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angelicism posted:Well, this thread has told me it's probably time to go bra shopping -- I send my bras out to the laundry the same as the rest of my clothes, and god knows what they do with them but I'm sure my launderer doesn't care enough to treat them separately. Also I've had some bras for ages. A good bra not only makes you look better under your clothes, it helps your posture. If the band is not supporting you, the straps pull down on your shoulders, hurting your back and hunching you over. A properly fitted bra is like a shot of comfort, confidence and happiness. Plus, a crappy one can make you miserable all day. I've refit women who came in feeling small and miserable with their chest, and then after a good fit walk out oozing confidence. It makes a *huge* difference!! Bras are more important than shoes and purses. Those just make you look okay. Undergarments are your foundation.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:30 |
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| # ? May 25, 2013 22:57 |
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Gonktastic posted:If you own a couple dozen, expect them to take a LOT longer to wear out! If you're regularly wearing a bra (twice or more a week) then it will last 8-12 months. It could be a lot of money though... but think about it: I'm confused. How many bras do people usually own? And how often do you wear them before you wash them? Because I have like ~15-20 everyday ones and like half a dozen special ones (clear strap gap between the cups for something with a front slit, over the top lacy for special occasions, pushup with little gel padding thingies actually I never wear this bra anymore it's just weird...) and I wear them each like once or twice before laundry and do laundry once a month. I was unaware this was not typical.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:37 |
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Gonktastic posted:
Already did.  They were kinda old anyway.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:38 |
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angelicism posted:I'm confused.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:44 |
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moana posted:I'm terrible with this because I always choose a "favorite" bra and then almost exclusively wear that one (like, every day of the week except laundry day) until it wears out. Same with jeans. Football analogy: why would I choose anyone *but* Darren Sproles to return a kickoff? Yeah, I have 3-4 backup kick returners, but they are not the best so I never put them on the field unless Sproles is injured. Hahaha I definitely do that too, unless there's some reason I need to wear a different one, like if I need to wear my beige one under a white shirt, or today for example, I wore the black one with my black shirt because I know the straps will likely end up showing and it's a lot less obvious when it's the same colour.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:49 |
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Not to be mean, but the idea of wearing a bra for multiple days it kind of gross. You sweat into them, don't you? Although I guess I wear my gym clothes for several days in succession but that's because I anticipate sweating into them.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:51 |
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This thread has really got me thinking more deeply about women's perspectives on self-image. When choosing undergarments, I tend to go for comfort. Boxers rule in that regard. Though, for a woman, since her breasts are a more obvious feature than a dude's package, I guess it makes more sense to think more about appearance. There has to be a happy medium there somewhere. 
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:53 |
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angelicism posted:Not to be mean, but the idea of wearing a bra for multiple days it kind of gross. You sweat into them, don't you? On a typical day, I don't really do anything that causes me to sweat (unless I go to the gym, in which case I'm wearing a different bra anyway). I usually wear shirts twice as well before washing them unless they get really dirty or smelly for some reason. Then again, I'm not on the level of "dirty hippie" or anything, but I do think most of society is a little too obsessed with things being overly clean.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:59 |
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angelicism posted:Not to be mean, but the idea of wearing a bra for multiple days it kind of gross. You sweat into them, don't you? edit: yeah, what KasioDiscoRock says. I almost always wear shirts two or three times before washing unless I spill something on them.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 18:59 |
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I had my breast implants removed about 9 months ago (long story) and am having some troubles. I don't feel comfortable buying new bras unless I have been properly sized by a professional for my special situation, but there are no boutiques or Nordstrom in my area. Are any other department stores better than others?
