She should've got me a 32E shouldn't she, not a 34C...

[gnocci]

So, first bra shopping trip since being out of maternity/nursing bras.

I try on a 34C, back too loose.
I try on a 32D, back great, cups too close together/too narrow so the outer wires on each side were encroaching onto breast tissue.

Now, having read the bra threads on here I am right that a 32E should've been the next option right??

But OH NO NO NO, I got the full on roll eyes, silly girl, youre not a E CUP from the M&S lady who insisted the back was too small and that 34C was the right size.

I swear, if I'd jumped up and down my boobies would've fallen out the bottom!!!

Grrrrr........ Didn't have time to prove my point with the 32E but I am going to go back and try on 32E and then get here to sell it to me. Meh.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Blatherskite our John Lewis used to be utter shite - I had a terrible fitting experience with them when I was actually around a 28GG and they were trying to fit me in a 32E. However when Bravissimo came to town (and they are only about 200 yards away from John Lewis) both JL and Debenhams suddenly upped their game considerably.

Neither are as good as Bravissimo but they are a lot better than they used to be and Debenhams in particular carries a pretty good range of sizes which they didn't before.

Likewise I don't exist in M&S.

[PurplePidjin]

For the Southerners, Bradbeers in Romsey. My mum's treating me to nursing bras for my birthday, can't wait - been in old lady style, unflattering, non-wired m+s shite all pregnancy! Well worth travelling :)

[SorrelForbes]

Yes, our Debenhams is very good (apart from one fitter who tried to put my skinny 13 year old niece in a 32 back when she measures 27").

I think my size is available in M&S but I've never seen it on the shop floor.

[Pseudonymity]

A girl in House of Fraser fitted me for a CK bra by sight. I was well impressed.

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Just shows, as I said, everyone's different and finds different things to suit them - apart from M&S, who clearly suit nobody.
I'm also a 30G, and JL always find bras to fit me - in fact, it was their fitter who first put me in that size ; Bravissimo had me as 32F, which was never quite right.
Likewise someone mentioned Debenhams; I've given up on them after leaving empty-handed several times - although I was once fitted perfectly by a great girl there, but never saw her again. The other times I've actually been told, 'I'm sorry, we can't fit you,' and left feeling an utter freak. This has happened to me in HoF as well, only then she brought in her colleague to assist, so I had them saying it in stereo .

[gnocci]

Well I just measured myself - 30 underbust and 35.5ish over (wasn't sure how tight to hold the tape measure for the overbust bit).

So I am thinking 30E maybe??!! Bluddy hell!!! How out can a 34C be?!!!

[SorrelForbes]

I think a 30E would be a good starting point (the tape should be fairly loose for the across bust measurement). The cup is harder to get right than the band and you'll probably find you need a different size in some styles and makes.

[brighthair]

I remember asking for a 34J in John Lewis and the assistant went "a J?!" like I had said I had 3 boobs or something. I felt shit after that and now I just order online from debenhams or bravissimo

[GetOutMyPub]

The best bra fitters IMO never measure and just fit by sight.

[shattereddreams]

I just ordered from amazon for the first time. I actually don't much like bravissimo, whilst accurate, their range is all very samey. Ie different brands but all same manufacturer.

I like Anita bras and some Chantelle which are nigh on invisible on UK high street, though Chantelle is improving in JL. Guess what though, if you have a 32 back, you can't have boobs bigger than an E cup. Or they start at a 34 back.

They do make them in France y'know in proper sizes......

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I do know what you mean about Bravissimo and being a bit samey. I think they try to stock ranges which have a wide range of sizes - they have a few that stop at G but most go higher. I suspect it's to try and limit the "sorry they don't make this in your size which busty women are so utterly sick of hearing. But it means they don't stock as many manufacturers.

I like them as a store because I know I can actually walk in there and buy a bra unlike many places where I can look at bras, but they won't fit. I think that's because I am a pretty large size and there are very few ranges which actually cater for me anyway. So between Bravissimo and Brastop I pretty much cover all my possible bases in 2 websites

I think they have also been fairly instrumental in increasing the range of bigger bras made - it's so much better now that in was a few years ago.

