Bra fitting help » I want to love it.
Panache » Jasmine Balconnet Bra (6951) » 30JJ 30:14
Issue resolved
Added a second extender which really helped with the discomfort.
Original problem
I really like the way this bra looks, but the wires dig in at the sides and the gore. The band is definitely too small, so that's one thing I'd keep in mind when/if buying this in another size, and there's some slight spilling on the left on my bigger days. I /think/ the wires might be too wide though, as they leave red marks that sit way past the back of my boobs after removal. Is it worth trying a different size? Or is there a similar bra with lots of stretch lace and a good squish factor that I could try? Squish factor being how nice your boobs feel to squish while in the bra (am I the only one who cares about that?).
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Suggestions (2)
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3
helpful
The too-tight band is responsible for most of the fit issues you mention:
wires hurting
gore hurting
spilling over on side
wires sitting too far from where breast tissue ends (the wires are being pulled out to East Bicycle because the band is under way too much tension)So, I'd say step 1 is to try this with 1, then 2 extenders until all the tight-band issues disappear, and see what happens. If the cups then seem a bit too large, go down 1 cup volume and go up 1-2 band sizes.
So if the extenders do not affect the size of the cup then you want a 32J or 34HH; if the extender(s) reveal that this (30JJ) cup is too large, you want to try a 32HH or 34H.
Updated on March 23, 2015 Flag this
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I'm only 21 and I already have very soft tissue. Here I thought it was the stretch lace that made the cups good and squishable. I'm definitely not a fan of too-wide wires. I have that problem a lot. Which bras tend to be the very most narrow?
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In your size range I want to say Cleo and Polish bras. But there are probably some narrower options in other brands too.
Re: squish it all depends what your idea of "squishy enough" really is. But I do see a lot of too-large cups in your list so it's something to think about.
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I think a lot of girls think they have soft boobs but unless you see literal extra skin and wrinkles occasionally in your boobs(from extra skin due to volume loss) they're probably not soft. The reason they spill out a lot (if they do) is probably being more full in the center than 95% of bras expect. Full cups don't have this issue though.
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^^^ what she said. Unless you've (editorial you) felt up/personally examined the boobs of several dozen ladies aged 20 to 70, including many who have been pregnant and nursed, at 21 you probably are overestimating how soft your own boob tissue is compared to average ;-) Bear in mind larger boobs of any age are heavy and will tend to sag and have stretched skin, but can still have dense firm tissue inside. This means less malleability. In contrast, a truly soft boob is extremely malleable, i.e. can pancake almost completely flat when you lie down, can be "poured" partly into a small cup without discomfort... etc.
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Ha, my mom who has experienced a lot of weightloss and is 52 is always saying her boobs are as flat as a pancake.
Mine still have a lot of dense tissue inside but have extra skin that can sometimes be apparent from nursing ups and downs.
One good thing is that you can sometimes fit into cup sizes smaller than you normally would be able to if your boob is that malleable.
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I think that when we think of firm vs soft, it's easy to get confused with the idea of self-supporting. I thought for a while that my breast tissue was soft, but my sister who does medical imaging said that aside from a thin layer of soft tissue on top (mostly from gravity), that the rest of my breasts are firm. She's handled more than her fair share of breasts, so I guess she'd know.
I guess another way to think of it is are your breasts 'docile' or 'naughty'. Do they conform to the shape of the cup even if it's too wide/shallow/tall, or do they fight back and only fill the space they want to fill, consistently leaving gaps in the cup? I need the depth provided by the very large cups I wear, because empty space at the top and sides of the cup is totally wasted, and a too shallow cup either 'opera houses' my breasts (I have some pics in the Panache Jasmine I used to own, there's a weird sort of fold where my breast bends up and out rather like the sails of the opera house), or the bra slides down and rolls in at the bottom (ouch), or I have all my centre fullness escape. Soft breasts can also run away from cups, but that tends to be more of a gradual process throughout the day instead of an almost immediate thing after adjusting your breasts into the cup.
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it actually looks a little too big to me? Like you arent getting good support because there's too much cup, maybe? But yeah, that too-tight thing, definitely need to loosen up. do you have an extender to try it with?
But yes, I think I know what you mean - my favorite bras, my breasts are held up high and they feel firmer and i love feeling underneath them and making hubby squeeze them in the bra. For me floris is the best
Wait - you had a 30JJ Jasmine a year and a half ago . . . now I"m really confused. Why did you try it again if you got rid of the last one? and that purple bra you had 4 mo ago that looked better than this and you got rid of?
Seriously I'm baffled - you seem to buy bras in about a dozen different sizes and then get rid of them and get more in random sizes?
Updated on March 21, 2015 Flag this
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I've had this bra for a looooong time and no one has been interested in the listing. The much smaller bras just passed through me for my sister. The ones I've owned and worn were picked based largely on availability on here. I can't really afford anything beyond Bratabase swaps. Which purple one are you talking about?
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Cacique » Smooth Balconette
I have found a few bras really cheap on amazon on occasion, on clearance
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I did like that one, yes, but the band was stretching to the point where I'd have to do some sewing, and I wasn't in love with the beige lace. I'll probably invest in another Cacique Smooth Balconette someday.
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As for the Amazon angle, that site requires a credit card, which I don't have. :/
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ETA about the squish factor: my boobs are so soft they're almost liquid, and in a supportive, well-fitting bra they don't actually feel all that squishy. Only when the cup is too large and lacks surface tension do they feel really squishy. I'm assuming you're younger and firmer than me (or at least you look like you are) so just something to ponder next time you administer the squish test! There is nothing inherently harmful about wearing a bra with too-large cups so if that's what floats your boat I won't criticize, but excess cup volume can be associated with too-wide wires, which may be uncomfortable.