Well, I know I wear the wrong size. I've been wearing nursing bras for the last 9 years and there's even less choice in the nursing bra world.

There's only one thing I wanted to bring up. Maya, you mentioned why you don't like or recommend wireless bras. Many nursing mothers do need to avoid underwire. Even if she's wearing the proper size the pressure from an underwire can increase risk of a plugged duct which can lead to mastitis. Not all women have problems with underwire, and most important is the overall fit of course. Even a soft cup can cause problems if putting too much pressure on a duct.

The world of nursing bras can be very frustrating!

Kh, I am talking strictly about everday bras, not specialty bras for surgery or nursing. By all means wear soft cups if you are experiencing exceptional circumstances. I don't know much about nursing to discuss it at length, but there are plenty of lovely new mommies and mommies to be here who would know better than I. Once you're done nursing though, I can confidently say to go back to wires.

Marianna, if you don't have back fat when NOT wearing a bra, and it shows up suddenly when you put one on, odds are you have the wrong band size. But if you do have a little extra in the first place, a bra can't help with that unfortunately. I wish it could! My mom had the same issue.

Tam I had my fitting done at a local store called Rebecca Lingerie... but I have a feeling they only have stores here and in Brisbane or the Gold/Sunshine Coast... You could always have another holiday and come visit LOL

In relation to fittings, do you guys ever get charged for the fitting? I was in a different lingerie store a few weeks ago and the lady was telling another customer it was a $5 fitting fee and that would come off any purchases made. Is this commonplace? I certainly didn't pay...

Teresa, I've never heard of such a thing. At the stores I'e gone to, expert fitting is part of the advertised services and not an additional perk people have to pay for. How odd!

I didn't pay either. Actually, the women were very happy to enlighten another poor soul who suffered in an ill-fitting bra

I have never heard of anything like that Theresa. Every bra fitter I know of assumes you are there to buy bras on the spot though, which is kind of annoying because you can easily feel pressured by a bad fitter to get the wrong style and size. I once had some 16 year old try to get me on a 34! She was very insistent, because, y'know, that's what the tape measure said when held loosely with 5" added *eye roll*. So there's another warning sign: anywhere that employs teens to do the job is bad news. Teens haven't even had breasts long enough to know how to fit them!

That is also why you really need to know how a bra should fit BEFORE you go. If something is off, stand your ground. If the fitter resists, just leave. That's what I did. It's just bad salesmanship to be so stubborn. Certainly doesn't warrant any kind of comission or reward.

I remember learning several years ago that adding five inches to one's underbust measurement resulted in an ill-fitting bra and it was so enlightening and irritating at the same time. Irritating because my underbust measurement was 32" yet I had been buying 38" bands, because I had been told by every source that one added five inches to get the correct size and another inch if necessary to get an even number. Of course, by wearing a 38, my bust was able to fit into D and DD cups and I could shop at standard stores, but I sure wasn't doing myself any favors. Until my late twenties I wore incredibly ill-fitting bras and had no clue. Now, even though my ribcage grew larger after pregnancy, I wear a 36 or 34 and my cup size is generally in the F to G range. I regret all the years I spent in ill-fitting bras, thinking my breasts were monstrous in size because it was near impossible to get clothes to fit over my chest. While it's still hard to get a good fit over an ample bosom, at least my breasts don't have that squashed and heavy look I was stuck with as a younger woman. It really does make me angry that I went all that time with my bras providing little support all because of the misinformation that is so pervasive about bra fitting.

Maya, it's fabulous that you've learned all this on your own. Someone needs to confer an honorary degree upon you!

One of my great-aunts started in the fashion business and later became a corsetiere -- a tailor that specialized in making corsets and had an in-depth knowledge of anatomy. Interesting that many of them used to travel and custom make the corsets in person. Wouldn't it be great to have someone do that with bras today?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corsetiere

Actually, I've seen many terrible things made by corsetieres - it would be nice if all lingerie was made by people with great knowledge of bra-fitting. Hmm, actually I know such a person - she makes wonderful lingerie, which is cheaper than most brands. Unfortunately, her online store webpage is in Polish.

