Bra fitting help » All bras irritate armpits
Cleo » Lucy Balconnet Bra (5851) » 34F 34:7
Issue resolved
I returned this bra and accepted defeat.
Original problem
This bra is aaaalmost perfect. The problem I'm encountering with every bra I try on is that the material where the cup meets the strap digs into my armpit flesh. I am putting my bra on leaning forward, scoop-and-swooping, etc. Pretty sure it's not migrated breast tissue, but just my armpit itself.
Is this a fit problem? Or is there another style of bra, or perhaps an alteration that I could do to resolve this? Or will it soften up with wear and become a non-issue?
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Suggestions (7)
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helpfulI have the same issue! Your torso looks almost exactly like mine it is weird. I find that all bras end up rubbing in my armpits and at the gore after a few hours. My Twin Firm Underwire by Rosa Faia is the most comfortable bra. It has a more stretchy band, so I would recommend at least trying the 32.
Updated on March 4, 2015 Flag this
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helpfulCurious, by the numbers this bra band should be too big for you. Are you fastening this on the loosest or the tightest hook? Because a smaller band should slightly narrow the cups. But you could also try a bra that has the straps less towards the outside. The only one I have direct experience with is was the Jana, but when I look at it - it came pretty close in to my armpits, and I dont usually have that problem.
Hopefully someone else will have an idea - but if its not comfy, its not the right bra
Updated on February 28, 2015 Flag this
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awww . .. keep looking!!! My boobs are pretty low, I think, because I dont get armpit issues, so I dont think I can help
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BluebellsMcgee I also have the bra straps being too wide in my armpits problem with most of my bras.
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My boobs are high and I have the same problem with most bras. I've found the CHPs from EM work well. Id also like to try customization from Comexim and have the cups reduced.
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helpful
I also have this problem in most if not all bras. I did notice that at least in your fourth picture, it doesn't look like you actual have the underwire in your crease but instead sitting a little low. Out of curiosity, does pulling it higher into the inframammary fold help with the armpit issue at all? I have personally given up and blamed on on my pronounced axillary tail and the uncovered seam/edge in all D+ bras that I've tried.
Updated on February 28, 2015 Flag this
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helpfulCan you clarify "where the strap meets the cup" -- do you mean at the front of the strap, or the back of it?
You really don't look like you have a fleshy armpit area. I would even say you have less body tissue (regardless of whether it is fat, pecs, boob tissue or what) than average up there. It looks like you have very high-set breasts though, so this could be why the top of the cups and the side of the straps bother you. They are designed to sit much lower on the wearer than where they sit on you, especially since you are wearing 34 bands. You may need to start looking for bras with much more narrowly situated straps.
Updated on March 1, 2015 Flag this
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helpful
Can you clarify "where the strap meets the cup" -- do you mean at the front of the strap, or the back of it?
You really don't look like you have a fleshy armpit area. I would even say you have less body tissue (regardless of whether it is fat, pecs, boob tissue or what) than average up there. It looks like you have very high-set breasts though, so this could be why the top of the cups and the side of the straps bother you. They are designed to sit much lower on the wearer than where they sit on you, especially since you are wearing 34 bands. You may need to start looking for bras with much more narrowly situated straps.
Updated on March 1, 2015 Flag this
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The "front/side". If I put my hand over my heart to "pledge allegiance," the tip of my middle finger is pretty close to the probe area.
High-set breasts kind of makes sense...except maybe I have a bizarrely long torso too? The straps are let out to their maximum length! I understand what you're saying about looking for bras where the strap connects further in, just not sure which bras to start with for my extremely full on bottom breasts?
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Well, Cleo unfortunately is notorious for the wide-set straps so that's not going to be the best option for you. I like Chantelle and have had luck with Fayreform in the past. As you're in a relatively easy to find size range you may also find some Wacoals that work for you. I have an Embrace Lace unpadded cup that has pretty well-centered straps, I just had to size up in the band because it runs so tight. So you might want to try a 36DDD/F in that.
I wonder if you are finding you need to lengthen the straps so much because they all have to be angled in to stay on you? I also have to lengthen the straps almost all the way if I want to wear one of these balconnet or plunge styles when the straps are so wide-set.
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helpfulWhen I pinned the gore together on my Lucy last night the straps quit going into my armpits. I also was wearing a band extender. But, I don't know if you would want to do that. I did it because I also have problems with my gores on my breast tissue. I will be altering gores on bras though since I discovered it helps with all of the issue I've been having!
Good luck!!Updated on March 1, 2015 Flag this
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helpful
I have this problem too, a prominent Tail of Spence and a tall root make it much worse I think and I have both. My breast tissue extends up to my collarbones. I have managed to move my straps inwards on two bras (Deco plunge and Masquerade Antoinette bandeau) but they're not a whole lot better so I think it's more to do with where my flesh is rather than the straps being super wide. Materials make a difference too, the Deco's definitely a little better, the Antoinette has a very roughly finished stitch on the back of the strap.
I think it is worse when you go down a band size as you go up a cup letter and generally the larger the letter the wider the straps
Updated on March 1, 2015 Flag this
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I have this problem too, I also have noticed that I have a bit of extra space in the cups in that area too, even when I have quad boob going on. I am thinking I need a smaller band to make the front of the bra narrower and the cups narrower, but then use an extender so the band isnt way too tight. Thoughts on that anyone?
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Wire width must be right, going to a narrower band and larger cup letter will change the wire width so it may make the fit incorrect. Not the way I'd advise going, especially if the current band size is correct. Strap placement does not toally relate to wire width - I wear wide wires and find straps are wide set, other people wear narrow wires and can still have the same problem. Shame that strap placement width isn't measured, though hard to make the measurement consistent. If you have space where the straps join the cups you may have a short root and need to look at shorter cups, perhaps Polish? Or simply look for bras with close set straps.
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I'm fastening on the loosest hook. I started out with a few rounds of 32FF bras and found them painfully tight, even on the loosest hook. With this 34F, the band on the loosest hook is snug (can slide two fingers under the band) and I can just barely connect it on the second loosest hook (but it's bordering on painfully tight again). The band sits straight across my back, even after wearing around the house for 15 minutes or so.
This is bra #20 in my search for a bra that fits and is the best fitting bra I've found so far. Every single one of the bras I've tried on so far scrapes on my underarm flesh. It's starting to give me body image issues where I never had any before... :/