Nordstrom Rack Run, 7/26/14
I went to Nortstrom Rack today, and while I didn't find any bras in my exact size (30F), I decided to try some near-sizes just to get a sense of whether they might work. None of them really did! Since I just tried them on briefly, it doesn't make sense to make full entries about them, but I took some notes in the dressing room, and I'm recording them here so I remember what not to get.
Freya Deco Hatty Moulded Plunge Bra (1281) in 30E - This was actually OK for a plunge; the cups were tight and I got some quad-boob on both sides, but that's expected from a cup size too small. I'd be interested to try it in my size (even though I didn't love the 30F - Freya ยป Deco Moulded Plunge Bra (4234). Are they exactly the same?)
Betsey Johnson Intimates Stocking Stripe Lightly Lined Demi Bra (723803) in 32DDD - This was the second-best option. It was comfortable and cute and almost worked, except for some quad-boob in the middle. I could see potentially finding something in this line if I had more wiggle room to play with the sizes, but 32DDD is by far the closest size for me, though (there's no sister size down: 30DDD is as high as it goes).
Panache Porcelain Moulded T-shirt Bra (3376) (I think? It just said "Panache Superbra" on it) in 30FF - Horrible. Granted, this is a size up from what I normally get, and sizing down might have helped the extreme wideness of the cups, but not the fact that it was too closed on top, so I got major quad-boob.
Natori Cool Contour Full Fit (136056) in 32DDD - This type of bra, with a smooth, seamless shape, often just looks awful on me for no particular reason. In this case, I was able to identify that the cups were way too wide.
Chantelle Depuis (1876) in 32DDD/F - Does this have an entry in Bratabase? I couldn't find it. It was navy blue and covered in anchors. Anyway, it looked terrible. Too shallow.
Felina Parisienne Demi Memory Foam Contour Bra (150695) in 32DDD - This was the worst of all for reasons I couldn't quite identity. The cups folded oddly, making my boobs look angular/square. Also, I fell in toward the middle.
QUESTION: While all of the 32DDD's were bad for other reasons (shape issues, mainly), they also seemed somewhat big in the cups at times. (Well, big in some ways, small in others.) I'm wondering if that's not my real sister size. I usually wear a 30F (UK), so if something is labeled 32DDD in a U.S. store, does that mean it's equivalent to a 32E (UK) as I assumed, or should I be trying 32DD's as my true sister size?
Filed under Bras ups and downs
The answer is it depends on the brand. The size variations in D+ cup bras are more significant than in the A-D range in my experience.
I rarely see sub-32 bands in Nordstrom Rack, I would advise you to try on 30s at the "real" Nordstrom and then look for deals on the sales rack, and of course you can also write down the models that fit you well and hunt for bargains online as well.