# Bras that Close in Front **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828 "2010-03-18T00:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/61 "2010-03-18T23:26:28Z")
I don’t get the underwire issue, either. I’ve had painfully ill-fitting bras with them or without, and comfortable bras with them or without, and the underwire styles provide better support for me. And yes, it usually takes me a 2-hour session with a bra-fitter every five years to re-check my size, find the styles that I like and that fit at certain sizes, then I just order online for the next five years. The same size bra in two styles or cuts can look completely different, feel completely different, and in my experience, I have to try on ALL the bras I’m considering, even if two of them are the exact same size and style. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/62 "2010-03-19T01:52:03Z")
Okay, I keep reading seeing this thread title and thinking it says _bars_ that close in the front. Then I go, does this mean there are bars where I can go in the side door and drink past closing time? 😕 I keep thinking this, even though I should know dang well that’s not what it says considering I’ve been reading this thread and have been posting in it. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/63 "2010-03-19T02:26:41Z")
Okay! Now I can look at boobs in the comfort of my own home! First off, here are some bras that are specifically made for larger cups that have 2 hooks; it looks like once you get into GG, it’ll move into 3 hooks, but it stays at only 3 hooks for up to a **K** cup: [http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sensational-sets/freya/balconette-bras/fyn6-details.aspx?ck=zRKJ9xvv1QDSzRELlQ%2BMrQGbqmQKyFpe](http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sensational-sets/freya/balconette-bras/fyn6-details.aspx?ck=zRKJ9xvv1QDSzRELlQ%2bMrQGbqmQKyFpe) [http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sensational-sets/panache/balconette-bras/pnk4-details.aspx?colour=mulberry&ck=Axu%2BwhYbadLJ2Axcblo8eLyB01q7QBfk](http://www.bravissimo.com/products/lingerie/sensational-sets/panache/balconette-bras/pnk4-details.aspx?colour=mulberry&ck=Axu%2bwhYbadLJ2Axcblo8eLyB01q7QBfk) [http://www.figleaves.com/us/product.asp?product=Midnight-Grace-Iris-underwired-full-cup-bra&product\_id=FIG-MG093119A&size=34g&colour=Lilac/Purples](http://www.figleaves.com/us/product.asp?product=Midnight-Grace-Iris-underwired-full-cup-bra&product_id=FIG-MG093119A&size=34g&colour=Lilac/Purples) And this one has 3 hooks, but is strapless and goes to a G cup: [http://www.figleaves.com/us/product.asp?product=Masquerade-Hestia-strapless-bra&product\_id=MQ-4540&size=34g&colour=Ivory](http://www.figleaves.com/us/product.asp?product=Masquerade-Hestia-strapless-bra&product_id=MQ-4540&size=34g&colour=Ivory) Basically, the band is supposed to be snug (but not too tight, obviously). The most common mistake (for the saying that 80% of women wear the wrong bra size) is that the band size is too big/loose. It’d kind of be like being Kate Moss and wearing knee socks that are made for sumo wrestlers: they will fall down. If your band is too big, it makes the straps take up the heavy (heh heh) lifting. This is what can cause indents on the shoulders from the straps. If a bra has 4+ hooks (or 3 hooks if it’s only a D-G), it means that the band itself is not engineered correctly. There will be more force placed on the straps and the bra itself won’t be as comfortable. I linked to the above bras because if I don’t have that specific one, I do have similar ones from those manufacturers so I know they make good stuff (for my shape, at least). For every single bra I have, I can slip both straps off the shoulders so they flop onto my arms… and my boobs stay up and perky. This is a good way to see that the band itself gives the support and lift, _not_ the straps. Now, for underwires, I really think that like/dislike of them may end up being tied to how your breast tissue is distributed. I’m a G cup and my mom is an A cup\*. My mom absolutely cannot _stand_ underwires of any kind. Every underwire bra she’s tried has dug into her sides horribly, even causing bruises. Meanwhile, I find underwires far more comfortable. Besides the cup size difference, though, is where our breast\*\* tissue is distributed. All of my boob flesh is basically front and center. She, however, has breast tissue out to the sides a lot more (some under her arms, even though it doesn’t look like it; just looks like she has normal front boobs). When she went for her first mammogram, she had _far, far, far_ more pain than expected because they need to get all the breast tissue between the plates, which meant they _pulled_ the side breast tissue very hard, causing her pain that lasted for almost 3 months. I’m betting that if you have a wider spread of breast tissue, underwires are more uncomfortable because they dig into the breast tissue itself. Meanwhile, boobs like mine are able to be completely contained in the underwire. So the downside is that if I pay full price for a bra, I’m looking at minimum $50 per bra, which sucks. But the upside is that I can have a “stripper size” (34G) bra that is comfortable, have no back, neck or shoulder pain, _and_ my boobs are up high and proud. I’d much rather that than having a bra that cost $25, feels awful and has my boobs sag and spread. - you bet your bippy we’ve wondered where my rack comes from! 😉 \*\* I keep typing “beast” instead of breast and it’s amusing me. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/64 "2010-03-19T02:36:25Z")
