Bras at this time of life
"For bra shopping these days I've moved up to Nordstrom's for a fitting, and I found a style that fits like a dream and takes 5 pounds at least off - a good bra that fits you right can do that, and make you look younger." - cara4art
"off topic, i agree with you about the bra shopping. i went to saks for a fitting, bra, and what a huge difference! my daughter also goes to nordstroms for fitting/bras. we both said we'd never blindly shop for bras again!" - rbb
These other posts(one by myself) got me thinking. At this time of life and especially as one gets well north of 40(try 60+ LOL!)the specter of a decent-fitting bra raises its head. When one is young, and one's assets sit up higher on the chest, and aren't more than a B-cup, one can wear just about any cheap bra or not and still look good because there's not that much there to support and since it's still all sitting high not all much support is needed. Cheap bras, and even some well-known over-priced ones often don't really support, and then there's the by now well-known fact that at least 80% of women are wearing both the wrong size and the wrong style of bra, especially after that Oprah show was on about bra fitting(The Great Bra Intervention or something like that). Then there is the fact that as we age, things change and head south, and also increase in cup size due to either plain old weight gain, having had and nursed children, or menopause, or all of the above. After being fitted not long ago at Nordstroms by a sympathetic fitter, I found a style that fits beautifully and makes C-cups look good LOL instead of saggy, etc. It visually took 5 pounds off my small frame, seriously, and I'm going back to the store to buy these although it's a real expense, but my old bras are just no good after seeing these new ones in action. Another issue with bras now is that SO MANY are these heavily foam-lined/padded monstrosities - over on another board someone referred to them as foam life preservers - they make everyone look like they have implants(not always a good thing) and after a certain age and cup size, trust me, a lot of us don't want to look any bigger than we are, especially due to the fact that the average woman at or after menopause gains 1-2 cups sizes due to the shift in breast tissue to more fat, even without a significant weight gain. I myself went up a whole cup size(but not band size) - was a nice B-cup for many years since I was slim and on the smaller side.
Anyhow, what all these heavy foam-lined bras do is often make one look HEAVIER and more short-waisted than one really is(crucial if one does have a torso that's on the short side - I know this from my own body)and at the same time don't really support all that well. Another issue with bras is that a lot are pushups that squeeze things together into some sort of "baby butt" arrangement which again doesn't always work for mature women. I think the heavy foam-lined things became popular as "t-shirt bras" because nothing would show through, IYKWIM. They're likely also cheaper to make than bras that are well-constructed and actually fit well, so many of us might find ourselves having to spend a lot more than formerly to have a bra that really does it for us. The right one can really make a difference as to how one looks in one's clothes - either dumpy, or more trim it seems. Some people who have been properly fitted look like they've taken 10 pounds off, just like that! There was that Oprah show that brought the importance of proper bra fitting into consciousness. I look around at my gym in the dressing room, in a large city, and still many of the women are wearing the wrong bra of one sort or another, especially mature women.
To add to the mix, good supportive flattering bras are expensive, and women often find themselves going with cheaper bras that don't fit because of this, and hold on to them longer to boot, even though bras tend to wear out after a year or so(or maybe 2, if you take really really good care of them). Looks like I'll be spending more for my bras now than my other clothes LOL(since I get a lot of my clothes at second-hand stores).
Anyone else with tales in the bra wars?
"off topic, i agree with you about the bra shopping. i went to saks for a fitting, bra, and what a huge difference! my daughter also goes to nordstroms for fitting/bras. we both said we'd never blindly shop for bras again!" - rbb
These other posts(one by myself) got me thinking. At this time of life and especially as one gets well north of 40(try 60+ LOL!)the specter of a decent-fitting bra raises its head. When one is young, and one's assets sit up higher on the chest, and aren't more than a B-cup, one can wear just about any cheap bra or not and still look good because there's not that much there to support and since it's still all sitting high not all much support is needed. Cheap bras, and even some well-known over-priced ones often don't really support, and then there's the by now well-known fact that at least 80% of women are wearing both the wrong size and the wrong style of bra, especially after that Oprah show was on about bra fitting(The Great Bra Intervention or something like that). Then there is the fact that as we age, things change and head south, and also increase in cup size due to either plain old weight gain, having had and nursed children, or menopause, or all of the above. After being fitted not long ago at Nordstroms by a sympathetic fitter, I found a style that fits beautifully and makes C-cups look good LOL instead of saggy, etc. It visually took 5 pounds off my small frame, seriously, and I'm going back to the store to buy these although it's a real expense, but my old bras are just no good after seeing these new ones in action. Another issue with bras now is that SO MANY are these heavily foam-lined/padded monstrosities - over on another board someone referred to them as foam life preservers - they make everyone look like they have implants(not always a good thing) and after a certain age and cup size, trust me, a lot of us don't want to look any bigger than we are, especially due to the fact that the average woman at or after menopause gains 1-2 cups sizes due to the shift in breast tissue to more fat, even without a significant weight gain. I myself went up a whole cup size(but not band size) - was a nice B-cup for many years since I was slim and on the smaller side.