Candygram fucked around with this message at Nov 9, 2009 around 19:06 |
| # ? Nov 9, 2009 19:04 |
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I hate hate hate hate shopping for bras. I can never find any that fit right. I went into a Victoria's Secret in high school and asked them if they stocked 34As and the sales lady actually laughed at me. Bitch. I asked to see the manager.  I hope she got fired.I've since given up and nowadays I go to Wal-Mart or JC Penney and buy Vassarette. They're the only ones that don't gape horribly at the top and are actually priced reasonably. Unfortunately, the majority of bras in a size that fits, IF it fits, are butt ugly or generic plain ol' black. None of my bras make me feel sexy because they're not pretty or don't fit right.  I would love to get something like Thalia underwired balconette bra but... one hundred loving dollars?!? For one bra?!? I can't afford that when I can get 5 for the same price of a lesser, decent-enough brand. Never mind that buying a bra online is pretty much a guaranteed not-fit for me. I just can't win. It also doesn't help that the models in the bras are ZOMG HUGE TITS. I don't think I've ever seen a model in an A cup bra...
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 19:14 |
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Most women, from what I hear, have 3-5 bras. I have probably 6 that I wear on a regular basis. If you have a bra that you love and wear daily... buy more of it. I usually wear my bras around 3-4 times before washing them, because I don't really sweat and they don't get dirty fast. XXdragonsparkzXX, I would say call around and ask for managers. Ask them how long they've been doing bra fittings.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 19:34 |
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daggerdragon posted:I hate hate hate hate shopping for bras. I can never find any that fit right. I went into a Victoria's Secret in high school and asked them if they stocked 34As and the sales lady actually laughed at me. Bitch. I asked to see the manager. You have to realize, wearing a really expensive bra is like having your tatas held up by moonbeams and marshmallows. It's heavenly!
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 19:37 |
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What about unequal breasts? What's the plan there?
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 20:19 |
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Depends on how equal. If they're slightly off, you should always fit towards the larger breast. Often, you can fix any gapping by tightening the strap on the smaller side. If you're 1/2 a cup size apart or more, your options are a bit more limited. You can buy padded bras with removable pads and take out the one on the fuller side. This helps even you out. Also, there are varying sizes of silicone inserts which can be placed in the smaller side to fill out the cup. Always fit for the larger breast though, or else you'll spill all over the place. I'd say at least half of women have one breast larger than the other. It's usually the left one for some reason.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 20:25 |
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Gonktastic posted:Someone quoted this site earlier but here it is again: https://lulalu.com/ They offer lots of petite bras. I'm not a petite. I'm long and lanky - I have to buy jeans in the Long&Tall variety. Or does "petite" in bra-lingo just mean "petite cups"? I can't quite tell from the pictures.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 20:50 |
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Thank you for making this thread! I currently own 4 bras that don't fit and are uncomfortable and it's been years since I wore them. And two that I have been wearing non-stop for the last 3 years. I know they are all worn out, they aren't comfy either. So I recently moved to almost exclusively wearing camis with liners. Which I can get away with because my boobs are tiny. Also, I hate underwire and never, ever buy it. OK, so a quick at home measure gives me ribcage is 29, boobs are 33. I must be doing something wrong, that's a 32...D? Uhm, help please?
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 20:56 |
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moana posted:I'm terrible with this because I always choose a "favorite" bra and then almost exclusively wear that one (like, every day of the week except laundry day) until it wears out. Same with jeans. Football analogy: why would I choose anyone *but* Darren Sproles to return a kickoff? Yeah, I have 3-4 backup kick returners, but they are not the best so I never put them on the field unless Sproles is injured. Seriously, I found a bra I loved and then I bought three more identical ones. Now I always have the same look/feel (except for special occasions or clothes that require other bras), but I'm not constantly wearing out one bra. I do the exact same thing with jeans.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 21:23 |
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Anne Whateley posted:Seriously, I found a bra I loved and then I bought three more identical ones.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 21:34 |
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comaerror posted:This thread has really got me thinking more deeply about women's perspectives on self-image. When choosing undergarments, I tend to go for comfort. Boxers rule in that regard. Though, for a woman, since her breasts are a more obvious feature than a dude's package, I guess it makes more sense to think more about appearance. This thread is reminding me that I really need to get rid of a lot of my old bras. Not only are they old, but they are a band size too big, which felt fine when I got them, but in retrospect I went from wrong cup, size right band to right cup size, wrong band. It felt better, but it turns out it didn't feel half as good as everything fitting right. Phooey. I'm lucky that La Senza (Canada's Victoria's Secret) stuff sometime fits me well, I just have to try on a whole bunch of pairs to make sure they fit properly. Or get my bf to find one because he has amazing taste and isn't scared of lingere stores. I actually can't wear the same bra (same one, or two of the same style) two days in a row when I'm working, no matter how comfortable they are, they start to chafe. It's not the bra, it's the manual labour with the lifting things up and putting them down and putting them away all day that does it. So I've got a couple that are comfy but slightly different and it solves all my problems. yay!
