I had to beg my mother to take me for my first bra. I believe it was a 32B and I was pleased that unlike several friends it wasn't a training bra. I had no idea what was in store for me yet!
A year later my mother gave me her 34D Playtex cross your heart wirefree bras she favored thinking they wouldn't fit. She was surprised they were already too small.
At this point the internet was non-existent and I lived in a small town with little access to big shops or specialty stores. I remember it was a big deal when Victoria's Secret opened when I was in jr high or highschool.
I think it was my freshman year my mom bought me a 34DD bra from VS in the only style they made. A year or so later when my bra was tattered my grandmother had lost weight and gained it back and no longer fit into her wacoal 36DD bra and she gave it to me.
YOU READ THAT RIGHT
I wore my grandma's bra. For over a year.
When I finished highschool I had my own money and ventured closer to a bigger city and purchased a few bali bras in 34DD as they were the closest things to fitting I could find. I inquired at the large marshall fields about bigger bras and they said no...best they could do was a 36DDD or 38.
the 34s were already creeping up my back and I'd never had a bra I didn't immediately put on the tightest hooks.
Several years went by and still no luck with bigger bras. I knew I needed a larger cup and smaller back. I did find a few specialty stores online at this point but I was poor, bras were expensive, fitting was iffy and I couldn't risk the cost of shipping and trying on bras.
I got pregnant and switched to another version of bali bra that went to a whopping DDD.
I had 2 babies and crammed myself into that DDD bra most of my pregnancy and most of my breastfeeding years (over 3 total) and finally went on search for nursing bras but had very little luck. I did buy a 36J bra that was TOO SMALL....but I wore it only until I could stuff myself back into my better supporting balis.
years rolled by and at this point I'd completely given up. In 20 years I'd never had a bra that fit, for nearly the entire time every bra I owned had 3-4 hooks across the back, and I'd never owned a bra that wasn't white/black/nude.
I knew grandmothers who had nicer bras than me.
Did I mention I WORE my grandma's bra? I'm still scarred from that.
Finally the elastic was beyond shot in my recent round of bali bras, and the underwire was sitting on a small lump that sits in the gore area of my breast (I've had it since highschool) and driving me nuts.
I took a journey, jumped on a few blogs, hit up reddit and "a bra that fits" and measured myself.
Initially the calculator put me at a 32G
I went to a nordstroms which is a handy store for fitting if you get a good fitter. At the very least they now carry larger sizes (up to a G in smaller bands, larger cups in the 34+ bands) where she determined I was more like a 32GG.
I had to order a bra and I walked out with a cleo Marcie in bubblegum pink in a size 34G.
I can't even begin to tell you how that felt.
I was 34 years old and had never once, not a single time, owned a pink bra!
I'm not a girly girl but I had a spring in my step that day!
A few weeks later my 32GG arrived and it decidedly didn't fit. Infact I had more "quadboob" in this bra than the 32G I'd tried on.
Enter migration. 20 years of stuffing myself into bras 76 sizes too small causes tissue to end up somewhere around your ankles and by wearing a roomier bra I'd encouraged the flock back to the rest of the herd.
I ended up wearing 30Hs for about 6 months before I had a bit more of the flock return and bumped up to a 30HH.
I'd been that size for another 6+ months but I started a much more intensive job where I was basically enduring a full on bootcamp level of activity once a month. Think biggest loser.
I dropped over 2 pant sizes in just a few months.
my 30HHs were decidedly getting loose and a few new 30HHs I bought were also very big on me.
I re-measured myself again and came up with my current size in the sidebar (which I plan to update as things change)
Sadly I'm sized out of several brands, and my favorite bras Cleo by Panache used to carry 28 band bras up to a J but they have decided to eliminate the HH and J cups from the 28band only.
BOO!
I've embarked on a journey to pick up some new bras - especially from Poland because for a smaller girl with a lot of projection and big boobs they get us.
And also I think i'll be forced to put my sewing skills to good use and take my existing bras in at the band.
Any new bras from cleo I like i'll have to buy a 30HH and take in the band :(
I'm still very excited to own cute bras for once with matching undies! and actually have them fit.
I just wish I'd figured this out years and years ago.
