Jun 29, 2013
Went to The Bra Bar for a fitting. Came home with the Rebecca Molded Fantasie bra in a 32DD. A bit to round for my liking, I might take it back.
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Went to The Bra Bar for a fitting. Came home with the Rebecca Molded Fantasie bra in a 32DD. A bit to round for my liking, I might take it back.
Filed under Bras ups and downs
5 comments
A thought occurred to me whilst I was reading the post on the bravissimo nude bra email. The point was raised a coupe of times in the discussion that the bravissimo models were 'quite thin' and that the catalogue didn't reflect body size diversity. And this got me thinking. Coz I've never thought the bravissimo models were thin. And ... I got to thinking why.
I came to several conclusions. Firstly, in comparison to the models were used to seeing in lingerie advertisements in the UK, the bravissimo models are not thin. Even brands like Marks and Spencer's seem to favour gazelle like models with endless legs. So compared with standard advertising, the models are actually more 'average' sized. In fact I once found an online forum bemoaning the fact that the bravissimo girls had great boobs but 'thunder thighs' and 'flabby bellies'. (I know crazy!)
I've always felt as well that the models did have bodies like mine. I'm a UK size 12-14 and have been since I was 15. I've always been the chunkier one of my friends and struggled finding clothes to flatter me, so in my head being like me will never equal thin. Ever. I'm curvier and as I've got older I've got more proud of it, but I know I'm not thin, and I'm at the higher end of healthy bmi for my height. I also know that in some UK modelling agency's a size 12 is considered a plus size. These models do not get work modelling for other high street chains, quite simply because there are models out there who are a lot thinner than them.
I also got to thinking why bravissimo use this look of model. I think a lot of it is to do with being a UK brand- if they used models a lot slimmer than currently, I do feel like this would alienate a lot of women. For example, I know I used to be very cautious about shopping at topshop- I was very intimidated by the waiflike models from there promos, but I came to realise that a lot of their clothes are very curve friendly, but the initial impression of it being a thin persons brand is still there. On the other hand, I think that if they used bigger models, this could have the opposite effect. The UK still does have the mentality that to be above a D cup your basically, need to be fat. And that big boobs on a slim woman automatically equals a D cup or implants. It awful really, but to use bigger women in they're adverts and catalogues, could possibly put slimmer women off from shopping there and getting properly fitted, as they would equate it with being a plus sized brand. By using the models they use, they basically say ' we cater to average size women, and you can be a size 8-16 and still have D+ boobs'.
It is a sad sign of the society we live in where we are so used to seeing very slim that when we see average we actually see 'chunky' or 'heavy'; and where women feel either intimidated or embarrassed by seeing a diverse range of bodies used in a brands advertising. It needs to change! I'm terrified of what will happen if I ever have a daughter and I come to help her navigate body image.
NB I wish to point out that I am not talking about pepperberry models who seem to get thinner with every catalogue- that is ridiculous!
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Argh! Some of my grammar in this is awful! Sorry!😥
You bring up a really valid point. I hadn't thought about that. Well... Why don't they have a HUGE billboard with women ranging of all sizes? A plus size woman with relatively small boobs, a really non-curvacious thin lady with huge boobs compared to her hips for example, some in-between curvy ladies and ofc, a plus size lady with huge boobs and a really thin lady with really small boobs.
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I wear a 28H. We frequently talk about how shallow shapes become "less frequent" in larger cup sizes. We talk about how shallow breasts are "most common" below a FF cup or so, yet supposedly it is "still possible" to be shallow in larger sizes.
I've never really considered myself to be shallow. My most frequent problems with bras ... are too wide wires and insufficient projection. I rarely run into too narrow wires, and have NEVER experienced empty space at the ends of my cups, even when I try cup sizes that are clearly too big - these are classic hallmarks of a projected, non-shallow shape.
Yet, I have breast tissue all the way up to my collarbones and extending partway into my armpit. I look slightly less busty than some other women with similar measurements, especially when braless. When standing braless, it appears there is a whole hands width without tissue between my breasts, but when gathered into a bra, my breasts suddenly behave as though they are very close set. Maybe I am shallow after all?
In smaller sizes, there's a meaningful distinction to be made between shallow breasts and more concentrated, projected ones. A shallow 30E can look completely flat chested, while a projected, non-shallow 30DD can look quite busty. These shapes also require significantly different bras - shallow-breasted ladies often find bras have too much space on the end, but wires are too small, and vice versa. In larger sizes, even if some breast tissue is spread over the ribcage, most of the breast projects outwards. Bras for larger sizes on small bands are almost invariably comically oversized width-wise, so even ladies with tissue in their armpits find most bras too wide.
