More bra knowledge. I love it.

Gaylene, I will pay good money for a good bra too. But I also can't stress enough that you need to launder them with care - and they will last even longer.

Jackie, have you tried the itty bitty bra company?

(Btw, I drive a VW Golf and it's as sturdy and reliable as anything. It's parked outside throughout ALL weather. And since I'm a bad driver - the poor little darling has to put up with a lot).

Greyscale, thanks for the info on your friend's shop. I'll have to check it out!

I said in the linked thread that my issue wasn't that I can't find bras; I can, now, once I figured out my real size, which is great. But I generally just buy the same brand and size now, in different colors, because I don't like lacy or embellished bras either - they show through the majority of my tops making them useless. I want something with adjustable non-narrow straps, lightly lined with no padding, and low enough at the bridge in the middle so I can wear a v-neck shirt. That's it.

On the panties end, I'm with Thistle. 100% cotton only, hipsters preferably since I'm short-hipped and showing your underwear above your pants isn't really my style. I've occasionally tried wicking poly underwear and different options and have always come back to the cotton. I'm not willing to constantly have medical issues just so I can wear cute underwear.

Ha, lyn*, that's exactly Mr. G's response. Guess my math works better on bras then cars...

ETA: A big affirmative nod, Angie, to hand washing bras. I toss my bra into a sink filled with cool water and a couple of drops of SOAK while I'm getting ready for bed. Five minutes later, the bra gets a quick rinse, pat down in a towel, and hung to dry. No machine washing for a $200 bra!

I have a love/hate relationship with bra shopping. I hate it because they cost so much and I'd rather spend the money on something I can see. Having said that, there is NOTHING better than a great fitting bra and nothing WORSE than an ill fitting one. So in the end the money is well worth it because there is nothing in my closet that I wear more often than my bras! I have a rather large size, 34 E or F, depending on the brand and style. I buy Felina, Prima Donna and Empriente only because nothing else fits as well. In Canada, these bras are a fortune! From a tip here on the forum, I learned that Bare Necessities has an annual friend and family sale for 25% off. It includes Prima Donna and Empriente which are NEVER on sale, so yay!

It took me years to find bras that worked. I've been relatively the same size for 8-10 years and made countless and expensive mistakes finding bras that worked. This is with the help of top bra fitters in Toronto! I'm so glad I've finally got it figured out.

Wow, so much bra knowledge here! I got professionally fitted at Soma back in December and surprisingly the SA told me the size that I had measured myself to be at home. 34B. Since I was at the store, I decided to give their bras a try and got these ones. http://www.soma.com/store/brow.....38;prd=Emb=
So far, they are working very well for me. I do put them in the delicate cycle of the washing machine and lay flat to dry afterwards.
Like Diana, I always use cotton hipsters as I need good coverage of my bottom.

Angie, it is funny you posted this this morning because I posted this last night.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ting-guide

It really helped me understand a lot of what Gaylene talks about earlier in this thread.

I'm better now than I used to be - I wear a relatively easy to find size 36D - but of course they're all cut different - I found one I like and now just buy 3 new ones every year - now watch they'll go and discontinue it next year!!! It's not beautiful - but it isn't hideous either, so that's a plus!! - and it does not require a small loan to buy 3 new ones at a time.

http://www.barenecessities.com.....shirt-bra-

plus you have to love the variety at Bare Necessities!!

I just find it frustrating that sizes and fits vary so much. I realize that is good on the one hand, because different styles fit different people. But I generally wear a 34D and I've had to size down in bands sometimes and I once even had to size up (though the cup size stayed the same because the entire bra ran small). And so many bras have ridges and closures and strap adjustments that rub and cause pain. One doesn't realize this while trying it on; it is only after enduring it for hours that one realizes the red, raw spots it leaves. And don't even get me started on cups with SEAMS inside them.

