OK I am back from my bra adventure.
As soon as I went in the fitting room, and explained my issues, the woman said "no wonder, you have no shoulders!" She says I'm extremely petite on top but my boobs are wide and gigantic and pulling the straps off my shoulder (those are my words, not hers...she wasn't rude at all, hehe).
Then she said just what I dreaded: I am up to a 32F. This made me very depressed, as this is the fourth straight year that I have gone up in cup size. I don't know how long this trend is going to continue but it's upsetting for me because I hate being busty and I just keep on getting bustier. At this rate I will be an L by the time I'm 30. For the first time, I am seriously considering saving my pennies for reduction surgery. There are other parts of my body that I'm not thrilled with, but this is the only part that I actually actively HATE.
Anyway, that was very negative, so I"m just going to get on with the rest:
They told me the reason I'm "spilling" out of my Chantelle bra is because the straps are too wide set for my shoulders, and I'm trying to compensate for it by pulling them too tight, which makes the bra ride up. They told me to bring it back and they could alter it for me after I launder it, but it doesn't seem like the right size so I might not bother.
The first bra they put me in was Fantasie. Nicole, I know you have mentioned this a dozen times, but what styles do you wear? I know you like seamless bras and that's what I need. I can't remember what style she put me in, but it was a seamed balconette which was also black and gold and lacy--definitely not my style. I'm a plain jane as far as bras go. Unfortunately all of the Fantasie bras they had in stock are lacy sorts. It did, however, make me look much smaller, so I think I would like to look for some other styles online. I would like one that has no padding or foam and no seams.
I tried one by Freya but the straps were too thick and wide set. It fit well though. The 32 was very tight but not as tight as a 30 would have been, so it was good for me. The only problem was that it made me look bigger, which is a big problem, so I bypassed that one.
Then I tried 2 more Chantelles. One of them was a convertible bra and had two places to hook the straps in the back, which made them stay up. It fit well everywhere else. The band is very snug, but not unbearble. I knew at this point that a 30 would have been too tight.
FTR, I took a 32F in all of these styles. I have never felt that Chantelle runs small though.
I ended up getting the Chantelle. It was the one that the sales person and I both liked the most. I know this brand doesn't have the best reputation among the full-busted, but it works for me.
I still would like to get a Fantasie bra, but I'm horrified by the price! I'm going to have to choose wisely. Maybe I'll have a look at that community for some coupons.