Bra Intervention Question

[SayraT]

Hello,

I have seen other people getting great advice on bra fittings etc so wondered if anyone would be able to help me.

I have recently lost some weight so my bras don't fit as well as they used to, the cup is now too large. I measured myself following the guide here and my measurements were:

Underbust: 39 inches
Bust: 50 inches (as measured in guide)
Bust: 47 inches (measured with bra on)

I am now confused as according to the guide that means that I should be a 38H or a 40HH because my underbust is in the middle? Is that correct?

The reason I am confused is because the bras I have just now and which used to fit perfectly until I lost weight are all 38F These are the bras which are too big in the cup, I thought that I would have been going down a cup size maybe but staying the same back size?

Can anyone help?

OK, it could be that you are just someone who measures very far off what they fit, but lets try a few things:

-pop your bra on as you would normally wear it and have a look. Do you have any backfat?
-same again, but put your hands on your hips - any armpit fat? bumps or bulges which aren't inside the bra?
-feel along where the outside of the wire is sitting. What you should feel is quite a distinct different between the tissue outside the wire and that inside it , so it should feel relatively firm, then wire, then a definite start of breast tissue.

• does the central gore of your bra (the middle bit) sit flat against your chest?

also, what bra is it?

OK, now stand side on to a mirror. Lean forward, and put your right hand inside your left cup and reach back so you are reaching under your armpit towards your back. Any soft tissue you find there, scoop it forward and in to the cups. Do the same on the other side. Then do it again for good measure. How do the cups look now?

oh can i hijack with a question? (sorry SC i know i have taken up masses of your time on a previous bra thread) After reading that list i am wondering about:

-feel along where the outside of the wire is sitting. What you should feel is quite a distinct different between the tissue outside the wire and that inside it , so it should feel relatively firm, then wire, then a definite start of breast tissue.

Do you mean you boob should touch the base of the bra/where the under wire touches your body?

The wire should run along the inframammary fold - it basically shouldn't be on breast tissue, bit it should be right next to it. Think of it like the fence between your boobs and the rest of your body!

A lot of people wear their bras too small in the cup so the wire is sitting on what they don't recognise as breast tissue! A well fitting bra covers a lot more of the chest and upper body than most people realise, probably thanks to bad advertising.

For example, here's the same bra (different colours) in a good and bad fit:
Good

bad

and a different bra that is absolutely awful!!

The irony is that someone wearing that last bra might actually think it's too big because the cups are gaping at the edges but that's because they are sitting in totally the wrong place.

Dear god Stats, my eyes, my eyes! You need a stronger warning on those monstrosities!

Sayra, I'm going to make an unusual intervention here (sorry gurus, I do listen to you and when my weight is stable your word is gospel). I'm not an expert in bras or diets but I've lost a lot, enough of weight to says your boobs will be all over the place...literally(shape too)! One day you can measure 36 hh, the next 32 j. On the way down you can only guessimate and opt for what looks good today (it gets better down the line!). :S

Thanks for all the replies. I have people here for dinner and staying the weekend but I will come back and answer all of your questions when I can.

It might be Sunday.

I took some pictures so can upload those to show you the fit of my current bra as well.

Thanks

That would be useful Sayra re pics, they do speak a thousand words!

And yes, weight loss can definitely make your boobs all over the place , been there done that! The basic measurement is always a good place to start from though and adjust from there. It can make your boobs a bit emptier for a while IME which can distort the measurement but it would be unusual even taking that in to account to measure at a HH when you are really an E which is why I'm wondering if something else is going on.

I understand the not being on breast tissue SC, but what if the bottom of the wire is an inch or so below any breast tissue?

That's a bad fit too. It can be a few things - it happens to me most on bandless bras (where the bottom of the bra is underwire shaped IYSWIM), but it's often a sign of shape mismatch so the bottom of the cups being narrower than your boobs and your boobs therefore pushing the bra down or just not getting to the bottom. Orange in a glass effect basically

Sorry, it can be either too narrow, or too shallow, or a combo of both. Either the width or the depth at the bottom is smaller than your breast is so your breast isn't getting to the bottom.

It's not as bad a fit issue as sitting on breast but it tends to mean compromised support and end up being uncomfortable

to measure at a HH when you are really an E oEstrogen is most certainly involved!

