Yeah, if the band is too tight, you'd be able to see the above-the-waist equivalent of muffin top under form-fitting clothes. Not exactly my definition of "looks better."
Another Intimacy rant: They asked me what I used to wash my lingerie, and I told them Woolite. And they were horrified and claimed that Woolite stretches elastic and ruins the shape. Maybe they're full of shit and were just trying to sell Forever New, but that's the kind of reaction I'd expect if I told them I threw my bras in the washer - with heavy-duty Tide, and without a lingerie bag - and tossed them in the dryer.
Well, I bought the Forever New (which is soap flakes), and found that when my undies dried, they were covered with flaky residue. Even when I put the detergent in a container with water and vigorously shook it, the flakes wouldn't dissolve. The same happened when I washed my everyday clothes with it in the machine - you'd think the agitation would break down the flakes.
Weird! How much did you use? I bought some Forever New from Amazon last week, and hand washed all of my hanky pankys & bras. The instructions were 1 tbsp per, like, 2-4 quarts of water, and the soap fully dissolved quickly before I put them into the water. I soaked for 5 minutes & rinsed, and I had no residue.
ETA I have no idea if it's really superior to Woolite or not. Before this, I'd been tossing them into the wash with Tide. lol. I'd never heard of FN, but it's rated really well on amazon.
The band is supposed to be tight, like really really uncomfortably tight. The band is what is supposed to hold you up, not the straps.
This is absolutely NOT true. I'm a 36FF and my bras are super comfy and not very tight at all. The girls and up and perky and none of my bras hurt, fit wrong, or feel 'uncomfortably tight.' They should be fitted, but not more that that. If they are, its because the cups aren't fitted correctly and that is the most important thing.
First of all I meant to say when a bra is brand new, like just purchased, not forever and ever. IME, that is 100% the truth. I have been fitted multiple times and done it myself and always end up with the same result. And the cups do fit correctly b/c the center lays flat against my sternum. The fact is you should not be able to fit but 2 fingers underneath the back strap of the bra and if you can fit more than that it is too loose. For a lot of people this means the bra is initially uncomfortable but it does not negate that it is the correct size.
Bra fittings are totally my hill to die on, lol. I look at pictures of myself in a 40 or 42 DD and wonder WTF I was thinking that I looked ok. I am a 36 H or HH in UK sizing (so K or L in US). Badly fitting bras = back pain for me and I truly believe that good bras have kept me from a reduction.
It took me YEARS to get my mom to get a fitting. She did. She called me 2 days later omg it hurts. I told her it was fine and to basically suck it up (payback for all the times she told me to over the years, lol). A week later she was a ton happier and did look better - thinner, better posture, things were lifted the way they typically aren't for 62 year old women. She would say now that the initial discomfort was worth it.
This is absolutely NOT true. I'm a 36FF and my bras are super comfy and not very tight at all. The girls and up and perky and none of my bras hurt, fit wrong, or feel 'uncomfortably tight.' They should be fitted, but not more that that. If they are, its because the cups aren't fitted correctly and that is the most important thing.
First of all I meant to say when a bra is brand new, like just purchased, not forever and ever. IME, that is 100% the truth. I have been fitted multiple times and done it myself and always end up with the same result. And the cups do fit correctly b/c the center lays flat against my sternum. The fact is you should not be able to fit but 2 fingers underneath the back strap of the bra and if you can fit more than that it is too loose. For a lot of people this means the bra is initially uncomfortable but it does not negate that it is the correct size.
I edited the previous posts to say this, but I wear almost exclusively Freya bras. They fit amazingly well. I cannot get two fingers under my strap, maybe just my pinky (trying now but i'm in a suit). However, the strap definitely doesn't hurt. None of them do. Not tight, but fitted. No marks on my body. Sports bras bother my more than my regular bras. No way would I wear a bra that hurt me every day or if it didn't give me a good hour glass shape or back fat!
Last Edit: Mar 27, 2013 13:59:46 GMT -5 by Deleted: The bra I'm wearing today is new! BF is back from Korea (military) so it's a surprise for him. Still comfy! :-)
I edited the previous posts to say this, but I wear almost exclusively Freya bras. They fit amazingly well. I cannot get two fingers under my strap, maybe just my pinky (trying now but i'm in a suit). However, the strap definitely doesn't hurt. None of them do. Not tight, but fitted. No marks on my body. Sports bras bother my more than my regular bras. No way would I wear a bra that hurt me every day or if it didn't give me a good hour glass shape or back fat!
