Bras for dummies | Imamother

amother

Sun, May 03 2020, 1:16 am

I've been wearing bras for more than 20 years and still have no idea what I want, like, need, look good in. I don't know what all the different types mean, what they're good for. I do know that I desperately need new bras.

The last few times I went for a fitting they looked at me and gave me minimizers. I do not have a large bra size, never did. I was always 34-36 b or c. I never loved what I walked out with.

I like a lot of support. I like a small look. And a nice shape. I always feel droopy, bouncy, and like the sides bulge out. or there are creases in the cup. I do not wear very fitted or tailored clothing. I am a very comfortable type of gal. I prefer one type that will work with just about anything.

Another problem, I am petite, so there is not a lot of space between my shoulders and where the cups start. So I have the straps on the smallest when I buy them, and then when they inevitably stretch a few days or weeks later, I can't make them any smaller. Is there a solution for this?

I want to order a million on line to try on at home and find some that I love. Please spam me with your favorite styles, best tips, best advice. Thank you.

Window

Sun, May 03 2020, 4:44 am

Call orchard corset in the litter East side. Frum woman- absolute expert in bras. She can fit you over the phone (you measure yourself) and she ships for free. Good prices too.
But I can tell you a thing or two about bra sizes and styles. Most of the support is from the band, not the straps. If the band is slightly loose, then it rides up, and then the breasts fall down in the front. The band in the back should be as low (or even lower) than the front of the bra. A common mistake with bras is to wear a band size that is too large, tighten the straps to make up for the lack of band support, and then have a compromised fit and straps that are digging into them or too short. Try a smaller band size.
If the sides are drooping out, then the cup size is too small. If the cups are creased, then it’s probably too large cup size.
My shoulders are also tiny, I just shorten my straps 2 inches when I buy new bras.
Regarding styles, it’s personal. Some people prefer padded to prevent nipple show through. Some people are really stuck on tshirt bras, which have nice smooth fabric and look good under tshirts.

But call orchard corset: +1 (212) 674-0786
(Her husband answers the phone, just ask to speak to her). Btw this recommendation it is coming from someone who could never find bras that fit and make me feel good. Every store that I was fitted in, I walked out and regretted my purchase, bc they just don’t know what they’re doing.

amother

Cobalt

Sun, May 03 2020, 4:52 am

I would suggest you try a full cup or balcony bra. Also padded offer more support.
I like figleaves.com. They have a great selection. They also have bra fitting guides to help you measure what size you are and to show you how you know if it fits. Buy a few styles or sizes and get a feel for what you like.
Remember a bra should never be on the tightest when you first start wearing it, as then you can't tighten it as you stretch it. Also look for bras where the straps tighten across the whole strap, rather than just part of it.

amother

Babyblue

Sun, May 03 2020, 7:26 am

I feel the same op! I finally settled on a sports bra from wacoal. I hate shopping for bras. Once I find one I like, I stick with it for a long time.
I would post a link but then Google will send me ads on bras and other goodies and my kids are nowadays using my phone and laptop.
I will try to describe it: it's an underwire but on the outside of the bra and the strap is moveable. It's like a hook and I can choose five different levels of tightness. This part annoyed me the most in the beginning because then the strap wouldn't lay nicely and I had to try to straighten it out with the opposite hand over shoulder. But it's the most comfortable and so far is the best I've tried.

Window

Sun, May 03 2020, 8:53 am

amother [ Cobalt ] wrote:

Ummm since when are padded bras more supportive? Quite the opposite actually. And balcony bras are the ideal choice when wearing low cut shirts and wanting extra lift to create cleavage- generally not what the tznius crowd is looking for

amother

Cobalt

Sun, May 03 2020, 11:22 am

qwertyqwerty wrote:

Not quite sure what you mean. I'm petite with a large cup size and this is what I've found. A padded bra offers extra support as it's a thicker material, mine droop in non padded. I don't know if it's different if you're taller or quite small.
Balcony bras are another type of full cup bra that again offers more support as it covers more. OP was complaining the style she'd been wearing didn't offer enough support-I wasn't aware balcony bras had other connotations other than being supportive. If anything I would have thought the cup came up too high to be good for low cut outfits.

amother

Vermilion

Sun, May 03 2020, 12:45 pm

Depends on your location but I have always been happy with the fit at robe gallery in monsey. They have excellent fitters and are really nice and don’t make you feel like a freak. I still remember being so ashamed as a 13 year old In another store. I was a 32 C and she kept on telling mom how big I was. Looking back I actually had a beautiful figure at a young age and for years I felt fat and ugly. I am 32D or DD depending on brand and I had issues similar to what you are describing. It turns out that the store I went to had limited supply and gave me 34 band size because that’s all they had. Nothing replaces a well fitting bra. Va bien makes great bras for full support and it’s a minimizer witho causing bulging on the side

amother

Mon, May 04 2020, 9:33 pm

qwertyqwerty wrote:

Thanks for this advice!

When you say you shorten the straps by 2 inches, does that mean altered, or just using the clip that it comes with?

amother

Mon, May 04 2020, 9:35 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

Intrestingly, while attempting to shop around online, the only thing I was able to settle on was a wacoal underwire sports bra. I'm waiting for it to come now, 2 slightly different styles. We'll see how they work. I love sports bras in theory, but in the past all the ones I tried just made me look weirdly uniboobly and flat. I'm hoping these will be different cuz they seem more shaped and also underwire?

amother

Mon, May 04 2020, 9:37 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

The va bien minimizer is what I've been wearing for the last few years. Exclusively. I find them incredibly itchy in the beginning. And I could never get the cups to fit properly. And maybe it's just me, but they stretch out so fast!!

amother

Vermilion

Mon, May 04 2020, 9:56 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Interesting I have had almost every single one stretch out except for this. Are you sure that you have the right band size?

amother

Mon, May 04 2020, 10:01 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Interesting I have had almost every single one stretch out except for this. Are you sure that you have the right band size?

The band seems to fit when I buy it. Maybe I'm not washing them right? Or maybe I just have unrealistic expectations about how long they're supposed to last. How often do you replace yours?

amother

Lavender

Tue, May 05 2020, 12:48 am

qwertyqwerty wrote:

Same here. After years and years I went to this place you recommend here, and for the first time in my life I got great fitting bras. I'm glad I took along my teens too. I then sent my married daughter. Worth a trip! I traveled for this.

amother

Jetblack

Tue, May 05 2020, 3:25 am

Can I join and ask too?
I'm between a DD or E - not sure.

No bra of mine seems to fit well, I have a friend who when I last saw her (2 months ago) she saw how one of my bras fit me and said it's the wrong size.

I'm really sensitive I get pimples, cysts, and skin tags easily. Any bra with wiring irritates my skin horribly, and gives me red marks after 15 minutes of wearing it and puts me in a lot of pain.

A few people I've seen claim that you can buy wireless at my size but I really CAN'T handle the pain and pimples, and redness, and itchiness.

I also would like something I can excersize in. I want something comfortable that can hold me and isn't too expensive.

Am I asking too much?

amother

Vermilion

Tue, May 05 2020, 2:23 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

The band seems to fit when I buy it. Maybe I'm not washing them right? Or maybe I just have unrealistic expectations about how long they're supposed to last. How often do you replace yours?

Mine feels pretty tight in the band area when I buy it and I wear on the loosest setting. I have them over a year and still fits beautifully. If you have to make it on the tightest when you buy it then it’s not the right band size