Bra fitting help » Wire jabbing sternum and underarm painfully

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Curvy Kate » Tease Me Padded Bra (SG2001) » 28D 28:4

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Suggestions (3)

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  I had the exact same problem with this bra, same size and color and everything. I did all the things you talked about, including bending the wires outward with pliers, plus I tried washing the bra, soaking it, etc., hoping to soften it up. Nothing worked, and I eventually had to get rid of it.
  I own another CK bra now, actually - the Angel - and it has very similar problems. I think this is happening because the casing for the underwires in CK bras is very thin, and not particularly soft. This makes the pressure from the wire much sharper, which can be especially painful on more bony ribcages.

  For me, the Tease Me was not worth keeping as the wires were not only painful, but not actually wide enough for my breasts. If the wires are completely encasing your boobs, though, you should try adding some more padding to the ends of them. Some people sew strips of felt over the ends, and I've personally had luck with wearing a cotton makeup pad under the painful wires. But in my experience, this just makes the bra wearable for a few more hours - by the end of the day, I still have to tear it off, and may still have red marks from the wires. So you might want to try the cotton/fabric pads first, see if that makes the bra usable, and sew on the felt if it does. If it doesn't... well, I guess you have a special occasion bra.

  Updated on July 13, 2012 Flag this

  
  

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  It looks to me as if you need a bra made for breasts with a smaller root. Curvy Kate specializes in large cup sizes, so their styles mostly provide support all the way to the underarm; this can result in the poking you're experiencing.

  However, I also notice that it looks like your straps are digging in a bit. Try loosening them up a bit and see if it helps. The straps should be taking on a maximum of 10% of the weight of your breasts while the band should be taking upwards of 90%. They should be just tight enough that they don't slip off, but not so tight that they cut into your shoulders.

  If you're looking for cute balconette-style bras in your size, figleaves.com has a lot. It looks like Masquerade and Panache have a few that look a lot like this in terms of shape and adorableness, if Curvy Kate doesn't give you love. This one in particular looks a lot like the Tease Me bra: http://www.figleaves.com/us/product/MQ-6121/Masquerade-Rhea-Bandeau-Bra/?size=28D&colour=Pinks

  Good luck!

  Updated on July 17, 2012 Flag this

  
  

  • That one looks good, thank you! And I adjusted the straps but there was really no improvement. I think they just look tight - they weren't too bad.

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  I think this can happen when you wear a bra on the smallest hook. The band may fit okay on the smallest hook, but the cups are still situated slightly too far apart (made for a slightly wider rib cage) & the wires may be "flatter" in order to be wide enough for a slightly wider bust & ribcage. Bending the wires a bit has helped me with some bras like that & over time they got more & more comfortable; since that's not happening for you with this bra though, then maybe the wires & cups are just wrong for you.

  I think Ewa Michaleik makes 26 bands - possibly try those or go for brands which sit the cups closer together (not sure what to recommend there; still trying new bras out myself). Looking at Mimi Holliday, they seem to place the cups close together & to work well for smaller busts which need D+ cup sizes. My cheap M+S bras are pretty good as far as cup placement goes too.

  Updated on July 18, 2012 Flag this

  
  

  • I don't think I actually need narrower cups - I am actually broad-chested with wide shoulders (but a narrow ribcage, and thin). I am 5'8" and my breasts are probably somewhat wideset, so I really appreciate the width of the underwire going under my arm.

    I have tried on bras that go the same distance under my arm, and none of them hurt the way this one did, so I Don't think that's the problem. Also I don't think it's the straps, or the band being on the tightest hook - it digs pretty intensely no matter what I do.

    I don't normally need a 26 band - this bra seems to just have a fairly loose band. In fact I have a 30 band that fits really nicely. When it was new I used it on the loosest hook. (Now it's slightly older and I use it on the middle hook).

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