It could be a function of the particular brand the OP (and others) have tried.
I do feel like the bottom part of the underwire in Freya bras are more cushioned than others.
However, the cups of Panache bras by and large are the best for my figure.
My expensive bras always feel really, really uncomfortable at first. The last one I got was actually making creaking noises. When I got the bra the lady did warn me I would need to break it in! But, it's become one of my faves!
IME, yes it should. You should only be able to fit 2 fingers under the band. Any more than that and it is too loose.
This is true. But if it has enough room for 2 fingers, it should NOT leave bruises.
I'm a 38DD and have always had issues. I've been fitted, but only at a VS. I usually wear them way past their expiration or my weight fluctuates, making it no longer fit. I have terrible dark markings under my boobs from the years of ill-fitting bras. I want to go to that store on the TV show. I'm sure she could find the perfect fit.
Post by ellipses84 on Mar 27, 2013 14:06:41 GMT -5
I don't think a well fitted or expensive bra should cause you pain. Just like all clothes, different brands and styles fit people differently. I've never had that issue with being fitted at Nordstrom and they will definitely let you return used undergarments if they are uncomfortable. At my last fitting, one bra out of the several I tried on felt too tight in the band, so I got a different brand.
This is true. But if it has enough room for 2 fingers, it should NOT leave bruises.
I'm a 38DD and have always had issues. I've been fitted, but only at a VS. I usually wear them way past their expiration or my weight fluctuates, making it no longer fit. I have terrible dark markings under my boobs from the years of ill-fitting bras. I want to go to that store on the TV show. I'm sure she could find the perfect fit.
She did not say it left bruises. She said it felt bruised.
If you got fitted at VS, I can nearly 100% guarantee you are not wearing the right size. They fit people into what sizes they carry in the store, not what they should be wearing.
I don't think a well fitted or expensive bra should cause you pain. Just like all clothes, different brands and styles fit people differently. I've never had that issue with being fitted at Nordstrom and they will definitely let you return used undergarments if they are uncomfortable. At my last fitting, one bra out of the several I tried on felt too tight in the band, so I got a different brand.
Which is why I recommend herroom.com and their bra finder thingy:
Like I said previously, there are certain brands that fit better than others (for me, it's Panache) and some that don't fit, even in the same size or adjusting up or down. It is just the same as clothes.
This is why 85% of women or whatever are wearing the wrong size bra. I'd hate to see how you all would have fared in the time of corsets and petticoats, lol.
A bra that fits properly - in terms of measurements, not comfort - makes everything else about you look better. Your posture is better, your clothes lay nicer. I can definitely tell when a bra is too worn even with adjusting straps and hooks and whatnot, and it is definitely before it "wears out".
Don't care.
Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you, @mrsspunky. It is absolutely ludicrous that we should be in constant physical pain to fit some societal image of beauty.
Post by definitelyO on Mar 27, 2013 14:18:16 GMT -5
I'm glad that they agreed to take it back - as well they should. I've returned $100+ bras and underwear before to a lingerie shop and it wasn't a problem. sometimes you just don't know until you've worn them for a while. but they should never hurt.
Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you, @mrsspunky. It is absolutely ludicrous that we should be in constant physical pain to fit some societal image of beauty.
It isn't "constant pain" at all. It's like a pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer. You have to sometimes experience a bit of tightness to get the jeans in that "just right" stage. Then eventually, you get saggy butt, you wash the jeans and repeat.
Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you, @mrsspunky. It is absolutely ludicrous that we should be in constant physical pain to fit some societal image of beauty.
It isn't "constant pain" at all. It's like a pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer. You have to sometimes experience a bit of tightness to get the jeans in that "just right" stage. Then eventually, you get saggy butt, you wash the jeans and repeat.
My jeans stretch out within an hour or so, depending on how many donuts I eat for breakfast. The bra stays tight all day.
Did you buy from Intimacy? I always found they recommended WAY too tight a band for me. I have never been a fan.