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 21:40 |
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RedFish posted:Get a bra washing box Thanks for this advice! I didn't know those cubes existed, I only have the flat bags. I was going to order from BN but from what I read they don't mail overseas, so I'll find something similar on Ebay I guess. Gonktastic, thanks for this thread Didn't think I'd ever be enthusiastic about bra shopping (especially for underwire).
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 21:45 |
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Gonktastic posted:Most women, from what I hear, have 3-5 bras. I have probably 6 that I wear on a regular basis. I find this incredible. I have at least 20-30 bras, and probably two that fit correctly. When I measure myself, I end up with a 26 C. I think I'm doing it wrong, but there aren't any department stores around me that carry small bras, and certainly no nice lingerie shops. Usually I try and buy a 32AA, as they're the most common - I know I don't *need* a bra, but I'm not about to walk around without one, with my nips sticking out. They're also not getting any bigger so I need a classy alternative to the kids' section. I've tried LulaLu.com and several Wacoal bras, but usually they either have NO PADDING (which is ridiculous, as they put that poo poo on DD bras) or the straps are too long, even when I tighten them the most. Or, alternatively, I'll buy a nice push-up and it'll ride up within ten minutes, with the wire eventually cutting into my nips. 
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 22:15 |
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Question: When I wear a 36D I can pull the band away from my body fairly easily. I can't do this with a 34DD, but wearing one causes a muffin top effect with fat spilling out over the top of the band on my back and sides. Is the muffin top normal for properly fitting bras? I feel like a 35 would be perfect for me if such a thing existed .
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 22:34 |
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VS had been sizing me at a 34B for years and I really didn't question it even when my cups runneth over. Then I found out I was a 32D when I got sized at Bloomingdales. My size was hard to find until I started shopping at the right store. VS carries 32D as a catalogue only size and every time I ask if they stock it, they tell me no, but I can try wearing a 34D. All my bras are identical Natoris, four nude and four black. Sometimes I miss fun colors, but nothing beats a good fit.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 22:51 |
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Sometimes I feel they made bra sizing confusing on purpose. I thought I was a B-cup for a while, but when I started birth control they got bigger and I moved up to a C. Eventually I realized it just wasn't right and went to get fitted. They told me I was "probably a 34D", and I got some new bras. Now they all seem to fit okay (though my favorite bra is a C and it fits better than my D ones for some reason). But my new bras seem to have a problem, too. The middle part is supposed to be flat against your ribs, right? Well it still pops out on all my D bras. What gives? I always have it on the loosest hook. If I had a tape measure on hand I could give more information, but I don't.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 23:34 |
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I'm breastfeeding, but looking for a normal bra. Unfortunately, a side effect of breastfeeding is that one boob is 1-2 cup sizes larger than the other as baby prefers that side. Like there is a noticeable difference. Also my current bra doesn't actually touch my chest, it is sitting on my boob. It is as tight as it can go on the band and any looser on the straps and it will slip everywhere. How can I fix these things? What is wrong with my breasts?
