This whole bra-shopping thing was fun in the beginning. Hey, I learnt my real size, yay! I've found bras that fit right, but nothing seems to -look- right.
Wires are constantly too wide, but I don't think I need -narrow- wires, just moderate. I want my bra to keep my boobs forward, on my chest, not wrap around my side. When the wires are too wide, they very much minimise my boobs and it looks odd to me.
Then, I've got some bras that have deep cups which are very much projecting my breasts forward, which is sort of great, but they give me incredibly pointy boobs. I do not want pointy boobs.
If the bra -doesn't- give me pointy boobs and they are actually rounded, it's usually because it's a Cleo bra. With that information alone, I would think I need just Cleo bras, then, but unfortunately, every Cleo bra I've tried gives me quad-boob along the centre diagonal seam. I did mention that with the Lucy, once I loosened the straps, the quad-boob effect disappeared, but after looking closer, it actually wasn't, it was just lessened. It looks like my boobs come to a bumpy, almost flat stop right at the apex. It's not good at all.
In addition to all that, I seem to keep finding bras with gores that are just a bit too narrow for me. My boobs are very much wide-set. The majority of the gores on all the bras I've been finding are about half the width I need them to be. As the are now, I get a bit of empty space right at the centre because my breasts can't fill it.
Speaking of breasts not being able to fill space, all this trying on soft cup bras has made me notice that my right breast, whilst I always knew it was the smaller of the two, might actually be a whole cup size smaller. Fantastic.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Now I'm just confused.
The rest of my big bra order arrived yesterday and I proceeded to try the majority of them on, despite knowing the 34FF Cleo Bella did not even begin close for me.
Apparently the Cleo Bella is really just -that- non-stretchy. I was able to get the 34's I got the Cleo Lucy in closed. They were a little -too- snug, so I tried on the 36 that I didn't know I had ordered. The band in that was too loose. Great. I'm between band sizes.
I tried three different bras: Cleo Lucy, Panache Jasmine, and Freya Gem. I liked some things about each bra, but in the end, none of them worked well enough for me.
The Cleo Lucy was the bra I was most looking forward to. I had picked it out in the neon orange colouring. On my computer screen, it looked like a white bra with orange embroidery. I was a bit dismayed at first because the bra is actually peach with orange embroidery. I know that the looks of it shouldn't matter too heavily, but, well, it kind of does for me. If I don't like the way something looks, I'm less likely to wear it, no matter how well it fits me. I figured I'd try it on anyway. Hopefully it would fit great and I could find another colour to get it in.
Hello, quad-boob. Strangely enough, though, it was not the normal quadboob of the top of the cup cutting into my breast tissue and bulging out over it. No. The centre seam of the bra cut across my breast tissue making it bulge on either side of the cup, making me look all deformed. Apparently Lucy is not made for me. *Update: I tried it on again with the straps loosened just a tad. No more pulling in on the centre seam.
So I tried on the Panache Jasmine which I had heard gives great forward-projection. Holy frick, yes, it does. My boobs have never been held that far forward. However, the straps were really tight on me and the band was a bit tight, too. I don't know if maybe a bra extender would help with the strap situation at all. Probably not, but I can always try it to see what happens. Apart from that, though, the wires felt too wide for me.
And so I tried on the Freya Gem. I had actually ordered both a 34E and 34F. I tried the 34F first and the band fit perfectly. It was not too tight like the Cleo and Panache bands in 34 and it wasn't too loose like the Cleo 36 band on the tightest setting. It was that perfect medium I wanted between the band sizes. The straps also weren't too tight. They weren't ultra stretchy, either, which is a problem I've had with bras in the past. My breasts were supported. They were projected forward. It was -almost- perfect.
In addition to projecting my breasts forward, though, the bra also splayed them out to the sides a tad. And then I looked at the side view in the mirror. Hello, bullet bra. Now, it wasn't -actually- as pointy as a true bullet bra, but it did make my breasts rather pointy. The bottom of the bra curved upwards about halfway, then the top slanted straight down to a point. If the bottom had just curved up a little bit more and the point weren't so centred, I probably would have been okay with it.
