Visualizing the Sheer Number of Bra Sizes Out There...

I got to thinking, last night, about the sheer number bra sizes out there--at least 400--and how few are actually available to the general (shops at bricks and mortar stores) public in the United States--between 50 and 100.

Can you imagine if there were stores that carried all the sizes?  It could even be multiple stores, owned by the same company kind of like Chico's FAS has two stores that cater to different demographics but either can shop in both.  (Was that confusing?  It sounds confusing when I read it back.)  Chico's FAS owns Chico's (which caters to (and features in their ads) the 40+ year old woman who likes to be put together but not necessarily "businessy") and White House Black Market (which caters to the mid-20s to early 40s "businessy" demographic).  They used to also own Boston Proper (which catered to a whole different--more "vacationy" and sexier--facet of women's lives) but that went by the wayside.

Anyhow, back to the bras.  You could have one store with 26-40, AA-HH; one store with 42-56, AA-HH, and a third with 26-56, J-PP.  Hell, make it a whole multi-floor department store with sections for each size.  Call it the Bra Emporium.  A girl can dream about a world of bras with very well trained fitters.

Wow!  I got a bit off track from my original thought: visualizing all those sizes.

So, here is what we "see" at most any Victoria's Secret store:

Not in all styles but, for the most part, their bras, IN STORE, fall into that chart range.

And this is what contributes to people thinking that a D cup is HUGE.  It's not.  By any means.

What if you go to a midrange department store like JCPenney?  You'll probably "see" this:

I have to caveat this photo.  I kept my items square for ease of cropping.  You're not likely to find the upper Ds in a lot of midrange stores for size 30 bands; A-C cups, yes, but not much above that.  Same goes for the A and B cups in the 40+ bands.  (I fixed the erroneously colored in purple on my original product but all the pictures in this post are from the same photo, just cropped accordingly.)

And folks are still thinking a D cup is quite large.  Nope.  Still isn't.

Okay, so what if you go to a place like Nordstrom?  If you're lucky, you might have choices like this:

Maybe.
And you might be thoroughly confused because "Is it a UK size or a US size or a EU size?"  "What size am I?"  (I used UK (with a slight US overlap) on these charts.)

But those are still a lot of bra sizes, right?  You shouldn't need more than that, right?

WRONG.  That's not even a quarter of what bra size needs actually are.

Oh, and see where that "HUGE" D cup falls?  Not even in the middle now.  And, realistically, we need to get over this "Huge" and "Tiny" thing.  Breasts are just breasts.  And, in many cases, they cause great consternation to the person to whom their attached because of how American society reacts to them, no matter where they fall on a size chart.

For those who fall into the coming chart, they won't be surprised by the range of sizes but a lot of other folks might be.  So where does the remainder of the 400 sizes that I alluded to come from?

Here:

A whole gamut of bra sizes that are not sold in bricks and mortar stores; mainly, I think, because it "costs too much" to make that many bras.  I think we'll get there but it's going to take time and lots of education, on the part of the consumer.  The more that we educate people on their real size, the more they'll place a demand on bra manufacturers.  Is that DD from Victoria's Secret really your size or are you buying it because it's the only thing that you knew existed, that seemed to fit your breasts?

Hell, if Barbie, an icon for generations who had only one body type for decades, can get tall and petite and curvy, then bra manufacturers will provide when the demand is placed on them.  Even if they don't get to all the other Aspects of Fit, in all the sizes, just providing more sizes IN STORES is 

a start.

Want to find out what size you measure?  Check out the calculator here.  All you need is a soft tape measure and something to capture your numbers as you take them.  

What If I Don't Have A Tape Measure?

The first part of finding a bra that fits, is determining your band size.  The band is the measurement off which everything else is based.  You can't be specific about your cup size until you get your band size because your cup size is X inches larger (or smaller) in circumference than your band.  You could, feasibly, determine your shape without your band size but you'll have better success in determining which new bras to try with that first piece of information solidified.

So...what if you don't have a tape measure...but you do have some fairly new bras?  How can you use them to determine your band size?