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 23:44 |
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sexily posted:Question: Urgh, I'm in the same boat. Nearly everyone I've asked basically implied I was fat. The best answer I've heard (not been able to try though) was to look for bras in the correct band size with less stretch and a more stiff fabric... In another thread Gonk was saying you should only be able to fit a few fingers between the band and the back, and I was going "Uhhhh... only if I want to look like a lumpy sausage." I'm lucky, being an 32/34A that I don't really need support. I just need something for nipple-management and shape, so I'm doing OK with a slightly loose band. I wish they had a 33 band, though.
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| # ? Nov 9, 2009 23:55 |
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I don't think I have a problem with my bra not fitting me now, but Victoria's Secret did try to get me to wear 34A's once when my boobs are a good handful. Dunno how that happened. This is probably a question that no one has an answer to and maybe kinda stupid, but I've always wondered how much bras impact the shape of our boobs when we're developing as teens. I've actually always worn VS since I started wearing bras and they've always fit me perfectly in terms of cup shape, so I sort of wonder if I've grown into them or just got lucky?
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 00:11 |
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I am in the middle of the arduous path to finding the right size. Two months ago, I was wearing a 36D. The band was riding up in the back, which I was surprised to find out meant that it was too *big*. I got a 34DD from VS (without trying it on  ) and it was was too small in the cups. I ordered a 34F from Soma, which is just allllmost there.Is the next size up a FF or a G? I'm so confused.  Also, my back hurts a LOT with this bra from Soma. Can band sizes differ between brands?
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 00:12 |
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Not all brands do FF; if they do, it's going to be a bit bigger than F, but not as big as G. Many bra manufacturers don't bother with the double sizes.
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 00:31 |
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Thanks for the awesome thread Gonk! So from trial and error, I seem to be a 34D or a 36C. I got fitted at La Senza (La Senza bras seem to be tighter and have smaller cups than anywhere else, plus the quality sucks - but I live in the armpit of Canada, i.e. Nova Scotia, and they're the only store I've found here so far that I can afford), and was told I was a 34D as well. Problem is that I'm not the skinniest girl, and wearing a 34D has me gasping for breath pretty quickly - while 36C seems to fit snuggly at first, but isn't tight enough around the chest to stop the band riding up my back. Is there a way to find a size that will fit me without feeling like a corset? I'm 33.5" around the chest (that's fairly tight but not squeeze-your-breath-out tight on me), which from your sizing chart seems to be part of the problem, as it puts me right between sizes...
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 00:36 |
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Re: uncomfortably tight bands. If you've got back fat issues, you're either wearing the band too high, or you're unfortunately squishy and must choose between supported boobs and visible band. I find that there is some digging in because I've got pudge, but the visual impact is much less than when I wore a larger band that rode up. Also, I'll take a tighter band with happy boobs than a looser band with no support any day! I can't emphasize the improvement in posture a supportive band can provide, too, which helps to visually slim you down all over. Edit: I Blame Fibonacci posted:Thanks for the awesome thread Gonk! Then you need better brands, I'm sorry. I know Nova Scotia isn't exactly a hotbed of worldliness; are there any speciality shops in Halifax? Good quality bras will let you go down to a 34 without feeling strangled.Edit redux: For those ladies who are looking to buy from Bare Necessities, I've been shipping hundreds of dollars worth of bras back and forth with them since Feb and they've been great to work with, especially since they'll spends ages on the phone with you helping to pick out bras that will work based on their info of how each bra tends to fit, including size differences between brands. This was invaluable to me because they could tell me which brands tended to fit large/small in the cup or band, what's has more or less stretch, and will offer suggestions based on the sort of boob issues you've had with other bras. It can feel really overwhelming trying to find bras online so definitely hit up one of the girls during office hours, they're all super helpful and friendly and have a wealth of knowledge of their product. RedFish fucked around with this message at Nov 10, 2009 around 01:02 |
| # ? Nov 10, 2009 00:52 |
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Gonktastic posted:Same for you. Your breasts may just be highly placed, so that the straps are too long. A petite (as in height) style bra may work for you. Otherwise, I would say your band is too small. The straps should form a V shape in the back which holds them on. If they are falling off, chances are that the straps are too far out on the back of your bra.  However, according to the sizing chart you posted upthread, it looks like I'm wearing too big a band size (my ribcage is 34.5" -- according to the chart I should be a 36, but I've been wearing a 38).... HOWEVER (and this is kind of shocking to me, so let me get my head around this), my bust as I just measured it was 41", or 6.5" bigger than my ribs. So I'm a 36F or possibly G?  Holy poo poo. I have to go to the mall tomorrow and try these on, because I can't believe I could be that size!