At that point, I decided to try on the 34E to see if maybe that would help alleviate some of the pointiness. My breasts did look slightly less pointy (but still pointy); however, the cups were also too small.
I'm thinking my next order will be a few Curvy Kate bras and another Freya. Unfortunately, I waited a little too long and the Curvy Kate bra I was most looking forward to is suddenly not available for purchase. I'll find something, though.
Apparently the Cleo Bella is really just -that- non-stretchy. I was able to get the 34's I got the Cleo Lucy in closed. They were a little -too- snug, so I tried on the 36 that I didn't know I had ordered. The band in that was too loose. Great. I'm between band sizes.
I tried three different bras: Cleo Lucy, Panache Jasmine, and Freya Gem. I liked some things about each bra, but in the end, none of them worked well enough for me.
The Cleo Lucy was the bra I was most looking forward to. I had picked it out in the neon orange colouring. On my computer screen, it looked like a white bra with orange embroidery. I was a bit dismayed at first because the bra is actually peach with orange embroidery. I know that the looks of it shouldn't matter too heavily, but, well, it kind of does for me. If I don't like the way something looks, I'm less likely to wear it, no matter how well it fits me. I figured I'd try it on anyway. Hopefully it would fit great and I could find another colour to get it in.
Hello, quad-boob. Strangely enough, though, it was not the normal quadboob of the top of the cup cutting into my breast tissue and bulging out over it. No. The centre seam of the bra cut across my breast tissue making it bulge on either side of the cup, making me look all deformed. Apparently Lucy is not made for me. *Update: I tried it on again with the straps loosened just a tad. No more pulling in on the centre seam.
So I tried on the Panache Jasmine which I had heard gives great forward-projection. Holy frick, yes, it does. My boobs have never been held that far forward. However, the straps were really tight on me and the band was a bit tight, too. I don't know if maybe a bra extender would help with the strap situation at all. Probably not, but I can always try it to see what happens. Apart from that, though, the wires felt too wide for me.
And so I tried on the Freya Gem. I had actually ordered both a 34E and 34F. I tried the 34F first and the band fit perfectly. It was not too tight like the Cleo and Panache bands in 34 and it wasn't too loose like the Cleo 36 band on the tightest setting. It was that perfect medium I wanted between the band sizes. The straps also weren't too tight. They weren't ultra stretchy, either, which is a problem I've had with bras in the past. My breasts were supported. They were projected forward. It was -almost- perfect.
In addition to projecting my breasts forward, though, the bra also splayed them out to the sides a tad. And then I looked at the side view in the mirror. Hello, bullet bra. Now, it wasn't -actually- as pointy as a true bullet bra, but it did make my breasts rather pointy. The bottom of the bra curved upwards about halfway, then the top slanted straight down to a point. If the bottom had just curved up a little bit more and the point weren't so centred, I probably would have been okay with it.
At that point, I decided to try on the 34E to see if maybe that would help alleviate some of the pointiness. My breasts did look slightly less pointy (but still pointy); however, the cups were also too small.
I'm thinking my next order will be a few Curvy Kate bras and another Freya. Unfortunately, I waited a little too long and the Curvy Kate bra I was most looking forward to is suddenly not available for purchase. I'll find something, though.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Cleo Bella, 34FF
Well. It's back to the drawing board. Turns out, Victoria's Secret (and I'm guessing pretty much every bra I've ever had) have suuuuuuuuper stretchy bands.
Today, I received part of my massive Amazon bra order to try on different bras. I had selected everything in a 34 band. One bra arrived today, the Cleo Bella Balconette in 34FF. I can't even get it closed. So much for that.
I now have to wait for the rest of my order to get here to try them on, or rather, hold them up and see if I can even close them, then return everything and buy different sizes. Bleh. This is incredibly tedious.
It -was- an eye-opening experience, though, handling an actual well-made bra. The band was pretty darn firm. There -was- stretch, but a whole lot less than I've ever experienced before and the wires! Oh, my god, they were so firm. I'm used to my cheapy bras with wires that bend this way and that way without much effort.
This is making me incredibly impatient for new bras.
