Bra fitting help » Is this a good fit or not?

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Prima Donna » Deauville Underwired Bra (0161811) » 85F 38:6

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Suggestions (5)

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  First of all, here we do not really believe that a little loose skin in the armpit area means a bra doesnt fit. It just means you have some loose skin in your armpit area.

  I think this covers your breasts well, but I'm not sure its ideal support. I tried on one Prima Donna and I was not particularly impressed with the lift, myself.

  I think you lean Full-On-Bottom, and that is why the upper cup lays slightly loose. So a more FOB-friendly bra would probably fit better - with less extra cup on top.

  Finally, your 'stretched band' measurement is a lot smaller than any of your body measurements - is the band comfortable? Not too tight? It could just be imperfect measurement - stretched band is hard to measure. But if it seems too tight - well, a too-tight band can cause the underwires to stretch out towards your back more than they should ,but its hard to see with black bras, they dont photograph that well

  But - if its comfortable and you like it and its the best you've found so far, I'd be tempted to get a second one so you have something to wear while you check out more options. I bought my 'best yet' bra a few times but kept looking.

  Updated on January 14, 2017 Flag this

  
  

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  you say that the straps are too far apart. Do they dig in or rub? Strap set width is one of those things many fitters ignore altogether. This is especially important on your smaller side. If the cup is not fully streched, the strap can slump even further into your armpit. I put a cookie in my smaller side to make sure the strap sits right as I have particularly narrow shoulders. For me, it is always better to size up and fit the larger side correctly and stuff thr smaller side to match than to try to smush the larger side into a compromise size. But then, I have a more than a cup size difference so I might be biased!

  In my experience, most bands stretch about 20 cm which would put this right at your comfortable measurements, but, dbmamaz is correct in asking how it feels given these numbers.

  As to shape, this bra has a more horizontal rather than diagonal cup seam. This means that the strap attaches to the top part of the cup and not the bottom part as in what is called a "balconnette" or "balconny" style. The strap therefore cannot provide life directly to the bottom of the cup and has to pull through the sheer top part. There is nothing wrong with this, and if you like it, go with it. However, know that it is possible to get more lift from a different style.

  Also, this bra has side panels. Side panels push and support tissue more centred, but can also dig more into armpits and cause more noticeable bulges with armpit skin etc. This is a style preference too.

  Finally, Prima Donna is a more expensive French brand. It can give a unique fit, but it is also a boutique favourite for its price mark up. Spending good money on bras that fit and make you feel great is definitely worth it. But just know that there are brands with similar styles and sizes available that use less luxury trimming and debateably inferior fabrics and cost a great deal less. However, finding them can be much more challenging and frequently, one needs to resort to online shopping without the luxury of trying things on. Boutique prices definitely include the priceless benefit of trying on and getting a fitter's advice!

  Ultimately, dbmamaz is right - do you have anything that fits and is comfortable to wear right now? if not, get some back ups. It may not be perfect, but it does look like the right size and I can't see any major shape mismatches (wires too wide/narrow; wrinkling at the bottom or top of the cup; tissue escaping all over the place or drooping out; centre gore not tacking properly; rubbing or painful spots; etc)

  Good luck and keep trying! Your body is really not that different from most other people, curved spine and weight and all. We all deserve a bra that fits us as we are are, not as some bullying "everyone" says we "ought" to be. Bra manufactures do make them, it is just more difficult to find them. Hopefully, you can find some help and support here and please, please, please speak out if your experience here is in any way negative - we need to know to fix it!

  Updated on January 14, 2017 Flag this

  
  

  • 1

    Prima Donna is Belgian! Not French! Just had to get that in lol.

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    ah, like Poirot

  • Yes poor Belgians they never get proper credit!!

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  I think this is technically a good fit and if you are comfortable now, you will likely be comfortable later--I've worn the Deauville while still nursing at a time I was a very tricky fit, and I found it extremely comfortable and forgiving of shifts in size. You can see it on my profile I believe, it's the lavender colored one (apologies for the grainy photos).

  I would say though that it may not be a perfect, perfect match for your build--as you observe, in this size the straps are quite far apart for your frame, hopefully not enough to cause any strain but this typically makes the upper cup "gather" a tiny bit. The cups also look slightly taller than ideal for your build. However, Prima Donna's wires are strong but quite flexible meaning that they do not poke or bear down like the harder wires used by other brands, so if you are not feeling anything uncomfortable now the fit and comfort will likely be good despite these small discrepancies.

  The most common complaint about the Deauville is really that it is an old-fashioned-looking full coverage bra and it does not give the round shape that is fashionable and preferred by many British and American women (for some reason we Frenchies do not seem to mind a slight point). This appearance may be what's giving you pause a little bit! However, in terms of comfort and support as long as the straps are staying secure and you do not feel pain, weight, strain, pinching or poking anywhere I'd say this should be a pretty good and workable fit.

  Updated on January 14, 2017 Flag this

  
  

  • Here is the link to my review and photos of the bra as I wore it a couple years ago. As you can see, though I was in a different size range the fit is visually very similar to yours, but the fact that the cup did not precisely match my breast shape did not affect support, comfort or appearance under clothes. I was very comfortable and got a lot of wear out of it--it was my favorite bra until I lost some breast volume. If the look of the bra is giving you pause as I suggested above, I would recommend trying it on with a relatively snug-fitting shirt or jumper to see how you feel about the appearance under clothes. Personally I found that under clothes it looked nice with very good uplift (without clothes, you can have the illusion of lack of lift due to some emptiness in the sheer upper cup, which you and I both had as you can see from the photos).

    http://bra.pe/XJhX/

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  If this is a good fit for you in the long run, look into Elomi. They are cheaper, excellent quality, and great for FOB and wide roots. They can be pointy if you are full on top like me but on you they should be fairly rounded.

  Updated on January 17, 2017 Flag this

  
  

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  I'd agree with the others. The bra does fit, but the style might not be the best for your shape. The look of this bra reminds me of the Pour Moi Imogen Rose that I got recently. It fits me apart from a huge band, but I don't love the shape. I'm slightly Full-on-Bottom, so I'd agree with dbmamaz and maddy2596 that you should try another cut more suited to FOB breasts.

  Do you like the overall shape? Or does it feel too pointed/torpedo-shaped? How does it look under clothes? This looks like it gives more east-west separation. You might prefer a bra that has more front and center projection or a more rounded shape. For example, I just got the Cleo Marcie and it has really nice front and center projection, but the wires aren't as narrow as some other projected styles. I used to wear a lot of Freya bras because the half-cup styles had a nice, rounded shape.

  And I'd agree that there are definitely more affordable options out there. I tend to cringe when I see the Prima Donna prices, though I've been curious as to what their fit was like.

  Updated on January 15, 2017 Flag this

  
  

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