Frilly Fusion

[lidiaforever]

[bluestocking-jeans]

Flirt Overbust by Pop Antique

[purefeminine]

Ruffled panties, stockings and high heels.

[angelafriedman]

Corset and ruffled panties by designer Angela Friedman. <3

[talkingwithtami]

Making of a haute couture dress spring/summer 2011

[thatbradoesnotfither]

"Well, how do you know it’ll fit you?" Believe it or not, online bra shopping is not the scary, risky business that everyone makes it out to be.

Ah, yes, the “how do you know it fits if you buy it online" argument. This is one of the biggest difficulties that those who don’t fit into the “typical" 32-38 A-DD size range face, but it’s certainly not a reason to never buy bras online! :) (For a lot of us, it’s our only choice if we want a bra that fits us.)

The truth is that yes, there are size variations between styles and brands. I personally have about 5 different sizes of bras in my bra drawer, and they all fit me. HOWEVER. Almost everyone in the full-bust/small-back/bra-fitting community buys at least some of their bras online, if not all of them. We’ve all figured out how to make it work for ourselves; it’s really not as big of a roadblock as many would think.

So first off, here are some things we do to avoid making mistakes when ordering online:

Read lots of reviews before buying. These are pretty easy to find these days, because the full-bust blogging community is bigger than ever. You can even find a blogger with a similar shape and/or size to you, and see what bras worked out well for her. Take note of the shape of the bra, whether or not she ordered her “usual" size, what problems she had, and what she felt worked well.

Look at measurements on Bratabase. Bratabase is a website where women can measure their bras and enter the measurements on a page, helping others who are trying to figure out which size they need. If you want to know the stretched band length of a 30F Freya deco, you can find it there, among other measurements. This really helps if you’re not sure how tight the band is, how long the wires are, or even how tall the gore is. There are also even more reviews (although they may be a bit shorter) on here, in case you couldn’t find any blog reviews or wanted a second opinion.

Learn about the different bra constructions/styles and brands and how they apply to you. Certain cuts/constructions or brands usually have a certain shape they fit well, and this can be very helpful when determining which bras are likely to work out. For example, I know that half-cups will work best for me because I have shallow breasts. I also know that plunges are usually a disaster because I’m full on top, and I have to be careful with balconettes for the same reason. I know that Cleo balconettes are likely to be okay because they suit my shape, but to steer clear of Freya and Fantasie balconettes because they will cut in on top and wrinkle in the middle. It sounds like you already know a little bit about this, so you’re on the right track!

However, even with taking these precautions, it’s true that sometimes the bras just don’t work out the way you thought they would. This is completely okay!

The problem here is that sometimes people view buying a bra online as being similar to grabbing a bra off the store rack without going to a fitting room first, and expecting it to fit after you cut the tags off. However, usually ordering a bra online is more like having it sent to your house to try on, and having 30 days (or whatever the return policy is) to decide whether you want to keep it. Most online stores accept returns (and will give you a refund) as long as the tags are still on and you send it back within a certain time frame.

Most people who are first starting out with online bra shopping will want to make the experience closer to a “trying on" session. Generally I will recommend the following to first-time online-bra-shoppers:

Find a site with a great return policy. Asos and Nordstrom both have free shipping and returns, so it would be a great idea to order from them if you fit close to their size range. Try your best to find a website with free shipping, so at least you’ll only have to pay shipping back. If you can’t find one, at least make sure you order from somewhere that’ll accept returns, and make note of how long you have before you need to return it.

Or, find a site with cheap prices. If you can’t afford the bras from the sites with free shipping and/or returns, or if you don’t fit into their size range, try to find a good deal if you can. Brastop and My Curves and Me have some great deals; it’s also worth it to check if other sites have sales. (Figleaves usually has great sales.)

Order a batch of bras. Try getting a few different sizes and a few different styles/brands if you can the first time. Return all the ones that don’t fit, and you now know what works and what doesn’t! :) A lot of online shopping is trial and error—I used to mess up a lot when I was first figuring out what worked for me (we all did at first!), but now I can order something with a pretty good idea of how it fits.