Today, I received part of my massive Amazon bra order to try on different bras. I had selected everything in a 34 band. One bra arrived today, the Cleo Bella Balconette in 34FF. I can't even get it closed. So much for that.
I now have to wait for the rest of my order to get here to try them on, or rather, hold them up and see if I can even close them, then return everything and buy different sizes. Bleh. This is incredibly tedious.
It -was- an eye-opening experience, though, handling an actual well-made bra. The band was pretty darn firm. There -was- stretch, but a whole lot less than I've ever experienced before and the wires! Oh, my god, they were so firm. I'm used to my cheapy bras with wires that bend this way and that way without much effort.
This is making me incredibly impatient for new bras.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Victoria's Secret.
The other day, I asked my mom if she could take me to Nordstrom's to go get a
fitting. All my life, I'd worn whatever Gilligan & O'Malley bra I
fancied best at Target and went on my way. She said she'd compromise and
take me for a fitting at Victoria's Secret.
I'd heard bad things about Victoria's Secret, but I agreed nevertheless because it was -something- and I needed bras immediately. I simply couldn't take what I had anymore. After trying a couple bras on, I was stopped by a sales associate who asked if I'd been fitted.
Hesitantly, I responded, "No...?"
She quickly sped off into talking about how great a fitting is and called over another girl who slipped a tape measure around me, asked what size I'd already tried on, and waited for an answer, all whilst not telling me what size she measured me at.
I told her, "I tried a 36D, which was too small, and a 36DD which was -slightly- too small."
"Okay, well, I'm going to bring you the sister size to that one, a 38D, and we'll see if that fits you better," she responded then quickly turned and walked away before I could even react.
I knew a 38 band was too big for me. After trying on those bras, I asked for some 36DD's again. I realised the band was too big in those, as well, so I asked for a 34DDD.
Now, maybe it was just coincidence, maybe I just read too much into the situation, maybe I was just frazzled, I don't know.
The whole bra-fitting thing was not fun. It seemed every time she brought me a new batch of at least five bras, she'd be knocking on the door just a few minutes later asking how they all fit. I didn't know. I'd only had time to try one bra on before she'd knock and ask. I felt like maybe I was just too slow, so I tried to breeze through them all. I'd try one on, jump up and down a couple times, then try the next, all while the whole group of girls who worked there, stood right outside the fitting room I was in, talking about some party they were having later, with an occasional knock from the girl helping me to ask if I'd finished yet. And then it happened.
I pushed the little help button and the girl asked what I needed.
"Could you bring me some 34DDD's?" I asked genuinely.
Suddenly, a silence befell the gaggle of Victoria's Secret "Bra Fit Specialists" right outside my door, and then simultaneously they all burst out laughing as though that was the funniest thing ever. Maybe it wasn't what I said that set them off. Maybe they were genuinely laughing about something else.
I'm not a skinny girl. I've never been and I have come to the point in my life where I am okay with me, with my body. But in that precise moment, I felt like my twelve-year-old self being ridiculed for how I looked. How dare I think I can squeeze myself into a 34? Ha! That's like asking if they have a size zero dress for me to try on because I'm certain it will fit me. I felt absolutely horrible about myself. To add insult to injury, after the plethora of bras she would bring me each time I asked for more, this time she brought -one-. Just one. As though I'd try that one on and realise the error of my ways and that a 34 band simply was not made to fit me.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that wasn't how the situation was treated at all by them, but the way all the actions played out, it made me feel that way and the way I felt was real.
I did eventually manage to get her to bring me a few more 34DDD's. I settled on a few that fit me decently. Better than the 38B or 38C bras I'd been wearing all the time before. They were not a perfect fit, but they'd do for now whilst I figure out my -real- size in better bras.
It's been less than a week since I got those and I've already had to switch two of the bras to the tightest hook when I'm wearing them. They were perfectly comfortable when I got them, but after a few hours at work, they quickly loosened up to where they are too big for me. They are stretchier than the third bra, but I'm not certain if the third one is normal and the first too are overly stretchy, or the first two are normal and the third is un-stretchy. Apart from that, the wires are too wide and the cups are too shallow for me. Victoria's Secret bras apparently do not work for me.