As for sets, I would be all over that if there were more hi-cut and brief style panties available. I have a c-section ridge that doesn't want to budge, regardless of how low my weight gets. I find it more comfortable to wear panties that come above it, and most bikini, thong and boy cut or hipsters do not. But it seems that most makers assume that any woman who prefers hi-cut or briefs must want plain granny-panties and not anything pretty or matching.

Great insights! I commiserate with those who struggle to find bras that fit. Any fit issue is a pain.

I don't love shopping for bras, but I don't hate it, either -- and I fall into the rather-hard-to-fit category. Small band (30) and small cup. (D in some brands, e.g.. just barely in the Simone Perele Caressence, which I own and love) and C in others. Also, widely spaced breasts with little projection. Yes, I am the girl whose boyfriend once asked me, after I boasted of some accomplishment, "Do you want a medal, or a chest to pin it on?"

I used to get shoved into 32 A or B bras and it was ridiculous -- I was always spilling out of them in the craziest ways. But it was all because that's what the shops carried, and I looked "small" to the SAs. Meanwhile, the ones sold for petites are just too small for me. The whole fit is off somehow.

Also, I have a penchant for pretty bras so don't really like the utilitarian models, and sometimes that is all that's available in smaller sizes.

Plus, I live in a town where the options for my size range are few and far between.

So I have simply decided that bra shopping is its own "thing." I devote a day to it once a year in one of the major cities I travel to. And that is that. I find a well stocked shop and spend a few hours in a fitting room. To my mind, it's worth it.

Not only have I supposedly worn the wrong size bra for ever, I even put them on incorrectly: I always have them across my back so I can hook the bra in front and then twist it around and pull it up. Wrong! I still do it though
As far as panties go, I wear thongs (Miel for working out, Hanky Panky for the rest) or cheeky boy-shorts

I am a small band and large cup...and no local stores carry my size. Buying online is always a risk because sizes somehow vary from company, style, and even year. So of course I hate lingerie shopping, as it usually requires an overnight trip to NYC where there are several specialty stores.

Yup, I'm like Suz.

I buy good, basic expensive bras. Mostly Chantelle. Used to buy the cool stuff like Marlies Dekkers and La Perla, but then I realized no one would see it.

On a slight tangent - my BF could care less for any of the sexier little underthings I've bought over the years. His fave was a cami & cheeky boyshort set with lettuce edging and the word Sweetie embroidered across the chest. Bought at Walmart of all places for maybe five bucks. For myself, lace is annoying and embellishments just show under clothes. So I guess you can count me out of the frilly, lacy, pretty underthings group lol.

Fascinating discussion. I don't hate bra shopping because the results are so worth it I'm happy to spend a lot on the right bra too & I hand-wash mine. My problems relate to finding knickers that fit - I prefer cotton or bamboo & really like a high cut leg because they fit my flatter thighs & rear better. Target in Australia used to make one that was perfect for everyday but their range gets smaller each time I look.

Because I should know all the things Gaylene pointed out, but I don't. Because one breast is slightly bigger than the other, and which do you fit? Because sometimes they fit in the store, but after you have worn them a few times, you discover they ride up, or there is more bra than there is you. Because I can never figure out how to set the strap. Because I feel like there should be alternations to get the perfect fit, but there aren't ( at least in my city). Because unlike other clothes that can work if you have gained or loosed a few pounds, bras really don't.

Oh Jackie you gave me a good laugh. I am your bra twin! For the exact same reasons. At least before nursing two kids they where, well inflated? I am barely a 36A on a good day, and at 5'10" the straps are sometimes two short fully extended. I find 34 A fit me better but are too tight, so I use an extender sometimes.

I will have to try itty bitty bra company on Angie's recommendation. I hate bra shopping because of fit, it is just sad, and really what is the point - it is not like I need support.

I agree with so many of the points the other gals have listed.

The icing on the cake is the sales associate who is absolutely determined you are not going to leave until you have bought a bra and five pairs of matching panties. And it's very uncomfortable for me, when I am looking through stacks of panties, to have a sales associate pop up and chime in 'that's cute, isn't that cute?' Go away, chipper sales associate full of false bonhomie. You're making me uncomfortable. I don't like running commentary as I browse the stacks of fabric and lace that's going to cover my ladyparts, and certainly, I don't want to discuss my choices with you. (Victoria's Secret staff, I'm looking at you...).

