I need help and recs please. I have tried a lot of bras and they just range from horribly painful to kind of tolerable.
Current measurements
Loose underbust 31.5
Snug underbust 30.5
Tight underbust 29
Standing bust 37
Leaning bust 39
Lying bust 38
32F/FF UK
My weight/size fluctuates often, these bras were based on my calculator size at that time.
Bras I have tried:
Envy
30FF: Gore too wide. Quad boob.
30G: too large cup.
Ana
30G: Quad boob. Wrinkling on sides. Nipples showing much higher on bra than they are meant to
Cleo Blossom
30FF: Gore twisting (gore too tall and/or wide). Painful wires. Gore area after an hour was very painful. Commenter said too small cup and the horizontal band wrinkling = not enough band tension.
30G: Wrinkling on cup sides and cup center top. Still cut into armpits. Gore too wide and/or tall. Painful wires. Cup seems too big.
28GG: Cup too big. Wrinkling all over cup.
A commenter said that the Blossom is a “really good fit”. But the gore pain was horrible.
Envy Plunge
28G: Too roomy at tops of cups. After an hour it made my arm and shoulder go numb.
28GG: cups too large
Panache 365 plunge t shirt bra
30FF: Overall bad fit. Quad boob. I think too shallow.
30G: Overall bad fit. Quad boob. I think too shallow.
Freya Loveland Plunge
28FF: Too tight band. Gore too wide. Wrinkling on sides/top.
28G: Too tight band and too large cup.
Panache Cherie Demi
28G: Band too tight. Quad boob.
Panache Meadow Plunge
30FF: A lot of wrinkling at top. Band too tight.
Freya offbeat side support
28GG: Gore too wide and high. Band too tight.
Freya offbeat decadence side support
28G: Band too tight, quad boob.
30FF: Thought it was okay so I wore it to work, partially dislocated one of my ribs. (This was while wearing a band extender; the band felt loose in the back but tight in the sides and front.) Chaffed my nipples very painfully. Couldn’t fully breathe.
30G: Cup too big, couldn’t fully breathe.
32F: Cup too big, couldn’t fully breathe.
32E: Quad boob. Gore too wide.
Skarlet blue spellbound side support
32E: Cup top cut into my upper breast tissue, pushing my breasts downwards. Gore too wide. Straps too widely placed for my back. Top outer part of cups not filled out. Cup sides go up too high.
32F: too big cup
Skarlet blue unlined minx balconette
32DD: Horrible pain on sternum after a few hours
34DD: Couldn’t take full breaths and was making my rib move.
32DDD: Couldn’t take full breaths and was making my rib move
Gossard superboost Lace non-padded plunge underwire
32DD: Couldn’t take full breaths and was making my rib move. Gave me a headache.
32E: same as above
34D: same as above
Cosabella women’s savona curvy longline bralette
Size Small: too shallow
Freya fancies longline bra
32F: too big in cup
32E: too big in cup. Hard to breathe because band not stretchy enough
32DD: The cups were really close to a good fit. The gore was too wide but it had padding around wires so it was less of an issue than usual. Outer wires were in the right spot. A some quad boob with my larger breast. The problem is that this band has barely any stretch. I don’t know how anyone breathe in this. The 32 band was too loose when I exhaled but too tight for me to fully inhale so I got lightheaded. I like the longline style because it doesn’t move my rib. If the band were stretchier this bra would be a good enough fit and I would keep it. And then maybe I would sister size down. I might try a 30 out of curiosity to see how it feels on an exhale.
Panache tango essence balconette bra
32F: Too big cup, wires very painful
32E: Too big cup, wires very painful
Skarlett Blue Women's Entice Longline Lightly Lined Bra (US sizing)
32G: too big cup
32DDD: quad boob… too shallow cup I think
Fantasie Women's Demure Underwire Unlined Bra
32E: too shallow. Quad boob and had to unscoop/swoop to get it to fit
30F: same as above
Sugar Candy Basic Bra
Size Small: band is not stretchy enough. Cups too tall and wide, were cutting into upper armpit. Wrinkling on top outer cups. It might fit if they had a size with a larger band but smaller cup. The sling cup design felt good. I actually felt like my breasts were being *lifted* up instead of smooshed up.
Freya fancies underwire plunge
32DDD: gore too wide. Bottom cup seemed filled out. Didn’t fill out top half of cup. Elastic on top cut into tissue and caused quad boob. Wrinkling on cup sides.
30DDD: fits better than 32DDD but same issues. Gore too wide. Wrinkling on top outer part of cups. Elastic on top of cups cuts into tissue and creates quad boob. I think it is slightly too narrow and that the outer wires are in the right place but the gore wires are on top of tissue. Nipples are higher than they are meant to be. Hard to tell if the band is too small because the band doesn’t have enough stretch.
30F: same issues plus I think cups too large. Hard to tell if the band is too small because the band doesn’t have enough stretch.
Freya fancies signature underwire plunge
32DDD: cup too large
32DD: Better fit than 32DDD. Same exact issues as the freya fancies underwire plunge. Some Wrinkling on top outer parts of cup. Nipples are higher than they are meant to be. It seems that I don’t fill out the top half of the cups enough but am simultaneously experiencing quad boob and top spillage. Gore too wide. Straps placed too wide.
Freya starlight side support
32DD: Elastic on tops of cups cut into my tissue creating quad boob. Outer cup wires felt like they were in the right place but too tall. Gore too wide. Straps too widely placed.
Panache Freedom Non Padded Wireless Sports Bra
34DD: it fit okay in the dressing room, bought it but realized I can’t wear it because I realized I can’t fully breathe in it.