Don’t cut the tags off until you are completely sure you are keeping it. Some people get so excited when they receive their first full-bust bra that they’ll cut off the tags as soon as they put it on, without thoroughly checking the fit first. They sometimes end up noticing a glaring fit issue within a few hours and then feel bummed that they can’t return it. Before you cut the tags off, examine it to make sure it’s a good fit. Post fit checks on Bratabase and /r/abrathatfits. Bounce around in it and see how it holds up. Sit in it, bend over, walk around, and see if there is any discomfort. It’s okay to keep a bra that has a few fit issues, but make sure you know what those fit issues are first.

And remember to check out some of the bra-selling/swapping communities too, because sometimes you can find super cheap bras on there, and if something doesn’t work out you can always re-sell it there. (Continuing the shopping-in-person analogy, these places are more like garage sales or thrift stores. Some new items, some used.) Some of these places will also allow you to “swap" bras, which is helpful if you’ve spent all your money on bras that don’t fit. ;)

/r/braswap - sell, swap, and giveaway

Bratabase listings - sell, swap, and giveaway

Clothes for Boobs Facebook page - sell, swap, and giveaway

Ebay / Ebay.co.uk - sell

/r/randomactsofbras - giveaway

Online bra shopping has its difficulties, but in the end, it’s worth it to have a bra that fits you well. Be sure to minimize the risk, learn from your mistakes, and you’ll be buying the right bras in no time.

[thelingerieaddict-deactivated20]

Online bra shopping talk.

[adelaydes-deactivated20161215]

Press up, up, down down, left, right, left, right, b, a, enter

and watch the bottom of the screen  :D

[frillyfusion]

I am so amused by this.

[thatbradoesnotfither]

This is the picture I show anyone who tries to argue with me about bra sizes. When I tell people about my size, or suggest that they may need a different size (when asked for advice), I often get:

Uh, there’s no way YOU’RE a G… I’M a DD [and I’m heavier than you/have bigger boobs than you].

There’s no WAY that [30DD/28DD bra] is a real DD. European sizing is so weird.

I can’t be a [D+] cup, my boobs are small/average/I can’t even fill out a [32-38 AA-B] cup.

I hate it when flat-chested girls talk about wearing a 32DDD at Victoria’s Secret, it’s 90% padding! They just want to make flat-chested girls feel better about themselves by messing up the sizes.

There are a couple of reasons why DD has such a reputation for being a “big size:”

A terrifying amount of lingerie companies still advocate the +4 method: adding anywhere from 2-6” (most commonly 4”) to someone’s underbust measurement in order to find the band size. It’s an outdated fitting method: bands are made of stretchy material now, so adding inches is no longer needed (and consistently puts women in the wrong size). Here is an excellent post from Busts4Justice explaining it more.

Yes, Victoria’s Secret’s method of measuring above your boobs to get your band size is +4 in disguise and doesn’t work for many women.

That being said, this faulty way of measuring band size allows companies to make fewer sizes (read: save money), since it wrongly puts most women in band sizes that are so big that the cup size hardly makes any difference. (Also, did you know that women with a 34” or smaller underbust are always advised to add inches, but often women with a 36” or larger underbust are not? this makes it obvious that they are trying to stretch their size range farther than it goes.) Instead of providing a full, quality range of sizes (my favorite brands make around 90 sizes), they squish women into the sizes they have (usually no more than 30 sizes). I’m sure there are women who really do need a 34-38DD, but almost every single 34-38DD wearer I’ve met is wearing a too-big band and too-small cups!

So, next time you or someone you know doesn’t want to believe that a D/DD cup isn’t actually that big, try slinging a few of these facts at them (or yourself?):

Cup size is relative: a 36C and a 34D have the same cup volume, so it’s not unlikely for someone with a small band size (even those who have “small” or “average-sized” boobs) to need a D+ cup. (For example, my 28G bras have the same cup volume as a 38D, just with a smaller band. Many people don’t think my boobs are very big until I tell them my size.)

At least 10 cup sizes that come after DD exist. Although US sizing and European sizing aren’t very likely to come up with more than 4-5 sizes above a DD, UK sizing makes at least 10 (sometimes up to 14) cup sizes after DD. A DD cup is certainly not the “biggest size available;” in fact, it’s speculated to be a little below average depending on the band size. (32F would be the most common size if the +4 method wasn’t so widely used.)

