Bra fitting help » FoB with tall, wide, shallow roots. Too much gaping in cup.
Freya » Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) » 28DD 28:5
Issue resolved
I never did send in for a smaller cup size, nor did I find the styles in the brick-and-mortar store. I have found another bra (that I've yet to upload) that checks the boxes. Another learning experience! I've discovered that I need a pretty low gore, with some room for center fullness.
Original problem
The band fits well - I can now confirm that I fit best in a 28. For reference, I have wide, tall, and shallow root, breasts are close set, and full on bottom. I was able to fill out the bottom of the cup with scooping and swooping.
The top, however, is a different story. I'm beginning to piece together the shape of my breasts, and I can observe that I have very little top volume, so balconettes with a more open cup edge do not lay against my skin. If I made a seam between the strap and the wing of the bra, into the cup, the bra would fit. The center gore was also a little too high on my sternum.
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Suggestions (3)
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The cup is too big. You only have one perimeter measurement, but its 7.1 with the cup depth at 7.7 - and in a half cup, I would expect there to be slightly less volume to the cup than there is volume of breast.
Honestly, it looks like all of the DDs youve tried recently have been too big. I'm wondering if the Cs in the bigger bands were US sizing and the DDs in the smaller size are UK and thats why the sister-sizing isnt working? Have you tried any of these in D instead?
Updated on November 19, 2015 Flag this
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That i'm not as sure of - but usually a half cup is not considered the same shape as a balconette, and not all balconettes are created equal.
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Sounds like I have some pretty extensive research to conduct. Since sizing seems to vary quite a bit, I suppose I should look up the cup depths before buying?
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Looking up the cup depth can help a bit, but it's surprisingly varied. Comparing two of my bras that have gores that tack, one is a 34H that I measured with a cup depth of 33.5, and the other is a 34HH plunge that I measured with a cup depth of 37! I tend to think of plunges as shallower, but that's not universal. I use cup depth to eliminate some bras as clearly really far off from my size, but it can't guarantee me a fit.
The features I find most useful to look at so far are stated size (like 28D) and cup width. In your case, I'd definitely add gore height and gore width. And if I have a specific bra in mind, bratabase reviews on if the band or cup tend to run big/small are useful. -
Thanks larabloom! Looks like there's more trial and error ahead for me :) As I mentioned, I'll have the chance to go a brick-and-mortar store next week (the joys of living in the middle of nowhere!). Yeah, the gore height seems to be a consistent problem for me, so that narrows down my search a lot!
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Good luck at the brick-and-mortar store. I know what you mean about living in the middle of nowhere.... :-)
Generally speaking, I'd say "start with the hardest to fulfil criteria, then experiment". For you, that's probably the low gore and the 28 band (depending on how strongly you prefer it to a 30 band). For me, it's wire width - my 'fitting' bras are too wide and it annoys me more every time I wear them, which has started me on a Polish quest.
I find this a really useful way to minimize frustration and wasted time, compared to looking at tons of bras and going "oh, that's pretty, but it doesn't come in my size/is a total shape mismatch/....". Better yet, it mainly keeps me from -buying- such bras, which means less clutter and less bras around the house that I don't wear, etc. :) -
I agree - I said the same thing on her previous fit check.
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bicoastal_gal you can check your horizontal perimeter, if its also smaller than 7.7" then I'd say definitely go with a smaller cup. You usually want a cup depth a bit smaller (.5" to 2" depending on cup depth, height) than your perimeter (one or the other), something like that... lol
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Well, damn. This doesn't come in a 28D does it? This still looks either a bit big or a bit too open on top. I really didn't think you were in a bra 2 cup sizes too big with that Lucy, but I guess it's possible. Maybe Cleo Juna? It runs small so maybe try both 28D & 28DD. Or Cleo Maddie.
Updated on November 19, 2015 Flag this
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No, Amazon ran out of the smaller cup sizes of all these Cleos :( I will have the opportunity to visit a lingerie boutique next week, where I can go crazy.
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A Juna or Maddie might be worth trying in a 28DD, just because they tend to run a cup size small. A quick BTB search yields an average cup depth of 6.7 for a 28DD Maddie (a full inch smaller than this Freya), and one listing: http://www.bratabase.com/listings/dlsb6/. And an average 7" depth for a 28DD Juna.
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Thank you! It seems that I really have to pay attention more to the measurements of the bra than the letter sizes.
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Absolutely. I have bras in my closet in 3 different sizes. Unfortunately, nothing is truly standardized in that a D will always measure 6" or whatever. It's just not that perfect of a world! Some bras run big, some run small, some bands run long, etc
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I wonder how you'd do in a Curvy Kate Tempt me? http://www.bratabase.com/listings/dhwzl/ shows one in a 28D. It has a low gore, and CK is known for wide cups, although they're not quite as wide as your Freya. It's a plunge with a gore less than an inch tall.
Alternatively, you could browse the Bratabase 28:4 bras and look for ones with low gores: http://www.bratabase.com/browse/by-size/28:4/Updated on November 19, 2015 Flag this
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Looking more closely, I think that bra is also a bit too wide-set for you. I'd recommend trying one with a narrower gore - probably about 1/3rd of an inch narrower, unless you go for a very short gore.
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Why is this modded down?
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Yeah, the disparity in the cup sizing probably comes from the difference between US and UK brands. I haven't tried a 28D yet - Amazon ran out of that size :( I'm slowly ticking through all the recommended sizes Bratabase gave me!
Also, do you think balconnet styles work for my general breast shape? Or has it been a sizing issue all along, and once I find my size, this style should be okay?