I have a feeling many women of my acquaintance will appreciate this

[drwex]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/no-one-can-figure-out-my-bra-size#.koJ6Nywda

Being not a female-bodied person but having been shopping with many I have seen this story.

Comments

[spinrabbit.livejournal.com]

An important conclusion that she left out: Victoria's Secret likes to claim your bra size is one of the ones they carry -- and they don't carry very many.

[trowa-barton.livejournal.com]

I still recommend Jenette Bras if ever in the East Hollywood area.
How often can you say that you were felt up by Vasquez?

[donnad.livejournal.com]

This, yep... except worse the larger you are. Most stores don't even carry my size in stock and the ones that do carry exactly one style in my size ever.

[drwex]

Yeah, I appreciated that the story was written by a woman who's larger than "model size" or even what gets called "average size" these days.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

I liked this article a lot! I am not really in the hard-to-fit category, but did get a pro fitting at Nordstrom when I had lost a lot of weight. Like most women, I was wearing one cup size too small and one band size too long. Have stayed in that size ever since.

I was a little surprised she didn't buy the Wacoal bras, because they looked great on her. I am built like her in that area, and Wacoal is my go-to. Also since she is young, I am surprised that no one recommended B'Tempted, which is Wacoal's line for juniors, and a little fancier while being less expensive.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

This, yep... except worse the larger you are.

I would adjust this statement to say, 'except worse the more standard deviations you are from the norm'.

Let us not forget that bras for those of smaller than average size not only rarely fit well, but are almost always padded. Because apparently we cannot possibly want to be the size that we naturally are.

I have found few things in life more insulting.

[minkrose]

(had to use the cleavage LJ icon. :D)

I totally understand why she didn't like the tightness of the bras at Intimacy -- initially, I was put off by that as well. THAT SAID, after basically 2 days, I discovered my posture had vastly improved. And you can't know that until you wear the bras for a couple days, really. The reason they suggest a tighter band is so that the BAND is doing the work of holding your breasts in place, more than the straps. As a person with weak ligaments and shoulders, this is a GOOD THING for me. But it is not necessarily true for everyone -- I think I fall closer to the category of body-shape they are expecting at intimacy (relatively petite, with large-for-my-skeletal-size breasts). Still, I think this article highlights the important thing -- TRY a few different places, and figure out which bra fit stylist (at whatever store) understands YOU. I think that's absolutely something most women are not doing!

I also spent about an hour both times I went to intimacy, and rejected many bras that were tight in the wrong way. I probably tried on nearly 20 different styles, and I have since discovered that one brand/style that is FUCKING GORGEOUS is not actually comfortable enough to wear all day (Empriente -- the underwire digs into my sternum too much, after ~3 hours). THIS may be the most beautiful bra ever, but it really is a "seduction" bra if I can't wear it for more than three hours before wanting to take it off! (that's only a bit longer than dinner & a movie, right??) But in the "essential" styles (same brand), this bra is perfect for all-day wearing, and the lace is constructed via science-magic (special heat-molds), such that it is NOT STRETCHY, and also super breathable (great for hot, sweaty days!).

So, yeah, trial-and-error is the biggest part of this process, and soooome times that means you end up at home with a bra that is great for date-night, but cannot actually be worn through an entire work day. I'd be interested in a follow-up review that tells how she feels after wearing each bra a few times, and maybe one ~6 months later -- I'd say that my bras have held up incredibly well, definitely better than the crap I was buying before (& I knew it was crap! but it was cheap & I was lazy).

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

The kickstarter is over but you might also want to look into trusst,which has something not an underwire to have support from under the breasts.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

I find there are a lot that are shaped and a tiny bit of padding over the whole cup, but since materials are so much flimsier nowadays I find that good for not showing nipples. I also buy various levels of padding for use under certain necklines and especially some of Mom's dresses. One guy I know boggled me by correctly guessing my bra size.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Actually, a D-cup is about average these days. And very easy to find. It's when you get below a B-cup or above a DD that you just take what you can get deal with it.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. anyone not perfectly average will have trouble with finding proper sizes.
But it is much much easier to take in an item and make it smaller than it is to let it out and make it larger.

