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Band stretchiness vs. length
It's been a while since I was last able to buy new bras, so just about half my wardrobe is nearing the end of the line ): But, since such a long time has passed, I've started to wonder if I had been indeed measuring properly. I had a bunch of 55 bands from Ewa Michalak, and it appears they no longer make anything with that band size due to that whole Facebook debacle. I'm not trying to bring that up again, because ugh. But it did make me think - they said their band sizes run according to actual underbust measurement, rather than converting from US/UK sizing. My underbust measures around 63cm (24.5 inches), and I had found most of their bands to be comfortable enough, but maybe that might just be due to how stretchy the bands were, and that they were in reality too short for me. I'm learning now that my breasts are shallow and wide-rooted, so EM wasn't actually a good fit for me anyway, but maybe I had prematurely written off other brands just because they didn't offer 26 bands. Would sizing down for a band that's very stretchy affect the fit? I was thinking of it like rubber bands - just because a small rubber band *can* stretch around something doesn't mean a bigger one won't be just as effective, if not more so. And maybe that's why I have a problem with just about every bra I've tried.
sorry I ramble >:
Filed under Bra sizing and fit
10 comments
1) You are supposed to measure really really tightly to use your ribcage measurement for EM. So tight that you really cannot do it yourself. So far EVERY person I've encountered that has been measured by Ewa Michalak herself has at most needed the UK band size they were in bras that run a bit tighter.
2) The example Ewa Michalak gave was putting someone that measured 92 cm in a 70-band. That would be like putting you in a 40-band/20" band...
So, don't think too much about that...
However, in regards to band size. In general wires don't stretch much just because the band is small. However, for your own comfort, pick the band that is the largest but that still won't ride up on the loosest setting. And if that means that the band under will be too tight directly, start off by wearing it with an extender. There is no use of wearing bands tighter than you acutally need.
However, wearing bands looser than needed causes the porportions to be off, the band in the back to ride up, the cups to tip etc and you stand with an unsupportive bra that does not lift and moves around and causes trouble.
At your size you are probably not very compressible. If you did find your previous bras fine, then it is probably the size you still need in those bras. Some models might run tighter and some looser though (I need 26,28 or 30 depending on tightness in EM). I would look at measurements here and see if you cna find something that seems to run a bit tighter. Or just e-mail and ask if they would consider making 55 bands in some specific models...
You need to be close enough to the bands "fully stretched" measurement to be able to have the force enough to keep the band from sliding up your back. This mean that if the band stretches to more, then you need it in a smaller size... In general it is the stretched measurement that is the more critical one as we need the tension to make the band sit still.
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