Bra fitting help » Do I need wider-set cups? Wider cups?

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Cleo » Erin Balconnet Bra (7911) » 30G 30:9

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Suggestions (2)

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  helpful

  Are your body measurements accurate? If so, you need to size up in the band to a 32 at least (maybe even 34 in some brands). The wires are going to hurt and possibly injure you when the band is worn so tight. You can't properly judge the cup fit either when everything is pulled out laterally due to band tightness.

  If your body measurements are off, then update them and we can give better advice

  Updated on November 25, 2015 Flag this

  
  

  • My body measurements are right - I don't know why I measure a 32, but wear a 30; it's been like this for a long time. 32's are way too loose for me.

    It sounds like a reasonable suggestion, so I tried it on again, and I can fit a whole hand under the band, and from what I understand Cleos are generally tight. And it doesn't look like the wire is being distorted, it seems that the problem is in the cup in terms of projection, or whatnot, but I don't know - I'm going to try an extender and see.

  • Yes please update us after the extender. Some people have ribs of steel and don't actually feel when the band is tighter than it needs to be, or they attribute what discomfort they do feel to other things (gore height etc.) because it's only painful at the front or sides of the bra instead of at the back. The advice about how many hands or fingers to fit under the band can be misleading, because it causes people to think bands should be as tight as possible, instead of only as tight as it needs to be to not ride up. Whether the band stays put or not is the key. Band stays put = good, band rides UP = too big, band rides down = typically too tight.

  • So I tried an extender, and the back feels much less tight (that's a plus!) but I think I'm still having the same issues, plus more. I'm still getting gaping at the top, plus now it seems to be slipping down in the front, way below my IMF - I can't really seat it in there initially if I don't tighten the straps, and I can't tighten the straps, because that causes more gaping at the top. I'm definitely willing to size up to a 32, but I have no idea what to try.

  • I see the new photos, thanks! With the extender, it now looks like you have too much room both at the top and the bottom of the cup, which indicates a too-large cup, period (though this does not exclude shape problems as well).

  • Sorry it looks like we posted at the same time, haha. OK so if you are interested in persisting with this particular bra model, which seems reasonable to me given what I can (sort of) observe of your shape, I would advise going up a band and down 1 cup volume, which would bring you to a 32F.

  • Ha. I'm definitely not wedded to this model, I don't think it fits me, just better others I've tried - and I don't think it's actually too big, since I if I take the straps off, I can still pretty much fill out the cup. I also just did the brasizecalculator, and it gave me a 32G. I feel that it's mostly the shape, and possibly the strap placement? I have a lot of volume on the side rather than in the center, and the straps push the cup out.
    I think I need something with a lot of projection. I'm realizing that the reason I wear 30's is probably because no 32 bra I've tried will stay up in the front. Ugh, feels never-ending.

  • 
    What do you mean "stay up in the front"?

  • Most bras slide down in front as soon as I put them on, i.e. I can't place them in my IMF, which is why a tighter band seems to at least keep the bra on, even if it's not the proper fit.

  • OK, I get that problem to a degree with almost every bra in existence and it can actually be caused by more than one factor, namely:
    1/ lack of room for the full volume of the breast at the base of the cup just as you stated
    2/ bands that are too tight (!)
    3/ purely and simply torso dimensions and shape! If you are short-waisted, if you are petite overall, if you have one or more rib flares at any level that interferes with the underwires resting properly flush with the base of your breast root, or if your ribcage is distinctly V shaped (or ice cream cone shaped, if you will), it will be incredibly hard for the band to stay right at the IMC.
    What is the largest band size you've worn that did not ride up your back towards your shoulder blades?

  • By slide down, I mean slide down totally, to the point of not providing any support.

    I am definitely short-waisted and narrow on top. I'm not sure about rib flares or having a V-shaped ribcage?

    32 is the largest I've worn. I have some old 32's (not in the correct cup size, unfortunately), and trying them on, the bands fit very comfortably, considering that I've gained some weight recently.

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    Usually (although not always...) you'd know if you had a rib flare. You can see the rogue rib(s) sticking out when you look at your naked torso, or feel it, and it will get sore from underwires sitting on it. So it's likely you don't have one.
    To see the shape of your ribcage, try just looking in the mirror at your back. Most people's sides, armpit to waist, have a fairly identifiable orientation: either A shaped (bottom of ribcage is wider than top), straight up and down, or"egg" or V shaped (bottom of ribcage is very markedly smaller than the middle and/or the top). The last 2 shapes make bra bands want to creep down on you, unfortunately.

  • Hmm, it looks like I might have a V shape. Excellent.

  • Yeah sorry those of us with that shape always tend to have at least a little bit of downward creep. But the good news is that with optimally proportioned cups and by avoiding overly-tight bands, it can be controlled to the point that it's really not a bother. Fixing your other fit issues will help address this a lot better :-)

  • Thanks :) I think I'm starting to figure out all the issues, but wow, is this frustrating.

    Any suggestions on bras with more projection? I got a lot for Envy and Jasmine in my other fit request, but I'm wondering if there are other options out there.

  • Comexim and EM bras almost all have good projection. Do you think you need very narrow wires or not especially?

    If you're in the US and have access to a higher end dept store like Nordstrom, almost all of the Chantelle cut and sew 3 part cups have plenty of depth (EXCEPT the C Chic).

  • I honestly don't know what I need in terms of wires - the Cleos I tried seemed to fit (at least in terms of not hurting), if that helps.

  • OK well hopefully you can wear average-ish wires and just need to worry about the rest of it :-)

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• 0
  helpful

  First of all, the band seems way too small. Do you have an extender? The wires look stretched out and your tightest self-measurement is 31, and you measured the stretched band at 26? (thats gotta be wrong).

  So first I'd try it with an extender and loosening the straps even a bit more, if you can.

  Too bad you dont have any pictures of your mimi holiday for comparison.

  Updated on November 25, 2015 Flag this

  
  

  • She has pics of at least one Mimi Holliday. It looks like the same issue though. Band very tight and making the cup appear small/OK when it is actually too big, but being pulled tight due to band tightness.

  • dbmamaz would you recommend the Floris? I've been sorting through all my fit issues for a couple of days now, and I need to find a bra that's deep enough, since projection seems to be one of my main issues ( I will definitely go for the 32).

  • Floris and Jasmine are both known to be deep and narrowish, so they seem like a good bet in your size range.

  • I thought she felt this bra was too narrow for her, tho? she's not filling in the bottom and could be orange-in-glass?

  • I think the wires are wide enough, but the cup might be too narrow? Does that make sense?

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