Oh my. I am so boring. I found Wacoal fits me well and have stuck with them mostly for all my bras. I get resized at Nordies when I feel it's needed (although I am pretty good at self measurement they are experts in how styles/brands fit) I accidentally found the bras I love from Soma are made by Wacoal (they left the tag on one of mine) so I get to stock up at a reasonable price. I prefer utilitarian since my bras have a real job to do (36DDD). I don't like showing anything so I always try for nude, slightly padded or I have to use "No Peeks".
http://www.barenecessities.com.....a-_-Wacoal
I am intrigued by Angie's favorite bra, but I have not had great luck with "pretty" bras.
I wash in machine, but always hang dry and keep them on the back of the bathroom door to give each one at least a day rest. They generally last for a year (18 months) + when I have 4-6 in rotation.

I don't dislike shopping for bras. I know my correct size and I have a favorite bra (Barely There "We Have Your Back" Underwire Bra). I do love pretty bras but mostly go for the ulitarian. I like boy shorts or hipsters in cotton, modal, or microfiber.

My main issue with bra shopping is the fitting. I don't want to expose myself to a fitter… I'm bashful about these things. Lately I've been ordering bras online and just trying them on in the comfort of my own home. It's worked out fine, and I think I have the right size, but the straps keep slipping… which is annoying. But I think it might just be because I have sloping shoulders.

So, if only there was a way to get a fitting without exposing myself, I'd enjoy bra shopping much more.

I also see bras as utilitarian… I own nude and black, and that's it. I generally have 3 in rotation (2 black and 1 nude) and I replace them maybe every 8-9 months.

My current favorites are the Molded Full Coverage,the regular Balconette,and French Full Coverage bras by Cacique / Lane Bryant. The strapless one isn't bad either. I wear a 40 h in the first two and a 42h in the French and strapless. I find I have to remove the side stays for comfort and then I'm good to go. I machine wash and air dry mine and have so many it's hard to wear them out.

I have not read the comments yet but want to get this off my chest (haha)! Until I found the Chantelle t-shirt bra that I have worn since, I had never found a bra that could do the feat of architecture and coverage I desire for my post-babies, post nursing, never that perky to begin with breasts. Now that I found it I order refills from ebay for half the price.

Hi five chest-twin, Marin!

I looked at the link for the itty bitty bra co., Angie. Might give those a try....at some point. My problem is that I'd much rather spend my clothing budget on PJ jeans and fun stuff for the "outside." Inner wear always takes a back seat for me, unfortunately....and unfortunately for DH who is usually the one to remind me after about 5 years that maybe it's time to replace my knatty sleep shirt....haha. I need an underwear intervention, clearly

Gaylene, big THANK YOI for the education!

Angie and Sarah, I promise I won't try yet but have heebie-jeebies at the thought of that eventuality. it took YEARS of hours in the dressing rooms to get my half dozen or so together. Now at some point I will need to do the same thing in a day with a toddler having a meltdown somewhere ::shudder::

I wish I could wear the Gap stuff IK links to.

and nodding right along with kkards... I forgot the difference between boobs. just got used to fitting the bigger one. funnily nursing has evened them up. will it last I wonder...

I'm another utilitarian type w/rt bras. I mostly wants a comfortable bra that does what it needs to and doesn't show under clothes or keep me from wearing lower necklines or summer dresses with narrow straps. Spending extra money and effort to get something pretty that I can't see during the day (and neither can anyone else) doesn't do much for me. Would rather concentrate on other types of pretty stuff! Don't get me wrong, I definitely can see why nice, dainty bras would be appealing. But it just isn't really a big thing for me, for whatever reason.