Put one of those puppies on upside down, cups over belly.  Like so:

For modesty's sake, I kept my Chantelle on while I put the Elila on upside down.  You will want to ensure that the bottom of the band (which is at the top now) is all the way up in your IMF (aka boob crease) vs being pushed down by the underwire like you see above.

Now, how much space is between you and the band?

After having surgery in January and not getting much activity (but enjoying tasty food) there isn't much space between me and the band of my Elila so I haven't been wearing them at all in the past two months but...I digress.

If the fit is loose, the bra band is too large and you should go down to the next one.  If you can fit a whole hand width between you and the band, you might need to go down more than one band size.  If the fit is uncomfortably snug--like my Elila is to me currently--you will need to go up in the band.  If the band is comfortable, it will stay the same but you may need to adjust for cup size.

You can also check for snugness by checking how much tension is on the upper and lower hooks of the bra.  If they're straining, go a little larger so that you don't warp the shape of the cup in front.

So...if it's comfortable, flip the bra right side up and swoop and scoop.  That will determine the next step in your journey.  Bon voyage!!

The Pink Corset--A New Jersey Store Review by a Guest Blogger

A friend of mine went to a New Jersey bra and lingerie store a few weeks back.  Because of her (not so great) experience, I asked her if I could share her story on my blog.  She had no problem with doing so.  Here is her review for The Pink Corset in Absecon, NJ (with only a couple typos edited, all else is direct copy/paste i.e. I didn't alter this story to make it better or worse):

As a lingerie lover, I love to stop and support local boutique even though I manage a small boutique. I went with a friend to get her wedding dress in New Jersey and checked if there were boutiques around where she was and found The Pink Corset. I walked into the shop and it was in a cute little town and parking was easy to find. The shop main color was red with all the bras were color coded hanging on the wall. Bras were everywhere and then a huge red set of drawers and drapes in the middle which held all the underwear. I was looking for a particular bra the Freya Hero in pomegranate. A saleswoman approached me and asked if I needed anything. I said I was looking for a 30HH and just looking. It was a very tight space so the owner asked me if I needed anything and I said I was just looking. She cut me off and told me they measure you and then pull bras. I said that I am pretty sure I know my size and she like how? I said I worked at a bra shop in Delaware and know my size. She preceded to tell me that I was not a 30HH and that I had no idea what I was talking about. I keep looking even though I was irritated that someone would tell me how my breast and knowledge was wrong. Curious, I asked the younger girl what size am I if I am not a 30HH. She said we would have to be in the fitting room to understand that. She pulled a panache sports bra in a 32H which she said was a sister size and I said I have that bra. I told her I was looking for something with a plunge because I found my perfect bra. Then I said why not get fitted, who knows I might be off by a little bit. So the fitter was waiting at the desk and I said I like to be fitted. The third women, the fitter, said she can not judge my size until I was in the fitting room and there was a women finishing. I was like ok, this bra I have on does not fit well but I found my perfect bra but there are some downsides because it is full coverage. The fitter said that the is  not the perfect bra then. So overly annoyed with the service, I waited. The women was done in the dressing room the fitter told me that I should go in the dressing room and take everything off except my bra. Being in the bra business, I was a little embarrassed by my bra because I gained weight so it was a little small. The fitter came in leaving the door open which made me feel uncomfortable. The fitter said this is a good bra but it does not fit which I had already told her. The younger saleswoman came in giving her a bra and the fitter shooed her and told her it would not fit. The fitter turns around and went into the Elomi bijous, which is a molded plunge that starts at 34 and I am a 30, interesting pick. The fitter unhooked my bra and gave me the Elomi Bijou and said it was altered for a 32. The fitter, without asking, decided to maneuver my boobs in the bra which made me feel uncomfortable. Once the bra was on she asked what I thought. The middle gore was an inch off my chest, I took my hand and pulled it from my body saying it was to loose. I asked if they had anything in my size, she yelled at me telling me they had up to a K cup but not in smaller bands. I asked if she had anything close to my size, she told me “No, we do not” and then just walked away. I would like to add that she left me in a bra with the door open. This experience made me feel like a was weird and violated.  