Anyhow, what all these heavy foam-lined bras do is often make one look HEAVIER and more short-waisted than one really is(crucial if one does have a torso that's on the short side - I know this from my own body)and at the same time don't really support all that well. Another issue with bras is that a lot are pushups that squeeze things together into some sort of "baby butt" arrangement which again doesn't always work for mature women. I think the heavy foam-lined things became popular as "t-shirt bras" because nothing would show through, IYKWIM. They're likely also cheaper to make than bras that are well-constructed and actually fit well, so many of us might find ourselves having to spend a lot more than formerly to have a bra that really does it for us. The right one can really make a difference as to how one looks in one's clothes - either dumpy, or more trim it seems. Some people who have been properly fitted look like they've taken 10 pounds off, just like that! There was that Oprah show that brought the importance of proper bra fitting into consciousness. I look around at my gym in the dressing room, in a large city, and still many of the women are wearing the wrong bra of one sort or another, especially mature women.
To add to the mix, good supportive flattering bras are expensive, and women often find themselves going with cheaper bras that don't fit because of this, and hold on to them longer to boot, even though bras tend to wear out after a year or so(or maybe 2, if you take really really good care of them). Looks like I'll be spending more for my bras now than my other clothes LOL(since I get a lot of my clothes at second-hand stores).
Anyone else with tales in the bra wars?
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fine, med porosity, normal elasticity
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WHAT?
I have never heard this...You mean I may have boobs after menopause? I nursed 4 kids without busting out of the A cup, really. You think hard to find bras for older ladies, try finding nursing bras in size A.
One good thing about that, though, is they didn't really go anywhere yet. Much softer though.
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I've gone up two cup sizes since I last bought a bra, was a 34b for as long as I can remember, even through two pregnancies and now am a 34d.
I've changed from that 32B of yesterday, of course. While nursing my son, I was up to a 38D. And weight gain kept me at a 38B for a long time. But, I recently lost 30 lbs and now I'm in a 36C, very comfortably. Body by Victoria is the best. I'll never buy anything else as long as they still make the line.
Properties: Dense, Fine, Low Porosity, Low Elasticity
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Even with being in reasonably good shape with excellent posture, it's STILL hard. Plus the dressing room lighting and mirrors that we touched on on another thread don't help either - every little bump and lump shows up - ugh! Bra designs really changed in the last 10 years or so, mostly for the worse, except the more expensive ones that are designed better.
@Robin in FL - yes, it is true - this is a very common physical change at menopause(sometimes not manifesting until a few years post, like it did for me in my 50s)along with the fact that fat tends to go the tummy, even on a relatively slim person like myself, another story altogether. Go to menopausal message boards and you'll see what I mean. The hormonal shifts really do a number on a lot of people. However, living a healthy lifestyle that includes lots of exercise and keeping one's weight down along with good nutrition all helps, even with these changes.
But back to the bra thing - I've often wished that I could just go without, but that ain't gonna happen, not only for general appearance, but for "show-through" that garners unwanted attention. Even when I was younger and at that 34-B, I still wore a bra LOL and I liked the way I looked better.
Here's something else to add to the bra horror stories - SIZING is all over the place, often with vanity sizing in reverse, but not always. What used to be, say, a C-cup, is now a D, so some young woman can say "look honey, I have D's!" LOL! Victoria's Secret is particularly guilty of this, as they're aiming at a younger market. Years ago, I wore their bras for years, until the quality and the designs went down. Then sizing will be different among manufacturers. The bra that fit that the Nordstrom fitter got for me runs small in the cups, so she had to size up another cup size. At this point, it's whatever fits one is what counts. Another aspect of sizing I found out that I suspected was verified when looking at some well-preserved lingerie from the 1940s-60s. There were some C-cup bras - guess what - they were more like today's Ds - at least from what I could see. Yet clothing sizes are being vanity sized in the other direction(hey look, I still wear only a 6 even though I gained 20 pounds since 25 years ago LOL!) - another topic.
Keep the stories coming, please!
http://www.getsizedup.com/how2.aspx then match your measurements up with the chart below on page 2 of the pdf
http://www.getsizedup.com/articles/CosmeticSurgeryTimes7-07.pdf
this chart tells you the closest bra size to fit your cups. For me it worked well enough that my cups are a perfect fit now but I still need to take in the band about one band size. So, ideally I would take a 38G US size or a 38F UK size.
Since it's really hard to find bras in the stores that size, I've settled for a 40DDD/F US or 40E UK size. I will be getting my band tailored to fit and then my bra should fit perfectly!
Check it out, you might find you have a different size than you thought...
They aren't the prettiest things in the world but they fit and are comfortable; the only things I really care about bras at this stage of my life.
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I totally agree!
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I've never even tried on a Victoria's Secret bra. I went in the store once and they didn't carry my size.
I hate bras, and because of breast surgery, underwires irritate my scars.
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i love the fit! very comfortable and my clothes looks so much better.
3a, some 2c & 3b, medium texture, porosity normal, low elasticity :-(
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Besides, have any of you ever been inside one of their fitting rooms??? They are a JOY. I could stay there all day.....
