Bra fitting help » Cup is a little big - is that okay for migrating strap-boob?
Prima Donna » Couture Underwired Bra (0162581) » 65G 30:7
Issue resolved
I ended up returning the Prima Donna Couture 65G and getting a 65F. The F also has slight wrinkling in the upper cup and the wires tend to slip down when I sit after I wear it for awhile, but the fit is much better.
In the process of trying to exchange for a smaller size, I found out why they pushed me to buy the larger size: they did not have two in F. I had to take a store credit for one bra, and they could not custom order one for me. Needless to say, once I use that credit, I will not be shopping there again. :-/
If I can find one somewhere with free returns, I am going to try ordering this bra in a 65E, as well, to see if one more cup size down eliminates the wrinkling at the top of the cup. It's a really wonderful bra, and the only one that has thin, cushioned wires.
Special thanks to <a href="/profile/ezt/" class="mentioned-item">dbmamaz</a>! The Fantasie Jana is a great bra with the same cut, none of the fit problems, and much cheaper! Thanks for the tip -- it's now my go-to bra. I am now three weeks into this bra-odyssey and I am neck-pain free for the first time in almost a decade!
Original problem
I think this bra is a cup size too big. There is some wrinkling at the tops of the cups (which doesn't really show under clothes) and about an inch of space above the wires in the bottom of the cup after I have been wearing it awhile. The wires wrap around almost to my lats, which feels okay, since they are nowhere near the really tender ribs and runaway boob bits. It is more comfortable than the 65F I tried, and MUCH more comfortable than similar Freya, Panache, Curvy Kate and Parfait bras in 30F. This is literally the only bra I've tried from about 20 that doesn't dig into armpit boob outside the front strap, or poke my ribs under the armpit or center bust. I have noticed an immediate and ongoing decrease in neck, shoulder and arm pain since I put it on, so it's definitely an improvement over the 34D I've been wearing the past 20 years.
Is a slightly too-big cup a good compromise for someone with at least 4 to 5 cubic inches of migrated tissue to corral back home? It's very stretchy fabric that may become too loose over time. It also cost $140! (I was getting desperate.) I only have 7 days to exchange it.
The Freya, Panache, Curvy Kate and Parfait bras I've tried in 28FF and 30F pinch where the wire goes around the corner of my ribcage, and tend to poke in at the top of the gore and in the armpit. I have chronic pain from invasive endometriosis, fibromyalgia, thoracic outlet syndrome and migraine -- all of which are related to unhappy boobs. Do I err on the side of comfort, or exchange for more support? What other brand/style should I focus on?
Could I alter this bra for a better cup fit? I seem to be in between both cup and band sizes in pretty much every brand!! Thank you for your advice.
Edit:
Corrected perimeter sizes:Horizontal perimeter: 10.5 to 11 inches (normal/PMS)
Vertical perimeter: 9 to 9.5 inches (normal/PMS)
Laying breast perimeter: 10.5 inches to 11 inches (normal/PMS)
Nip to Neck: 9 inches
Breast base height: 8.6 inches
Frame width: 10 inchesSorry about that...apparently it turned them into centimeters somehow!
Also: One of the fit problems I have been having is that my breast tissue goes about 1" further out than the front of my rib cage. Looking down from the top, the "U" of the wire is centered right over the corner of my rib cage. This requires any underwire to bend around the curve to the side of my rib cage. As the band forces the outer end of the wire to do this, it pulls it out of plane with the gore end of the wire, putting pressure into the top of the gore and the outer bottom of the curve of the wire where it hits the corner of my ribs.
The way this G cup is fitting me is the wires are wrapping around my rib cage and tilting slightly so that the outer tips under my arms are almost to my back. This feels okay, except when I sit the wires gradually work their way down, creating an even larger gap at the bottom of the cups and more baginess in the top. I have to pull up the wires pretty frequently.
Please note my review of 30F - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285)
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Suggestions (4)
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helpful
Could you -redo your breast perimeter size? that would help some with sizing. Breast perimeter is supposed to be just around one breast, and it should be somewhere near the cup depth.
Ok, read your full description - while this does not look like a good fit, if it is comfortable and looks fine under a shirt, and its better than anything else you have found, i'd say you should buy it and wear it until you find something better (and then keep wearing it as a spare anyways).
I am not sure how you can be certain how much breast tissue you have that needs to migrate, I've never seen anything like that here - we hvae at least one very reliable member who pushes for wearing a bra that fits you now, not one you think should fit you later. Some people just have wider breast roots, not everyone will become more narrow and projected just from wearing a narrower bra.
fwiw, for years (ok, decades) before embarking on my new bra journey, I've been wearing completely unstructured custom-sized bras from Decent Exposures . I've seen them mentioned in fibro forums - extremely comfortable. I only wear 'real' braes (and mostly panache) when I am leaving the house - for around the house, definitely still sticking to my unbras.
Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this
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Thank you for the extra info about the Fantasie Jana. I will check that out.
I wore Decent Exposures while I was nursing. They were okay...got a lot of blocked milk ducts, though, because I have breast tissue that goes above the neckline. :-( I had them custom made. They might work as a sleep bra for me now, but just don't provide enough support for my back and shoulders.