I'd heard bad things about Victoria's Secret, but I agreed nevertheless because it was -something- and I needed bras immediately. I simply couldn't take what I had anymore. After trying a couple bras on, I was stopped by a sales associate who asked if I'd been fitted.
Hesitantly, I responded, "No...?"
She quickly sped off into talking about how great a fitting is and called over another girl who slipped a tape measure around me, asked what size I'd already tried on, and waited for an answer, all whilst not telling me what size she measured me at.
I told her, "I tried a 36D, which was too small, and a 36DD which was -slightly- too small."
"Okay, well, I'm going to bring you the sister size to that one, a 38D, and we'll see if that fits you better," she responded then quickly turned and walked away before I could even react.
I knew a 38 band was too big for me. After trying on those bras, I asked for some 36DD's again. I realised the band was too big in those, as well, so I asked for a 34DDD.
Now, maybe it was just coincidence, maybe I just read too much into the situation, maybe I was just frazzled, I don't know.
The whole bra-fitting thing was not fun. It seemed every time she brought me a new batch of at least five bras, she'd be knocking on the door just a few minutes later asking how they all fit. I didn't know. I'd only had time to try one bra on before she'd knock and ask. I felt like maybe I was just too slow, so I tried to breeze through them all. I'd try one on, jump up and down a couple times, then try the next, all while the whole group of girls who worked there, stood right outside the fitting room I was in, talking about some party they were having later, with an occasional knock from the girl helping me to ask if I'd finished yet. And then it happened.
I pushed the little help button and the girl asked what I needed.
"Could you bring me some 34DDD's?" I asked genuinely.
Suddenly, a silence befell the gaggle of Victoria's Secret "Bra Fit Specialists" right outside my door, and then simultaneously they all burst out laughing as though that was the funniest thing ever. Maybe it wasn't what I said that set them off. Maybe they were genuinely laughing about something else.
I'm not a skinny girl. I've never been and I have come to the point in my life where I am okay with me, with my body. But in that precise moment, I felt like my twelve-year-old self being ridiculed for how I looked. How dare I think I can squeeze myself into a 34? Ha! That's like asking if they have a size zero dress for me to try on because I'm certain it will fit me. I felt absolutely horrible about myself. To add insult to injury, after the plethora of bras she would bring me each time I asked for more, this time she brought -one-. Just one. As though I'd try that one on and realise the error of my ways and that a 34 band simply was not made to fit me.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that wasn't how the situation was treated at all by them, but the way all the actions played out, it made me feel that way and the way I felt was real.
I did eventually manage to get her to bring me a few more 34DDD's. I settled on a few that fit me decently. Better than the 38B or 38C bras I'd been wearing all the time before. They were not a perfect fit, but they'd do for now whilst I figure out my -real- size in better bras.
It's been less than a week since I got those and I've already had to switch two of the bras to the tightest hook when I'm wearing them. They were perfectly comfortable when I got them, but after a few hours at work, they quickly loosened up to where they are too big for me. They are stretchier than the third bra, but I'm not certain if the third one is normal and the first too are overly stretchy, or the first two are normal and the third is un-stretchy. Apart from that, the wires are too wide and the cups are too shallow for me. Victoria's Secret bras apparently do not work for me.
And so it begins.
I'm not entirely certain what the main point of this blog will end up being. As of right now, I need somewhere to gather my thoughts, to understand everything I can about this one particular thing: bras.
For the past few days, I've been perusing countless retail websites for bras, blogs about bras, whining to my friends about bras.
We've all heard the statistic that "eighty percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra." Whilst I don't believe that's the -real- number (really? a perfectly neat eighty percent?), I do believe that a good amount of people aren't wearing the best bra that works for them. I know I haven't been since, well, since I first started wearing bras.
When I turned eleven, I was told that I -had- to start wearing a bra. I was about to start middle school in a few months' time and the rules there were all females -had- to wear a bra. Our P.E. classes involved changing in a locker room and we simply were not allowed to not have a bra on in the locker room. I remember back then, my requirements were just that my bra not give me cone boobs because I was not Madonna. Honestly, that's pretty much always been my only requirement.
