Bra fitting help » The Wrong Fit?

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Curvy Kate » Emily Balcony Bra (CK5001) » 32JJ 32:14

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  From looking at the bra I think you might be suffering from reversed letterphobia. See this article:

  http://drueberunddrunter.blogspot.de/2012/04/english-reversed-letterphobia-and-war.html

  Making an educated guess the cups are too big and the band too small. The wires of the bra extend all the way to your back, it is very rare for a women to need such wide wires. (Ok, I would need such wide wires, I admit it, but I've found I am the exception for the norm.)

  Since the wires extend all the way to the back, you are not using the cup as it was meant to. A lot of the volume of the cup is not filled by your breasts, it actually extends the back.

  I would recommend going down in cupsize and up in bandsize to get narrower wires.

  You probably know that a too small cup can make a band feel tight. The same is true in reverse when the cup is too big, which is exactly what is going on here.

  So if a 34J feels loose in the band, go down to a 34HH or 34H.

  I would also recommend looking at other bra styles. You seem to need the depth of a Curvy Kate-32JJ-cup, so I would recommend trying deeper cups. Look at Freya, Fantasie, Fayreform and Gorgeous by Debenhams.

  EDIT: I just saw that you have also tried the Freya Antoinette in 34J. Could you please post pictures of yourself in this bra? Or write some more information on how this bra fit you? And maybe the Panache Sienna and or Panache Tango Classic too?

  Updated on August 31, 2012 Flag this

  
  

  • Thanks for pointing the wide wires out. Somehow didn't notice them before. I did try the 34J before this one, which felt too loose, so I may have to try to see if I can get a 34HH or H. I'll have a look around for those other brands.

    Just added the photos for those bras. They should be approved in a couple of hours. Here's how they fit:

    Freya Antoinette 34J:
    Centre gore doesn't lie flat.
    Cups seem too big.
    Band is really stretchy.

    Panache Sienna 34JJ:
    Band is really stretchy.
    Weird side shape, but looks good under clothes.
    A bit of room in cup, could possibly go smaller.
    Wires come up too high.

    Panache Tango Classic 34HH:
    Quadboob.
    Band fits well.
    Side profile is a little pointy.

    Thanks for your help! As you can see, I don't really have a single bra that fits well, so I appreciate it.

  • That the centergore doesn't lie flat is a common problem in Freya bras in larger cupsizes. Roughly about 32H/34GG/36G and in larger cups the materials Freya uses are too soft and not supportive enough. The weight of the breasts tends to bend Freya wires out of shape, the centergore twists and has a tendency to fall forward, especially when the cups are too big. The fix is to insert sturdier wires. Up to a certain size you can buy the wires from specialised online shops for sewing your own bras. Past a certain size you need to use other bras and cannibalise them for the wires.

    A brand that I forgot to mention: Bravissimo is also very good, they also have relatively narrow and stable wires in larger cupsizes.

  • Ok, I looked at the pictures of the other bras. I think that 34HH is your correct size, but the shape of the cup of the Tango is all wrong for you. Your breasts are shaped like a torpedo, you need bras with a lot of forward projection. The Tango was simply too shallow in the cup. The Freya Antoinette in 34J looked a lot better, but the cup was a tiny bit too big. This in combination with the looser band from Freya made the band unstable.

    I would recommend trying the bras by Bravissimo, especially the Linear Rose and the Boudoir Beau Bra. The Panache Andorra and the Panache Ariza might also work, order those in 34HH and 34J in comparision if possible. The Ariza has a very tight band, this is the one bra that you really better get in a 34 band.

    If you are playing the ebay game, keep your eyes peeled for the Fantasie Kara Fullcup in 34HH, 34J and maybe 32J.

    Another bra that you could check out is the Elomi Energise in 34HH. Elomi is a company designing bras for large cup-large band combos, their bras are really sturdy. Since the Energise is a sports bra the band runs tight. The wires will most likely be too wide, but I think you'll like the support you get from this bra.

    You should note that on you the center gore most likely cannot sit flat. Your forward projection is really strong. If the center gore will sit flat the cup will most likely be too big with too wide wires.

  • BTW, I think the Sienna won't ever fit you correctly. You might want to list this for sale. If you like the shape fo the bra you could keep an eye out for the Cleo Alexa.

  • Thanks for all the suggestions! It's good to know that the Tango is my correct size. I guess, seeing as I was getting the quadboob effect, I thought that the size was wrong rather than the style.

    Would it be worth trying the Antoinette in a 32J? It is a rather comfy bra.

    I wish that there was a store that I could go into and try on some bras to get an idea of what works, but the size range is very limited in local places. I'll look out for the ones you mentioned online.

  • If you like the Antoinette, yes it would make sense to try it in 32J. But the wires of Freya bras are really to soft for the larger sizes. I fear that the tighter band might pull the cup flat, giving you quadboob and a hovering centergore. This might make the cup look too small when really the wires are at fault. It usually helps to figure out whether it is the cups or the wires if you insert an extension into the 32J, simulating a 34HH.