Awesome thread and information, Maya!

Just doing a quick check here: I had a bra fitting last year where I was told, after years of wearing a 10A (Aussie sizes, as mentioned by Theresa above) that I should be wearing either a 10B or a 12A, because I was in-between sizes and different brands/styles will give different results. Does that seem reasonable, in theory?

I've now got one of each size: a 10B in a demi-cup style and a 12A in a t-shirt style. I practically live in the 12A, but I practically live in t-shirts too.

I think it's normal and depends on brand and style, as you wrote.

stringy- that is my experience, too. I am also sort of between sizes.

WOW. Maya, KILLER thread. Just KILLER.

This was very, very, very generous of your time. You rock and I am much impressed.

Thank you so, so, so much!!! You are our YLF bra expert - Director on YLF bustlines. Brazi if you will, but Director sounds better. You can choose your own title and I'll do the crowning with Lucie by your side :0)

I just got refitted. *sigh*. Down to a 28C from a 30C. Like Taylor, my underbust is 26.5 inches. Hard to find bras in that size :0(

I feel like a giant with a 34" underbust compared to all you teeny 26"-28" people!

So ... here's my bra problem, if I'm exactly 34" underbust, but the bottom of the bra rides up in front, straps slide off my broad shoulders AND the sides of the cup seem too small (spillage on the sides), does that mean my band is too big and my cup too small? I've been wearing a 34B --- should I try a 32C? It just seems too small in the band, if I really truly measure 34" underbust.

Thanks Maya! Great info!!!! I think I'll re-read it before bra shopping.

Cricket, try a 34C first. It sounds like it could just be that the cups are too small. If that doesn't solve it, go down to a 32D.

I'll try your suggestions! Thanks!

Maya, first of all, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge on this subject. It's has been incredibly helpful to me (and others, clearly). You really should consider making a career or side business out of this somehow.

Now, a question:

I was recently professionally fitted and, no surprise, I went down a band size and up a cup size. I love, love, love my new bra, but I what I need now is a strapless style. As I begin shopping, is it safe to assume that I will wear my new size regardless of style and/or brand? I didn't have a bad experience at my fitting, but those bras can easily leap out of my price range, so I'd like to see if I can find something well fitting on my own.

Maya, *HUGE APPLAUSE* bowing with hands up in the air "O ye queen of all things brassiere"

Karlie, bras are just like any other clothes you buy. Size can vary between brands and styles. I can be a 28 or 30; F, FF, or G. Like anything else, you just have to try a whole bunch on until you find the perfect one.

Hint: If you find that a strapless bra slips down, it usually means the cups are too small. If you go up in size and it is still slipping, your band is too big.

Thanks so, so, very much for all this, Maya. I've bookmarked this thread for future reference :0

Ok, sorry for the delay ladies. I am too tired after getting up at 5 and getting home at 8 to invest so much thought into boobs!

Chapter 9: Sports bras

I'm going to cut straight to the chase here: You need to promise me you won't wear compression bras ever again. Do you promise?

...

Good.

Compression bras are awful for any size or shape. Even if you are an A cup, believe me, your breasts can be damaged and sag. And no one wants their nipples to drop two inches lower. Exercising without a proper sports bra is the quickest, surest way to cause irreversible damage. Compression bras basically smash your boobs against your chest. Does that sound healthy? It's like footbinding for your breasts. Furthermore they bind your breasts together into one mound and offer no motion control, which means that you have a mound of breast tissue flailing around within the bra.

So what is a proper sports bra? A good sports bra will have thick padded straps for comfort, separate cups that encase each breast individually, seams and inner slings in each cup for better motion control, and moisture-resistant fabric. Shock Absorber makes excellent sports bras:

http://www.figleaves.com/us/ns.....orber+bras

I have no personal experience with Enell, but they appear to be a great brand as well:

http://www.figleaves.com/us/ns.....Enell+bras

Freya makes a good one as well, but is meant for D+ cups only:

http://www.figleaves.com/us/pr.....FRA-AA4002

And finally, also for the full bust, there is La Breeza:

http://www.biggerbras.com/cata.....eeza.shtml

Yes, these are probably the ugliest, most hideous bras you have ever seen, but that is not the point is it? The point is to keep you protected. You also may not love how these look or what shape they gave you (mine gives me major bullet boob), but again, a sports bra is gear and it is important to wear the correct gear when working out.