Many of the really busty women you know are probably not really DDs. Christina Hendricks is said to wear a 38DD, but that’s highly improbable considering her waist is 30” around. She is speculated (by bra-fitting experts) to be closer to about a 32-34 H-J or so.

Conversely, some of the not-so-busty women you know are not necessarily an A cup. A lot of petite women (especially those whose underbust measures 30” or smaller) are given bands that are so big on them that even the smallest cupsize floats around their body. If a women measures 26” underbust and 32” overbust, she likely needs a 26E. But if the smallest band size is already 32, then even an A cup (made for a 33” overbust) will seem too big.

Overall, it would be awesome if we could all just stop judging each other and nitpicking our bra sizes. I think most of these comments come from insecurities: maybe the woman who says “there’s no WAY that’s a DD” doesn’t want her large breasts to feel even larger, or doesn’t want her small breasts to feel even smaller. Maybe the woman who says “I can’t be a D+, I’ve been an A cup all my life” has always been told that D is a [slutty/huge/fake/scary] size and never had to think about how hurtful those negative connotations can be. Or, maybe she has passed judgment on the “Victoria’s Secret 32DDDs” before and is scared of being seen as “delusional.”

I hope that spreading some knowledge about bra fit and talking about it openly can help us move past our hang-ups and need to compare ourselves to and judge others. This is the reason I talk about bra fit so much. For me, knowing about the diversity of sizes, comfort levels, and most importantly the ability to choose which bras I want to wear has helped me accept my breasts for what they are and stop comparing myself to others. I no longer dream of a reduction, and I hope that I can spread this feeling to others because it is awesome.

Have you ever been judged for your bra size by friends, family, peers, or even bra fitters? (It does happen unfortunately, yikes!) Tell me about it in the ask box—maybe it will help others realize they’re not alone :)

[weirdlyshaped]

YES. Everything in this post is true. Excellent reading for all ladies. Expect to see this in the regular blog in any Important Links Roundup style posts.

[itscloudywithachance-blog]

this is fucking genius Im sewing contraptions such as these into every single shirt I own.

[ifthebrafits]

I just found this video and it’s so cute,funny and informative!From having done tons of research about bra fitting,I’d say this is a pretty good video to start with for help with finding your right bra size.And yes,if you are over a DD cup,don’t freak,it doesn’t necessarily mean you have pornstar...

[frillyfusion]

Bra Brands

Listed as lowest band size to highest band size produced.  From smallest cup size to largest cup size produced. 

UK cup sizes: AA A B C D DD E F FF G GG H HH J JJ K KK

US cup sizes: AA A B C D DD DDD G H I J K L M N 

EU cup sizes: AA A B C D E F G H I  J K L M N

* brand has it's own sizing method

I've converted all the bands to inches so there no confusion if it's an 80 EU band size or an 80 FR band size.

Mimi Holliday / Damaris (28-40 AA-GG) UK

Miss Mandalay (28-38 C-H) UK

Made by Niki (32-38 A-E) UK

Gossard (28-44 A-G) UK

Love Claudette (30-38 D-G) UK

Ewa Michalak (26-46 A-K + custom sizes) EU

Parfait / Affinitas (30-40 A-G) ***(28-40 A-K) UK

Fraulein Annie (32-38 DD-G) UK

Fleur of England (28-36 A-G) UK

Beaujais (28-36 DD-GG) UK

Elouise (28-46 AA-H) UK

All Undone  (28-34 DD-GG) UK

Marlies Dekkers (32-40 B-F) EU

Edwards and Millers (26-34 DD-M) UK***

Andrea Billard Haute Lingerie (30-38 A-G)*

Louise Ferdinand Lingerie (28-38 D-J, JJ-KK custom order) UK

Marianna Giordana (made to measure)

