Desperate for bra help please!

[ZeddyByeBye]

I'm in dire need of some new bras but I'm having awful trouble finding any that I can wear! I react to a lot of man made fabrics, so can't wear them. Viscose is okay, by polyester/nylon brings me out in an itchy rash.

I'm about a 44h (I need to remeasure), would prefer no under wires and need cotton/cotton rich. Any ideas?

thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk/p/fitting-advice.html - measure according to this to see what sort of sizes you should be looking it. What dress size are you?

I don't have time to measure now, but I will when I get in from work. :) I'm a 22-24.

Is it the fibre or the sweatiness that brings you out in a rash? I've found that some of the mesh bras can be quite comfortable, even when it's warm. I prefer natural fibres, on the whole, too.

Underwires are also so much more comfortable when they fit properly. Something else I can wear now, when I couldn't before.

I find these good, as far as soft cup bras go - I wear one with a bigger underband than I measure, around my period, when my boobs are swollen and sensitive but I still want to not trip over them or end up in pain from moving around. They only go up to a G cup, though. It's about the only soft cup I've tried that's reasonably supportive without being fugly and doesn't give a monoboob.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003P9WNZI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I'd definitely recommend remeasuring-a lot of discomfort, rubbing, itching etc can be caused by the fit being wrong.

Once we've got measurements it'll be easier to recommend specifics

Remeasured and got 44H again so I'll go with that for now.

It's not just bras- I can't wear polyester/nylon anywhere. :)

Weirdly enough, I used to wear those Bestform bras, then my local shop closed and I couldn't find them any more. I've just ordered one, thank you.

Are you really 44 inches under your bust (without adding anything on to the figure you got)?

Might not be 100% accurate, but I just remeasured (with the help of my OH) and got somewhere around 38 inches underbust. (I say it might not be 100% accurare because the puppy got hold of the tape measure and chewed it. I had to use my dressing gown belt then measure that!)

38 sounds more like it as I measure 36 under the bust and am around a 20 dress size. That would give you a back size of 38 rather than 44

The thought that I'm a 38 back size is blowing my mind lol! I actually can't remember what size the bra I'm wearing now is, but I have a new (unworn) 46H that I'm going to try on.

a lot of places add extra inches to the back size and therefore give a bra size that is too big in the back and too small in the cup. I used to wear a 40C but now wear a 36GG once I measured correctly.

Yup, measuring 38 and wearing a 44 is very common if you have been fitted by somewhere which doesn't hold the tape tight and then adds 4/5"!

You will need to go up quite a few cup sizes, as cup sizes are dependent on band size - so a 30D does not have the same cup volume as a 40D.

Can someone post the link for the mumsnet bra measuring guide please? Yhanks

It's the one in dementedpixie's post

I'm slightly scared by what cup size I'll end up if I've been told I'm a 44H now!

You might find that with the different measurements all becomes easier and that the bra sits much more nicely.

Did you get a chance to measure with the linked guide?

I'm between 49-50 inches around my bust, using the guide.

I'm not convinced that I'm a 38 back size either- I tried a 42 on and it was very snug.

If you are 38 under bust then I get a starting size of 38HH. what make/style of bras do you have?

Try the 42 on back to front and see how far from your body you can pull the band. Did you take the overbust bra off and dangling forward

It only pulls away a tiny bit.

OK, two options - one is you've somehow mismeasured, and the other is that the specific bra you are trying is dodgy. The second is perfectly feasible btw, some bras are just wonky! Measuring 38 a 42 should be too big for you and able to ride up easily at the back.

I'll buy a new tape measure in the morning and double (triple?!) check. :)

I'm 41 inches backsize and 59 around my bust (measuring as in the guide.) Doing it standing/over a bra gives 51 inches.

It's not unusual to have a standing in a bra measurement which is very different to your leaning. At larger cup sizes the measurement becomes a bit less accurate so you have to learn from the fit of the current bra too.

A 44H is designed for someone who measures roughly 55 inches around - so a measurement which is in between your standing and leaning.

I'd suspect that you probably need a 40 band in most bras, maybe a 42 in whichever brand the one you tried is but in general most women, especially those with slightly larger measurements, get better support and comfort by rounding down in the band rather than up. If we used the 55" measurement that would give you around a 40JJ/K as a starting point to work from.

I think you might find wires a bit of a different experience if you change size tbh. this bra is non wired and goes up to a K cup and is at least partially cotton

I'm struggling to find many which are cotton rich unfortunately. Brands to check out and maybe experiment with to see if they are any better would be Bravissimo, Elomi, Curvy Kate, Fantasie etc. The Elomi Caitlyn for example gets great reviews as a bra but the fabrics are ones which you normally struggle with

There is a polish brand I'm a huge fan of called Ewa Michalak. Their bras are all wired but the support is a-may-zing. And, I think that whilst the main bra fabrics aren't cotton they do line the cups in most of their bras with cotton, which might work for you if the man made fabric isn't against your skin as much? I'd suggest trying on some more bras here from the brands recommended so that we have a better idea of your size so you don't end up doing lots of returns to poland! this for example comes in a 40K or 42JJ and below and has cups lined with cotton

Thank you for those links! I tried a 42K on this morning in SimplyBe and the it was a great fit in the cups/band but the straps were set far too wide for me!

I was hoping to try a good few bras on but their choice was very limited, with hardly any bras over a G cup size.

I ordered a Royce bra, and a pair of these: www.simplybe.co.uk/shop/shapely-figures-2-pack-sophie-full-cup-wired-purpleprint-bras/hp111/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=2985#colour:Purple/Print,size:42K

I like the look of the Caitlyn,but I'm losing weight quite quickly and don't want to pay £40 for a bra I might not get much wear out of.

Statistically- thanks for that link. I love how they show the same bra in a range of sizes on different sized models!
and as for the gravity defying bra on the larger lady.....
iirc you say that the band is best suited to narrow rooted breAsts? My best fit are freya, and moulded cups are terrible on me. would Ewa Michelak be worth the postage for me to try do you think?