You bra experts are Very Bad People <glares>

[needasilverlining]

As of this morning, a scant two weeks after putting me in the right size bra for the first time EVER, I own seven new bras.

Seven.

And I am STILL LOOKING. I am obsessed.

You will drive me to the poorhouse.

(It isn't quite as profligate as it sounds: most have cost me 5-8 pounds; the most expensive was 11. But even so.)

Please tell me I'm not alone and there are other MNers with a drawer full of new undies thanks to the Bra Enablers?

Hi, im after some very good bras too, minimizing sort as i have very big cups size.
Can someone please give links where bra experts have shared their opinions on good bras and correct sizing ??
Thanks so much !

sizing guide at thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk

have a read of the fitting guide and post your measurements. also look at the shape of your boobs and try to work out if they are close or wide set(how big is the gap between them), ,wide root or narrow root(are they only attached at the front or do they go round under your armpits), full on top or bottom.

Once we have that we can generally suggest sizes and shapes. actual minimizers are generally shit bit you will find that they will look miles better in a bra that fits

When are all these cheap shops going to start selling 28 backs?

Just asking ......

Andy have you looked at Brastop, mycurvesandme, or Amazon? Decent bargains to be had.

Debenhams often have 28 band bras in their sale in store and online

Just been on the other thread and found out I'm a 34F or FF - been wearing a 36DD for years off bra shopping on Monday and will report back - thanks for the thread!

PS my boobs are wide set and full at the bottom (a bit saggy to be honest after 2 kids and probably because I've been wearing the wrong bra size all of my adult life) which styles should I go for?

Hello again! Look for balconette shapes. What shops do you have near by? Your best bet is Bravissimo, Debenhams, JL or HOF.

Am now reading about Polish bras and fascinated. Anyone tried Milena or brands other than ewa M?

I think Sorrel tried Comexim, I've only tried Ewa though.

Another side effect of knowing too much about bras is you want to convert people. My mother was wearing an awful bra the other day with boob hanging out from all around the underwire. I told her to get to bravissimo but she told me they always fit her wrongly and out her in small backs and big cups!!!! She wouldn't listen. She needs to go down two back sizes and up at least three cups. They look hideous!

I tried Comexim. I struggled with their sizing and after following their guide and on-line (blogs etc.) advice I ended up with bras that were much, much too big in the cup! I ordered the following in a 70K (I'm a 30GG)

Laura - beige
Jasmine - beige
Carmen
Aisha

They were massive! TBH I didn't like them as much as the EMs, the material wasn't quite as nice.

The communication was very good during the buying process, however, I returned these items in May and have yet to receive my refund. To be fair, I think this is probably a one off as they appear to have a good reputation for customer service.

I FINALLY put an order in to Bravissimo as I really can't see when I'll have a chance to get there for ages.

I had been dithering a bit cos the sizing method puts me at 34f and as a M&s fitted 38b for the last 10 years I just couldn't get my head round being an f. I got some 34 dd from M&s a few months back after reading these threads and although they were an improvement, gradually I have come to see that they are still not right.

Anyhow sainsbos had new undies in stock today, I got a 34e and tried it on in their loos, and yes the bra gurus are right, after scooping I still have slight quadra boobage.

Half an hour later and I now have 3 bras on order from bravissimo. I read the reviews and picked ones that speak of lift and narrow wires.

Now off to put several brand new without tags M&s 34dd on eBay.

Flibberty, I'd also be haunting Debenhams sale and House of Fraser clearance - I picked up some fantastic bargains even though there's much less choice with a 30 back. You should find great stuff!

My dotty spot came and it fits like a glove

Wow my order came today, less than 24 hours after the email to say that my card had not gone through (stupid Debenhams card doesn't like to be used online for some reason), rang customer services who took my other card, and the postie just dropped off the lovely box with lovely tissue wrapped bras.

One is fine, a more traditional cup shape, one other full cup shape is large in the cup and puckers, the other is a balconette that just looks not full. My boobs are still quite rounded even after 2 kids and being 50. Am impressed with ALL of them though that there is not much movement when I put my hands flat on the side and push gently in. So definitely more forwards facing.

In fact with the one I am keeping, (like the style, cups not jammed full but a size smaller would give quadra boobage) I put my top back on then went to pull at the top of the cup to hoik them up llike I do with all my other bras... to sort of put them to where I would LIke them to be.. and they were already there!

So experts, M&S 38B (ha ha). band 34, upper measurement nearly 41 but not quite. Firm round boobies. 34E in the balconette and full cup styles? Not sure I can keep coughing up for the postage though even though returns are free, so I need to get it right!

More likely to be F in balconettes but it depends on brand. Fantasie and Freya usually run big for example.

My 32F arrived, and as suspected, it's too big in the cup, in spite of scooping like a mad woman. I knew it would be. I measured 32 round the back, and then what should have been a G cup, but it just did not feel right, so I went two cup sizes smaller, and they're still gaping.

I am tall - 5'10" and so proportionally my back is large, I guess. Even though I'm a size 10/12. My boobs are not large though, they're very, um, empty. When I hang forward to measure around them, they're like the proverbial golf balls in socks. I scoop and scoop but they're never going to fill an F cup, let alone a G.

I have a v-shaped, hour-glass body shape - defined waist, hips and boobs about the same width, but shoulders that are broader than my hips.

I think my slightly broad back is throwing things out of whack, and increasing my cup size by default, if that makes any sense.

Does anyone knowledgeable have any suggestions...? The band feels good, so maybe I should try a 32E?

Grandstanding....I don't get why you say you have a broad back? If you measure 32 I disagree....anyway, I am 6ft and measure 29/39...that works out to be a 30g but am wearing a 30ff. So cup down sounds the way to go. My faves are currently cleo juna and curvy Kate tease me as they have nice long straps, not bulky under the armpit and are balcony for my emptyish boobs...

I think I get what you mean with your back-if I was looking at you from behind, from your waist up to your shoulders is quite triangular so if I could somehow measure your overbust without your breast tissue it would be a few inches bigger than your underbust anyway?

it is an issue for some women and it can throw off the overbust so cup size trial and error seems the way to go

also what bra was it, gaping especially at the top of the bra can be a style issue.

I dunno, maybe I've got it wrong. But every time I read one of these threads, everyone seems to be around the 28, 30 max width back. Hardly anyone seems to be a 32. Even you at 6 ft has a smaller back than me.

I also don't understand how two women can lean forward to have their boobs measured, and one has really full boobs and measures X inches, and another has extremely empty boobs and measures the same purely because the lowest point is the same. How can they both fill the same cup size?

Maybe I need to try a balcony...

I cross-posted with you statistically, but yes, that's pretty much it.

It seems like I need to try different styles, but I'm not in the UK, so it's not an option, unfortunately.

I'm annoyed because I paid well over the odds to ship a single bra from the UK to NZ and it's not right, as it was bound not to be. :) Ah, well...

cup size measurements are only a start point. in an ideal world you wouldn't need a measuring tape cos you would have access v a huge range of bras to try on and an expert fitter but. ....
as well someone with boobs which are less full, eg post baby boobs where volume has gone from the top might need the same size as a full boobed woman of the same measurements but a totally different cut of bra. The difficulty with volume loss is that often it doesn't shrink the boobs at the root so you still need to find a bra where the wires will not sit on tissue but which won't gape.

I would say based on the threads that the average size is probably somewhere around a 32f ish. I certainly wouldn't say a 32 is broad.

OK that's good - I was starting to feel slightly mannish...