VoluptuouslyHip (28-44 AA-HH) UK

Made in Preston () ***Coming soon

Elle MacPherson Intimates (30-38 A-G) UK

Freya (28-40 B-K) UK

Fauve / Fantasie (30-40 B-K) UK

Cleo / Panache / Masquerade (28-40 D-KK) UK

Bravissimo (28-40 D-L) UK

Wacoal / B.tempt'd (30-44 A-G) US

Natori/ N by Natori/ Josie (30-40 A-H) US

Creme Bralee (32-46 C-G) US

Curvy Kate (28-44 D-K) UK

Tutti Rouge (28-38 DD-J) UK

Pour Moi (28-44 A-J) UK

Montelle Intimates (30-42 A-G) EU

By Caprice (30-38 A-G) UK

Evollove (30-38 D-G) UK

Lepel / Audelle (30-38 A-H) UK

Ultimo (30-38 A-G) UK

Wonderbra (30-38 A-G) UK

Pleasure State (30-38 AA-G) UK

Charnos (30-42 B-G) UK

Gok Wan (30-46 A-G) UK

Dimity So (30-38 D-J) UK

Alegro (32-46 C-J) UK

Flirtelle (28-40 D-K) UK

Prima Donna / TWIST (32-42 B-I) EU

Simone Perele (30-46 A-H) EU

Chantelle (30-44 A-H) EU

La Perla (32-42 A-E) EU

Agent Provocateur (30-38 A-E) UK

Gilda & Pearl (30-38 A-F)

Huit (30-36 A-E) EU

Lascivious (30-36 A-F)

Nicole Gill (32-36 A-D)

Myla (30-36 A-F) 

Nichole De Carle (30-36 B-DD)

Les Jupons de Tess

Chantal Thomass (32-38 A-E) EU

Femilet (30-46 A-H) EU

Lostinwonderland (32-38 A-D) EU

Kiki de Montparnasse (32-36 A-D)

Implicite (32-40 A-F) EU

Eres (32-38 A-D)

Cadolle

Cosabella

Lou (32-40 B-F) EU

Lise Charmel (32-38 A-E) EU

Blush (32-38 A-DD)

Rosy (32-38 A-F) EU

Selmark (32-44 B-F) EU

Stella McCartney (30-38 A-E)

Buttress and Snatch (30-36 A-G)

Elle & Cece (32-36 B-D)

Princesse Tam Tam (30-38 A-E)

Dollhouse Bettie 

Dottie’s Delights (32-36 A-E)

What Katie Did (30-40 A-F) UK

Kiss Me Deadly (32-38 B-DD) UK

Kitten Kouture (32-36 B-F)

Frantic About Frances (32-36 A-E)

Dirty Dolls Lingerie (28-44 C-G)

Dirty Pretty Things (30-36 A-DD) UK

Betsey Johnson (32-36 A-DD) UK

Timpa (32-38 A-C)

OhhhLulu

Lula Lu (30-38 AAA-C)

The Little Bra Company (28-38 A-C)

Itty Bitty Bra (32-38 AA-B)

Meg at Midnight (30-34 AA-C)

Little Women (28-40 AAA-B)

Dainty Lady ( 28-44 AAAA-B)

Deborah Marquit (32-38 A-C)

Poison Lingerie (30-40 A-F)

Bradelis (30-38 B-F)

Ampere (28-36 A-F)

Wacoal Japan (30-46 AAA-I) EU

Orlinas (34-40 A-F)

La Figurelle (32-38 B-F) UK

Bordelle 

La Lilouche (30-38 A-E)

Fortnight (30-38 A-F) UK

FiFi Chachnil (32-36 A-F) FR

Lili Piache (32-36 A-DD)

Calvin Klein (A-DD) US

DKNY (A-DDD) US

Felina / Jezebel / Paramour (32-40 A-G) US

Lunaire / Whimsy (C-G) US

Urban  Intimates (32-44 D-H) US

Va Bien (32-46 B-I) US

Glamorise (34-50 B-G) US

Olga (34-42 B-DD) US

Conturelle / Un-usual 

Fayreform (32-46 A-J)

Passionata (32-38 A-F)

Triumph / Valisere (32-48 A-H)

Clo (32-36 B-D)

OnGossamer (32-36 A-DD)

