The Girl Stuff Thread

Kuwisdelu, Welcome to being a woman, my bust NEVER has filled out a bra the same way as it did when I bought it. I now usually PUSH myself up (not sure if you are going through this as mine were "nature made", they were HUGE when I was pregnant and while nursing, but are only a tad bit larger now than when I was a teenager. Stuff settles I guess.

grandma2isaac said:

not sure if you are going through this as mine were "nature made"

Click to expand...

Err, not sure what you think mine are made of, but except for never being pregnant, so are mine. I would love to nurse someday though, if I have kids.

I can help with the bra issue! (Being on the incredibly, cartoonishly, hilariously busty side, it's become a personal mission.)

Mostly, stores and lingerie companies have you measure yourself wrong so you'll "fit" their product and, hence, buy their stuff. At smaller sizes, this doesn't matter so much. But it becomes a sticky thing at the super small and larger than D sizes.

Fortunately, this kind soul has a thorough guide to getting a more accurate measurement.

I first did it a few years ago and went from an torturously uncomfortable F-cup to a (harder to find, more expensive to buy, and rarely cute ...) J-cup. And, honestly? It changed my freaking life. Not only does my chest look better, but it and my shoulders and my poor back don't hurt any more. You'll still have to try on a bunch because sizing isn't evenly applied across the board, but you'll have a better starting place.

It also help to think of chest size as volumetric. Sure, a 32B sounds bigger than a 34A, but are roughly the same. Er, volumetrically anyway. I wouldn't fluctuate too much on band size, since that's where most of the support should come from.

Anyway ... I know too damn much about bras.

My underwire just snapped...

I have snapped more underwire than I care to admit.... apparently, I bra wrong.

Um, they're from Lane Bryant. I don't know which ones specifically. I can't find them on the website anymore. And as far as the contortions... I simply leaned to my right a bit. Perhaps I should go up a size....

But I'm at work and... well, this is rather awkward. And it means I have to brave the mall this weekend. Bleh.

heza said:

And it means I have to brave the mall this weekend. Bleh.

Click to expand...

I bought my last bras off Amazon. I knew the brand and size, just picked the colors. I'm a Prime member, so they arrived 2 days later.

Prime (for students) is just $49 a year, and gives free 2-day shipping on a lot of stuff. Well worth the price. I think full price for Prime is $99/year. Still a bargain if you use Amazon.

In case anyone was on pins and needles waiting for the conclusion of this saga, I bought three new bras this weekend. They're a different style—prettier and with better support. I'm happy.

heza said:

In case anyone was on pins and needles waiting for the conclusion of this saga, I bought three new bras this weekend. They're a different style—prettier and with better support. I'm happy.

Click to expand...

I don't know anything about your saga, but I know a good, supportive bra makes all the difference in the world. I need a new one (or four).

- - - Updated - - -

Maryn said:

Yippee!

I'm wearing one I should never have bought. It's pretty but doesn't really support too well. And it's kind of scratchy. But it's pretty!

Click to expand...

Yay for pretty!! I love pretty.

- - - Updated - - -

Unfortunately, most of mine lean toward function over beauty. They are industrial-strength boulder-holders meant to combat the effect of gravity. There came a time I had to choose between pretty (but not supportive) or ugly (but kept the twins in place). Ugly-but-supportive won out. They aren't ugly, not really. Just not as pretty as I wish.

I hate underwires. I won't do them.

A couple of years ago, I started buying Bali Comfort Revolution bras. They have no wires, no little plastic sizing things to break or get snagged on things. They come in a wide variety of colors like pink, purple, blue, yellow (and traditional white, black, beige.)

I can wear them all day with no pain. No band digging into my chest, no red crease under my breasts. And I'm not small chested. We're talking 38D, and I'm not exactly young anymore, so gravity is doing what gravity does, but my girls have received more compliments since I switched than back when I was wearing uncomfortable monstrosities that were supposed to improve my figure.

Myrealana said:

I hate underwires. I won't do them.

A couple of years ago, I started buying Bali Comfort Revolution bras. They have no wires, no little plastic sizing things to break or get snagged on things. They come in a wide variety of colors like pink, purple, blue, yellow (and traditional white, black, beige.)

I can wear them all day with no pain. No band digging into my chest, no red crease under my breasts. And I'm not small chested. We're talking 38D, and I'm not exactly young anymore, so gravity is doing what gravity does, but my girls have received more compliments since I switched than back when I was wearing uncomfortable monstrosities that were supposed to improve my figure.

Click to expand...

I'll have to check those out. As a 36DD in her mid-forties, I feel like I have to have underwire to keep the girls off my waistband. But if I could do it without? I totally would.

heza said:

My underwire just snapped...

Click to expand...

that means your cup size is too small. Or you're washing the bra or drying it incorrectly.

KateSmash said:

Anyway ... I know too damn much about bras.

Click to expand...

My life man. I've been working for Victoria's Secret for four years now. I find myself diagnosing people's fit issues in class and at starbucks. Usually I can guess a size just by looking at a person. It's like a weird boob superpower.

