Some of the bras I tried on would ride up in the back. Other times, they'd gap, or pull away from my body.
I was buying Warner bras on sale, you know 2 for $24, or buy two get one free. They wore out in six months. It was a waste of time and money. And, they didn't even fit.
Every once in a while, I'd get really, really close... only to discover that the straps were too long (this should have been a clue), or that the bra puckered.
My first real inkling that something was wrong was when I went to buy a strapless bra for a wedding over 10 years ago. They slipped, they slid, they didn't cover. In other words, mostly useless! I went from store to store to store, looking for a bra that fit. It was worse than buying the dress.
I wanted something that was supportive, strapless (obviously), and pretty too. One saleswoman told me no such thing existed.
Ten Years of Research
Luckily, the saleswoman in another store was smarter. She looked at me and told me that I was probably wearing the wrong size, and to go down in band size and up in cup size. It worked!She was right. I'd been wearing the wrong size for years. That explained why I had so much trouble with the gapping and slipping. It also explained why my bra straps were always too long, even though I'm not short and have a longer torso.
It turned out the smaller band size had straps designed for a narrower, smaller body! I finally did find the perfect strapless bra (a Marie Jo, which I still have, ten years later!) However, now that I had one bra that fit, I wanted more. Because who doesn't want to be comfortable all the time?
I Checked Hundreds of Bras and Started Making Lists
So, I bought a second Marie Jo bra, and a few Chantelle bras. They cost a lot more than those old Warner styles, they lasted a lot longer, and they fit much better. I thought my problems were over, but they weren't. As I threw out my old ill-fitting bras and went to replace them with new ones, I discovered that each bra (in my new size, as well as all the other sizes), fit differently.I went through hundreds of bras. I tried on so many different brands and styles I started making lists of what fit me, and what didn't. And then, once I found something the manufacturer would inevitably discontinue it. Gah!
Measuring Bands, Researching Seams, and Comparing Styles and Shapes
I began measuring band lengths (because the printed size was no help) and pored over strap lengths.
I must have spent hours staring at center panels, deciding whether they were tall and narrow or wider and triangular. I looked at demi bras, full cup bras, and more strapless bras, trying to figure out what the fit differences were for different cup styles and how the wires and boning affected the shape and fit of the bra.
I researched seams to learn out how different kinds of seams (horizontal, angled, diagonal or transverse) affected how the bra created lift and what kind of shape it gave the wearer.
The styling, the shape, whether it has wires, the wires' shape, the seams, and whether the bra has boning or slings changes the fit and who can wear the bra comfortably. The fit also depends on where those slings are located inside the bra and what shape they are.
Then, I used that information to figure out why Bra A by Brand Y fit, but Bra B by Brand Y didn't. Or why Brand Y seemed to be a better fit than Brand X overall.
It turns out there's no consistency across brands, or sizes, or even the same company. Each bra is different. Boo!! Even the same brand can run full in one style and narrow in another.
I figured other women must be having these same problems, so I decided to do something about it. Not only that, but I knew it wasn't just me. My problem was a small body and larger bust. Fuller figure women had problems with just getting the right size, or fitting a tall body, or a petite one. Or two or more of those issues. Or try getting a sports bra if you need a larger cup size.
I started posting my findings on Squidoo in 2008. People started leaving comments saying how much I'd helped them. When Squidoo closed, everything briefly moved to HubPages. When that stopped working for me, I moved it all here, on my own blog in 2015 and started adding to it: sports bras, honeymoon bras, full figure, petite/full figure, small busted, etc. This is the result.
Here are some pages and posts to get you started. First, check out my bra fit checklist. If you need more details on different bra styles, seams, sizing (and how they differ from each other, try my how to find a bra that fits page). Or, search for your problem (long torso, short torso sagging breasts, full figure, petite, side coverage, and so on.)
Let me know if it helps, and if you have questions, please ask them!
