Bra fitting help » Looks and feels small, hurts after wearing for a few hours.
Cleo » Lucy Balconnet Bra (5851) » 30H 30:11
Issue resolved
I'm ordering two from those suggested in a 30J and see how it goes from there. Thanks for all the help!
Original problem
I'm currently wearing size 30H but it feels too small on the cup and I have a lot of spillage under the wires and quad boobs. It rides up my back after a few hours of usage, it digs into my shoulders and it doesn't lie flat against my sternum. I also suffer from rash from the heat and the fact that my under boobs lie against skin most of the time.
-This- one bra in particular also pokes under my arms.
Before buying two of Cleo Lucy in size 30H I was wearing 32F. Same problems as stated above but worse. I've remeasured myself and the suggested size is a 28J, but I don't know... I want to be sure and hear more recs before ordering a new bra batch.
I've had issues with my bra sizes since forever. I'm originally from Panama and we've never had sizes higher than a DDD at best. Now I'm living in South Korea and I have not even bothered to look since they have pretty much smaller breasts.Thanks for your help!
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Suggestions (3)
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Based on the pictures, I don't think a 28J will be big enough in the cups, as this will only be one cup bigger. To me, this looks at least 2 cups small, possibly even 3. It also looks like the gore is too wide for you. It's hard to say whether you need a smaller band size in general, as I think the Lucy runs somewhat loose in this size range. Would you mind sharing your three underbust measurements (loose, about as snug as you'd like your bra to be, and as tight as you can squeeze the tape)?
Just based on these pictures, I would hesitantly start with a 30J or so, but it's possible you will need bigger in the cups or smaller in the band. If you like the Cleo aesthetic and are willing to experiment with a few more sizes, you might find one of the styles with a narrower gore and more open/generous cups to be better on you - perhaps start with something like the Cleo Marcie or Ellis in a 30J? The Panache Jasmine, Envy or Floris also have similar cuts, but they have a better size range, and in particular I found both the Floris and the animal print Jasmine to run firm in the band (so may be a good choice if you want something closer to a true/firm 30 band).
Updated on May 27, 2014 Flag this
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That isn't much difference between your measurements, suggesting you'd probably want a true-to-size 30 band at minimum. Most 28s would likely be too small for you. Based off what you've put in for your measurements and breast type, your shape seems quite similar to mine, though I think you might be a cup or two smaller than me at the moment.
Some possible suggestions based on bras that have worked for me: Cleo Marcie and Ellis, Panache Jasmine, Floris, and Envy may all be worth trying in a 30J, though some colours/styles might still be slightly too loose in the band. I probably wouldn't recommend trying Lucy again, as I think the gore is too wide for you and the cups will probably still be too small. If you're definitely bottom heavy, you also might get along with Bravissimo balconettes around a size 30JJ.
I'm not sure what else you could try, as I have personally found that in our sort of size range, quite a lot of popular bras can have issues with the construction. Is this the only bra you've tried in this size range? Are there any bra stores you could go to, or are you ordering online only? How much are you willing to spend on a bra?
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Seconding that a different style with more open or deeper cups and a narrower gore might suit you better and be more comfortable.
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I also have a Cleo Juna (6461) in the same size. This one is a little less uncomfortable but the boob spillage is massive on the top and, again, the band tends to run up. Panache Tango Ii Balconette (3251) is a little nicer on the quad boob department but I don't like the shape it gives me. Also have a Fantasie Esme Moulded Bra (2471) and this one is just spilling underboobs all around.
$60 is my maximum, as I also need to consider shipping and handling, etc. and I need to get at least 3 or 4...
Checked on ASOS, cause they sell Panache and Freya (has this brand worked for you?) and have free shipping, but the selection available is really small.
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Do you have all the bras you've just mentioned in a 30H? If so you probably do need 2-3 cups up in most of them, definitely doesn't sound comfy!
