Bra intervention - have I got this right?

[Wenchelda]

Hi - I'm new, hope its ok to come straight on with a question....I Somehow stumbled across one of the bra intervention threads a couple of weeks ago and have been following them in amazement ever since.

I've always worn an A cup (32/34 pre pregnancy, currently 36A) - never been measured professionally but always done it myself based on the "add 4 or 5 inches" rule. I have pretty much constant back ache and neck pain but never ever imagined this could be caused by boobs as they really are so tiny!

But after reading your fascinating threads, I think I should be a 30/32D! My measurements are 31 under bust, 35 at fullest point when bending over to 90 degrees, and 34 above. Have I got that right? If so I am truly truly in shock that my almost-not-there boobs are a D!!

Thanks

Me again! So I ordered a Cleo Juna & panache porcelain. The bands on both were perfect, but despite vigorous scooping I had the following issues;

Cleo Juna: both cups were gaping at the top. Larger boob about1/2 inch between breast & fabric. The central gore/ wires were sitting flat, but felt like they were too long for my body & were painful causing red marks

Panache porcelain: huge, huge, cups.

So I assume I go down a cup size or two?

Re. the Cleo Juna. Don't expect the lace bit to lie flat or be filled by boob. Try tucking it inside the cup when trying on the bra. That way you can get a better idea of fit.

mrs amaretto It sounds as if the Juna sits too deep for you and changing the size won't improve that.

I'd suggest ordering the porcelain in the next two cup sizes down to see if either work, especially if there are no other comfort issues.

The combination of loss of volume and asymmetry makes it harder to get cup sizing using just measurements and you may find that you're a different size in every bra style.

Thanks, yes I was ignoring the fit of the lace bit on the Juna as I assumed it was just "frippery" :)

Will confuse the packers at figleaves by ordering lots of different sizes!

Thanks again!

Bra frippery. My new say

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone could help me. I ve just seen some photos taken of me recently,when i thought I looked ok, and I m horrified to be honest, I look awful. Anyway, one thing that really stood out are my boobs, I was wearing a comfy bra and in the photo I noticed that my boobs looked very, very saggy. I m going to buy some new ones but I want them to be the right size.

Under my bust is 31" and across my bust when I lean over is 35", I m currently wearing 36C as thats the size I ve always felt comfiest in. Can anyone advise me? I was trying to to work up the courage to be measured in M and S, but I m quite shy. Thanks very much.

Please don't go to M&S, the experience wold probably make you feel worse!

Ok, try a 30DD/D and a 32D/C. Don't be afraid to go even bigger in the cup as some brands come up very small. Follow the guidance on the bra guru blog about how to get the band right first before dealing with the cups.

Sorry typing in the garden so should have asked about how your current cup fits after you've scooped?

The volume on a 36C cup is roughly the same volume as a 34D, a 32DD and a 30E. If you're spilling out of your 36C cup you might need to try a 30E/F/FF too!

Thanks sorrelforbes, I m definitely not spilling out of the 36C, when I have it on the cup gapes a little because my boobs dont quite fill it. I ll have a look a the link you posted before ordering any, never realised how aging a bad bra is until I saw the photos of me!

The cup will be gaping because the band is too loose allowing everything to fall forward rather than being held firmly in place. Did you scoop?

I ve had a look at the bra guru blog and I m sure now that I m not a 36", I m still in shock, cant believe I ve been wearing the wrong size bra for years.

You're not the first and you won't be the last . Honestly, you're going to notice such a difference in comfort, fit and shape once you've found some properly fitting bras.

Yes I did scoop, which was I realised just how big my current bra is! I cant wait to try a few new ones on, so embarrassing to think that I m only 36 but have wandering around for years with saggy boobs.

Firstly, thank you so much Bra Intervention ladies for reminding me that I am a 32E not a 36B - got lost somewhere along the way after babies.

I've ordered some bikinis from Brastop (eek!) in preparation for August holiday. I'm surprised to find really like this one Hawaii bikini but the top is definitely too small. The band is too tight and the cups seem a bit small. How should I size up - 34E, 34F?

(I'm also not quite sure about one of the bras I got from Bravissimo but I think that's a different post. )

Justinepants Bikinis can often fit quite differently to bras (annoying!) but usually I find the backs come up larger. Did you try it on back to front first? If you did, how did the band feel then?

I'd forgotten that crucial stage.
Just got the roast squash in the oven (why am I doing that in this heat?!) and popped upstairs to check.
The band is pretty tight but it does fit. I think a 34" would probably be too big. Does that mean a 32F?
You realise my husband won't recover from the shock. He's only just getting over the new 32E bras. I'm a little worried he may be sharing the news with his work colleagues

Oh I love roasted squash

Yep, go up a cup or maybe even two cups.

It's a bit random, especially as I hardly ever cook, but having bought it on a whim last week it's been staring at me so I thought I'd better do something with it. (The squash that is, not the bikini!)

Right 32F, 32FF it is. I'm very surprised to find myself buying a bikini but I was inspired by a thread the other day. The bottoms of this one are very flattering

The other option is this one, Fantasie Aruba where the top is a really good fit but I need to find bigger bottoms somewhere else.

Thanks, Sorrel

Why have I not looked at these bra threads before. I hate bras. I've always hated them. I've just measured myself. I'm a 37FF. I've been buying 42/44 B or Cs for years! This is a revelation. Thank you so much! I am going to read all the threads and start working out where to order bras from. We're going to a wedding in a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to sporting a fine frontage instead of my usual saggy look.

anythingforaquiet - if you measure 37/45 then you would want to try a 36FF, 36G, 38FF and 38F. The 36s are more likely

Hello, I am new to all this bra intervention business.

I am 28 underbust, and 34 over (doing the braless 90 degree thing)....so can it be right that I am a 28E?
I usually buy 34D/DDs.

Hi DeliciousIrony Your measurements suggest a starting point of a 28E. However, the cup on your 34DD is roughly equivalent to the cup on a 28FF. If you scoop, do you get any overspill at the moment?

I always seem to get overspill, I really hate it! Is it worth ordering a bra in a 28E to have a go? I'm not convinced I could squeeze into it, but not many shops have bras that size to try on.

It's really hard to find 28 bands on the high street. Some Debenhams, HOF and JLs do stock them but not in any great number. On-line ordering is the way to go: Brastop, My Curves and Me, Figleaves, Bravissimo, Amazon and eBay.

If you've got overspill in a DD then a 28E is probably not going to give you enough volume in the cup. I'd order a balcony or full cup style in a 28E/F/FF and see how you get on. If you measure 28 under bust then most 28 backs should be fine but they might take a little getting used to after wearing a looser fit. Remember to try the bra on back to front first as per the guidance here

sounds like you are some who needs a bigger size cup than they measure so I would order a selection of 28s but I suspect an e will be too small. I'd maybe try f-gg