My takeaway: Not a great place to shop. However, if you would like to check them out, they are about halfway between E Moss Mill Rd and Atlantic 610 on the southbound side of Hwy 9. Their address is 3 N New York Rd Shoppe #36, Absecon, New Jersey 08205

My Journey With A Few Cleos by Panache

I've received some feedback regarding my bra journey and folks wanting more details so I've decided to do some brand reviews in which I lump all the bras from that brand in one post.  This is my first one of those and I've decided to go with Cleo by Panache.

I've tried five different styles of Cleos--two in different sizes--and none have been successful, even when I adjust for size.  For example, I've tried three sizes in the Juna Balconette because the 36FF and the 36F fit very much the same.  

Here is the first try, 36FF:

You can see that there is a bit of a flattening at the front of the far cup as well as some muffin top.

The next round was a 36F (I think I fat-fingered when I meant to select 38F lol):

Surprisingly, there wasn't much difference in the fit, just a tad less room in the cup.

The final try was the 38F:

This one had a bit more give in the band but, as expected, the cups fit much the same as the 36FF.

Now, it was this last round that inspired me to actually measure a Cleo band.  Guess what the 38 band measured, unstretched.  30.5 inches.  And stretched...it measured just 41 inches.  I knew Cleos were tight but dang!!

The only other Cleo that I've tried multiple sizes in was the Lucy Balconette.  

The first round was a 36FF (as are all my first tries since that's what I measured at when this journey began):

It fit okay but, as with all Cleos, the band was tight so I sister-sized to a larger band.  This was also before I was avoiding this general style altogether.  The combination of my short roots and even fullness makes me "functionally" FoB which results, every time, in that fluttering of lace that you see in the upper cup.

The 38F:

Just a hint of lacy flutter but this bra had a weird asymmetrical construction to it, so I sent it back.

Another Cleo that I've tried is the Lily Balconette.  Here it is in a 36FF:

This bra is super cute but, again, there was a lacy flutter that I didn't like.

If I remember correctly, this next one was actually one of the first Cleos that I tried.  The Maddie in 36FF:

At the top of the cup, you can see quad-boob, muffin top; and, at the bottom, you can see that it's not projected enough.  Very cute bra though.

In this last round, I tried what I think will be my last Cleo, the Marcie Balconette.

Here it is in 36FF:

It's projected enough and has only a slight lacy flutter but the material was itchy and the band too tight.  Since, like the Juna Balconette in 38F, I still had it on hand this morning and decided to measure the band.  This 36 band measures at 28.5 inches unstretched and 40 inches stretched.  Cleo is a great brand to go to if you can't find band *small* enough for your frame.  We average to bigger women...I'd suggest trying other brands.  lol.

I will say: in all of these, the gore tacked so the cup is pretty deep and the underwires didn't poke me in the armpit so they weren't too wide...nor were they too narrow.  It's really just the bands that I have any issue with.

That is my short journey with Cleo by Panache bras--the Juna, the Lily, the Lucy, the Maddie, and the Marcie.  All were Balconettes.  All were sexy.  None were suitable.

Bra Review: Freya Deco Debut Plunge (in clover)

This bra was sitting right of top when I opened the box from barenecessities and I couldn't wait to try it on.  It's so pretty.  Now, I'm not looking to wear it for a full day but it would be fun to wear if I'm going out for the evening with my girlfriends or out on a date.  Knowing that I have on something so snazzy would give me that little boost of feeling good.

Lets' start with some details...

The bow at the gore and at the straps connection is a very feminine touch and I love the contrast between the straps and upper cup and the print on the main portion of the cup.

The material over the cup is cut and sewn in a princess seaming kind of way, making it so that it's not bulky.

The cup itself is one molded, non-padded, piece--which forgives all kinds of shape mismatch issues--and the wings are mesh lined.  The piece directly connected to the cup is a stiffer mesh than that of the actual wing with the wing being quite flexible and breathable.