Fit-wise, I have similar issues to Manidipa, except for the motherhood-related wrinkles. I'm lucky enough to have a good Nordstrom nearby, so I can find things that work. But they're still not going to be cheap and are still going to involve awkward and time-consuming try-ons. It's sort of unreasonable, but I secretly want bra shopping to involve about the same effort and expense as, say, buying socks. And that's obviously not going to happen. So I resent it even though it's not nearly as bad as it could be.

Just went bra shopping this weekend with the DD (which means dear daughter but might as well be her bra cup size these days), so I feel qualified to answer this one. No time to read through the other responses.

I dislike bra shopping for same exact reason that I get frustrated with clothes shopping: I am 5'0 tall but width and cup wise I am not a 12 year old. Angie, I think you said it yourself awhile back, do I look like a B cup in pictures? That is what I supposedly am, but *proportionately* I am more like a C or even a D. Sizing is all over the map and so inconsistent with no rhyme or reason, so who can really say.

Lost patience, didn't buy anything for me, but did find 3 bras for my daughter. She had better luck because she is more of a standard/average height at 5'4 -- that really makes all the difference.

There are just too many points to fit for bras -- it's not just band size and cup size, it's cup placement, strap placement, strap length, underwire placement, etc.

Don't even get me started on matching underwear. I've given up on finding underwear that fits and flatters and looks sexy -- much less matches the impossible to find bra.

I wish La Perla would resurrect the Carrie Bradshaw boy shorts. Those were THE BEST. Ever.

I too am a small band size and large cup size with more spread than projection, so for a bra that sits correctly I end up buying bigger band sizes (so the cups fit properly) and altering the band so that that fits too. I used to spend a fortune on underwear sets but luckily Primark bras (£6 ~ US$9 including tax) fit nicely once I've shortened the band by 4 inches.

Sarah

I have good luck with Natori and Wacoal like some others, but am a 36 or 38C, which can be difficult to find on the spot when I make my once a year bra pilgrimage. I know my size, but find that most SA's, including Nordies, are 20 something and don't understand my needs when I tell them what I'm looking for. I have difficulty keeping straps up, but never know how this will work on a new bra until it's been worn a bit under normal conditions. As for the actual bra shopping effort, I hate trying clothes on anyway, as I feel they always keep the dressing rooms too warm, or they're too small. It's made marginally better by stores that offer water and who have SAs that will actually go out and find you more sizes so you're not constantly dressing/undressing. But that's only Nordies, Neimans or higher end department stores here in Seattle. All others are a free for all. I also want to second Mo in the thongs arena. I've been wearing Target's G&O thongs for some 10 years, and I don't even notice they're there. Recently tried their briefs and am liking so far. They don't last forever, but for $5 a piece, I can throw them in the wash (not dryer) and be on my way. But then, I'm in the utilitarian camp, and all I need is to have to pick the right bra and panties in the morning. I don't select what I'm wearing until I pick a piece to build around, so I don't want to go "eh, no white jeans today since I have my stripy knickers on already". Bad enough that strap visibility is a challenge with wide neck and no sleeve tops (which I have figured out, just), but also the degree of padding matters more with some tops than others. I generally like less to "de bulk" the top half, but unless I'm wearing a busy pattern, there can be TMI in an unlined bra. Wish it were simpler. Many is the time I've taken one bra for a business trip just to find it doesn't work with all the outfits I've packed. Guys have it so easy!

I adore all of the pretty styles and colors that I see (lace, beads, pinks, yellows, reds, etc) however, they do not work for my day to day outfits. I do not like lines or bumps of any kind. Most of my tops are close to the body in fit and all of the pretty styles, always show a line or bulge, so I learned to stick with t-shirt style bras which do not show underneath tops, although they also do not have all of the pretty details. I also do not like unlined bras, because I do not need the world to know when I am cold. It's the same issue with colors, as much as I like colored bras, two nudes and a black or purple, work best for my wardrobe. Other colors have always sat unworn. I adore pretty bras, but they do not work for my daily life, so I stick with the more utilitarian styles and colors. Not as much fun to shop for, but they are always the workhorses for me.