Boobs, I mean, Bras, and the eternal frustration

Oh yeah, I have like 4 pairs of those shorts things, wore them every single day all summer. When I ran out/forgot to do laundry, I cut up pairs of tights from the previous winter. Now it's just all tights, all the time.

I also only have one drawer but I'm against padded bras so mine don't take up much room since they're just lace (and there are only 4 of them). Also I shove the 4 sports bras and all my dance wear in the same drawer, so it's a mess.

xp Hahahaha posts vmic

well! i have a lot to say but

I know. Privacy!

xxp - you go commando, iirc?

Having things around my waist makes me rly uncomfortable b/c it's in a very different place depending on whether I'm standing or sitting, and things move all around when I'm walking. I try to avoid waist layers.

Were it just me I would have my two black and three beigeish bras that, after a major bra size revelation documented itt, fit well and are comfortable under everything I own.

I happened upon a spouse who really likes lingerie. I hate shopping for it, but he digs that shopping (in a non crepey way). Secrets and Lace has become a favorite. The deal is that he can order whatever he likes (he knows my size and preferences), and I will give it a go. Seven out of ten times, I like what he picks; the rest he returns. It has saved me a) having to shop for lingerie myself and b) something that he gets a kick out of that I am happy to oblige. The key is that if I don't like or feel comfy in something, I feel free to tell him and it gets returned.

This sounds like I am lucky, but I think a lot of women like to shop for their own underthings, and I do not. So it is convenient to have someone who will shop for me based on my actual size/preferences/needs and handle returns if it ain't working for me. I think a lot of dudes may be willing to do this if approached???

By dudes I mean dudes/partners-of-any-gender

I bought a shapewear half slip because hey $6 but now I see it has one of those eye and hook attached panty things. How do you wear tights with this? Can I just remove it?

Mr. Jaq read this article yesterday about True&co, all about their bra quiz to figure out your perfect fit etc. So I went to take their stupid quiz. Ladies, don't bother if you are larger than a size 16. Also, if you define your shape as well-rounded, they imply you've got implants. Way to piss off a potential customer, thx for that.

Yeah, the largest size you can wear is a large??

true&co website has some poorly-thought-out user interface issues going on, keeps making you step through the stupid quiz (is this a cross-browser issue in which it doesn't always work on google chrome? can't they test for it & resolve it?)

then it only lets you see the selection the quiz determines you should see, doesn't show the brand name of anything unless you click on it, apparently doesn't let you buy matching stuff on the same site? i would rather just see all the options and decide for myself, i'm sure most people would. also why assume everyone doesn't wear the right size anyway? i have the right size already thanks ILS

so i could buy stuff there but don't want to & then kept looking around like so much of this is what *not* to do for usability reasons, how can this be good for a new business.
/nerd

^^^I totally refuse to buy from sites with poorly done UAs, even if I think I may like the merch and/or prices are good. It shouldn't be hard for me to give you my money!

um UIs, not UAs

after a long underwire-free comfortable 12 months or so, today i found myself post-laundry without a bra to wear so i had to dig out my old one with underwire. seriously cannot believe i used to wear this goddamn thing every day. wtf.

Well, shit: http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/braless-best-study-says-bras-breasts-saggier-161300096.html

That's it, I'm not wearing a bra to work on Monday.

eyes rolled here: WOMEN: How many bras do you have?

no I don't know why I have all the bra threads bookmarked

Because you wear them every day and they pretty much define love/hate and necessary evil? That's why I have them all bookmarked, anyway.

thought to myself oh I'll go out and get myself a new bra to wear to this wedding coming up. ffffffffffuuuu. here's what I hate: every single style of bra, even within the same BRAND has a completely different size. so even if I know my fucking size and I don't need a fitting, I still have to try on 900 goddamn bras to find one that fits. and inevitably I settle for one that fits okay and storm out of the store only to be back in 2 days because in the cold light of day it just. does. not. fit.

i hate them i hate them I hate them.

and much as I like lane bryant's bras, they fuck with their sizing even more than normal brands. yes it's nice to make large ladies feel smaller by changing up the sizing but I HATE CHANGING ROOMS AND I HATE TRYING ON BRAS AND YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY grrr

sorry venting

however it is kinda cool when you find one that fits AND lifts and you're like oh hey I haven't seen you ladies in a while wassup

Oh that is so true. I experimented at Christmas, went down a band size and up a cup size...and viola! Much better. At least in this particular model, which I have now owned 3 of (2 are in wild colors seriously--fuchsia with red embroidery).

i have come around to being super into the Playtex sports bra

There really should be a program where you can borrow a "test bra" to wear in your real life (not your 30 seconds in the dressing room life) before committing to purchase. God, so many bras that seemed so promising in the dressing room have ended up at the bottom of the drawer after failing even an 8 hour test.