    The Bravissimo bras I mentioned above are shaped similar to the Freya Antoinette plus their wires are more supportive. They might be the better choice in the long run.

  • The Fantasie Kara 34HH arrived in the mail and I uploaded photos. It seems to fit well aside from cutting into my right breast a little. Should I try a 34J?

  • I took a look at the Kara. It is wearable, but a bit small. I'm sorry that I was wrong about your size. *wince* If you can get this bra in 34J or 32JJ it might fit you better, especially on the larger boob. But then the wires might be too wide. The wires look really good on the 34HH.

    I also repeat the recommendation for the Panache Andorra, this bra in 34J should fit you well. The elastic lace on the Andorra is great. On the Kara the top of the cup flattens you (in part bc it is a bit small), the Andorra won't do that. 34J for the Andorra bc this bra runs a bit small in the cup and gives a better, more rounded shape if you take it one cupsize up.

    Cleo Alexa would probably be good on you as well as the Bravissimo Boudoir Beau.

    On the Elomi Energise the wires will most likely be too wide.

  • It's ok. It's not too noticeable under a shirt, and as you say, it is wearable unlike everything I own at the moment, bar the Antoinette. It seems really supportive, and I'm pleased with the shape it gives me. I'll see if I can one of those other sizes and compare. I'll try 34J first as the band does feel nice and snug.

    I have an Alexa on the way and will order a Boudoir Beau and an Andorra.

    Shame about the Energise as it would be good to have a sports bra.

    Thanks so much for your help!

  • The Elomi Energise is worth a try, you just have to decide whether you can live with the too wide wires when you try it on. Some women do not mind, others cannot abide it.

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  The cups on this bra in my experience are wide-set and tend to make me point outwards. How do you like your silhouette under clothes? My Emily fits and in comfortable, but I don't really get a shape I like with it.

  If you want a more forward-facing projection, I'd suggest a different bra. I am not sure whether the Panache Tango would work for you, since I feel a bit pointy in it, but I admit I don't know mesh/lace bras very well.

  Updated on August 31, 2012 Flag this

  

  faustineli

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  • It actually looks pretty good under clothes. More 'relaxed' than some other bras, but good none the less.

    Tango makes me a bit pointy too, but it might be partially because I'm wearing the wrong size. Fairly bad quadboob in the 34HH.

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  On me that bra looks like that on me when in too small a cup size, but then I really do need wires to end just behind my arms.

  In too small cups my boobs just seems to crawl out of the bra and it looks like on you. But then it mustn't be the same reason for you looking like that.

  Also: Emily has a big space between the boobs so if your boobs are fuller in the middle it might help to take in the center gore like this http://boobiusmaximus.livejournal.com/1474.html because it gives more room for the boobs in the middle However it also does shorten the band so then sizing up on band might be better just as t_maia suggest. And as you say your boobs are separated it might be the wrong kind of alteration for you. You can however see what happens if you hold the fabric tight at the center gore with both your hands. You will immediately see/feel if your boobs settles deeper in the cups.

  Updated on August 31, 2012 Flag this

  
  

  • Indeed. I didn't realize that the wires were so wide so initially though I needed a bigger cup size.

    Holding the fabric seems to improve for my right breast, but no the left (and bigger) one. Good to know that there is this option. Will definitely need a larger band size to do this as this one is rather tight already. But yes, will how a 34 goes.

  • seems to improve the fit*

  • Ah I see. I'll be curious on how it will look in a bigger band size :)

  • " But like with almost every other bra, the part where the strap and cup meet doesn't really sit flat, despite it fitting everywhere else."

    Could you elaborate on that issue btw?

  • I had that problem myself when I started to wear correctly fitted bras. This is something that will most likely fix itself as your breasts adjust to your new bras. On some women however it will stay that way, if you are one of them just make sure this cannot be seen under a shirt and you'll be fine. It is annoying, but not a fit issue that you should really worry about.

  • This bra is atleast two cup sizes too small. Unpadded Curvy Kate bras runs a bit small compared to other brands, and in larger sizes they more or less covers the whole breast. In your case you have way to little depth which causes your breasts to push the cup downwards and outwards. That gives the east/west shape and the overall saggy look.

    As your breasts try to push the cup down it also causes the front to dip down and it looks like the back is sliding up.

    Having breasts extending to a bit under the arm is very common in larger cup sizes, and you definitly belong in those sizes. However you look like you need more depth rather than more width so you might want to change brand.

    Freya has a romour of being deep in the cups but they are not deeper than other brands in their larger cup sizes plus that the wires are too weak.

    Based on the size you're in I would suggest either looking for Ewa Michalak or Cleos that run really generous. Alexa or Chloe could work for you in a 32J or even a 34J in Chloe.

    Panache otherwise will be very wide on you, atleast the Panche styles available in your size. You also might like Bravissimo bras, and they do also go quite high up in sizes. A 32JJ, 32K or even a 32KK might be a good start there. :)

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