Yep, another Intimacy victim here. That's what they do, shove you into a bra with a smaller band size and larger cup size. I think they want you to feel Barbie-esque so you'll buy more bras. I'm a 36DD and they had me in a 34F and I had the same bruised feeling.
It was interesting because I went with a friend who's a 34A. The consultant brought me a ton of bras and paid a lot of attention to me. With my friend she gave her the once over, said "yep, you're a 34A" and basically left her alone.
Bras should be snug but not so tight that you feel like crying. Always wear them on the loosest band and then use the inner bands as the bra stretches out.
Post by heliocentric on Mar 27, 2013 15:09:23 GMT -5
I just did the two-finger under the band test because I'm bored. Apparently my size is all wrong since there is enough rooms to stick my leg under the band (if my body could contort that way). I'm an A-cup, though, so it's all moot.
Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree with you, @mrsspunky. It is absolutely ludicrous that we should be in constant physical pain to fit some societal image of beauty.
It isn't "constant pain" at all. It's like a pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer. You have to sometimes experience a bit of tightness to get the jeans in that "just right" stage. Then eventually, you get saggy butt, you wash the jeans and repeat.
That's what swizz was saying, though. Her bra caused constant pain, to the point that her ribs were still sore hours/days after wearing it. It's entirely possible that her bra was too tight.
I know people say this is true, but I don't get how a really tight band helps this.
This occurred to me, too. The tighter the band, the more pronounced my back fat becomes. It's pushed down. Like wearing too-tight jeans cause a muffin top.
Team kore (and swizz) - if a band is so tight it's bruising you, it's going to be creating a muffin top incident with your back fat.
It isn't "constant pain" at all. It's like a pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer. You have to sometimes experience a bit of tightness to get the jeans in that "just right" stage. Then eventually, you get saggy butt, you wash the jeans and repeat.
That's what swizz was saying, though. Her bra caused constant pain, to the point that her ribs were still sore hours/days after wearing it. It's entirely possible that her bra was too tight.
I agree with swizz.
I'm a 36F these days (was 36H while pregnant) and I can find bras that are well fitting but don't leave me feeling bruised. Conversely, I also have encountered a couple brands that made me want to cry from pain after a couple hours because the band just binds too much, even if it's my size. One actually did leave a bruise. Ow.
I am horrified by the idea that a properly fitting bra should cause pain. The fact that the consultant said leaving marks seems insane.
This thread is not persuading me to abandon my cheap-ass bras from TJ Maxx in favor of a proper bra fitting. (Although I am now curious about what size these Intimacy nut jobs would tell me to buy.)
I just did the two-finger under the band test because I'm bored. Apparently my size is all wrong since there is enough rooms to stick my leg under the band (if my body could contort that way). I'm an A-cup, though, so it's all moot.
Me too! I'm wearing a 34C and totally fisted my bra strap. I'm comfortable though and the twins look alright to me. I'm also wearing VS, which seems to be the ultimate sin.
Weird. When I've gone for bra fittings, I usually have to argue with the consultant to bring me smaller band sizes. I prefer a very tight fitting bra (honestly, they'd probably meet mrsspunky's two fingers under the band test). I find this to be comfortable, though - it doesn't hurt, or ache, or cause bruising, so long as the rest of the bra style fits my shape (cup size/shape, etc). The bras do get looser over time, and I probably should replace them more often than I do, but I hate bra shopping (reference the trying to get fitted and constantly being brought bras with bands larger than I want...).
I've basically given up on bra fittings now. And, before anyone asks, yes, I have had a Nordstrom's fitting, and a specialty lingerie shop fitting, as well.
Oh, and I use a wool/delicates soap called "Soak" for my bras. I bought it for my knitting, but found that it has been recommended for lingerie, too, so now use it for both. Doesn't take much.
Post by awkwardpenguin on Mar 27, 2013 18:03:07 GMT -5
I'm glad this thread happened, because some previous thread convinced me that Intimacy is better than Nordstroms. I think I'll try Nordies first. I'll admit I've been feeling super dumpy in the bras I've been wearing, but they're just so comfortable. I've been fitted before, but I keep losing and regaining the same 20 lbs. I suppose I should suck it up and buy some "fat" bras to go with the rest of my fat clothes.