My breasts are not the picture-perfect, cute, perky, firm, "young person's" boobs. Growing up, I always felt so incredibly ashamed about my breasts because of this. Even now, perusing all these blogs, reading about different bras, I see some bras being described as being a better fit for those with firm-tissue breasts, "e.g., the younger crowd." I'm twenty-three, so I'm pretty certain I fit into the umbrella-termed "younger crowd," but my breasts are not, nor have they ever been, firm-tissued.
My breasts are wide-set. They're droopy. Pendulous, even. They're soft. They've never once supported themselves. You know what so many places I've seen describe these types of breasts as? Those that have aged. Settled. Sagged over the many, many years of existence. -Old-. Now, I'm not one who has a fear of getting older. That's not the issue. The issue is that all my life, I've been told by the media and so many "How to Identify Your Breast Shape" type charts that my breasts belong on an old person and therefore my breasts aren't youthful or exciting or enticing.
I always felt like I was missing out on a part of life. Your breasts are supposed to be perky and way up there on your chest, then when you're older, they'll droop down and be soft, but I skipped right on ahead to droopy. I didn't want people to see them, to know that my breasts were old and ugly, so whenever I got new bras, I'd try a few styles and whichever one was the least uncomfortable, I'd buy in several more colours and just deal with them until I needed new ones.
I always knew the saying that your bra band is supposed to carry the majority of the weight of holding up your boobs and the straps were there for any residual bits of support, but I don't think I ever truly understood that until recently. For the past decade, I've always worn either a 38 or 40 B or C. Did they ever really support me? No, but they supported me -some-. My breasts went a little higher than they sit naturally and that was good enough for me. Over the course of the day, they'd always droop down within the cup, though, many times, actually, but I'd just adjust myself and continue on. I also knew the band is supposed to sit horizontally on my chest, so I made sure to not tighten the straps too much to make sure they didn't pull the band up.
The way I saw it, the only way to get a bra to really truly support your breasts with that forward-projected, perfectly-rounded look was to have breasts that naturally looked like that without a bra on. Bras were meant to cover-- that's it. If it's uncomfortable, well, you just deal with it because that's how bras are.
Recently, I decided it was time to finally buy new bras. I'd bought quite a few bras about four years ago which felt decent in the store when I tried them on for a few minutes. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but that was to be expected. The thing I loved about them? They projected my boobs forward. The tops of the cups were open and you could see my breasts had a bit of a rounded look to them. I loved that. I quickly bought as many as I could find in my size and went home, cut off all the tags, and felt absolutely excited to wear them all. Then I went to work. All day long, I was having to readjust because I popped out over here or over here or my breasts were sliding downwards in the cups leaving me with my normal, droopy-looking boobs, but with a bra over them. At first, I didn't really notice the issues, but after a few days, they really stood out to me. I couldn't buy new bras, though. I wouldn't. I just -bought- a whole bunch of bras, I was not going through that experience again.
The fit of the bras got worse and worse until finally, a couple weeks ago, I just couldn't take it anymore. I needed new bras. I could tell the band was loose, the cups were too small. 38B just was no longer fitting me. I figured I'd move up to a 38C, then. Tried a few bras on, took them home, and put one on to try for an extended amount of time. I slipped a tight, rib-knit tank top on over it and wandered about the house, waiting until I had to get ready for work. It felt great! So, I cut off the tags, put my work shirt on (a loose t-shirt) and went off to work. Immediately, the bra was horrible. Apparently, the tank top is what made the bra work for me. Getting rid of that got rid of all the great support I had in the bra. 38C obviously did not work, either. So I researched and researched and came to the conclusion that I simply wasn't a 38 nor was I a C, or even a D. What size -was- I? I had no idea.
I still have no idea, but I'm trying to figure it out.
For the past few days, I've been perusing countless retail websites for bras, blogs about bras, whining to my friends about bras.
We've all heard the statistic that "eighty percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra." Whilst I don't believe that's the -real- number (really? a perfectly neat eighty percent?), I do believe that a good amount of people aren't wearing the best bra that works for them. I know I haven't been since, well, since I first started wearing bras.