Try to find the highest motion control available, even if you're just doing light exercise. There is really no benefit to having less protection. It isn't going to be more comfortable. Depending on how much you work out you should have anywhere from 2-4 sports bras. Treat them the same way you treat your other bras. Never wear them two days in a row, and wash them the same way. You may, however, need to wash them more frequently since nothing is worse than a smelly bra!

Chapter 10: Misc. fit issues and conclusions

I would compare bra shopping to jeans shopping: You will have to try on a LOT of styles and brands before you find your match. Your size in one brand might be different than your size in another. Just as you might sometimes size up in skiinny jeans or size down in wide legs, you might also size up or down depending on the style of bra. Those of you who have curvy hips and small waists know that sometimes you have to size up and get the waistband taken in, just like you might have to size up in your bra and get the bra band taken in. Once you get familiar with different bras and styles and how they fit you, bra shopping will not be as intimidating or time consuming.

Unlike clothes however, bras can be duplicated over and over again! If you find a style that works for you and you hate bra shopping as much as I do, why not just get that bra in a variety of colors, or even one color? It's an undergarment so no one will see it or care. OTOH, if you enjoy bra shopping and like to have variety, by all means, go for it.

You may also find that the bra you wear changes with the outfit you have on. For more fitted garments, I like to wear a more uplifting bra, while with relaxed or more voluminous styles, I need a bra that gives a flatter shape. Note that this does NOT mean a minimizer bra! To all my full-busted friends: Avoid minimizers like the plague. They give a very bad shape to the bustline and actually make you look wider by spreading your breast tissue around to awkward places (like under your arms). You'll look smaller if you just wear a bra that fits and keeps you contained instead of spreading you out all over the place!

Two areas in which my knowledge is not so extensive are nursing bras and post-surgical bras, so please keep in mind that everything I have written until now is related to everyday bras and not those used for special needs. Eventually I probably will have better knowledge of post-surgical bras, and when I do, I will share that info as well!

Let me know if there are any questions...

I bow to you Maya! I actually used a lot of your information and gave a mini-bra 411 sessions at my husband's softball game! I was talking with a mom & her daughter (21yrs old) that we go to church with. They couldn't believe that so many women are in the wrong sizes. I haven't found a decent bra-fitter around my area so I'm heading to Nordis soon. I will bring my Maya notes and hopefully have a decent time finding some bras. Thanks again Maya!

I'm so late to the party on this thread, but wow you have been thorough!! Amazing job. Thank you! I have that Freya bra and it is fantastic. Finally having the right size sports bra has really done wonders. Frankly, it's probably even more important than my regular bras because of all the movement that happens when exercising.

Some might ask if the underwire hurts or is bothersome when exercising, but I don't notice it at all.

Hi Maya,

I am wondering if maybe my band size is too small. I measured myself at a 36 C but find myself constantly having to tighten the shoulder straps or they fall off my shoulders. I also find that I have "armpit fat" as you mentioned. What's the best way to correct this problem?

Thanks in advance--
Sarah

I'm not Maya, but I think you should get a professional bra-fitting. If you're not ready or if you don't want to, try a 34D or DD bra and see how it looks and feels. When you're going down with band size, you have to go up with cup size.

Yep, what Magda said. It sounds like your band is too large and your cups are too small. Try a 34DD instead.

Thanks Magda and Maya. I will give a 34 DD a try, though it feels weird to try anything that "large." Thank you too, Maya, for sharing your wisdom with everyone. It's invaluable and very kind of you to take the time to do so.

34DD is the average size for American woman, so not large at all!

Great topic. Bras are like jeans you must try them on to find the best fit. Plus they are not made to last forever and must be replaced when they start to stretch out. I wash mine hooked in a mesh bag in cold water and hang out to dry.