I really do need to find a bra that really fits and can achieve that feat of cantilevered engineering that transfers my breast weight through the band into my skeleton effectively. I kind of see that Holy Grail Bra as working like a backpack that properly fits one's hips and height. The Decent Exposures bras are more like hiking with a Santa Claus' toy sack hung over your shoulder. For me, anyway.
In just the day that I've been wearing the 30G PD Couture, I've already noticed a decrease in strap boob. I also experienced -- for the first time EVER -- driving without the seatbelt shoulder strap cutting painfully into the front edge of my shoulder. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on. This bra brings my shoulder blades down and back without me even trying to have good posture! I've also been free of C4 neck pain (middle of the neck) for the first time since 2006!
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I'm so glad the Jana worked for you!!
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helpfulI agree that while it's not really a "good" fit technically because the cups are 1-2 sizes big, the shape looks nice and if you find it comfy it's probably a good match for you right now.
With your measurements and health issues, know that there's no pressure to wear a 28 or even 30 band -- a 32 might be supportive enough, esp in Prima Donna which runs almost a full band size tight. If you're getting pinching from your underwires, it may be from a too-tight band.
Do NOT try to alter the bra cup. Prima Donnas are really nice bras. Bras have a lot of engineering that goes into them and it's best not to mess with something you just paid $140 for -- if you are thinking of messing with it, just exchange it. It won't stretch fast -- they are high quality. If you want to be sure it will last as long as possible, use an extender for as long as you can (to reduce stretching) and wash carefully and often.
I actually don't believe in tissue migration. The body is indeed very plastic, and while in my time as a fitter I saw a lot of shoulder grooves and back and stomach indents from bras and clothes, I never saw anything I'd identify as migrated breast tissue -- including in people who bind their breasts.
Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this
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Melifish,
Thank you for the encouragement and advice, especially about Prima Donna bands running small.
Regarding tissue migration: in my case, while I certainly have a nice layer of insulation right under the skin (alas), I can actually feel the tender, nubbly ductal tissue in the armpit blobs underneath the fat. When I was nursing back in the day, I often got blocked milk ducts way up almost to my shirt sleeve seam and would have to hold my daughter under my arm like a football or even lie her next to me upside down to get it to flow down from up there. If only my various midwives had noticed I was wearing my bras all wrong!
I really do need a smaller band. I just don't get enough support from a 32. :-(
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Fezziwig , while breasts can and do change throughout a person's life, I really dislike the fact that some of the unscientific notions prevailing in the brafitting community can make women feel like their breasts are abnormal or that they messed them up by wearing bad bras. It sounds like you have some axillary breast tissue, which is a normal variation of breast tissue distribution. It is not because of the bras you were wearing. If you look at photos of women from remote rural tribes who have never ever worn a bra in their lives, you will see plenty of them have axillary breast tissue too.
Blocked ducts can be related to the fit of your bras if you are wearing ill-fitting underwires during the first months of nursing, but if you weren't, it was probably totally unconnected to your bras. I have a friend who suffers chronically from blocked ducts and she wears no bra at all--just soft nursing tanks. It's just luck, some people are prone to them, others less so.
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yep! It's called the Tail of Spence, and lots of women do have tissue there.
if you look at wellfitting.com, their main model, who is of course gorgeous, has a very pronounced tail of spence/axillary tissue.
sounds like the couture is working out for you, which is wonderful -- it's a great bra. And actually i had a prima donna that was a cup too big too and i still loved it. in the future remember that to get the absolute best support neither the band nor the cup should be too big -- just as you lose support from a band that's too big, the same thing applies to the cup.
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helpfulCorrected perimeter sizes:
Horizontal perimeter: 10.5 to 11 inches (normal/PMS)
Vertical perimeter: 9 to 9.5 inches (normal/PMS)
Laying breast perimeter: 10.5 inches to 11 inches (normal/PMS)
Nip to Neck: 9 inches
Breast base height: 8.6 inches
Frame width: 10 inchesSorry about that...apparently it turned them into centimeters somehow!
Updated on May 27, 2015 Flag this
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0
helpfulIt looks like the wires are the correct width for your breasts, but there's too much depth in this bra for you. It shouldn't really be a problem, unless you don't like the look, or it feels unsupportive. You've done the right thing by pulling the straps tighter. You could try a balcony or balconette style in this size instead of a full cup. That would probably remove the problem, as there would be less fabric at the top. Also, if you are noticing extra fabric along the bottom of the cup, that means the cups aren't deep enough at the bottom--a common problem; sometimes that stretches out over time.
It's going to take a little while to get used to wearing the "correct" size, and your breasts may spread out or change shape a bit. I would stick with the 65G for now, especially if it's comfortable and you are noticing a difference! If you want to branch out a bit, try some Freya or Panache balcony bras in your size. They are comfortable, offer good cup depth and are often available at good prices online--particularly on Ebay.
Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this
btw, I was also remembering that I tried on a prima donna (different model, I think) in a store once and was surprised by how comfy it was - but the Jana was just as comfy and cheaper. But i didnt keep it because I decided it wasnt what i was looking for. Just thought I might mention that - its a Fantasie