Marie Jo (30-40 A-F) EU

Von Follies (32-40 A-G)*

Aerie (30-40 A-DD) US

Gilligan and O’malley (32-42 A-DD) US

Candie’s / Apt. 9 (34-40 A-DD) US

Cosmopolitan / Flirtitude / Body Jewels  (32-38 A-D)

Madienform/ Self Expressions/ Lilyette (30-44 A-G) US

Anne Summers (30-42 A-H) *

Frederick’s of Hollywood (32-42 A-F)

Victoria’s Secret (30-40 AA-DDD) US

La Senza (30-38 A-E) 

ASOS (32-36 A-D)

TopShop (32-36 A-DD) UK

Change Lingerie (28-44 A-J)*

Boux Avenue (30-40 A-H) UK

Gorgeous from Debenhams (28-42 AA-J) UK

Marks&Spencer (28-46 A-K) *

Figleaves / Just Peachy / Midnight Grace (30-38 A-G) UK

Sculptresse (36-46 D-J) UK

Simply Yours / Naturally Close / Shapely Figures  (32-56 A-L) US

Cacique (36-50 B-H) US

Goddess (34-48 C-N) US

Elomi (34-46 D-K) UK

Berdita (30-46 B-J) UK

Hips & Curves (36-52 B-GG) UK

Le Mystere (32-44 C-H) US

Parisa Fe (32-44 D-H) US

Rosme (70-95 A-H) EU

Addition Elle (36-46 B-H) US

Soma (32-44 A-G) US

Torrid (38-48 C-DDD) US

Blackheart (32-38 A-DD) US

Empreinte (30-44)

Elila (34-50 B-N) US

Gorteks (32-44 A-H) EU

Comexim (28-42 C-N) EU some customization on request

Corin (28-42 A-I) EU

Avacado (28-46 C-L) EU

Ewa Bien (28-38 A-K) EU

Samanta (30-50 A-I) EU

Kris Line (30-44 D-N) EU

OnlyHer (28-34 A-FF) UK

Miss Mary of Sweden (32-52 B-I) EU

Sugar Shape (asks for measurements)

2wenty8 (28 DD-H) UK

Sports Bras

Under Armour (32-38 A-DD) US

Berlei (28-42 A-G) UK

Title Nine (32-46 A-F)*

Champion (32-42 A-DDD) US

Anita (30-46 A-H)

Naked Sports Bra

Bodyrock Sports Bra

***coming soon

[frillyfusion]

A blog about bras and lingerie; DIY cosmetics, skin and hair care as well as everything else a girl needs to know!

Venusian Glow

[thelingerieaddict-deactivated20]

Love Claudette’s having a sale on Gilt!!! I love this brand to death, and wear them all the time. Basically, I picked up two of the colors shown above for the price of one. If you’re not a member of Gilt, you can join using this link.

And, AND, Claudette’s bras go from A cup to G cup (though the mesh styles shown are only up to F cup).

[lovelylingerielust]

[lavinialingerie]

Red Full Figure Bra & Briefs  - Vintage Style #Lingerie

[kurvendiskussionen]

This beautiful Bra Set is the Elomi “Betty” Plunge bra set :) available in brasizes: 34 G-HH, 36-42 D-HH, 44 D-G, 46 D-DD, brief M-4XL

[lovemsfit]

Understanding the cup sizes will help you find the right bra fit.  

Most women shopping for a bra will look for a cup size first assuming that a particular letter is going to fit them the same regardless of the band size.

This is NOT the case, and it’s why most women can’t seem to find the right fit.

This is what you should know:

1.    A letter representing the cup will proportionately grow along with the band. 

2.    As the above image shows, a 30D is one cup smaller than a 32D and this continues with each band size.

3.    Rather than identifying yourself as a “cup size” you should identify the band first, then adjust the cup as needed.

So next time you buy a bra, let go of the letter and fit with your eyes not by the cup size.

[thelingerieaddict-deactivated20]

Lace Embrace Antique Corset Exhibition and Historic Fashion Show 2013

[fuck-yeah-underwear-blog]

[frillyfusion]

Gossard & Claudette

[fleurdelajour]

[frillyfusion]

Rosamosario