Wired bras - does anyone else find them agony?

[Twowrongsdontmakearight]

A few years ago I was measured at Bravissimo and was told that I wasn't a 38 whatever cup size but in fact a 34 massive cup size. I was fitted with a bra and told that it was meant to be very tight. I managed about 2 days in agony before I gave up. Back to M&S non wired.

Fast forward to yesterday. I've been told (by everyone) that I need to be properly fitted so tried Victoria's Secret. They said I was 38 as expected, but FF (!). Tried a wired bra (they didn't seem to have non wired) and to be fair it seemed OK. But less than 4 hours later I was in agony again and £39 lighter!

Is it that bras are meant to be uncomfy in order to give proper support? Or have I just been unlucky? I'm 50 now and Gravity is taking its toll! Help!

They are meant to be tight, it's the band which does the supporting not the shoulder straps.
Have you measured yourself braless and bending over?

I find a lot of them uncomfortable. I now have two comfy shapes and I only really buy them. I must have awkward shaped boobs and bad posture

The trick I find is to not lie to myself. So when I'm measured, I try to sit down and slouch like I do all day at work and then I see if the wires hurt or, if the straps cut into my armpit fat.

I hate underwired Bras.

I am a 36 C
I have been professionally fitted for several and always feel they dig in my ribs. Can't understand how anyone could wear them all day.

I usually go for an M&S total support unwired version. Or a sports bra of some sort. I have an very comfy Shock Absorber bra I bought at the horse show ! I do ride by the way !

I can't wear anything over-tight or wired either. You can get proper support as long as the band is deep enough all the way round and fits properly with no bulging - try yoga bras, they are kind of moulded but with no horrible digging in bits.

Thanks Glass. Will look for a yoga bra!

I can never, ever find bras that fit correctly. I can't wear wired. I was fitted properly a while ago. 4 hours I wore that fucking thing and I was actually bleeding when I took it off.

They are meant to be tight but I find bras generally need to be 'broken in'. A few days of pain is worth it for the subsequent comfort and look of a properly fitted bra (and generally women do wear the wrong size!)

But that doesn't mean you have to go through it, maybe try one of M&S's wireless bras? I've heard they're quite good.

No they shouldn't hurt, I wear under wired and I can't feel it.

Underwired bras are an evil invention ! I have never found a comfy one, and most of the females in my family agree. I am a 32 C and the last time I was measured she said I was a 30 C. The subsequent wired bra had my boobs so high they were practically round my ears! Hubby was impressed, I wasn't .I now wear M and S or Asda sports bras, so comfy you don't even know you're wearing one.

I always wear underwired. They never ever hurt.

Where does it hurt?

"No they shouldn't hurt, I wear under wired and I can't feel it."

I can feel the wire, but in a good way if you see what I mean. Is it a size issue though? I'm only a 34B.

Yes I wear underwired, too and they don't hurt.

You need to find out what fits you. The measuring method in the usual bra intervention threads doesn't work for me - neither does the shop measuring. Through trial and error I have found that I am a 38B (impossible according to some). I wear M&S underwired, they fit me like a glove with good support and I honestly don't feel them.

There is something out there that fits you, is comfy and makes you look good. A good fitting bra doesn't hurt.

Not sure what it is. I'm a 32E so pretty modest of nork really.

At risk of being rude, perhaps the problem is with fat under the boobs and on your back combined with bra that is too thin?

I'm thinking that in order to be solid enough to support FF boobs then you need a really thick under and back strap or it will cut into your flesh. Think snow shoes and spreading the load.

I am a 32F with not much back fat and I still need a wide area to disperse the load. There are plenty of attractive bras like that. (They might not look it in a picture of a 30B model wearing it but on a FF cup it will look much nicer, more in proportion).

Bravissimo is in most cases right and Victoria's secret is wrong, when fitting is concerned.
But no, wires should not be agony. Even in your correct size, you still need to find brands and styles that suit your boobs - for example, Panache bras always start digging into my breastbone, even in the correct size, and I suit Freya and Fantasie, as those have shallower, wider wires. A lot of people find that the latter ones poke under their armpit and are comfy in Panache.

If you go back to Bravissimo, they can check what the issue might have been and recommend something else.

Me too. After bra intervention and going from c cup to f cup, I find the sides of larger cupped bras are deeper and the wire ends bigger up and digs in just below my arm pit. I have an actual visible wound after a day of wear.

Higher up not bigger up

Same here. Always been measured and fitted in bravissimo and tried a billion bras and still happiest not wearing one at all- of course being a 30GG I always wear one when I'm out but the minute I get home I freeboob. Hate the things. All of them. Every single sodding one.

Bryt- have you tried curvy Kate or Cleo? Panache bras are sodding agony in my armpit but both the above are ok
I prefer ewa michalak bras, they're so comfy

I love underwired bras! I'm 6 months pregnant and still in mine - been measured twice in that time to check they still fit OK. I was fitted as a 34G at 3 months and decided I'd go up a band size so it was more comfy and I had growth space but it rode up and drove me mad! I went back and got the 34G - it is noticeably tight by the end of the day but mildly uncomfortable rather than painful. I find anything non-underwired I look saggy and my boobs get sore as they aren't properly supported. I'm dreading the inevitable nursing bras in a few more months.
I am also curious about where people find they hurt? If it's under your arms that sounds like the fitting is wrong, they should encompass your breast tissue but not be digging into your armpits. If it's under your boobs it might be riding up because the band is loose?
All that said, there's no law that says you need to wear an underwired bra - just find one you like the look and feel of and people like me will keep the underwirers in business!

"The measuring method in the usual bra intervention threads doesn't work for me - neither does the shop measuring. Through trial and error "

This makes sense. Surely the right size for you is the one that's comfortable when it's on. I've never seen the need for a MN bra intervention.

I can't sit at a desk all day in a wired bra! I don't have much flesh in my rib cage area, this probably doesn't help.

I've only got one style that's comfortable too, seamfree underwired from Debenhams. Unfortunately I've cut the tags off and can't remember what size I bought, and now can't find any size that feels the same
Evil bras include M&S (wire under my boobs seems to rotate within the fabric and cuts into me) and Next (lovely shape, centre tries to perform open heart surgery)

For me the pain is on my ribs at the front where the wires are. There's still a bit of bruising from yesterday. I wonder if it's because the wires are too low down. In my non wired the band is immediately below where boob meets chest. It's lower down with the wired one. Mmm. Need to adjust a bit perhaps.

the band is too big if the wires are sliding down (and I bet band riding up on the back). The wires should be immediately under the boob.