To refresh the dated content, I retooled the original Bra Naked Truth articles I published ages ago to reflect my changing experience and evolving knowledge. Since people often will not revisit what they perceive to be old information, I want to share my unabridged and newly updated Bra Fitting & Sizing Guide. I’m not posting it because the sizing information has changed—although I expanded and refined my advice—but rather because I am proud of the two new and special sections. The first provides inclusive help for gynecomastia, trans women, and people AMAB who wear bras. The second posits the question: Does a bra need to fit perfectly? Or, there’s the alternative title: “In which Erica undermines all of the above advice.” This addition reorients the question of a “proper fit” more on the individual and their needs instead of on a specific set of fitting criteria. Enjoy!
Bra Fitting: Does it need to be perfect?
Comments
9 responses to “Bra Fitting: Does it need to be perfect?”
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Thank you for thinking of those of us with gynecomastia and not your run of the mill “man boobs”. Heterosexual males are developing and presenting true breast tissue more and more due to environmental phytoestrogen causing processed products in the food chain as well as medication side effects for things such as prostate cancer. Male bra wearing for breast tissue support is becoming more and more prevalent as men have unknowingly and unwantedly developed sizeable breast tissue requiring support and containment along the same lines as women and for the same reasons. Many men are stigmatized by society because a guy wearing a bra must be into fetish or transitioning but that’s not the case in this instance. It’s for shear comfort and in some cases, appearance. But I am happy to say more and more of us are doning needed chest support for the benefit of breast support and containment. We need this invaluable advice and information. It’s just not out there for us. Thank you again!
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I’ve also heard there is something about antibiotics prescribed during the 80s which caused hormonal fluctuations in boys as well, so there are a lot of men who are developing breast tissue. It’s so stigmatized as well because if you don’t wear a bra, then people make comments about the breasts themselves. But if you do wear a bra, then you are critiqued for that too. In all truth, there’s no medical advantage to wearing a bra even as a woman although I know there is a social stigma there too. I’m not sure why we, as a society, can’t just be kinder and less judgmental of each other.
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Hi Erica,
I had my first formal fitting at 16. The fitting was OK and thae bras were relatively comfortable. I was introduced to underwire bras and I have been wearing them ever since for the last 30 years. I’ve since kinda stuck with one brand for the last few years because most of Elomi bras fit my shape. I’m a 36H UK sizing in most of my bras. I’m also wide roots, narrow set and FOB. Elomi seems to check all my boxes.
I have always been treated well at any fittings. I have a couple of local boutiques that I use for most of my lingerie purchases. I am a woman of transgender experience as well. I openly shopped for my bras the as a man and now as a woman and have always been treated with respect and my boutiques have definitely earned my trust and business.
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Hi Sophie! I’m glad you had such positive experiences! That makes my heart smile. 🙂 Elomi makes such incredible bras. I have a plunge bra from them which is technically too wide in the underwire, but it’s so freakin’ comfortable! I love it!
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Erica,
I wanted to thank you for your kind reply. I felt that your past posts about men needing breast support and comfort too gave me the permission that I needed to wear my bras and be body positive. I dropped the camouflage that I had used for years to cover and hide what I was blessed with. One fitter even told me ” look at them as a gift, and your bra is a way to wrap your gift if you want to give them to someone to enjoy”.
I don’t know who I thought that I was fooling trying to hide my 36Hs (UK sizing) under layers of clothing. I began to seek clothing that fit and found that in stores like Lane Bryant and Torrid who were both more than happyn help me. I discovered that I was actually a woman of transgender experience and that as soon as I transitioned, I no longer had gynecomastia and I was no longer a crossdresser.
Isn’t funny how lables come and go even though the person is still the same person.
Thank you Erica for helping this girl!
Sophie
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Great info, Erica.
I followed you and various other bloggers and learned that, after 30ish years of wearing horrible bras, I could learn how to get a proper fit. Now, however, more changes. I now find most bras dig into my sternum, specifically my xiphoid process. What corrections do I need to make to keep the pressure off this area? And of course it doesn’t help that one side is now 3 sizes different than the other (doc says it’s normal for the size change).
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Hey Robin, I had this same issue with underwires poking at my sternum. I had a knowledgeable fitter who helped me with it. I didn’t want to go to a soft cup or wireless bra either because I liked the support and shape that an underwire provides. She suggested that I try an underwire plunge bra. She was right. I wear the Elomi Charley, both the lace and spacer models. I also have the Matilda by Elomi for an everyday bra. These are all plunge bras that work great for me and fixed my problem of my sternum being poked for 16+ hours a day.
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Hi Robin! Without seeing the problems in person, my initial two thoughts are: lower the gore height and/or look for a softer gauge wire (even if it doesn’t fully tack). For the size asymmetry, fabrics which are flexible can help, but there’s also brands like Ewa Michalak which include asymmetry pads in most of their bras. You can take it out of the one side and boost the other pretty easily. With the tacking, a lower height may help. Elomi has some plunge styles with stretch lace that could work. And then, sometimes it’s better not to get a hard tack if it is going to cause pain. I had some clients who developed sensitivity issues to wires and either switched entirely to wireless or we went with brands like softer wires, like Natori (depending on size). Maybe avoid Panache because they do use a heavier gauge on all their products? If you message me with what size you are wearing, I may be able to help.
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Sophie
Thanks. It’s not a question of being poked–it’s a pressure issue. And I can’t wear plunges. I’ve very close-set and full in center, so I fall out of plunges. 🙂
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