MrsKoala I have that problem in almost every bra I try in sizes that I know should be at least more or less right. For me it seems to be very much a shape/style issue. For example I recently found the holy grail of bras (well almost, I'd be happier if the straps were nice soft satin instead of wide and scratchy but we can't have everything) - a bra that fits properly and does not do the 'wire on my ribcage, inch and a half of nothing, then boob' thing. It's a Debenhams Gorgeous plunge. Fits perfectly. I love it and intend to buy up the rest of the stock as soon as they get some more in. Yet their bras in balcony shape all do that weird gap thing.

ok thanks. Sadly it's the best fit i have found (marie jo from Rigby and Peller - i was fitted there and it was the only bra that remotely resembled a decent fit). i have ridiculously shit boobs. :(

I'm sure you don't have shit boobs do you know what it is about the shape of your boobs that's causing problems? I know we've talked before but my boob memory ain't that good

What!? you don't remember every mners you helps norks? i'm disappointed in you tsk

i have very broad shoulders and back and my breast tissue is shallow and wide. SO i have empty/baggy bottom of the cups but the tops cut in usually. i also can only feed from the right so when not bfing i still have a slightly bigger right boob.

It sounds like it's probably the width that's causing you to not get to the bottom of the cups then. What else have you tried?

Sorry to be another free-loader OP, but Statistically, when you say "it happens to me most on bandless bras (where the bottom of the bra is underwire shaped IYSWIM)" does that mean that a banded bra is usually a better fit? I'm heading out at the weekend on a hiding to nothing to try to find some nice simple 32Es, so wondering if I need to include this in my criteria?

every single bra ever made! - or maybe it just feels like it

I am 37 under 41 over and have tried loads from john lewis, debenhams, marks, bravissimo, rigby and peller etc. most dont fit at all and as i said the marie jo is the closest. i have one non padded lacey one a bit like this but the wires dig into my breast bone/between my cleave really painfully (happens with all unpadded bras) and one like this where my knockers don't reach the bottom (happens with all padded bras) and then i have a fold about an inch above the wire where my boobs start.

It's more that the banded bras have a bit more grip so are less likely to slide down your torso. It's a trade off as some people find the centre of the band can be a bit irritating - especially on apple shaped tummies. But then they're less likely to slide down on that shape!

what is a bandless bra?

Have you tried Freya Patsy half cup, Freya Marvel, tutti rouge, or Bravissimo half cups? Possibly Bravissimo Satine...Also some Fantasie bras are pretty shallow too. The digging in at the middle is a sign that the cups are too deep (in this case - it can also be an issue if you are very close set)

Bandless - like this instead of this i.e. there isn't a band the whole way round the body which the cups are attached to, rather two separate cups attached to a back piece and with a bit of fabric in the middle.

Oh god, as stated above I have this same problem with the huge gap of nothingness at the bottom and I have that Porcelain bandless bra Statistically linked. I hate it. It is the very worst offender out of all my bras. I was told that gap was normal during my fitting in Bravissimo; I know better now!

Panache, whilst variable, tend towards the narrow and deep end of the cup shape spectrum too. Most of them will be awful on you wide and shallow boobed ladies!

Bravissimo are normally pretty good, but occasionally they don't get it quite right especially with slightly unusual breast shapes. You shouldn't have a gap in a good fit - you're looking for a bra where the wire shape matches your shape as closely as possible. If it's significantly off then it's not good. Plus the bandless are more inclined to be pushed down so the gap gets worse with wearing!

Here are my pictures!

I found, until I lost weight, that the Debenhams Gorgeous brand fitted me really well. I don't want to rush out and buy lots of new bras but just one or two to keep me going until I get down to the weight I want. I am also having to buy new jeans

Again, if I don't reply it is because I don't have time to come on when people are here.

pop your bra on as you would normally wear it and have a look. Do you have any backfat? yes, I think so...but I am fat?!

same again, but put your hands on your hips - any armpit fat? bumps or bulges which aren't inside the bra? No

feel along where the outside of the wire is sitting. What you should feel is quite a distinct difference between the tissue outside the wire and that inside it , so it should feel relatively firm, then wire, then a definite start of breast tissue. yes

does the central gore of your bra (the middle bit) sit flat against your chest? yes

also, what bra is it? Debenhams Gorgeous

OK, now stand side on to a mirror. Lean forward, and put your right hand inside your left cup and reach back so you are reaching under your armpit towards your back. Any soft tissue you find there, scoop it forward and in to the cups. Do the same on the other side. Then do it again for good measure. How do the cups look now. hmm, I think that looks better but I now have a different bra on, I realised that the one in the picture is 40F and the one I have on now is 38F

Thanks so much

P.S other, hijack as you wish

That one looks like the wires are not in line with the base of your breasts and it's not actually doing any lifting - as if it's holding everything down rather than up.