Band size help
I feel so stupid for having so many questions. I'm trying my best learn all there is to know about proper bra fit.
My underbust measures just shy of 34" snugly
My elomi 34h feels good in the band with minimal stretch
My tango balconette 34h is a tad looser the the Elomi
Both of these are a tad big ... in the cups for me
The 32h ck band is snug
The 32hh freya gem band is snug maybe a tad too tight but fine with an extender
So if I'm wanting to try some cleos out....should I go with a 32 band? How can I tell if the tightness of the band is affecting the wires?
Does is sound like I'm "between band sizes?" And if so....is it better to go with the smaller size and use extenders?
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Cleo runs super tight so definitely get a 34 in Cleo. You will probably need an extender at first even with a 34--they really are very small bands.
About understanding band sizing... The idea is NOT to wear the tightest band you can tolerate. A band that's too tight causes tons of fit problems--quadboobing, cups being pulled east-west, cups appearing shallower than they are, wires being pulled back towards your sides, straps in your armpits etc. Oversized cups can also make a too-tight band appear bearable because the cups are being pulled so far onto your sides that they make up for the lack of band length--but as you can imagine this doesn't exactly make for a great fit. The idea is to go down in band size only as far as the size that stays put (does not ride up), is comfortable and anchors the bra to your body.
I know blogs and fit posts are full of photos of people yanking the band away from their body to see how many fingers/hands can be stuffed in there... but that is not a great test; some bands can stretch further but still stay put on the body and do their job, while others don't stretch as far but still fail to stay put and don't anchor the bra to your body. How the bra behaves on your torso is the true test, not how far you can pull it or whatever.
In short I am not sure you are really in between band sizes if you can comfortably wear a 34 band without riding up... being in between would mean you often need a 32 because 34 often (like at least 50% of the time) rides up and cannot be worn comfortably, but the other 50% of the time 32 is too tight.
I think for cleos, it might be better to try them in a 34 band. In my experince they tend to fit tighter. Although, if you have the budget, I always recommend getting two band sizes so you can compare, and then return the one that doesn't fit.
If the band is too tight, the wires will be pulled back further. They will always have some flex, but will keep the same general shape. The cup shape will also flatten a bit.
You might be between band sizes, but to be honest it's hard for me to tell. It's better to go off the measurements here because sometimes the same band size will fit differently.
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