Found My First Bra That Fits!!

I’ve found at least one new bra that fits and I’m quite excited about it.  I tried on a 36H, originally, but the fit just wasn’t “perfect” and that’s what I’m looking for.  It’s called the Chantelle Rive Gauche and it’s just beautiful!

For every bra that I try on from the online websites, I’ve been keeping notes about fit for each bra.  

Here is the Chantelle Rive Gauche in 36H:

And here are my notes: Very slight pucker at top, underwire sits low on ribcage (trying smaller cup)

If you look at the pictures, you can see that the cup is just too large overall.  And the underwire extends way too far into my armpit.  But, I loved how this felt, in general, so I wanted to try again.

Now, I didn’t attempt to sister size because the band fit just fine.  If the band had been loose—this one fit on the loosest hook rather than the tightest—I would have gone down in the band and up in the cup so that the coverage remained the same but the band would have been tighter; or if it was too tight in the band, despite being on the loosest hook, I would have gone up in the band and down in the cup to, again, keep the coverage the same while making room for my torso circumference. 

Neither was the case, so I just went down in a cup and it fits AWESOME!!

Here is the Chantelle Rive Gauche in 36G:

I’ve ordered two more in that style: a Hazelnut Nude and a Cappuccino so that I can wear them under my work tshirts.  And keeping this black one.

I’m still on a quest for more styles because, really, you can’t have just one.  Lol.  My 2^nd round of bras netted me two that I will try sister sizes--the band was just a bit snug--and 14 that are getting a complete exchange. 

Here’s what I received for the 2^nd round:

The journey continues.

The Body by Victoria bra line Revamp and Relaunch

The Body by Victoria bra line has had quite a few relaunches.  During my tenure, the first relaunch prompted me to stop loving the unlined demi bra.  During the late 90s and early to mid 2000s, it was my “go to” bra.  It fit great and provided a great shape.  With the relaunch that occurred just a few years after I started working for the company, the Body by Victoria Perfect Coverage became my new favorite.  The revamped unlined Body dug into the top of my breast in a way that was not flattering.  It gave me a lumpy look that wasn’t there to begin with.  The Perfect Coverage came up high enough that this was not an issue.  The shaped Demi bra did the same thing as the unlined version so I stuck with the Perfect Coverage option.  When I lost weight, though, I found that there was too much gapping in the cup of my beloved Perfect Coverage and switched to the Demi. 

That relaunch introduced us to “memory fit”, a super soft, conforms to your shape, material from heaven.  But it also came with controversy--the “Perfect Body” campaign.    The other downside was that the bras had less material at the front of the bra, along the band line.  It was mostly just underwire.

Not many notable changes in 2013

2014 brought about another revamp.  This one involved adding a “keyhole” feature to the center gore and more material along the band--much relief for those who felt that the previous version was digging into their ribs.

And here we are with the latest revamp/relaunch.  

I was able to try on a few styles yesterday and ended up buying the Unlined Lace.  I tried on the largest cup available in a 36-band.  Some were DDD, a couple were DD.

My thoughts on the new styles:
Pefect Coverage—it fits the same as the last Perfect Coverage and is great if you want to camouflage any shape issues.  The cup is narrow and shallow so I was not able to fit my 36H size into the largest offered—36DDD.

Demi—same as the Perfect Coverage: little difference from the previous version.

Lace Demi—while I didn’t try this one on, it was passed around at our store meeting the other day.  The lining is one of a fine mesh material.  There is no memory fit in this cup.  It would dent easily if stored with one cup inside the other as most customers are wont to do.  I wouldn’t wear it on a hot day either.  I think the “itch” factor would be too noticeable.

***One difference between new and old though: they swapped 3% of the elastane for 3% more nylon.  Before it was 74% elastance and 26% nylon; now it’s 71% and 29%, respectively.  It's still a "memory fit" though***

Perfect Shape—really don’t like this shape at all.  I felt like I had grapefruit sitting on my chest.  The shape of the bra was that round in silhouette.

Pushup—another dislike.  This bra pushes your breasts together rather than up.  I had serious “quad cleavage” when I swooped and scooped.  Very shallow cups too—the bra was pushed down by my breasts since they were gravitating towards the deepest part of the cup hence the “quad cleavage” because that meant out of the cup almost completely.  Another “didn’t like” feature: the underwire definitely digs in though that might be more noticeable because the bra was being pushed down my ribcage.

