5. structure of the cup and how high it sits (balconette, full cup, plunge, centre seam, vertical seams etc). See how these variables work with you.
Once you have found styles that work with you, search internet for similar styles that may be made by other companies. Consider buying (and selling) bras on eBay. There is a strong trade on nearly new bras that other people have bought and realised they just don't work. Great way to fill your underwear drawer.
Last tip: try bending the wires a little. If you lay the bra on a table they will sit flat, but your ribcage is not flat! a little flex to give them a small curve so the underarm part of the wire is under your arm really helps for some people.

YY to Ewa Michelak. Well made and great price considering they are hand made in Poland!

Going to add some love for Ewa Michelak too!

I had a terrible experience with Rigby and Peller, literally nothing to fit me. When pregnant they had one bra, one ! That was just about ok, but hideous. They were really busy each time and not all that nice actually.

@AuntyGeek Leia in Lakeside.

Didn’t know there was one there! I was gutted when the Bluewater one closed.... I feel a visit to Lakeside coming on.....

If the OP thinks Bravissimo is expensive she's hardly going to Rigby and Peller

OP if you make the trip to Bravissimo make sure you book an appointment and allow plenty of time. My last fitting there took more than an hour and the fitter was great, she kept going to get different sizes and styles until we found the right one(s).

You might need one back size larger in Ewa Michalak as their bands are not overly generous . Also cup capacity varies with the style, the least roomy are the padded S style bras I think, the SM style is average and the BM more generous. I live in the BM style for a comfortable everyday bra. I am on the edge of the cup size so the BM fits me well.

My dd is a 30F - totally recommend John Lewis- they have been superb with her. You need to try LOTS on - she had Fantasie and has transformed from looking big and blobby into a slender, shapely teen.

As a fuller chested woman younjust need to suck it up and spend some £££ bravissimo are amazing and last ages. Think of it as an investment like shoes or a bed...