I have this problem with pants, I can find my size in regular length, 29 to 30 inch leg, but not in talls.
I need a 32 inch leg. Often lengthening them doesn't work because there just isn't enough turned under at the bottom. When I do find talls, the length is 34, very easy to hem.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Interestingly Wacoal doesn't even carry my size.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

No, actually, it is not much, much easier to make a large bra smaller and get it right. Altering a bra is not at all the same as altering pant length. I have quite a bit of experience in this.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

I was speaking in general, I know how hard it is to try and alter a bra, I've been working on figuring it out for a couple months now. I fit a 40H but the band is too large, a 38H cups are too small, band is still a little large. Can't find the style I like in 38I. haven't even tried for the 36 band, even though my rib cage measures about 35. I'm having discussions with my medical professionals about the possibility of reduction surgery, my rib cage is too small for the weight it's bearing and it's having significant impact on my skeletal system.

[drwex]

*icon appreciation*

I've lost track of how many months I'd known you before I notice you have Cleavage (some cleavage deserves to be capitalized). I suppose that speaks both to my own inattention and to your other fine qualities.

As for the underwire... my first wife was short in stature and also relatively large-chested for her height. I learned to use careful application of lockpliers to adjust the underwires where they poked her.

And like all undergarments there are indeed bras that are made to be shown and taken off. See also "butt floss".

[drwex]

Is D cup the average for people who measure statistical populations or is it what is sold as "average"? (I have no opinion, just wondering aloud.)

I think you remember my first wife who was on the borderline of C/D and I remember her having a tougher time because everyone (then) assumed "B" was the average.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Not really sure. I just know I usually see far more C/D cups in stores and catalogs than any other sizes. The catalogs I see are usually sizes C through J, but there are usually only one or two styles above a DD cup in the entire catalog.

Even the Wacoal site mentioned in another comment only had 9 total on the entire site in H cup. Nothing larger.

[minkrose]

(milla in the icon, not me.)
I don't always bring my cleavage with me. In a t-shirt, it can be pretty hard to notice. At this point (past couple years), my hips are far outpacing my chest (they used to be closer in size) and I think that distracts from up-top. But, the first time Andy met me, he didn't notice my cleavage at all (and I was wearing a low-cut tank top) and I didn't notice his beard -- I thought he was clean-shaven. (since that was a decade ago, and you couldn't possibly miss his beard now, we looked like this, and here's baby-faced Andy at 19.) Definitely connecting on a mind-only level. :-) I've had more than one long-term friend be utterly surprised by the appearance of my cleavage. I definitely freaked out my theatre professor by showing up with it to class one day (I was in costume! Or rather, I was in my strapless vinyl dress! (to play a Witch from Macbeth) We had a perfectly normal conversation with my winter coat on, and then he stuttered and walked out of the room when he saw me later.)

I should probably fiddle with the underwire on the Empriente. On every other bra, it's comfortable to the point of un-noticeable. And yes, I spend enough time parading around in my underwear (not even for sexytimes! just for fun, when I can get away with it) that it's worth having stuff I can show off. Also also thongs look AWFUL. AWFUL. on me. (this opinion is not just mine; it is confirmed by others. Some other styles look OK, at least. But that's probably the biggest problem with my dream-job of burlesque dancer.)

[drwex]

OK, this conversation has wandered into The Imperial State of Distractionland now.

Ahem. Yes, I do realize you don't always dress for cleavage and yes when I noticed you definitely were dressed to be noticed.

[lachesis.livejournal.com]

I'm anywhere from a 36H to 36HH. Most of the time, even the super expensive places dont carry that.

Know what I do?

Find a great bra at Nordstrom, then buy the same or similar ones online at amazon.

Achievement: Unlocked.