Boobs, I mean, Bras, and the eternal frustration

well not tiny but i'm don't need something that can hold up really big ones or anything. just one that feels like it's going to stay put

i purchased a playtex front closure bra

it's p comfortable to wear once i get it on but holy jesus trying to put it on is like wrestling with a cop-movie shoulder-holster crossed with a lifevest

Hahahaa
This is bringing back vivid memories that have forever informed my decision to never buy another front closure bra

I do not trust front closure bras, bc they always seem to be plastic and flimsy

Fayreform is my new favorite bra brand.

this one has an interlocking metal closure, very sturdy, safe as houses lemme tell ya

I had some unfortunate experiences with front closures in high school. But maybe bra technology has improved in the past 25 years.

I wish there were regular improvements in bra technology, but I haven't noticed any in the last 20 years, unless making 95% of bras those thick rigid ones constitutes some kind of super advancement which I'm missing out on because I hate the feel of them

Impossible future bra technology wishlist:
- underwiring that does not snap, burst free of its tunnel and stab me, wear through the fabric and chafe my flesh, etc.
- bras that do not, after approx 6 months of light-to-moderate wear, suddenly give up on offering any support whatsoever

...not in my lifetime, I guess. I have a nice bra which did the underwire eruption thing after not very many wears at all - the end tip got all bent out of shape so I can't put it back in - and I haven't brought myself to throw the thing out yet because I miss you, bra.

update on the front closing 'safe as houses' bra -- those shits lasted 2 months tops and then the closures started twisting around and digging into me and I ditched those things right quick

i have now ventured into the world of wire-free bras ... got 2 playtex 18-hour jobs for $40 at the outlet store so we'll see. I have had so many wires go bung lately I'm willing to dance with the devil.

but it is still eternally infuriating that almost every new brand of bra is a different size for me. I've got everything from c to dd in my drawer at home, it's nonsensical

I've got everything from c to dd in my drawer at home, it's nonsensical

omg, same here - seriously, wtf is wrong with these bra people!

por exemplar: the one I bought today is a B cup!
I haven't had a b since high school

it's insane that you basically need to have a fitting any time you need to buy ~a~ bra that's not the same as the one you wear

I had some B cups I'd wear in my 20s, because I read somewhere that if you wear a one-smaller cup size, it can give you this sexy overflowing cleavage look, also push boobs closer together.

lol #protip

also they have a wider variety of cute patterns and decoration -- I guess I'm glad I'm no longer a B cup, and in the white/beige/black size range -- otherwise I'd buy more bras because they were cute.

truth

I guess the industry thinks that women our size are all dowdy moms that have no desire for bras with colorful polka dots or red lacy skulls embroidered on the cups.

even just a few bright jewel colors would be cool

this whole thing -- esp the sizing stupidity -- makes me think this would not happen if it was a product for men

def

Lol when I saw this thread was updated it reminded me I wanted to post about those playtex bras! Look on Amazon - I've gotten 3 for about 15$ each. They're not great for shape but they're comfy and I like them for summer.

I want to try ThirdLove bras but they're pricey.

I keep getting ads for ThirdLove bras, and was wondering if anyone else had tried them and what they thought!

yeah i was going to try but cost dissuaded me

if these playtex work out i'll def reup on Amazon, thanks for the tip J

One of the ads said "save $22" and I was thinking, wow what a deal! And I just now looked at the price after the discount, and I'm like ... :( ____ :( (sad boobs)

Ok let me try to be a little of an intersectional MRA here

Briefs, boxer shorts and chinos all suck too. Just saying. Men get to pick between about 4 colors of pants most of the time and unless you have constantly flaccid, below-average tackle, your underwear & pants situation becomes uncomfortable to the point of distraction at least twice a day. This is why guys have "comfortable pants" at home.

We don't have wires though, and anybody who suggested wearing undersized banana hammocks to show off would be shouted down in most contexts.

but they tend to at least sort of fit

getting a bra that fits is the exception!

it doesn't fit ~right~ you will probably be adjusting or hitching at your bra 20 times a day and for some reason the entire race of women has somehow absorbed into our psyche that this is just what happens

like sometimes you just can't be fucked getting fitted for a bra AGAIN so you say meh this one's okay and it doesn't fit right but you pass/agg wear it for a year just to prove a point til you throw it away

So true!!!! It's also really hard to tell if a bra is truly comfortable just trying it on once in a fitting room - lots of shit goes wrong when you're stuck in an ill fitting bra for 12 or more hours.

