Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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Dawne -- no I haven't but I'll go check it out. I like purple too! But Cameron's negative review of Lyla made me cool my interest...
Fightlikeagirl -- awesome about the fitting! I have to say getting pretty bras and looking and feeling good in them definitely is a healing factor in this journey!
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I was soooo looking forward to investing in some nice sexy/pretty bras after my exchange but instead of being a fun adventure it has become a rather frustrating one. I just can't seem to find one that fits. My right side is a bit shelfier and the left side sits a bit lower. So I am trying to hide the shelf on the right while trying to level out the bottom part of my bust line. I tried some Wacoal ones with minimal luck. Any one else have this problem and had luck resolving with another type of bra?
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Hondagirl - the pros here (Lilah, Cameron, Val, Whippetmom) can give you technical advice perhaps on which ones might be best suited to solve your problem. I can tell you though, from personal experience, the more bras I try on the better I get to know what does or does not work. I have tried on hundreds (it seems like anyway) everywhere from 2 different Nordies to Nordies Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc. Oh, forgot about sports bras from Dick's Sporting Goods, Academy, Sports Authority. Also, if you are on the pic forum it helped to look at everyone else's pics to see how it was supposed to look. I have read all the bra fitting tips on various web sites, too (herroom, barenecessities, Soma, etc.) Sorry no specific help, the girls will chime in for you, I bet.
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Supersally-yes I am on the pic forum and have been meaning to post pics in hopes for some guidance. But honestly, this process has become so disappointing that I haven't been able to bring myself to follow through with it. I guess I just feel like it is a lost cause. I have been to Nordstrom's and gotten fitted. So I am pretty sure of my right size but I just can't seem to find the right bra the extends high enough on the top part of my breast but supportive enough to lift and level out the bottom. Ugh!
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Hondagirl, I don't often venture away from the pic forum but here I am! Please post a pic over there, then we can make better suggestions!
Dawne-Hope & Lilah, I was on some random website reading bra reviews. I don't know where the info came from, I wish I'd bookmarked it; but I read that the fit on Lyla was OFF according to many consumers. It ran too big in the cups. I think it was a production problem. That's why, they contended, that on the Freya website, Lyla is being re-released in the new color, and not simply available in a new color. They tweaked the fit. So then I looked at the Freya website and the new Lyla IS a seperate listing; same name.
SO, I am inclined to try the NEW Lyla, but I am still wary of the Amethyst colorway. Even with all this drop and fluff; I am pretty sure I'd have a problem. It just felt WRONG. It's the single solitary ONLY Freya that hurt me to wear. In a "sternum crushing" way.
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Cameron
Given your large Freya collection do you think there are knock offs out there. I am only out from exchange 2 weeks but I have noticed differences in bras I get on line from those in department stores. Just wondering if that could be why some of our favorites just fit differently
Liz0 -
Faulkh, I suppose it's theoretically possible, but I've never suspected any bra I've bought was a fake.
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Liz - Are you buying the same brand on online and in the department store? I've noticed a difference in quality from the brands available in the store vs. online but I've never noticed a discrepency in the same brands. I'm sure there are some knock-offs out there, but like Cameron, I've never suspected any bra I've bought was a fake (even when I've bought one on ebay).
I have noticed, however, that different colors of the same bra feel a little different. Some of the bras you buy on ebay are 'seconds' and 'irregulars' and I always make sure that the seller has a good reputation and lists their items as 'new with tags'
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I guess I am not the only one who has "sternum crushing" issues with respect to bra fitting
! I am going to try and get some pics going... 0 -
hondagirl - There is something WRONG if it is crushing yours sternum .... wrong size, wrong brand, wrong cup size, wrong something. Just wrong. A well-fitted, tight underwire will feel snug but it should never feel like it is crushing your sternum.
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Just a thought when you all are talking about differences in quality and fit within the same brand. Many stores that have "outlet" stores have special line of clothing for their outlets. you think you are buying at a great price, but often the quality of the fabric and the construction of whatever garment it is are not the same as that sold in the department stores. Then there are those items that are in small supply, they are the things that don't sell in the stores. I know from Soma that when a bra is no longer manufactured in a particular style or color then they are locally price reduced for a period of time and then sent to corporate who then distributes them to the outlet. Moral of the story is that some of the bras which seem a good buy on line may actually be the outlet quality. Hope not in most cases, but it can happen.