the tits is out

the beginning middle of cruel intentions 2

bra chicago feminism

no way sna

i've gotten two free try-at-home boxes (5 bras per box) from true & co (and another on the way), and it's FANTASTIC. purchased one bra from each box, one bra is pretty good and the other is amazing - so comfy and gives that 70s natural boob shape we talked about on here years ago https://trueandco.com/bras/she-walks-in-beauty-light/made-of-stars/1177.

they don't have a big selection of bigger-sized bras, esp not in bright colors - it's all beiges/creams and black, pretty much.

i went so stir crazy the other day trying shit on I walked out with a 44c which is like STUPIDLY the way wrong size but I was so at the end of my rope that I just didn't care anymore. but in the end I think my problem can be solved by switching to a demi instead of trying for full coverage. I don't have enough, um, 'top boob' to fill those stupid foam cups. plenty of underboob though. so...on we go

tomorrow I'm going back and goddammit I have a plan now.

however it is kinda cool when you find one that fits AND lifts and you're like oh hey I haven't seen you ladies in a while wassup

LOL

I've given up and decided I'm only ever wearing this nursing bra for the rest of my life - http://www.bravadodesigns.com/mobile/the-original-nursing-bra-double-plus-style. Also the model's face is super funny.

Note that it doesn't actually come in my size but it's 1) close enough and 2) the only non-underwire game in town that is even within shouting range of my current corner of the alphabet.

OMG just1n3 you just changed my bra life, THANK YOU!

I did the little fit quiz thing and one of the bras it recommended is my favorite Natori bra, in the same size!

Totally going to get a try-on box when back in the states.

I got my first True box last week. Of the 5 only one fit but it did so really well and I now, for the first time in probably 10 years, own a pretty lacy bra!

Actually, I like it so much I think I'm gonna order it in another color.

I think I'm gonna get another box tbh. I just like the whole they do everything for you part so much. lol lazy.

(this is the one I got: https://trueandco.com/bras/montelle/pure-plus/1239)

This is the one I like so much, it's stretchy on the outer layer so there's some adjustability in fit, but on the underside of the cup there's also a non-stretchy reinforced area and some seaming for support & structure. For me at least it's the perfect shape.

http://www.wacoal-america.com/embrace-lace-underwire-bra-wacoal-65191-p.html

lol I have the brown and coral one and the red and fuchsia...what can I say, I love red and they were on sale.

went back to LB and after some mild to rising annoyance did actually end up leaving with 2 bras that fit *hooray*

I had measured myself using their fit guide online, picked out a bra in the demi style, tried it on and it was way too tight. so this time instead of bumbling around for an hour trying on 20 bras I just hollered at the fitting room gal who was answering bra fitting questions. I was like, ok this bra is my size according to your fitting guidelines, and it doesn't fit. HALP. She was all, well did you measure THIS way and lift up your boobs and whatever and I was like uhh not exactly that way - okay you try it your fancy way see if you can magic my boobs into a new size. so she measured and says wow you were right that is your size.
Yeah.
It is.
COME AT ME BRO
so she went off and got another bra in a bigger size.
no love. and she's already kind of done with me and I'm kinda done with her but we're in this together now so we are going to end this TODAY.
so she goes back and gets another one. up a band size and down a cup size and
VOILA

of course all of this is boring and tl;dr but I felt the most bizarre sense of triumph that I just had to dump it all on you guys haha

not boring and/or tl;dr!

I am glad you persevered and overcame! Fuck bra sizing, seriously. We can land people on the moon with 1970s-era computers and we cannot solve the bra fitting problem? COME ON, PEOPLE.

Do you think I can get the Gates Foundation interested in this? Or at least a MacArthur Genius Award for the person who is going to Fix This Shit?

right? it's fucking ridiculous.

oh god I probably mentioned on this thread already but when I had my bra fitting a couple of years ago, the lady in the next cubicle got really upset because nothing fit and the bra fitter ended up crying :(

oh god! What did the owner of the boobs in question do?

got really frustrated and left with nothing iirc (this was M&S, so only their own brand, and presumably she was between sizes)
I think the crying was after she went!

oh dear

the owner of the boobs in question

this phrase made me crack the fuck up. I will probably use it extensively in the future.

I've found that Lane Bryant is more interested in selling any bra than getting you in one that fits.

it would appear so

I had kinda thought they would be on top of their bra game but I guess I thought wrong

The only game Lane Bryant's on top of is the "let's exploit the fact that we're the only brick and mortar store with plus sizes in this mall and charge insane prices for crap clothes" game or maybe the "putting plastic rhinestones on shirts" game.

Sorry. Feeling bitter about LB today it seems!