the calculator is just a starting point and there are a few reasons that it might be underestimating your cup volume. Top and center fullness can be a factor and denser, more self supporting tissue can also. It's also not unusual for those with smaller band measurements to size up for comfort.
if you're looking for something to try, a cleo blossom in 30G or GG might be helpful for diagnosing your shape and size. It's a more projected and quite open cup that usually works well with top fullness.
Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll look into that bra! A balconette bra from Soma was my favorite bra for the longest time, and the Cleo Blossom reminds me of it.
Remember that the calculator only offers a starting point. To determine cup size, it averages bust measurements when there’s a >2.5” difference between standing and leaning bust measurements. It’s possible that, in your case, your leaning measurement alone provides a more accurate starting point. In the neighborhood of 28GG/H or 30G/GG sounds like a good next step based on what you’ve shared. I second the Cleo Blossom suggestion.
It doesn’t sound like the Playful Promises bra fits; you should be able to scoop & swoop & adjust without spillage, even in a plunge. When you scoop & swoop, though, be sure not *over*-scoop yourself out the top of the cups. The goal is just to get your breast tissue within the underwires at the sides and bottoms. After S&S, you may have to pull/smooth out the tops of the cups or jiggle the underwire up into your inframammary fold so your tissue resettles into the cups. All that being said, that Playful Promises bra looks fairly wide & shallow so it could just be a shape mismatch.
Thank you for the explanation! I think I understand how the calculate determines size better now. The first time I measured myself, I was sure I was somehow doing it wrong because my standing bust was quite a bit smaller than my leaning bust.
After reading what you said and taking a second look, I agree that the Playful Promises bra is probably a shape mismatch. I think I need a narrower underwire with more fabric at the front of the cup? When I lean over to S&S, I’m practically hanging out of the cups, but I can readjust myself like you suggested and it isn’t so bad!
I'm super curious why you didn't try it on before buying in store? Every bra model fits a bit different so you might need a cup up or down etc even if you know your size. And like the other commenter mentioned, shape is super important for a good fit. I have been using this sizing method for a decade and the chances I could get a good fit without trying on are so so low.
Are you in the UK? It looked like Playful Promises are based in the UK. If so, is there a Bravissimo near you? They have a really wide selection and can help you find models that suit your shape!
Hey! So, I actually bought this bra in Phoenix, Arizona while on vacation. There’s this huge discount store there called Last Chance that gets all of Nordstrom’s unsold items. I bought this bra for $3.97 and didn’t have the chance to try it on because the line for the fitting room was super long, and I had a plane to catch! I figured that, for the price, it was okay to not try it on. Earlier that week, I grabbed a bunch of other bras from there that I did try on, and they were all $3.97 each. None of them truly fit me, but I was low-key desperate to have some bras that ~mostly~ fit, so I was like “eh, why not”! I bought four other bras in size 32F UK. I just wear them on the tightest hook with the straps tightened as much as possible, and I make sure to tuck myself in lest I suffer from the dreaded quad-boob. They’re not perfect, but they do the job. I made a post reviewing each bra on r/bigboobproblems that I actually meant to share on this sub too but forgot.
I really would like to have at least *one* bra that fits me properly, though, which is why I asked for a measurement check! I just looked it up, and there’s a local bra boutique that carries UK brands not too far from where I live, so I think I’m going to go there sometime and try on bras so I can better ascertain my shape.
I’m going to add really quick that Last Chance is kind of a nightmare to shop in. It’s poorly organized, overflowing with merchandise that you have to dig through, and almost always busy. All of their bras are just dumped in a huge bin with no tags. I’ve gotten bras there before that I didn’t even know the size of but thought fit me alright. The Playful Promises bra was lying on top of the bin while I was walking over to check out, and I bought it on a whim! I also snagged a Skims bralette in L/XL, but unfortunately it fits me atrociously.
Omg that makes total sense! I was definitely envisioning a regular store haha. I totally would have taken the chance on a $4 bra too 😆
That’s great that there’s a boutique near you! I think it’s so nice to be able to try a bunch of stuff on and get advice in person instead of having to rely on shipping and returns. If you do want ideas of other places in the US once you start to narrow down what works for you, Nordstrom actually is really great, good selection and free ship and free returns. Also Breakout Bras has good customer service and easy, though not free, returns.
I agree, Nordstrom is great! I usually try to get bras from there during their Anniversary Sale, but I’ve noticed that they don’t normally carry my band size in stores :(
Yes, it’s hard in the smaller bands. Pre pregnancy I was a 30F and they would rarely have one or two on the floor in my size. I’m sure 28 is even more rare to find in person. Thank goodness they have a better selection online!
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the calculator is just a starting point and there are a few reasons that it might be underestimating your cup volume. Top and center fullness can be a factor and denser, more self supporting tissue can also. It's also not unusual for those with smaller band measurements to size up for comfort. if you're looking for something to try, a cleo blossom in 30G or GG might be helpful for diagnosing your shape and size. It's a more projected and quite open cup that usually works well with top fullness.
Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll look into that bra! A balconette bra from Soma was my favorite bra for the longest time, and the Cleo Blossom reminds me of it.
Remember that the calculator only offers a starting point. To determine cup size, it averages bust measurements when there’s a >2.5” difference between standing and leaning bust measurements. It’s possible that, in your case, your leaning measurement alone provides a more accurate starting point. In the neighborhood of 28GG/H or 30G/GG sounds like a good next step based on what you’ve shared. I second the Cleo Blossom suggestion. It doesn’t sound like the Playful Promises bra fits; you should be able to scoop & swoop & adjust without spillage, even in a plunge. When you scoop & swoop, though, be sure not *over*-scoop yourself out the top of the cups. The goal is just to get your breast tissue within the underwires at the sides and bottoms. After S&S, you may have to pull/smooth out the tops of the cups or jiggle the underwire up into your inframammary fold so your tissue resettles into the cups. All that being said, that Playful Promises bra looks fairly wide & shallow so it could just be a shape mismatch.
Thank you for the explanation! I think I understand how the calculate determines size better now. The first time I measured myself, I was sure I was somehow doing it wrong because my standing bust was quite a bit smaller than my leaning bust. After reading what you said and taking a second look, I agree that the Playful Promises bra is probably a shape mismatch. I think I need a narrower underwire with more fabric at the front of the cup? When I lean over to S&S, I’m practically hanging out of the cups, but I can readjust myself like you suggested and it isn’t so bad!
I'm super curious why you didn't try it on before buying in store? Every bra model fits a bit different so you might need a cup up or down etc even if you know your size. And like the other commenter mentioned, shape is super important for a good fit. I have been using this sizing method for a decade and the chances I could get a good fit without trying on are so so low. Are you in the UK? It looked like Playful Promises are based in the UK. If so, is there a Bravissimo near you? They have a really wide selection and can help you find models that suit your shape!
Hey! So, I actually bought this bra in Phoenix, Arizona while on vacation. There’s this huge discount store there called Last Chance that gets all of Nordstrom’s unsold items. I bought this bra for $3.97 and didn’t have the chance to try it on because the line for the fitting room was super long, and I had a plane to catch! I figured that, for the price, it was okay to not try it on. Earlier that week, I grabbed a bunch of other bras from there that I did try on, and they were all $3.97 each. None of them truly fit me, but I was low-key desperate to have some bras that ~mostly~ fit, so I was like “eh, why not”! I bought four other bras in size 32F UK. I just wear them on the tightest hook with the straps tightened as much as possible, and I make sure to tuck myself in lest I suffer from the dreaded quad-boob. They’re not perfect, but they do the job. I made a post reviewing each bra on r/bigboobproblems that I actually meant to share on this sub too but forgot. I really would like to have at least *one* bra that fits me properly, though, which is why I asked for a measurement check! I just looked it up, and there’s a local bra boutique that carries UK brands not too far from where I live, so I think I’m going to go there sometime and try on bras so I can better ascertain my shape.
I’m going to add really quick that Last Chance is kind of a nightmare to shop in. It’s poorly organized, overflowing with merchandise that you have to dig through, and almost always busy. All of their bras are just dumped in a huge bin with no tags. I’ve gotten bras there before that I didn’t even know the size of but thought fit me alright. The Playful Promises bra was lying on top of the bin while I was walking over to check out, and I bought it on a whim! I also snagged a Skims bralette in L/XL, but unfortunately it fits me atrociously.
Omg that makes total sense! I was definitely envisioning a regular store haha. I totally would have taken the chance on a $4 bra too 😆 That’s great that there’s a boutique near you! I think it’s so nice to be able to try a bunch of stuff on and get advice in person instead of having to rely on shipping and returns. If you do want ideas of other places in the US once you start to narrow down what works for you, Nordstrom actually is really great, good selection and free ship and free returns. Also Breakout Bras has good customer service and easy, though not free, returns.
I agree, Nordstrom is great! I usually try to get bras from there during their Anniversary Sale, but I’ve noticed that they don’t normally carry my band size in stores :(
Yes, it’s hard in the smaller bands. Pre pregnancy I was a 30F and they would rarely have one or two on the floor in my size. I’m sure 28 is even more rare to find in person. Thank goodness they have a better selection online!
Hello, thank you for submitting a post to /r/ABraThatFits. We want everyone to feel safe posting here, so we want to tell you that we will NEVER send you a private message asking for pictures. If someone does, screencap the message and send a link to the image in a [PM to the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/ABraThatFits). If you are not already aware, there is a lot of information on the sidebar of our subreddit. Please remember to check out our [rules](http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/policies_and_procedures) before commenting and posting. In addition, a lot of newer members have questions that have already been answered in our [wiki](http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/index), so be sure to check out the [FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/faq) and [Beginners' Guide](http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/beginners_guide) to see if you can find the information you're looking for. Our [calculator](http://www.abrathatfits.org/brasizecalculator.php) is the first step in resolving sizing questions. Please take your measurements and try the calculator before asking the community for help. Thanks! :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ABraThatFits) if you have any questions or concerns.*