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Excellent point, Delilahbear! The merchandise in many outlets - like Gap, for instance - is manufactured ONLY for the outlets and never did grace the shelves of the REAL store. As for differences within the same style of bras, Dawne-Hope has a good point. Just yesterday, I pulled out a beautiful chocolate Freya Eleanor - my favorite, second only to Pollyanna - that a dear friend had sent me. I think she found it on eBay. It fit COMPLETELY differently from the Eleanors that I've had before -same size, too. The cups were too big, resulting in the dreaded STERNUM-CRUSHING from the center wire - not a good thing. So.....if anyone happens to need a 30E (this bra is actually a 30DD), I will happily send it your way!
Hondagirl - We are going to find you a bra, my dear! If you can wear underwire, that should help even out the bottom line. A FULL-COVERAGE will give you more support, plus help hide the shelf your describe. For underwire, good options would be Freya 5922 Pollyanna or 4791 Lacey. You mentioned that some Wacoals didn't work; did you try the Awareness? It comes wireless and wire. If you need wire-free, try Anita 5493. If I remember correctly, this is one of Whippetmom's favorites. Let me know if you need more suggestions!
fightslikeagirl - thanks for joining the "Bra Club!" Some PS's just aren't big on the bra issue, so don't worry. We're just glad you're here! Believe it or not, even at this point, wearing a bra can offer benefit. The implants WILL continue to move - according to my PS - and a bra will help minimize that, plus offer support to your skin, especially with sizable implants such as yours. Let us know if we can help with anything else!
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Hondagirl - I just had a thought about your situation. Soma makes a wire-free bra (Serena, I think) that has removable air pads in it. You might be able to wear the airpad in one side (the lower one) to lift it up and not in the other. I don't think we sell many of them, but for customers who are uneven or different sizes it can help even out the girls. It is also not a bad looking bra with some lace on the straps and down the front. I first thought the air pads were adjustable, but they are not, just removable. You can probably check it out at Soma.com if you are interested. I have never tried it on as I will only wear underwires (to the dismay of my PS, but hey - he doesn't know what a bra feels like so I do what I please and what is comfortable for me).
A question - Has anyone on here had symptoms similar to these: I have a numbness and discomfort from about the center of my right back around to the front of my IMF on the right and occassional pain in the axillary area. If I wear a bra the numbness is not noticeable, but with no bra it is very uncomfortable. BS decided the other day that maybe I had a compressed vertebrae or herniated disk causing a nerve problem so we had MRI of throacic spine. It was normal, other than my known scoliosis. This all started during my first implant exchange 2 years ago and has never gone away. Axillary ultrasound has not found any enlarged lymph nodes. Guess I will wear a bra for the rest of my life 24/7 and deal with it. Decided that I would rather do this than not have had the BMX when I did and then had to have it done with chemo and/or rads. Bra is a small price to pay for no chemo/rads.
Hope all have happy bra hunting and a great Halloween.
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val61-thanks for the suggestions! I do have the Wacoal Awareness wirefree. It is comfy but doesn't do anything for leveling part of it. You are right that underwire does help in that department. I tried to try on Freya today at Nordy's but they had a very limited selection which surprised me. I need to find a store that has this brand so I can try it on see what size fits. Does the cup run smaller in Freya compared to Wacoal? I noticed when trying on Chantelle today that I needed to go up to a DD instead of a D. I wonder if it is the same issue. Bare Necessities is having a sale right now that I wanted to take advantage of but I am not sure of the cup size for Freya before purchasing.
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Hey Ladies -- I'm ba-ack! Was away for the weekend. Had a lovely time. Missed you all
Cameron -- that is fascinating about the bad Lyla ... I will have to check out the good Lyla... ha! (Should have called it the Lilah if you ask me).
Hondagirl -- if you have an IDEA of the right size for you in Freya, you might want to consider buying one in that size from herroom or barenecessities (the ones that aren't on sale are fully returnable)... then return it and buy the size that fits. I found that when I was fitted at Nordy's -- and I bought FOUR Wacoals -- I was 38D or 38DD. I bought a 38D in Freya and it fit, but have found that the 38DD fits better. I kept both sizes though. So since you have an Awareness that fits well, I say: buy that size in Freya to start. Or if you are worried about the cup you could go from a D to a DD (assuming you are a D to start). What size is your current Awareness bra?
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The fabric can make a difference as far as size, too, right girls? I can wear a D in a stretcy fabric bra that gives over the girls if the underwire is set wide enough or if wire-free, but wear a DD or E in some others for the wider wire set or a demi bra.