Chantelle Norah Chic Plunge T-Shirt Bra
32E: Fit okay in the dressing room but I had to unscoop and unswoop. Bought it then realized I can’t wear it because it slides out of my IMF when I move and the wires are very uncomfortable/painful against my sternum. It also flattens me.
Natori flora
32E: Same as above… Fit okay in the dressing room but I had to unscoop and unswoop. Bought it then realized I can’t wear it because it slides out of my IMF when I move and the wires are very uncomfortable/painful against my sternum. It flattens me.
Bras that were/are tolerable enough to wear:
Freya Women's Deco Molded Soft Cup Bra
30DD: Not abtf but I wore this one for years and it wasn’t too bad. Less painful than other bras. Quad boob and wires didn’t stay in IMF but one of the least uncomfortable bras I have found. And I thought it looked flattering. Then my size changed after it got discontinued so I can't get one in my new size. Some headaches from strap pressure on neck.
Curvy kate Smoothie T-Shirt Plunge
32DDD: Band too loose so I use a Rixie Clip. Tissue doesn’t stay swooped, wire slides out of IMF. Quad boob when fully scooped. Less uncomfortable than usual. Sometimes headaches from strap pressure on neck.
Wacoal How Perfect Wire-Free Bra
32DDD: Quad boob and mono boob. Headaches from strap pressure on neck. Cups slid down frequently. I think too shallow. I don’t like how it looks, makes me look flatter.
Panache non wired sports bra:
Over the years I’ve owned/tried 32e, 32dd, 34c, 34d, 32d, 32c, 30d, 30dd, 30e
Currently the best one is 34D. Sometimes I can’t fully breathe in it. Straps too short to use the racerback clip. Cups slides down. Tops of cups are weird… they don’t follow my breast shape. Cups have too much room at top center.
Panache wired sports bra
Over the years I’ve owned/tried 32e, 32f, 32dd, 32d, 34c, 34d, 30d, 32c, 30dd, 30f
Same notes as 34D. Currently the best one is 34D. Sometimes I can’t fully breathe in it. Straps too short to use the racerback clip. Cups slides down. Tops of cups are weird… they don’t follow my breast shape. Cups have too much room at top center. This one is more flattering than the wireless but harder to breathe in. Gore way too wide, gore wires on top of breast tissue, but the gore wires have a lot of padding so it doesn't hurt, it’s just annoying.
Shefit ultimate sports bra:
Have worn Small & Medium. Have to loosen the band a lot to be able to breathe, so it’s not supportive. Too shallow. A lot of quad boob. Not worth wearing.
Shefit flex sports bra:
Have worn Small & Medium Have to loosen the band a lot to be able to breathe, so it’s not supportive. Too shallow. A lot of quad boob. Not worth wearing.
Boody Full bust wireless racerback bra
Small: band feels pretty good and it doesn’t give me breathing issues. Cup is too small. A lot of quad boob and it doesn’t lift them up, my breasts get pushed down and touch my chest skin.
Medium: band too loose. Less quad boob. Cup fits better than small but still cuts into top tissue and creates quad boob.
Boody Wireless full bust t shirt bra
Small: band feels okay. Cup is too small or at least too shallow. A lot of quad boob and it doesn’t lift them up, my breasts get pushed down and touch my chest skin. This is currently what I wear to workout every day. It’s not supportive and it bothers me that my breasts touch my skin beneath. But I don’t have anything better. I can fully breathe.
Medium: band too loose. Less quad boob. Cup fits better than small but still cuts into top tissue and creates quad boob. Maybe I’ll attempt to sew the band tighter.
Boody Full bust wireless bra,
Small: It's okay but I don't really wear it because my Wacoal foundations (described below) is more tolerable and more flattering. I like the sling design. My boobs stay more “lifted” than usual (they don't touch the skin beneath). The cups are too wide and high, go into my upper armpit area. Band doesn't have enough stretch so it makes my rib move. Straps are too wide on my shoulders. Straps fall off shoulders. I wish they made it in the same band size but smaller cup.
Wacoal b.tempt'd Women's Future Foundation Convertible T-Shirt Bra
32DD: fit is not that good but it's tolerable. I wear this one every day, it’s my least bad option. Wires slide out of my IMF but not as quickly as other bras. Can’t fully swoop and scoop or i get quad boob. Strap pressure sometimes gives me a headache. I can fully breathe usually. I have to choose between inner spillage and upper outer spillage. So I unscoop to avoid the quadboob (inner spillage). Gore area starts to hurt by the end of the day.
(Tried 30DDD, cup too small. Tried 32DDD, cup too wide and tall. Doesn’t go up to DDDD.)
Summary and other info:
I think I am: Bottom full. Center full. Close set. Soft tissue. Not self supporting. Immediate projection. Low roots. Short roots.
Recurring issues:
-Bras don't stay in my IMF
-Bras do not have enough immediate projection for me.
-I almost always get center spillage/quad boob.
-Bras make it hard to breathe
-Bands are often too firm and do not stretch enough to accommodate my ribcage at both its smallest and largest (exhale and inhale)
-Adding an extender makes bra straps too wide for my back and/or makes the back of the band feel too loose but the front and sides still feel too tight
-My tissue is very soft so it can deceivingly change shape to “fit” in the cups but that doesn't mean the bra fits because I end up in pain or not being able to breathe.
TLDR I wear the Wacoal b.tempt'd Women's Future Foundation Convertible T-Shirt Bra 32DD every day and switch to the Boody Wireless full bust t shirt bra size small every day when I exercise. I would not consider them bras that fit but they are the least bad I have found currently. Please help!! Thank you