The downside to this bra is that it's a little snug and the number of hook and eyes contributes to a little bit of back-roll.

Because of that, I'm going to try a sister size larger--this is a 36FF--to see if that alleviates the "snug" aspect.

You gotta admit, though...it does look pretty snazzy...

I'll update this post when I get the new one in.

Official Workshop Slides in Work

I'm very excited to be working towards pulling the information from online to a workshop form and forum.  The powerpoint is in work--taking a break because I just realized just how long the prep work for this endeavor is going to be.  I can't wait for it to be completed so that I can do a run-through with a couple trusted advisors and friends to get their feedback on format, layout, and grammar.

Here's the Title Slide:

I plan to have it completed in time for me to take it on the road during my cross-country trips this Spring.  I'll be happy to conduct a workshop anywhere along my Southern States or East to West routes come April and May.  

Just Completed Round 4

When you're looking for the perfect fit, it can be quite the endeavor when you're an "average" size.  There's so many choices and, of course, they don't all fit the same or look the same.  The hard part isn't choosing which one, it's getting through all that you have to choose from.  My luxury is that I have the means to order a number of items at one time and that certainly saves me money in the long run and time because I'm not limited to just one or two at a time.  I usually order 15 to 20 at a time and Round 4 was no different.  This Round had 21 items in it and, surprisingly, it was the most successful of them all.  I found three to keep and six that I'll be trying in a different size to see if that takes care of the fit problems that I experienced.

Fantasie and Panache are tied for most styles that I've tried on from their lines--13 different bras each--with Panache being the winner, so far, for styles that worked with my shape and aspects of fit.

There is quite the difference between this round and the first one: I know my own breast shape a lot better.  During the first round, I ordered what I thought was pretty and what I thought I'd like.  Basically, there was no filter except aesthetics.  NOW, I know which bras to avoid, as a short-rooted, evenly full (which makes me functionally full on bottom (FoB)), breast shape.  I also have bottom-of-the-cup projection (also known as immediate projection) but I can't tell from website pictures which ones will work and which ones won't; mainly because most websites photoshop their pictures, erasing the "flaws" so there's no way for me to really filter for that fit aspect.

To give you an idea of my journey, I'm attaching a list of the brands, styles, and sizes that I've tried.  I'm not including my notes this time because they tend to not fit in the blog format but you can see where I've tried alternate sizes in various styles.  There's also an overlap/repeat from the first leg because my list is sorted alphabetically.  Makes it easier to check my notes when I go back to them.  (The odd spacing is attributed to the space that my notes take up on the Excel sheet)