I have concluded that perhaps I do in fact have a shallow shape - though not compared to the unrealistically shallow bras available in my size - even "narrow wired" Polish bras wrap past the end of my tissue and don't offer enough projection. However, compared to other women in a similar size range, I am shallow. It's a sad statement about bra manufacturing in the small band-large cup demographic when even a proportionally shallow shape has trouble finding bras with enough projection and narrow enough wires.
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I think (and I could be wrong) that in our size range it becomes more accurate to talk about pendulous vs self-supporting than projected vs shallow. But to answer the question you actually asked - shallow compared to me, probably ;-) I have next to no root, tennis ball in a sock boobs.
To me it sounds like what I would call a "tall root" :) Boobs can be shallow in more than one direction :)
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I have a friend who is really bra-un-savy. She says she isn't even sure what size she wears. I was checking out her bra collection and all the tags are unreadable. She has mostly has mostly some cheapy brand called Fashion Bug. But, she does have 1 Chantelle and 2 Vanity Fair bras. She let me measure them ... to add to Bratabase. With her Chantelle I can tell it's a Rive Guache (3281) but I can't read the size because the tag has faded so much it is unledgible. I just need to find out how to add this bra without being able to know, for sure, what the size is. Can someone help me out with this little problem?
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Measure as much as you can and compare the info to the Rive Gauches listed?
Has anyone tried frankensewing the front of a bra (cups, straps & just the front part of the band) onto the back section (wings, clasp) of another?
I adore my Masquerade Rheas but they're too large in the band. While I am keeping my eyes out for better fitting sizes, I am contemplating the possibility of grafting the ones I ... have onto the bands of something like, say, Curvy Kate's Tease Me. I prefer the wider base, 3 hooks, and stretchy materials of the CK's.
My pink Rhea is starting to show "stretch marks" in the wings because the satin there isn't stretchy, but the band is trying to hoist the weight of my boobs since it's not tight enough. (Although, to be honest, it would probably wear even worse if the band were tight enough; I do like 'em tight.) There's no repairing that kind of fabric weakness, so I'm wondering if I can save it - and make it bigger, better, faster in the process.
I don't sew, so I'd be finding a good base (which would be cheap & easy since I wouldn't care about cup size), then finding a tailor/seamstress to put it together.
Anyone with experience in this kind of activity? Suggestions? Warnings?
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This would actually be a pretty easy alteration, even for a beginner sewist, since the only seams you are sewing are the vertical, non-stretchy ones. You'd then just cut the straps at the small seam on the back of the connector, thread them through the strap attachment on the band, then back through the connector and re-sew them. (I'm now tempted to sew the back of my turquoise Thrill Me onto the Cleo Marcie.)
However, if you plan to do this often, it's probably cheaper to buy lingerie supplies from a website like Sew Sassy or Bramakers Supply, and just draft your own band to replace the band on bras that are uncomfortable.
Yeah, I'm saving all my 3 hook bands. Once I reach my actual size, those 2 hook stupid things are becoming 3 hooks. Since it's a vertical seam, it won't stretch much, so a straight stitch should be fine. I'm also going to try taking in the side seams once the back stretches out.
Only "major" change is I'm going to replace any straps I dislike with something I prefer. Which is fairly simple in my world, plus any straps that don't shorten enough, I can make them shorten more.
When this photo was taken I wore a 34FF/32G cup bra. I now wear a 34JJ cup bra. Over all I am about 20 -25 lbs less in this photo and was about a size 9. I would not dare go out with a bra now as I am in this photo. 3 babies later my breasts sag almost to my belly button.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104384486312903671410/posts
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So I got a curvy Kate today size 28 G and it was too small on bottom half of cup and too big on top half of cup. I tried to fit into it right and wasn't able to so, I am going to sell it on e-bay. I tried on my 28 F Mark and spencer limited ... edition and it fits with 2 bra extenders on the loosest. LOL Can someone please tell me what that means? Am sizing wrong with all my bras because I have to wear extenders for all of them to get them to fit correctly in the cup. I know for sure I am bottom heavy because of the issues with the Curvy Kate Emily it's brown with lime lace. I was hoping it would fit right. It's kind of sad. Any advice (seeing as I am very new to the right size bra wearing experience) would be very much appreciated. My band measurement is 26.5 comfortably and B perimeter is 10. Thanks so much! I was thinking maybe it was because I was shallow. I have tried on bras that are too small but yet they are all baggy. And then the ones that do fit only fit the cups after I put a bra extender on. the bands aren't too tight cause I tested them backwards but the cups are too tight on all my bras until I loosen the band. Could that mean that I have shallow breasts? They look smaller than they are too. A lot smaller. but it takes more than 2 of my hands to cover all of my breast tissue. The only Curvy Kate that every fit was 28 FF elegance plunge but it was too small. I could in the center where the cleavage was supposed to be the cup was digging in like it was too small. Fantasie Susanna is probably the only bra that really looked right on my girls. The 30 E I had was too small. It was painful to wear. I think I have grown out of a bra that I didn't even wear. Now it's too tight with 1 extender. :/ Right now that best fitting is Pour Moi 28 FF with 2 bra extenders on. Thanks for your help!