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Modified CG since 2008.
i went to saks for my bras, only because closer to me. but i think it is the same in service as nordstroms (my daughter lives closer to a nordstroms, and also went for a fitting there, and is also thrilled with the results).
what i did is when the friends and family sales came, i bought more of the bras she recommended at whatever store carried them and was having that sale. lord & taylor also carries the style i wear, and had 25% off for a week of f&f sale, saks had 20% off for their f&f sale. i believe most stores have those sales twice a year. you should also check around and see if anyone is carrying a black friday sale that includes bras!! (do a google search with the brand/style bra and see who carries it.).
my girlfriend feels the right bra takes 10 years off the age a woman looks. i agree that a woman does look more youthful with the right fit.
3a, some 2c & 3b, medium texture, porosity normal, low elasticity :-(
washing/cowashing, conditioning, protein tx: curl junkie products
leave in:curl junkie conditioners and treatments as leave in
styling: curl junkie
sealants - jane carter nourish & shine
HAHAHA!... I'm laughing because I have a few Wacoal bras in my dresser that just sit there because they don't fit me properly and feel horrible on!
Properties: Dense, Fine, Low Porosity, Low Elasticity
My Picasa Album
What I used in this photo:
Cleansing: Suave Tropical Coconut Condish
Conditioner: CJ Smoothing Condish
Styling: CJCQ
3a, some 2c & 3b, medium texture, porosity normal, low elasticity :-(
washing/cowashing, conditioning, protein tx: curl junkie products
leave in:curl junkie conditioners and treatments as leave in
styling: curl junkie
sealants - jane carter nourish & shine
They fit me like a dream, and they are well made.
I was tickled last week when I found one that happened to be in my size at Macy's on the clearance rack for...get this...$17.97! Regular price was $80-something.
Boy, how I can relate!!! Also being a small frame but needing a larger cup size since menopause and just wanting a natural supportive bra w/o padding (like the ones they used to make -- haha)! Can you share with me which model Chantelle bra you like so much? I have to drive 2 hours to the closest Nordstroms but it might be worth it, since I have a drawer full of VS's, Calvin Klein, Bali, and Target bras & am not fond of any of them! :flower:
Experimenting with a lot of products
if you are taking the time to drive to nordstroms, you ought to allow them to fit you before you buy anything. i personally think it is well worth it. and does not take any extra time, in fact, is quicker as they do the 'shopping' for you, just bring a few back to the dressing room for you to try on. actually, any quality dept store is good, i have a saks closer to me and went there and am very happy -- before everyone shudders at the cost of the bras there, i bought wacaol there for $40, and later got more at the friends & family sale for 20%, and found them also at lord & taylor, same price, but another sale at 25% off.
3a, some 2c & 3b, medium texture, porosity normal, low elasticity :-(
washing/cowashing, conditioning, protein tx: curl junkie products
leave in:curl junkie conditioners and treatments as leave in
styling: curl junkie
sealants - jane carter nourish & shine
Thanks so much for your help! At least when I go for a fitting, I'll have an idea of something to request. Hope it's not too embarrassing to get a fitting....have never done it which is probably why I have so many bras I don't like. And yeah, a racerback bra is also a good idea! Hopefully I get a nice sympathetic fitter.....
Experimenting with a lot of products
absolutely not! it's very modest. you go into dressing room and the fitter looks at the bra you are wearing while you are wearing it. she might make some adjustments, like lowering the straps. and then she tells you what size she thinks you are. then she goes out and comes back with some bras, she leaves and you try them on. she'll come back and ask what you thought, and maybe check the one you like while it is on you.
i had this experience in saks and at a local bra shop (the local shop was a waste of time, thankfully they had very little stock.) my daughter had the same experience at nordstroms.
3a, some 2c & 3b, medium texture, porosity normal, low elasticity :-(
washing/cowashing, conditioning, protein tx: curl junkie products
leave in:curl junkie conditioners and treatments as leave in
styling: curl junkie
sealants - jane carter nourish & shine
I think a good fitting entails having the fitter assess the fit of each and every bra. They make adjustments in the straps and evaluate what features needs to be bigger/smaller to fit you better and then she goes and gets a bra style that might offer those features. But, yes, it's usually very modestly done and the fitter leaves the client alone for a moment to put the bra on and off in private.
Experimenting with a lot of products
Sorry this is off the subject, but RCW, what kind of adorable puppy is in your avatar?
Experimenting with a lot of products
That's my doodle mutt. She's a curly. She's a poodle/golden retriever mix. She's 7 months old now, and looks nothing like that picture. I recently posted a pic of her in this thread, before-and-after her first haircut.
The 32C was uncomfortable and I tried a few. I ended up returning them and went back to 34B. After reading this thread I decided to go to Nordies and she measured and said I was between a 32 and 34. She also said I needed a C cup even though I consider myself small. Most of my breast tissue is on the side. The one I bought pushes it more forward. So far I am happy with this and will try more in the 34C range. I think I look a bit slimmer but that could be wishful thinking.
BTW, the fitting was not modest at all, at eitehr place. It didn't bother me, but I thought I would let people know.