Off-the-rack, Panache and Cleo seem to have the best cut for me, though some of their bras can have problems with the wires coming up a bit too high. Freya have some lovely designs, but the main problem with them in our sort of size range is that the wires aren't very firm, so they won't sit flat in the centre like they're supposed to, though they're generally still quite supportive. If you tried Freya, I would probably start with something like a 30J/JJ. Bravissimo balconettes in a 30JJish may also work, though it's hard to find them for less than full price (I'll have to check, but I think I had a few I was planning on selling if that would be any use). The other main big brand is Curvy Kate, whose older styles weren't the best construction-wise, but the new styles are quite promising. I would probably start with a 30J/JJ or so in the new Curvy Kate balconettes (I'm personally a fan of the Gia). You might get along with their half-cups/t-shirt bras but I think before buying lots of bras, you probably just want to pinpoint a good size down in a basic style, then we can recommend more styles we think will suit you. If there are any bras or brands in particular that you're interested in I can try to advise if I've tried it!
For buying bras, ASOS is good as they have free shipping, though I don't think their range of styles is too good after a certain point. Another good store is largecuplingerie.com (free worldwide shipping, currently a sale), though they don't tend to have many bras in stock at any one time. I use Amazon for a lot of bra buying but I'm not sure if that's a thing where you are. I'd also keep an eye out on the listings here, hopefully something in your range will pop up :) But yeah, I'd say just try a basic style or two at first, just until you find your starting point size.
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I know this takes some time, but it would be really useful if you could input all your own measurements, plus the bra's measurements. It'll help users comment on the bras that would work for you as well as why the current one does not work.
Updated on May 27, 2014 Flag this
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just added them! Thanks for the help :)
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Great! OK, just looking at those numbers tells quite a story. For example, this bra has cups 12" deep whereas your breast perimeter is a full 3 inches more than that! So I think whatever bra you try next, it should be something that has at least a 14" depth, possibly closer to 15 if you have firm tissue and/or implants. I also see that the Lucy does indeed run loose (32" despite being a 30) as brasandbodyimage suggested above, which is good news as it means you may yet be able to wear 30 bands in other models as long as they're more true to size.
In short if you search by measurements you should be able to find some options. When I searched right now with just the band and cup depth as desired measurements (30 and 14.5) it turned up a lot of 30JJs, 30Ks in British brands--Panache, Freya etc. I'm not sure what is most accessible to you from Korea but these are not too hard to find online.
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Thanks a lot! I'll def look more into measurements when buying my next bras!
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If I did not use the measurements on here I literally would not have a single bra that fits even after months of searching! They are such a lifesaver for anyone who is in the lower or higher size ranges, where brands tend to be inconsistent in their constructions, or if you are an outlier in terms of any one boob dimension.
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With a ribcage measurement of 30 inches, how do you come to the conclusion that you'd need a 28 band? I think a 30 should be fine, if not a 32 (depends on your 'squishiness' - some users with little 'squish' on their ribs prefer to size up in the band).
As for cup size, telling from the pictures I'd say the 30H is at least 2 cup sizes too small.
Also, the Lucy is pretty closed on top and seems to be cutting into your upper tissue. Maybe a cut that's more open on top (e.g. Cleo Marcie (6831) and sister cuts) would be better for you. (I'm not completely sure whether it's a size or a shape issue, since I don't have much experience in your size range.)
Updated on May 27, 2014 Flag this
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This bra is a 30 band and has been riding up her back... I think this is what led her to think perhaps she needed to size down in the band. I'm guessing she had not measured the bra at that point and did not realize it was over 32" stretched and thus not very representative of most 30 bands.
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wendybien I agree. The Lucy is pretty stretchy.
The band riding up could also be caused by the straps being too short. Cleos' straps sometimes don't adjust long enough. It's difficult to tell what's really going on without a back view pic.
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brasandbodyimage 76.5cm snug, 75cm tight, 77 loose.