Hugs for Your Jugs

In my last bra physics post , I described the forces involved in supporting your breasts and what parts of a bra are responsible for providing those forces. How can this knowledge inform our decisions when making or choosing bras? This post is part of a series and covers the bands of bras - just the stretchy part. The cradle (which surrounds the wires) will be discussed later.   As before, an e x t e n d e d v e r s i o n o f t h i s p o s t c a n b e f o u n d o n m y Ko-fi , w h e r e y o u c a n g e t i n s t a n t a c c e s s t o t h i s a n d p r e v i o u s e x t e n d e d b l o g p o s t s f o r j u s t £ 2 . I f y o u w a n t , y o u c a n become a member for £2 a month t o continue s u p p o r ting m y b l o g .  

I've realised that while there are titbits (pun intended) of information about how rib Cages can affect bra fit floating around, it's never been collated into one easy to access article. So I've tried to do that: most of the information in this post is credited to other hardworking bloggers, please check out the credits at the end to support their work! Also big thanks to my sister for the lovely diagrams. 1. Rib Cage Shapes (horizontally) There are two basic types of rib cross-sections to consider in relation to bra fitting, disregarding the sternum (we'll get onto the breastbone later): Flat vs Barrel Shaped Ribs   Flat ribs (left) - the most common rib cage shape   Barrel shaped ribs (right) - more rounded than the average rib cage shape Most bras are designed to fit best on flat ribs.

Welcome to part two of my series on how band lengths are not always equal between cup sizes. Last time we had Cleo by Panache , now we're testing Freya's band lengths. I collected Bratabase data on the stretched and unstretched band lengths in a couple of band sizes of Freya bras - the ones with the most data. The results are as follows:

Comexim's designs don't often inspire me. However, as a connoisseur of all things fun - underwear or otherwise - I just had to buy this bra as soon as I saw it. A graffiti print longline? SIGN ME UP! I ordered the bra in a 55M with the "deeper cups" and "reduced cup height" alterations (though I have no way of telling if they were done or not). I paid 149 zloty for it, a little over £30, plus shipping. Design:   Sorry for the low quality image! My phone just wasn't cooperating with me today! Be still, my beating heart. I adore this print and the vibrant colours. Although the gore floats - LOOK AT THAT CLOCK CHARM! I love it! Plain bows are so overdone, give me a charm any day! While I really like the block of graffiti print below the cups, unfortunately, the rest of the band and the inside of the bra is just boring black, which does make me a bit sad. However, would adding more colour just bring it over the top?  ...

Just when  you thought bra fitting couldn't get any more complicated, it turns out that a 30 often isn't the same as a 30. It's commonly known that people with larger cup sizes tend to choose smaller bands over those with smaller cup sizes. But is this an organic decision or influenced by changing band lengths with cup sizes? I collected Bratabase data on the stretched and unstretched band lengths in a couple of band sizes of Cleo bras - the ones with the most data. The results were pretty interesting!

Do you feel unsupported by your bra? That it squashes your boobs down instead of lifting them up? Or maybe you feel that your bra is just a useless garment altogether, costing quite a bit of money considering it just doesn't really do anything? You may be wearing... a boob hat. Many people who wear bras know some of the signs of poor fit – most recognise that spillage out of a bra isn’t right, and the same goes for gapping. Some know that the gore should lie flat against the sternum, and that the band shouldn’t ride up (or ride down). Few know anything more detailed than that. So from this lack of detailed knowledge a phenomenon appears: the boob hat. The boob hat is something I describe as a bra that kinda looks like it fits to an inexperienced eye, but in reality it doesn’t. It simply sits/floats around the boobs, not containing or supporting them fully (if at all), potentially squishing them down, hence the name. So how can you avoid falling into this trap? Here are ...

Note: This post is operating under the premise that only the band size is being tested when checking a bra fits correctly. As too small cups can make a band feel too tight due to breast tissue not being fully contained/general constriction of the bust, I always advise checking band fit with the bra fastened backwards and/or upside down, as this removes the cup fit from the equation. A lot of bra resources on the internet (including Bustyresources, Bratabase, Boob or Bust, and so many company fitting guides) have ways of determining if a band fits you based on how far it stretches out. Here are the two most common variations of this rule: You should be able to stretch the band out 1" away from your ribcage (when fastened on the loosest hooks) You should be able to fit two fingers comfortably under the band (when fastened on the loosest hooks) While I don't deny that these rules can help people understand that a band is supposed to be snug, and can work in the extremes, ...