Don't they even do free shipping back on herroom or bare necessities?
Knock-offs bras would be interesting, but I think you could ultimately tell by comparing a "real" one to a knock-off and seeing if there were any differences. Just like that Cartier watch and Louis Vuitton purse I bought from a street vendor in NYC years ago, the quality was not quite the same as if I'd walked in either boutique and bought the real deal. Pretty sure the watch only worked for a month or so, but hey, $10 later it was fun. Knock-off bras, not so much.
That's a distinct advantage of shopping at Nordie's Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, because you can go to Nordstrom and sometimes see the exact thing (maybe from a season ago or in a different color or something) carried in these discount stores. Saks Off Fifth and Nieman Marcus Last Call are the same as the Rack, just don't carry lingerie, bummer cuz those stores carry the good French stuff, too.
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supersally - herroom and barenecessities do offer free shipping occasionally. You can find both of them on facebook and 'like' their page and they'll give you updates.
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I had to return a few bras for different size with barenecessities. They did pay for the return shipping, but it has taken a long time to get the exchange. Still waiting and it's been over 2 weeks. I hope it is worth the wait!
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Lilah-my Awareness bra is wire free and a 32D. Thanks for the tips on the Freya!
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westieluv - I would email them and tell them you haven't received your return yet. That's too long to not hear anything. Have they sent you any kind of email ... when I've returned or exchanged with them I've always gotten an email saying they've received it and are processing it .... I would definitely check in with them to make sure they got it.
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Dawne-Hope ~ I got the email today. Ships out tomorrow. They must have had ESP!
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I just got back from PS for a 2 week post op exchange visit. He said everything is going great. I am happy overall and he said I can wear underwires now!!! Yeah!!! I will be hitting the stores very soon
Liz0 -
Liz - I know you've been looking forward to pretty bras for awhile now ... I hope you find some fabulous ones and you must share them when you get them!
Question: I have a Freya bra (Erica) that I really, really like but the material is kind of scratchy. I've washed her three times and she is still stiff and a little stratchy. Is OK to add fabric softener to the water that I wash her in (in the sink of course) to help soften her up a little or will that damage the elastic and longevity of the bra in anyway?
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Happy Monday, ladies! Just checking in......the thread has had a very quiet week.....which must mean that all is well with y'all in the world of bras!
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
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val - I think we cross posted!
Is it OK to use fabric softener on our bras?0 -
DH - I can't see any reason for not using fabric softener. It shouldn't have any effect on the stability of the fabric or elastic. Sometimes the lace on the brand new Freya bras can be a bit stiff, so that might help. I use the Nordstrom lingerie wash in the sink - soak them for a good 30 minutes (sometimes well beyond that when I forget!), and they seem to soften up from that, too. 0
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So much for the fun bras - at leasts for now. My assessment for truncal &/or breast LE went OK. LE Specialist MD doesn't believe it's LE but wants me in a compression bra with a return visit in 3 months. I think that's good news. He feels at 7 weeks post exchange there's still significant post surgical swelling. Thank you all for your advice and comments. Jan
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[[[[[jan]]]]]] - That's great news that he doesn't think it is LE! Hope all the swelling goes down soon.
val - Thank you! Laundry brigade at my house getting ready for my trip. Have to take all my favorite and most comfortable bras!
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Dawne -- how exciting about your upcoming trip!
Jan -- that is good news!
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Hey Val,
Just wanted to let you know I posted pics on the pic forum of Freya Faye. On the bra thread. On MY thread; I'm healing' up my new nips (SQUEEEE!) so no Freya for me for awhile....sooooo sore.
BUT. Faye is every BIT as awesome as Pollyanna. Pollyanna seems to be widely available, online that it; but since Faye is created in her image; I thought I'd let you know it's a worthy substitute should the need arise to list it in the header. Tried it, vouched for it, AWESOME. Just like Pollyanna!
And BTW, Freya Nina. OMG. OOOOMMMMMMGGGG. Favorite fit, very fancy, but it I had to grab ONE freya outta my drawer, and go get deserted on an island somewhere?!? It would totally be Freya Nina. (I posted pics on the bra thread of her, too!)
Hugs, Cameron
edited to add: Val, I am pretty darn happy you introduced me to Freya, btw. In case you didn't know. It's like my hobby now. Although, some days I feel strangely light in the pocketbook. Then I open my bra "cupboard" and I'm like "sooooooo worth it...." and I just want to lay them all on my king size bed and snuggle with them. Sick, right?
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