When I turned eleven, I was told that I -had- to start wearing a bra. I was about to start middle school in a few months' time and the rules there were all females -had- to wear a bra. Our P.E. classes involved changing in a locker room and we simply were not allowed to not have a bra on in the locker room. I remember back then, my requirements were just that my bra not give me cone boobs because I was not Madonna. Honestly, that's pretty much always been my only requirement.
My breasts are not the picture-perfect, cute, perky, firm, "young person's" boobs. Growing up, I always felt so incredibly ashamed about my breasts because of this. Even now, perusing all these blogs, reading about different bras, I see some bras being described as being a better fit for those with firm-tissue breasts, "e.g., the younger crowd." I'm twenty-three, so I'm pretty certain I fit into the umbrella-termed "younger crowd," but my breasts are not, nor have they ever been, firm-tissued.
My breasts are wide-set. They're droopy. Pendulous, even. They're soft. They've never once supported themselves. You know what so many places I've seen describe these types of breasts as? Those that have aged. Settled. Sagged over the many, many years of existence. -Old-. Now, I'm not one who has a fear of getting older. That's not the issue. The issue is that all my life, I've been told by the media and so many "How to Identify Your Breast Shape" type charts that my breasts belong on an old person and therefore my breasts aren't youthful or exciting or enticing.
I always felt like I was missing out on a part of life. Your breasts are supposed to be perky and way up there on your chest, then when you're older, they'll droop down and be soft, but I skipped right on ahead to droopy. I didn't want people to see them, to know that my breasts were old and ugly, so whenever I got new bras, I'd try a few styles and whichever one was the least uncomfortable, I'd buy in several more colours and just deal with them until I needed new ones.
I always knew the saying that your bra band is supposed to carry the majority of the weight of holding up your boobs and the straps were there for any residual bits of support, but I don't think I ever truly understood that until recently. For the past decade, I've always worn either a 38 or 40 B or C. Did they ever really support me? No, but they supported me -some-. My breasts went a little higher than they sit naturally and that was good enough for me. Over the course of the day, they'd always droop down within the cup, though, many times, actually, but I'd just adjust myself and continue on. I also knew the band is supposed to sit horizontally on my chest, so I made sure to not tighten the straps too much to make sure they didn't pull the band up.
The way I saw it, the only way to get a bra to really truly support your breasts with that forward-projected, perfectly-rounded look was to have breasts that naturally looked like that without a bra on. Bras were meant to cover-- that's it. If it's uncomfortable, well, you just deal with it because that's how bras are.
Recently, I decided it was time to finally buy new bras. I'd bought quite a few bras about four years ago which felt decent in the store when I tried them on for a few minutes. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but that was to be expected. The thing I loved about them? They projected my boobs forward. The tops of the cups were open and you could see my breasts had a bit of a rounded look to them. I loved that. I quickly bought as many as I could find in my size and went home, cut off all the tags, and felt absolutely excited to wear them all. Then I went to work. All day long, I was having to readjust because I popped out over here or over here or my breasts were sliding downwards in the cups leaving me with my normal, droopy-looking boobs, but with a bra over them. At first, I didn't really notice the issues, but after a few days, they really stood out to me. I couldn't buy new bras, though. I wouldn't. I just -bought- a whole bunch of bras, I was not going through that experience again.
The fit of the bras got worse and worse until finally, a couple weeks ago, I just couldn't take it anymore. I needed new bras. I could tell the band was loose, the cups were too small. 38B just was no longer fitting me. I figured I'd move up to a 38C, then. Tried a few bras on, took them home, and put one on to try for an extended amount of time. I slipped a tight, rib-knit tank top on over it and wandered about the house, waiting until I had to get ready for work. It felt great! So, I cut off the tags, put my work shirt on (a loose t-shirt) and went off to work. Immediately, the bra was horrible. Apparently, the tank top is what made the bra work for me. Getting rid of that got rid of all the great support I had in the bra. 38C obviously did not work, either. So I researched and researched and came to the conclusion that I simply wasn't a 38 nor was I a C, or even a D. What size -was- I? I had no idea.
I still have no idea, but I'm trying to figure it out.
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