Wireless—not bad just didn’t like the lack of separation that underwires traditionally provide.  I’ve never been a fan of wireless bras so this was not unexpected.  A great option for those who like compression-type sports bras but also want some cleavage because this bra has a bit of a plunge front.  **Not available in DDD

Unlined Lace—this is the option that I ended up getting for my gratis.  The cup seems to be less shallow than the others; probably because it’s the only option that is made from three pieces of fabric rather than one continuous one.  The underwire was a little too wide to truly sit in my intramammary fold but that allowed for more room in the cup as well.  I swooped and scooped and experienced very little “muffin top” above the cup.

The new Lounge bra—VERY comfortable.  Unfortunately too short on the sides.  I felt like I had back fat just hanging out.  Very soft; very smooth.  The straps are not adjustable.  They’re reminiscent of the original Incredible bra.  They’re also in a halter/racerback configuration.  The band is “longline” and I can easily see someone wearing it as a short tank all its own.  It would even work as a yoga bra.  **Not available in DDD
I'm looking forward to trying on the other styles as they come in, especially the Lounge Bralette--it looks like it may be super comfy.  **Sizes are XS, S, M, L, XL

This relaunch happens July 28th.  The current versions will be discounted and pulled from the floor and will probably be available again during the various Semi-Annual Sales that happen twice a year.

A Soma Experience... Still No Luck Though

Went into Soma at The Summit in Reno, NV first thing in the morning on July 4th.  I've only been in a Soma store maybe twice before and purchased loungewear; never shopping for bras.  I asked the saleswoman--who introduced herself as Crystal--what their largest cup was.  She told me 44G and asked what size I was.  I told her that my 36DD wasn't fitting--I was wearing a Fabulous Unlined Demi by Victoria's Secret, which is no longer available--and I don't remember if I told her that I was a 36H.  She offered me a bra fitting to which I responded, "Sure."

Crystal measured me at a 36DDD (the same as a 36E (UK), two sizes smaller than my size).  She brought me three bras in that size--a Vanishing Back Full Coverage, an Enhancing Shape Full Coverage bra, and one other that I don't recall the name.  I still had "quad boob" in all of them.  Sadly, Crystal didn't ask to see how any of them fit--something that I expected so that she could better assess any fit issues.  

She just took my word that they didn't fit and then brought me some styles that I had originally asked about--unlined--in a 36G.  Those were the Embraceable No Show Minimizer and the Sensuous Lace Unlined.  The minimizer gave me the most awful shape that I've ever seen.  My breasts are pretty easy to get along with for most bras.  They just go with the flow.  In this bra, they were damn near flat, I had absolutely no fullness on top, and my cleavage was squished together like two pancakes trying to meet on a plate.  Terrible all around.  

I then tried on the lace bra.  It's one of those that is seamed diagonally, from the underwire up to where the nipple *should* go; which, from what I remember, provides a better fit for breasts with projection.  It did fit much better than the minimizer but had issues of its own: the underwire didn't sit in my intramammary fold, for one thing.  What the heck is that, you may ask?  In a nutshell, it's the crease of your boob, from your sternum (center of your chest) to your armpit--where the bottom of your breast meets your torso.  More on that later.

So, back to the bra...it didn't follow my IMF and the wire poked well into my armpit.  It would be bothering me in no time if I wore it for any length of time.  Crystal suggested I size down to a 36DDD to see if the wire would be shorter.  It was; however, there was serious "quad boob" again.  It was also still too wide in the cup.  My breast roots don't fall into the wide category.  They start in a position that is more forward of my armpit rather than *in* my armpit so any underwire that ends super close to my armpit will be too wide for me.  More on breast roots later.

At this point, it was apparent that I wasn't going to find a bra at Soma.  Crystal then proceeded to refer me to the Cacique store--Lane Bryant's bra line in a stand-alone store--that was a few doors down (mind you, they rarely carry 36 bands in store) and Sealed With A Kiss, a boutique in South Lake Tahoe.  Their bras must be sold only in store because I found none online.

All in all, my trip to Soma didn't end in success but it wasn't too terrible.  Crystal did her best to help me find something that fit and she was quite knowledgeable about fit.  If I was willing to compromise on finding the perfect fit, I would have bought the unlined lace bra.  I'm looking for "awesome" though and am not willing to compromise just yet.

The journey continues...

It Was A Busy Week...

...And I was able to get only one fitting while in Reno.  I will post and share it tomorrow.  I hope your 4th of July--if you celebrate--was as eventful as you wanted it to be.  I attended my brother's wedding and reception and jaunted around town(and saw so many who were wearing bras that weren't even close to fitting).

Headed to the Left Side of the Nation

I'm headed out to visit family for a week but I'm going to Reno which means there's a few stores that do bra fittings--at least two Victoria's Secrets, Lane Bryant, Soma, and Nordstrom, for sure.  I think I'll subject myself to some fittings and see how it goes.  It'll be interesting to be on the other end of the tape measure.  I'll let you all know how it goes.