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You could ask for fitting help for any of your Curvy Kate bras and get some more precise advice :)
28 sounds OK for the band given your back measurement, but then there are tight 28s and loose 28s :-/ ...
Marks & Spencer Limited Collection bands tend to run very, very tight. The 28 usually fits like a 26, occasionally even smaller. You're probably right to choose 28 bands in general; you just happened to get a bra that fits very atypically.
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Hi ladies. I'm asking this question because of the strapgate thing with EM. It's made me question my bra size... Am I wearing too big cups and too tight bands? All bras in the album below are Panache Arizas. I get a better shape in a 30JJ, but my bra cups are pretty tall. I've ... been wearing my 30JJ/28K Arizas with the gore sewn together, straps shortened, and on the tightest hooks. I'm also wondering if maybe my boobs have gotten smaller, but that doesn't make sense because my bust measurement is still 42 standing, 44 bent 90 degrees, and 42 laying down. My breast perimeter is still 15. As for my underbust measurement, 26 break the tape, 28 tight, 32 with air in my lungs measured loosely. All measurements are in inches. Thank you in advance for any advice.
First set: Arizas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37786750@N06/sets/72157634381598631/
ETA: I also don't know where the quadboob that I had previously in the 28K went... It doesn't give me quadboob anymore. I also didn't notice the slight wrinkling in top of my cups until after I'd been scooping and swooping a lot more lately. Could I have stretched them out from reaching into my cups too much?
ETA 2: I've added photos of me in 32GG Freya Deco and 30H Cleo Juna. (both too small in cups/big in band)
Second set: Deco and Juna
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37786750@N06/sets/72157634381782733/
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My experience with Ariza was that in order to get enough depth for my breasts, I had to size up so much that the wires were then too wide for me. That Ariza does look super-wide on you, but it is I think one of those bras that gets really wide in high sizes.
The Deco is not as wide and looks like a better width for you. Juna looks a little wide but also better than the Ariza in my opinion. What is it that makes you think these are too small in the cup?
If anything they both look a little wide, but I can't really see where your breast tissue ends. The Deco's straps are far apart but I think the cup looks good.
rockthecurves - the Juna is a tricky bra. If the lace on it lies flat, it's actually concealing quadboob and the bra is too small. I only know this from seeing a lot of different people try on Junas in different sizes, you couldn't naturally tell this.
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Okay... So I've crossed off high impact activities from my list temporarily. I have no sports bra that supports me enough for it and it's been *extremely* hard to find one that fits me. Moving on. I really want a GOOD crop top sports bra. I hate ordering online because nothing has ever fit me so far and I've ordered ... 20+ bras from the UK. You'd think that it's easier finding a low/medium impact crop top sports bra but I simply do not wanna take the risk when I probably could be better off sewing one myself! My biggest fit issue despite wearing "the right size" is that the neckline is far too low for me in any sports bra I've ever tried on (good cup width + good cup depth but the vertical coverage has been laughable). That's where sewing it yourself comes in handy! The only problem is I've never done anything like this before. I tried googling "DIY crop top", but that was probably not the best idea because the best I could find was using a trashy tank top and sewing in bikini padding O__O Anyone got any idea how to go about this? How to construct it? I thought about using an old one as a pattern (it's way too small in the cup and way too big in the band) but that one doesn't really fit me.
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And oh! Also... I found the elastic that I bought to be pretty weak. It's probably meant to be used in the waist-section for skirts and so on... Does anyone know of sturdier elastic, and where to get it?
Would it be easier to get a bra that is a close fit and modify it?
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My EM bras are here! Except I missed the delivery, it's 5:01 pm, they took them back to the post office, and I leave the country tomorrow. FFFFFFFUUUuuuu D:
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I keep hearing about stories like these... At least from women living in the US. What's up with that? Do you need to sign the package or something before you can receive it? Whenever I order something (I live in Sweden) I don't have to worry about stuff like that, they just put it in my mail box.
aRRGGGHHH! How horrible! I feel your pain. I'm always missing deliveries, too.
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If you find a moulded cup too round, try a freya unpadded balconette (freya is a sister brand of fantasie and they fit very similarly) as that style gives a very perky, uplifted but natural look. :)
I haven't had much luck with Freya bras as they tend to wrinkle in the cups for me. Mind you, I've never tried their balconette. Thanks for the tip!
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