Lol, my shoulders are so bony that nothing ever slips off them.

I'm going to try having my awesome new C Magnifique bra taken in a little, if and when it stretches out. The cup placement is perfect. It is definitely true that we are all a little different in terms of how wide-set the cups need to be.

Bra shopping has to be one of my least favorite things to do. I am a somewhat "average" size (36D)and it is still very hard to find ones that I like. When I do I get a whole bunch so I don't have to torture myself again for a few years!

No, I actually don't get much cleavage with balconette styles. Although my breast tissue is fairly "bottom heavy," I don't fall in to the center at all. Even plunge styles are fine, as long as the cup size is correct. I might be wide set... although my underbust is literally less than 30" and "wide" is a relative term. I don't naturally have much side projection and look very flat and non-hourglass from the front. I've also rarely had a problem with a bra's center gore being too wide. But I know where you're coming from - I hate the feeling when my breasts are touching. I started wearing a sleep bra mostly for that.

Balconettes tend to have really good structure to them, that really lifts and shapes; look for vertical seaming for the most support. I also get ones that have a single panel from the strap to the underwire on the outer part of the cup. The Marcie and the Kali have that type of construction. Different models have different cup shapes. Some are more projected and some are round like a t-shirt bra. The discontinued Lily is very round.

http://www.herroom.com/cleo-by.....-bra.shtml
http://www.herroom.com/cleo-by.....-bra.shtml

It's really going to be a personal thing! How you want the bra to fit and feel will be different than me, and how any given bra will fit you will be different. It's no longer being updated, but I found the blog Bras I Hate to be incredibly useful. I learned so much from reading the posts on all the different breast shapes and how differently bras can work. [I just saw she's got a new blog! Yay, more reading to do!]

I am pretty much a 28FF so I order online, and am fortunate to be able to use Amazon. I was able to score a $68 Freya Deco bra for $24 even though it was sent from the UK! Nordstrom has a few 28s and more 30s, but I prefer not to have to pay full price if at all possible.

Bratabase.com is a GREAT source of information to compare bra information across styles and sizes since a cut can skew weirdly at both the smaller and larger ends. They have measurements across every dimension imaginable, and you can also assess whether the cut of a bra might be too wide, too shallow, too projected, etc. for your particular build.

Az, it's also possible that you're effectively one size in front and another in back. I am this way, and I know Diana is as well. If it's the case that the front is a size larger than the back then alteration could be the perfect solution. Nordstrom, if you end up getting any through them, will do bra alterations.