Heads-up to guys: This is a girls' topic.
About a decade ago, the doctor sent me for tests. She was quite sure I didn't have cancer, but needed to eliminate that as a possibility before looking into more reasonable explanations for the pain I was experiencing. The mammogram technician told me that she sees many women who are having problems with their undergarments. She suggested trying an alternative-type undergarment, and that has been my only option for years. It doesn't make a person look attractive, but it seemed the best choice given the circumstances.
Recently, a friend pointed out Breakout Bras and their advice on sizing and finding a proper fit. Hey! This is fantastic! Nobody ever told me this before!
Y'know how They always told you to measure your rib cage and then add 4-5" to find your band size? No! That's wrong. That's how I ended up with poor fit, pain, and straps that kept slipping off my shoulders. Breakout Bras says to measure your rib cage, and then start shopping for the size that reflects that measurement. And it works. Awesome!
I went through weeks of expensive tests trying to find the source of pain and some other symptoms, before we discovered--by accident--that the source of the problem was a poorly fitting underwire bra.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. Well, I felt it. But I don't anymore.
ReplyDeleteI have only ever gotten comfortable bras from local bra specialty shops that carry lots of sizes. It's way more expensive, but having only two bras that fit and keep the back pain away is worth more than 10 "regular" bras.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not talking about Victoria Secret, they lie about your size so you fit into bras they sell. At 8 months pregnant my band size measured smaller than what VS told me 4 years and 20lbs previously.
Katie, it sounds like maybe VS does the "add 5 inches" thing.
ReplyDeleteVS does do the add 5" thing. And it's bunk. But even if you measure yourself and go shopping at VS, I have not found their bras to be friendly to anyone but the perkiest, never-been-pregnant type of bustline. I think their fit-models (the people they used to model their sizing and fit on) must all be 17 years old.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie; the specialty shops that carry lots of sizes and properly fit you are the best, and like her, I only have two. Expensive, yes. But SO worth it. Good quality, properly fitting bras and shoes are two things that I don't feel bad investing in.
ReplyDeleteVS has always been great for me. Any time I tried to cheap out and get something from Target, it was painful and itchy, but with VS I barely notice that I'm wearing one. I just measure myself. I've never done the add five inches thing- I could never figure out where that advice came from. It's entirely illogical to say that your ribcage is 34 inches, so get a band that's 39 inches.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love breakout Bras. I must never have mentioned them around you; I've been shopping there, oh, maybe 6 years? Just bought a great sport bra this week that looks like a regular bra and feels like wearing a soft, soft blanket. They have such choices and such great customer service.
ReplyDeleteMelody, you may have mentioned them. But I was looking for a non-existent bra-size, based on what I "knew" my size was. So if I looked at Breakout Bras before, I would've done a quick search for sizes in the sidebar of the webpage, and said, "Oh, yep, still nothin' that would fit me." But looking at the instructions for getting the right size? Whoa! That makes a huge difference!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing, isn't it, the results you get when you do things the right way? :)
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