Tried on 5 Bras...What Size Am I?
So, I'm thinking I'm probably a 28DDDD/F or 28DDDDD/G. My ribcage is 26" tight, 27" loose and my bust is 34" boob perimeter is 9" and I have a lot of projection (relatively full all around but slightly more on bottom than top) and relatively narrow roots.
ANYWAY. I'm on a no-buy but I still wanted to try on lingerie, so I went to Nordstrom rack, and tried on some bras, here was how they felt:
1.) Panache un-padded lined bra (Melissa) (32DDD/E): slight puckering at top and sides from too-wide cups, but overall the cups had the right volume. The band was far too loose and rode up.
2.) Freya longline bra (30DDDD/F): Cup volume good, albeit sliiiightly too big, but it also cut into my breast tissue in the center, probably just a bad shape for me. Band way too loose.
3.) Freya Tartan bra (30DDD/E): Great shape for my breasts but ever so slightly too small.
4.) Panache Neve (30DDD/E): Probably fit the best, maybe cups slightly too small and band slightly too big but overall a good fit.
5.) Some bra (can't remember brand!) in 30FF- definitely too big both in rib and cup, also just a bad shape.
Judging from these I'd say I could probably take anywhere from a 30E-28G. And right now I'm wearing 30DDs and 32DDs which are not very comfortable!
Filed under Bra sizing and fit
8 comments
Did you try the recommendations?
http://www.bratabase.com/recommendations/
Also, I'd suggest that you add this bras, even if you don't have them, mark them as not owned but report the fit, that will ensure that the recommendations you get take this into consideration.
Suggestion One: Know Thy Boob Shape
Your measurements are almost exactly like mine, but I don't necessarily wear the same bra sizes. This is one of those "fit issues" where SHAPE is crucial, I think.
For me, the length of the underwires and the height of the wings are vital to how bras fit me. I've learned to look at measurements for center gore, side heights, and underwire length before I even ponder what size I might need in any bra. When I "research" possible fits here, I look for 3" tall sides, cups less than 8" deep, at least 2" center gore, etc. For cups, the size listed on the bra label winds up being irrelevant, and the band size winds up depending upon the cup size. It's exactly the opposite of what we've been taught when it comes to bra sizing, but, as you will soon see, bra designers are radically inconsistent in their concepts of size.
In any case, It's highly unlikely that you will have a "regular" bra size, not just because of differences in styles and brand, but because of hormones, weather, diet, etc. You'll probably find a "range" and possibly a favorite cut in a particular brand.
For example, I wear a 30DD in a Just Peachy Nonpadded Balconette, a 30D in Freya longline, a 28DD in a Curvy Kate Daily Boost, a 28E in Cleo, and a 32D in a Soma. (Sister sizing is an urban legend.) From the bras I wear and/or have tried, for me Freya and Curvy Kate have had larger bands than Panache/Cleo, even though they may be labeled with the exact same size. Soma bands run very small, Bali bands run huge, etc.
It gets even more complicated though, because sometimes the color of the bra affects the fit! I'm not joking.
My 28E Nude Juna has a longer band than my 28DD Strawberry Juna, even though they are both 28 bands. (This is a consistent with the experiences of reviewers here.) Some dyes cause fabric to "shrink" while others cause fabric to loosen faster.
So "bra size" is relative to many factors, and finding bras that fit is a long journey of trial and error.
First learn your overall boob shape. Then do a search here based on your measurements, and eventually you will begin to recognize which bras look and feel the best.
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