ThirdLove has a thing where you pay for shipping for the first bra you order, wear and wash for a month, and then either return it or pay for it (65$? I think?). They've gotten tons of great press AND they have lots of cute colors for big boobs. I don't know why I don't just splurge - it wouldn't be the most expensive bra I own.

Men get to pick between about 4 colors of pants most of the time and unless you have constantly flaccid, below-average tackle, your underwear & pants situation becomes uncomfortable to the point of distraction at least twice a day.

look dude, if men had to adjust their junk as often as women have to adjust their bras, there would 1) be massive industry disruption, like there'd be an iphone of men's underwear, with regular upgrades and 2) those comfortable pants you wear at home would be allowed as appropriate workwear.

I will not disagree with you. My grass is greener.

Pants/briefs comparison also doesn't hold up bc women's underwear is mostly uncomfortable if you've got a big bootie. Same thing for pants - trying to find pants or jeans that work for your butt, hips, stomach and thighs is a bit of an adventure.

update

playtex bra is v comfortable! uniboob look is kinda eh, but god it's nice not having any wire constriction

that's the kind i wear now -- no wires, no padding, no frills just a lil bra because i have to wear one if i am going to be acceptable to society

Same thing for pants - trying to find pants or jeans that work for your butt, hips, stomach and thighs is a bit of an adventure.

Lord, yes. I pretty much just wear dresses and skirts unless I have to wear pants. I have these two pairs of Venezia (lol lane bryant) jeans that actually fit well -- I treasure them more than many more expensive things I own

3rd Love bras are on sale now. I ordered one for $40, which is kinda the highest in $ I'm willing to go for an untested bra.

Also the Torrid Push up/plunge bras have yielded pretty impressive boob results

i am still p happy with the Playtex 18hr no wire bras.
I mean, no great shape for normal day but not thinking abt how my bra feels or hitching anything is kind of great

help me understand the bralette

those i dont get. they look like fairy bras! i’d feel more supported wearing a bra made of kleenex

are they just for small boobs, or for wearing around the house if you don't want to be completely bra-free, or ...

also, boob trend: the weird cage bras that look Mad Max costumes

i don’t know who they are for tbh

and yeah idg the cage bras either... in my head i call them broad city bras bcz ilana wears them sometimes

but i have never really been a “showing my bra” fashion warrior tho

they are for people with small boobs
i have some strappy bralettes and some very utilitarian hanes everyday bras that are basically adult-styled training bras
my boobs are very small and they are sufficient for my needs. i've been wearing the hanes ones for a few years (and through a few summers) and i still have no complaints
i don't worry about my boobs anymore

my boobs are very small and they are sufficient for my needs
they = bras with very little structure, not my boobs in this context, although my boobs are also sufficient/good enough :)

we should all feel that our boobs are sufficient/good enough! Boob positivity only ITT.

The cage bra things are really attractive to me as objects -- like high heels are -- but once I think about wearing them, I get twinges of pain. Maybe the cage bra things are comfy? They look uncomfortable though.

hooray for sufficient boobage <3

i had no idea they were called cage bras -- that's gross :( i just think of them as decorative straps -- dnw to be caged! i have one and it's as comfortable as any other bra. way more comf than underwire.

it's like the pressure is distributed differently and also looks decorative
i would recommend them but we need to do something about the name

lattice bra?

i've also seen them advertised as "strappy"

strappy is descriptive and not confusing -- that's what i would have called them. they have extra straps. they are strappy.
also, i may add, i feel good when i wear it. i would recommend to anyone wishing to give one a try in an warmer climate than the one I live in. They are mostly useful for summer around here.

There is a local bra/lingerie shop that has moved/expanded and they do fittings! Grand opening this weekend so I am going to check it out.

I am somewhat disappointed to find I have been wearing the correct size after all. I won a prize in the opening day raffle but I don't know what it is yet.