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 01:00 |
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Well, that was easy.
Emasculatrix fucked around with this message at Nov 13, 2009 around 03:03 |
| # ? Nov 10, 2009 01:43 |
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Gonktastic posted:I am a "Certified fit expert" and am qualified to talk about anything up to prosthetic breasts. Have at it! Huh. What can you tell me about prosthetic breasts? I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer (at 23  ) and while I'm still in the "everyone's running around trying to figure out what the gently caress to do with my cancerous breast" stage, it's likely I'll need a mastectomy on the cancer side. I might just have 'em both taken out, since hopefully I'll still be alive for the next 40+ years, and that's a long time in which cancer could recur.Anyway, I don't know jack poo poo about prosthetic boobs, other than that some people like to knit their own and that's hilarious. But that story also makes "real" prostheses and the accompanying bras sound awful. Are they all that bad, or is there just as much variety as there is for normal bras? I'll probably get implants, since I'm so young, but I don't know if that'll happen right away or if I'll be boobless for a while. Help (I know I should probably be asking this poo poo at a breast cancer-related forum, not SA, but even the "young survivor" forums are full of 35-year-old women talking about their DHs and "~little angels~" and poo poo, and everyone's signatures are full of acronyms about their diagnosis and medical history, and it's just scary.)
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 02:15 |
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Re: back fat and uncomfortably tight bands: Like RedFish said, you're probably wearing the band too high. When you go bra shopping, try to find bras with wider back bands; not only do they offer more support, but they should help eliminate the squish on the top and bottom. Your back band should sit lower than you probably think it should, level the entire way around. So check to see where it hits in the front, and make sure it hits in basically the same place in the back.
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 02:26 |
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MY GIRLFRIEND has never been fitted for a bra before and just from looking at her I know it doesn't fit properly (she doesn't really fill the cup and she always has red lines all over from wearing one). Would any of you consider a bra fitting and a nice new bra a good gift or would that be too weird? We've been together 5 years but there are still things that make her embarrassed and I know me following her around shopping for clothes is one of them. I wouldn't know what to do during the fitting either. I would probably take her to Nordstrom (unless there is a better Seattle area recommendation!). Also, what can I expect to pay for a decent bra?
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 03:28 |
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Currawong posted:Huh. What can you tell me about prosthetic breasts? I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer (at 23 I may be able to give a little insight on this, as my mom had breast cancer. She HATED those prosthetic bras. My mom never was able to get her reconstruction surgery because her type of cancer was rare, aggressive and kept coming back, but typically you'd have to wait 6 months to a year after mastectomy before they'll consider you for reconstruction surgery. Of course, that is also dependent on the cancer being completely removed or if it has spread. But yeah, she was miserable with those prosthetic bras. First of all, the person measuring her for the prosthetic bra got her size completely wrong, the back band constantly rode up, the underwire in the normal cup kept digging into her remaining boob, she complained of it being itchy, and after a while she said "gently caress it" and stopped wearing it completely. Good luck and keep fighting the good fight!
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 03:30 |
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I've been wearing size 38C bras. I just measured myself, and my ribcage is 32 inches and around my boobs is 40 inches. So that's an 8 inch difference...which means I should be wearing, what, a 32G? Does that even exist?
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 04:07 |
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| # ? May 25, 2013 22:57 |
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Of course it exists. Check out figleaves.com and barenecessities.com
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| # ? Nov 10, 2009 04:17 |
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