Choosing a bra is difficult.

[Michelle Diane]

Ohh nice site thanks Alisa. I've no doubt once I have a few bras in my dresser I'll look back and wonder what the fuss was about.

[Alisa]

Giggle... you are welcome Michelle! Just remember that finding just the right bra is an accomplishment, one that should make you feel special. Just like finding just the right dress or getting a mani pedi okay well just like any pampering at the salon... well anyway you get the idea! Anyway good luck. Hugs Alisa

[Eileen (SO)]

Alisa's first link requires an e-mail address for results. Just for giggles, I finished to see what they recommended. Ta da! The perfect bra is one I'm wearing now. Most of the questions are for real breasts, not forms.

The second link has more information on how a proper bra should fit. Sound advice for any woman.

Michelle, how much help in this is your wife providing?
Bra shopping as a couple is much more fun!

Eileen

[Michelle Diane]

Eileen, well....oh hell ever tried typin with wetnails.....sorry

Well she has measured me so i get the correct band size and said ishould go for a full bra as i'm wearing forms apart from that we've spent a long time looking at diffferent bras on line.

[Eileen (SO)]

Wet nails and typing takes practice! LOL!

That's great that you and wife are bra shopping together. You'll find through her experience which styles look good in a catalog, but are uncomfortable to wear. Myself and hubby are both big girls, are you and her close in size? Usually that's not the case.

I really don't know if it's better to buy forms or a bra first, either can be exchanged if the size is wrong. Maybe a bra first because if forms arrive ahead of a bra, they won't have a 'home' to try them out. With your wife in support, you don't have to hide arriving packages.

When you start collecting your own intimate wear, that's a special milestone for every girl.

Eileen

[Michelle Diane]

Yes your right typing and wet nails don't go together..... for me at least. I'm trying a new red (who knew there is so many shades..love it) this one is Raven Red and not as dark as the last one.

Actually Joanne and I are pretty close in size, we're both curvy girls. Although she's loosing the weight faster than me so she'll soon need a new wardrobe. Which I honestly don't mind her spending the money on as she has a few nice dresses some skirts and a couple of blouses which I might inherit as they're too big for her now.

Well I've taken the plunge and ordered my forms, I decided on a C cup and bought some bras online. I chooses seamless moulded cups as she said it would look better under a T-shirt not to see the bra cup seams if the shirt is a bit tight over the girls. My forms are due Tuesday and the rest of my clothes by Friday to next Monday.

You are so right it's nice not too have to worry about hiding packages or sneaking make up into the house any more.

Hugs,
Michelle.

[Eileen (SO)]

Both of us prefer seamless cups, moulded styles seem too stiff. Just my opinion as I don't have to hold forms in place.

Buy some new pretties for you wife and enjoy her hand me downs till you get your own style. Just don't try to look better than her! LOL!

Eileen

[MarieH]

Hi my first post! As it happens I was only today measuring my bra size to see if there was a change. So this thread caught my eye. I used various online calculators and was getting some bizarre results. My band size is 36 and my bust is 41/42. But I was getting suggestions for 40D or even 40DD. Now my boobs are at best a B and the bra I'm wearing right now is a 36B which fits well. I'm lucky to have developed two perfectly formed breasts. While I'm slightly overweight they are disproportionate and I think I must have a touch of gynecomastia. Disastrous for macho men but I'm thrilled.

So I was scratching my head trying to figure it out. Thanks to links to the herroom site now it all makes sense. While my band size is only 36 thanks to my man body it gets wider quite quickly after that. In a woman the cup measurement would be mostly breast at that point. Hence the D cups. I also used and recommend the Marks and Spencer bra calculator. Both herroom and M&S agree that I'm a 38 B. But I'll probably get a 38A as I want to fill it properly.

Thanks for the links Alisa.

[Heather W]

Having been on both sides of the form versus your own breasts I can attest that bras are very different for both. Forms, even those that are attached, shift and require more support to keep them in place and looking natural. Now that I have my own breasts I have found my selections far greater and cuter. Yes Eileen is right that not all the cute or sexy styles are not that comfortable but there are many that are. Granted they may not be acceptable for every outfit or occasion but part of the fun is trying different styles and colors just for the fun of it. Perhaps the fact I am not that large affords me more options than bigger busted girls.

[Eileen (SO)]

Gynecomastia will cause a lot of embarrassment for a young boy, and a blessing for a CD.

Marie, I'll take your word that a B cup fits you fine, even though your measurements suggest at least a D, why on earth do you want to cram all that tissue into and A cup?
Spill over is not a good look. Some women gain weight and insist on wearing the same cup size as before. The effect is what we call 'quadraboob'. A cow has only two more.
Find your right cup size and enjoy it.

Eileen

[Gina L.]

Marie, M&S bras tend to be generous in their cup sizes, so a 38A might be worth a try, the band may fit better and the cup should be the same as your 36B or a little bigger. You can always return it if it isn't a good fit.

[Heather W]

I have to agree with Eileen. I may not be that big, 34A, but I quickly found out that an uncomfortable bra is total misery. Find one that fits you and enjoy!

[MarieH]

Ha ha Eileen not all young boys would find gynecomastia embarrassing. As a teenager my Mother told me about one of the boys in the neighbourhood started growing breasts at puberty. I was so jealous!!! But I bet he wasn't pleased his Mother was going around telling people.

I'm definitely not a D cup. If only! They fit neatly into the B cup bra I have. I think the measurement is something to do with the shape of my back or something. The M&S bra size guide asks you loads of questions about your current whether it's too tight, too loose and things like spillover. Very useful. Anyway I'll take Gina's advice and try out an M&S 38A but maybe a push up booster version!

Totally agree about comfort I wears bras a lot now compared to when it was only a special event once a week back when opportunities were thin on the ground.

[KimberlyS]

If you truly want the right sized bra and one that fits well, the best thing is to go in and get a bra fitting. It you will be wearing forms, make sure to take those along. I have not had any problems being fitted for a bra. They have always seemed more than willing to help.

kimberlys cd
joe in a skirt

[Diana Michelle]

Excellent advice Kim! Everyone should be fitted to find a comfortable and supportive bra. For those of you who use forms having them with you is obviously a necessity. For those who prefer to use what nature has given you, well ...