Attention all boob owners

[extrapenguin]

Came across this news report earlier today: Wearing the wrong bra could put you at a greater risk of a knee injury, study suggests (note: cisnormative)
(PubMed link to study)

Tl;dr: people subconsciously change the way they move their torso to minimize boob flop, negatively affecting the way the lower body is used, increasing injury risk to e.g. knees.

You are also likely wearing the wrong size bra, as most places use incorrect fitting instructions that do not realize that elastic exists and will actively lie to you*. If you have a soft measuring tape, or a longish piece of string/belt/charger cord/whatnot + a regular measuring tape, you should use this online calculator on the UK setting. You can then manually convert to EU or FR sizes using a conversion table.** To get a JP size, convert to EU sizes and go one letter further down the alphabet.

If you're looking for a sports bra rec, I rec Shock Absorber. They do run an entire band size tight, so you'll have to go up one band size and correspondingly down one cup size (EU 70E -> 75D, 80I -> 85H, etc; UK 32DD -> 34D, 36G -> 38FF, etc; yes, UK sizing has no clue how the alphabet works lol).

* You're meant to start on the loosest hooks and, as the elastic stretches, move to the middle and then tightest hooks. If they sell you something that's too loose, you have to start on the tightest hooks for any form of comfort, and then buy a new bra 3× as often because there's no tighter set of hooks to go to.

** For some unhinged reason, the creator has decided to use a 2cm difference between cup sizes for EU, FR, and JP. There are maybe two bra brands ever that use a 2cm increment, so unless you're ordering from Comexim or KrisLine, you'll have to manually convert from UK size. Most brands use a 2.5cm difference. I have also heard rumors some French brands have a 3cm difference but idk.

Comments

[laireshi]

If you're looking for a sports bra rec, I rec Shock Absorber.
It works for a lot of my friends but not for me -- I like Panache Sport as the alternative.

[isis]

I really like Panache, too! (Unfortunately at the moment I'm between sizes so they don't fit me as well as they used to)

[extrapenguin]

I'm glad Panache works for someone! For me the correct size aggressively smashes my boobs into my armpits and has the dubious distinction of being the only bra that has ever given me body dysmorphia, lol.

I've also had good experiences with Syrokan (cheapish Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon) and I want to love Enell, but alas I don't fit into their sizing scheme.

Commiserations on being between sizes! It turbo sucks when one size is slightly too small and the next is slightly too large.

[isis]

My other go-to brand is Glamorise which seems to fit my new size pretty well. But it's exasperating having gained weight and having to buy new bras and figure out my size all over again!

[extrapenguin]

I'm glad Panache works for someone! For me the correct size aggressively smashes my boobs into my armpits and has the dubious distinction of being the only bra that has ever given me body dysmorphia, lol.

I've also had good experiences with Syrokan (cheapish Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon) and I want to love Enell, but alas I don't fit into their sizing scheme.

[nnozomi]

Bookmarked, thank you! Appreciate the notes re JP sizes (and yup, I have learned that JP alphabet letters in bra sizes bear no resemblance to the US ones lol. It's not like people have entirely different-sized breasts on different continents.)

[extrapenguin]

Yw! Another thing I've discovered is that while Western bras are almost universally meant to lift and separate in the correct size (so no cleavage whatsoever), Japanese bras are designed to lift and push in in the correct size, leading to cleavage (and a bunch of Western brand centric internet bra fitting advice thus being off). They're also designed for a smaller boob to boob distance, which is why I now order all of my non-sports bras from Japan lol.

[cyberbrain]

*butts in late to the convo* hii, can i ask what japanese store you buy from? (or dm me?) (i've been shipping a lot from there using a proxy service this past year and i'm interested in "smaller boob distance" bras since i'm so tiny)

p.s. very good and interesting post!

[extrapenguin]

I buy from Aimerfeel, since they have an English-language webstore with no proxy needed, and will handle all the customs fees + VAT on their end. Size range is 65-80 A-H (plus one model of 85 F-H); I am UK/US 32DD/EU 70E and fit JP 70F.

I do not have personal experience with other brands or proxy services, but Rui Glamorous does 65-100 F-L, and if you need a 60 band, I hear Intesucre does them.

(If you're a 55 band, it's time to order from Comexim in Poland.)

[cyberbrain]

eee, thank you for the link and all the suggestions!! <3 i'm an eu 70C actually, which is somehow both too small and too large with most brands available to me lmao

[extrapenguin]

You should have a lot of options at JP 70D! The "regular"/non-"plus" cup sizes are A-E.

(If you're getting one of the ultra-pushup Chomori bras from Aimerfeel, go up another cup size to 70E. Those run even smaller.)

[nnozomi]

I had not thought about the separate/push-in issue before! You may be right. (I currently rely on a little backstreet lingerie stall which sells non-wire bras in extremely basic sizing (S, M, L, LL, LLL, no numbers, no other letters) for the equivalent of about 8 USD apiece; they are amazingly comfortable, good for everything except sports bras.)

[superborb]

I wish there was a measurement for the inter boob distance, because Western bras don't fit me in that dimension q.q

[extrapenguin]

If you look at Bratabase, they have a measure of how wide the gore (center piece between boobs) is, which is sort of a proxy for that. Also gore height, so you know how high up it goes. But basically the only underwire option for us is plunges, and sometimes those are also made with excessive interboob distance in mind so you get to have your boobs fall out the middle...

(...yes indeed I did have bras and bra fitting as a special interest for a bit.)

[china_shop]

Ha, that's fascinating. Thanks for the link!

(I used to wear Shock Absorbers. Currently trying out Freya Active, mostly because I hate bra shopping online; I like to get properly fitted -- and this is what they had in my size.)

[(Anonymous)]

Ughhhh do I have to start wearing bras again

(Small boobs, hard-to-find size, and I absolutely hate washing bras. And, like, I know some people just don't wash em, but... my boobs get sweaty and I do *not* like that.)

Thanks for the info about elastics! I think I've always used the tightest hooks.

[extrapenguin]

If they're small you might get away with one of those SML sized pullover sports bras, depending on how wide your shoulders are? The effect was worse for larger boobs and less support, so even if your small boobs aren't getting turbohigh immobilization support, medium support is better than none. And ofc if they're small enough, well, maybe you can just do with a compression top for sports.