[JollyJock]

statistically I've tried quite a few bras from a lot of shops that seem to have the straps too far apart. The other thing they sometimes have is a big space at the front between the boobs. There is not a gap of 1-1.5 inches between my boobs so I don't know why bras are trying to hold my boobs apart so much.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

The straps too far apart is less of an issue for me since I started wearing a smaller back although I do find that balconettes or half cups are a mare for it - I have narrow and slopey shoulders and they do tend to either slide off or get bent over by my armpit. But I think every single bra in M&S did this.

And I seriously hear you about the huge gaps between the cups. I basically have no flat section between my boobs - one comes in and the other immediately goes out. After training myself I can wear normal bras but some are just too far apart.

Other than plunges (which were all I wore for years due to this until my boobs got bigger than a G and plunges became very hard to find) the brands I have found with the smallest gap seem to be KrisLine (brastop) and Bravissimo's own make.

[JollyJock]

I'm so glad it's not just me! I bought a bravissimo one the other day bit have yet to wear it. It may be better. It's a less full cup than I'm used to so I'm slightly nervous about it. I will check out the other one you suggested.

I did consider designing/patenting a bra where the two wires join to become one wire in the middle. I thought that might help.

[shattereddreams]

Straps too far apart is my issue too. I just figure I have narrow shoulders, but all bras are the same wide shape. Kills my armpits.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I think the lack of gap is relatively unusual - I didn't realise this until I saw my best friends boobs and she has well over an inch of completely flat space between them.

Especially when I was getting used to wearing higher bras (when I outgrew plunges!) I found that it was actually easier to wear bras with a very high central gore as at least the top of the wires didn't dig in. It was basically comfier to have something which went over most of them than cut in half way. so this would hurt like heck whereas this doesn't.

Have you tried the Freya Lauren plunge? I think it is a re-release of what used the be the Freya Retro Basic plunge, and it was a bra I wore daily for years as it is very low at the front .

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Shattered I will check my excessive extensive collection and see which have the closest straps as I know some of mine are definitely much better than others.

[JollyJock]

I'm not 100% sure I would fit in that one, statistically as my most recent two bras are a 32GG and a 32HH (two very different styles and makes hence the size differential).

I think I'll check out both Freya and brastop next time I'm underwear shopping. Both look like they could have good options. I tend to just to to bravissimo... Or buy very ugly nct BFing ones!

[Gimblinginthewabe]

bravissimo is the best! Once when I was measured there the lady just looked at me then went and got a bra that was the right size and a great style for me. No measuring, no faffing, it was amazing!

[shattereddreams]

Thanks SC. would appreciate that

[TheLaineyWayIsEssex]

I have been fascinated by all these bra threads and will be digging out my tape measure soon, but have a slight hijack.
Does anyone else have problems eith bra straps being too short? I always have to adjust to longest they will go but on occassion they just aren't long enough. What is the likey cause? Am i too longmin the torso? Too fat? Wearing the wrng cup size? or just a freak?

[StatisticallyChallenged]

ShatteredDreams,

I have just checked a few of mine (a lot seem to be in the wash!) and the easiest way to compare was to look at the distance between the end of the wire (under my arm) and where the strap set. So, ordered from closest to furthest (i.e. widest strap to narrowest)

Curvy Kate, Kris Line, Bravissimo, Fauve then Freya. Which feels about right as my curvy kate frequently snags under the arms, my Bravissimo Alana occasionally does (but I love it otherwise so I cope) and I am never aware of it with Freya.

Links to the freya and fauve

[StatisticallyChallenged]

TheLaineyWayIsEssex, unless you are very tall I would hazard a guess at wrong size. Or a style of bra which isn't quite right. The opposite problem is much more common.

Can you post your current size and measurements?

[sansucre]

Given how pretty much every bra thread on here ends up talking about how useless M&S is for bras and fitting them, why the flip they don't take any notice and do something about it. Surely some kind of campaign needs to be done?

I'm not even that big, M&S are convinced I'm a 32c, I'm not, I'm a 28e. Except M&S' 28e bras don't even fit like any of the others brands and nothing actually fits me right.

I've read that someone from Victoria's Secret has gone to M&S so I doubt things will change, I actually wish they'd go back to basics and examine how they can make better bras and give a better fitting service rather than make lacier and frillier smalls.

[sansucre]

Apologies for thread hijack