And yes yes YES to the the 32b vs 34a comment. So many women get freaked out when I measure them and I'm like, "Oh hey, you're a 32DDD!" but that 32 is how big you are around. There's less human there for tissue to sit. A 32DDD is way smaller than a 38DDD. I've had so many women wearing 36B's that belong in like a 30DD or a 32D that insist they "can't be bigger than a b" and then they're baffled that their straps are constantly falling off and that their band is hurting them. Band size is so important dang it. Who cares if you're an A cup or an F cup? What matters is that it fits!!!!

Myrealana said:

I hate underwires. I won't do them.

A couple of years ago, I started buying Bali Comfort Revolution bras. They have no wires, no little plastic sizing things to break or get snagged on things. They come in a wide variety of colors like pink, purple, blue, yellow (and traditional white, black, beige.)

I can wear them all day with no pain. No band digging into my chest, no red crease under my breasts. And I'm not small chested. We're talking 38D, and I'm not exactly young anymore, so gravity is doing what gravity does, but my girls have received more compliments since I switched than back when I was wearing uncomfortable monstrosities that were supposed to improve my figure.

Click to expand...

Me neither for the most part, not during the day, anyway. I wear shockabsorber sports bras. As a 30E, finally finding a bra with a thick band that doesn't crawl up your back after a few months or let the girls jiggle all over the galaxy like Baywatch is wonderful....and they make them look smaller. When I state my size, ladies think I'm joshing them. There are no stupid lacy frills that make me itch, either.

However, the colours are black and white. White is utterly useless, it just goes grey in the polluted environment I live in. I would love to have some pretty bras, but I imagine that brand is only in the US and I don't do internet shopping, and certainly not for a bra.

At night after the shower I wear underwire from John Lewis which are comfortable and easy to put on and off. I can't imagine going around without any support whatsoever-too painful.

sockycat said:

Band size is so important dang it. Who cares if you're an A cup or an F cup? What matters is that it fits!!!!

Click to expand...

Preach! This is my big thing. I'm always telling my friends they need to go get a proper bra fitting. It's amazing the bras these gals walk around in. The other day, while at the store, the woman behind me pulled out her pocketbook and phone from her bra. Dear lady, if you can fit your pocketbook in your bra? You are wearing the wrong size. The right fitting bra makes such a big difference in your look and comfort. Too many women out there suffer with discomfort: straps digging or slipping, underwire poking, muffin-top breasts...all because they aren't wearing the right size bra. I cannot express what a pet peeve of mine this is. No one should have to suffer in an ill-fitting bra.

Lillian_Blaire said:

No one should have to suffer in an ill-fitting bra.

Click to expand...

Right? Bras are NOT MEANT to be painful. I feel like I have to tell my customers that every day. Your size is your size, what matters is that it fits. Wearing the right size bra can be such a confidence boost because it really does make all of your clothes look so much better.

sockycat said:

Right? Bras are NOT MEANT to be painful.

Click to expand...

If it's not meant to be painful, why do they make them out of wire, elastic, and lace and then put tags and stuff on them? Might as well be razor wire. Stupid bras.

sockycat said:

that means your cup size is too small. Or you're washing the bra or drying it incorrectly.

Click to expand...

None of those are actually the problem in my case. But I got it all sorted out.

Mrs-Q said:

If it's not meant to be painful, why do they make them out of wire, elastic, and lace and then put tags and stuff on them? Might as well be razor wire. Stupid bras.

Click to expand...

Wires are for support, lace is supposed to be pretty. But cheap bras tend to suck and be poorly put together. Memoryfoam bras are where it's at man.

sockycat said:

Memoryfoam bras are where it's at man.

Click to expand...

Gosh, I'm so behind times! Memoryfoam now, eh? Makes me think of the way memoryfoam mattress retains a dimple when you poke it with a finger. Now I'm wondering if memoryfoam bras would retain marks of where they've been touched

Curlz said:

Gosh, I'm so behind times! Memoryfoam now, eh? Makes me think of the way memoryfoam mattress retains a dimple when you poke it with a finger. Now I'm wondering if memoryfoam bras would retain marks of where they've been touched

Click to expand...

They do this funny thing where if they've been shoved in the drawer for too long they'll have a crease, and you can fix it by rubbing the bra really fast. If it heats up the foam will go back to it's original shape. I can't tell you how many times I've been selling bras and a customer is like "ugh, I like this, but the cup has this weird dent/crease/etc" and I'm like "WAIT WAIT [rubs bra fast enough to start a fire]"

VS had a memory foam cup bra that is the BOMB DOT COM. I really am not a bra girl, even though I've worked there for four years. I mostly stick to sports bras. But the Body By Victoria demi bra, or the perfect shape if you want a little more padding, are like clouds for your boobs.

Maryn said:

I'm fairly big, but even I can find a bra that fits and is fully comfortable, although it costs. Elomi is one terrific brand for women with large breasts.

Click to expand...

Yess! We only got up to 42DDD (don't get me started on how lame that is) and I recommend Elomi over Lane Bryant to my customers all the time. The quality is way better.