Chantelle	C Ideal Tshirt	Hazelnut	36H
Chantelle	Pont Neuf	Black	36H
Chantelle	Rive Gauche	Black	36G
Chantelle	Rive Gauche	Black	36H
Chantelle	Revele Moi	Black	36H
Cleo by Panache	Juna Balconette	Black	36F
Cleo by Panache	Juna Balconette	Black	36FF
Cleo by Panache	Lily Balconette	Aqua	36FF
Cleo by Panache	Lucy Balconette	Black	36FF
Cleo by Panache	Lucy Balconette	Black	38F
Cleo by Panache	Maddie Balconette	Blue	36FF
Cleo by Panache	Marcie Balconette	Burgundy	36FF
Curvy Couture	Cotton Luxe T-Shirt	Black	36H
Curvy Couture	Matte and Shine T-Shirt	Nude	36H
Curvy Couture	Tulip Lace Push-Up	Black	36H
Curvy Kate	Princess Balconette	Black	36FF
Elomi	Betty Plunge	Black	36FF
Elomi	Bijou Convertible T-Shirt	Surf	36FF
Elomi	Caitlyn Side Support	Chambray	36FF
Elomi	Lexi Plunge	Ultra Violet	36FF
Elomi	Nina	Lipstick	36FF
Elomi	Tessa	Cobalt	36FF
Fantasie	Alex Side Support	Sand	36FF
Fantasie	Allegra Balcony	Black	36FF
Fantasie	Elodie Side Support	Black	36FF
Fantasie	Ivana Balcony	Rosewood	36FF
Fantasie	Jacqueline Side Support	Black	36FF
Fantasie	Joanna Side Support	Black	36FF
Fantasie	Lois Side Support	Pink	36FF
Fantasie	Melissa Side Support Plunge	Black	36FF
Fantasie	Natalie Side Support	Samba	36FF
Fantasie	Rebecca Mirage T-Shirt	Blush	36FF
Fantasie	Rebecca T-Shirt	Red	36FF
Fantasie	Susanna Side Support	Smokey Rose	36FF
Fantasie	Smoothing Tshirt	Nude	36FF
Fantasie	Salsa Balcony	Nude	36FF
Fine Lines	Blessed Memory Convertible Tshirt	Skin	36H
Freya	Active Molded Sport	Atomic Blue	36FF
Freya	Deco Spotlight Plunge Tshirt	Ivory	36FF
Freya	Gem	Nude	36FF
Freya	Idol Balcony Tshirt	Nude	36FF
Freya	Rapture Plunge	Black	36FF
Freya	Siren Balcony Plunge	Black	36FF
Freya	Minx Balconette	Leopard	36FF
Freya	Fifi Balconette Half Cup	Ballet Pink/Black	36FF
Freya	Deco Debut Plunge	Clover	36FF
Freya	Marvel Side Support	Black	36FF
Freya	Active Maximum Control Sports	Nude	36FF
Freya	Rio Balconette	White	36FF
Goddess	Rose Lace	Nude	36H
Gossard	Glossies Unlined	Nude	36F
Gossard	Glossies Unlined	Black	36FF
Heidi Klum Intimates	Madeline	Royal Vista Blue	36FF
Heidi Klum Intimates	Sofia Lace	Jet	36FF
Le Mystere	Dream Tisha Tshirt	Natural	36H
Natori	Pure Allure Tshirt	Vivid Violet	36H
Natori	Satin Fleur	Buff	36H
Natori	True Decadence Embroidered	Black	36H
Panache	Andorra	Black	36FF
Panache	Andorra	Black	38F
Panache	Clara Full Cup	Charcoal/Black	36FF
Panache	Colette Balconette	Claret	36FF
Panache	Dahlia Balconette	Nude	36FF
Panache	Envy Balconette	Nude	36FF
Panache	Floris Balconette	Ivory Multi	36FF
Panache	Idina Balconette	Black	36FF
Panache	Idina Lace Tshirt	Black	36FF
Panache	Melody Full Cup	Nude	36FF
Panache	Tango Balconette	Black	36FF
Panache	Porcelain Elan Lace Convertible	Navy	36FF
Panache	Cari Tshirt	Cranberry	36FF
Panache	Esme Balconette	Black/Nude	36FF
Parfait by Affinitas	Charlotte Balconette	Purple Wine	36FF
Parfait by Affinitas	Destiny Balconette	Cassis	36FF
Parfait by Affinitas	Jeanie	Java	36FF
Passionata by Chantelle	Starlight Plunge	Black	36H
Passionata by Chantelle	Sexy Fashion Demi	Grapefruit/Pink	36H
Prima Donna	Madison Full Cup	Scarlet	36H
Sculptresse	Kitty Full Cup	Hot Red	36FF
Wacoal	Casual Beauty	Toast	36H
Wacoal	Fine Form	Cappucino	36H
Wacoal	La Femme T-Shirt	Cappucino	36H
Wacoal	Maximum Control Sport	Blue Iris	36H
Wacoal	Retro Chic	Minimal Gray	36H

Out of these 84 items, four have been kept (from four rounds of try-ons) with the Chantelle Rive Gauche being the one that I settled on six months ago as a compromise as I continued my search.  I bought four different colors to get me through.

If you're still in your own bra journey, keep on keeping on.  You'll find something that works for you.  If you're local to me and want to do a Fit Event--where I take on the task of ordering and returning items for just a little more than it would cost you to return anything--email me and let's get something set up.