Oh. My. God. I’m going to bed in two shakes, but I saw this post and was so giddy that I couldn’t wait for tomorrow, and clicked on the first url. The fact that they sell 36F bras made me happier than four rounds of Elijah Craig. I see it’s a UK site, and hope there is US delivery, but I haven’t looked through yet to see. I haven’t even read the entire post yet, which I will, but dear gods, I got so happy that I just started saying stuff. Will read entire post tomorrow while at work, then peruse sites later while at home, because I get the feeling that looking at websites featuring women in their lady garments might be innocuous to me, but still not the best idea at work. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/65 "2010-03-19T02:41:24Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Oh. My. God. I’m going to bed in two shakes, but I saw this post and was so giddy that I couldn’t wait for tomorrow, and clicked on the first url. The fact that they sell 36F bras made me happier than four rounds of Elijah Craig. I see it’s a UK site, and hope there is US delivery, but I haven’t looked through yet to see. I haven’t even read the entire post yet, which I will, but dear gods, I got so happy that I just started saying stuff. Will read entire post tomorrow while at work, then peruse sites later while at home, because I get the feeling that looking at websites featuring women in their lady garments might be innocuous to me, but still not the best idea at work. 😃 I know for a fact that Figleaves is a British company but ships to the US no problem, and Bravissimo should, as well. I remember Bravissimo’s customer service as being excellent, too. I emailed them about a specific bra (since, as has been said in this thread, different bras can fit completely differently even if they have the same size) and said that I usually wear X size in Y style, does this bra generally run true to size, or? And they sent an actual detailed reply instead of a form letter. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/66 "2010-03-19T02:47:18Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Basically, the band is supposed to be snug (but not too tight, obviously). The most common mistake (for the saying that 80% of women wear the wrong bra size) is that the band size is too big/loose. It’d kind of be like being Kate Moss and wearing knee socks that are made for sumo wrestlers: they will fall down. > > If your band is too big, it makes the straps take up the heavy (heh heh) lifting. This is what can cause indents on the shoulders from the straps. I’ve heard this before, but it seems to me that for this to be true, you are just trading dents in your shoulders for dents in your ribs. Not to mention fat bulges around your ribcage where your bra is digging. There must be a very fine line between tight enough and too tight. I’ll also second MeanOldLady’s sentiment. Those are great sites. I’ll be perusing them as soon as I get a chance. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/67 "2010-03-19T03:19:28Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I don’t understand why women find it so blasted difficult to get a proper fitting bra, and torture themselves with underwires. measuring isn’t rocket science - all it takes is a tape measure and a few minutes in a fitting room. I can take 20 different bras into the dressing room and have not a one fit me right. This is with the circumference and cup size right at where the measurements say they shoud be, and also plus and minus a size or two. I can’t even imagine a world where I find a bra that fits just going by size alone. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/68 "2010-03-19T03:43:14Z")
Sports bras go on like that. Without a clasp that’s the only option. > [@kushiel](#): > > Am I the only person who just puts her back-closing bras on like a t-shirt? There’s no way I could master the back clasping with the little hooks, I can barely do it on a swimsuit with one big clasp! > > Yeah, it warps them faster and stuff, but it’s the only way I can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/69 "2010-03-19T04:25:39Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > [after Gimli son of Gloin says, “…and my axe!”] > > cmyk: _“…and my warm hands!”_ I wonder why nobody has ever invented an electric bra before. Self-heating undergarments… mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/70 "2010-03-19T09:38:23Z")
Those are good links, **zweisamkiet** , and I remember other dopers (maybe you again?) talking about Bravissimo years ago, which is how I learned they existed. The bras are pretty, but in my case, the idea of so much lace… so much… eeek, makes me itchy. 😉 I do wish both of them had a store around, so that I could get fitted by them and try them on, instead of ordering online, waiting on the mail, and hope. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/71 "2010-03-19T09:51:10Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > > [@kushiel](#): > > > > Am I the only person who just puts her back-closing bras on like a t-shirt? > > You’re probably not the ONLY one (hey, there are people here wearing panties OVER their pantyhose), but, yeah… that’s weird. Why not just clasp it in front of you, and then turn it around? Seems like it would do less damage to both the bra and your arms. That’s what I was thinking too. Wouldn’t pulling it on like a t-shirt stretch out the band (my shoulders are wider than my ribcage) and squish the girls on the way down? I was taught (by whom, I no longer remember) to put on a bra by leaning forward and “pouring” the breasts into it (my modest cup-size doesn’t real “pour” as much as snuggles into place) then clasping it. It positions things nicely and comfortably and offers the most support that way (again not that my girls really need it, poor little things ;)). ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/72 "2010-03-19T13:15:04Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Those are good links, **zweisamkiet** , and I remember other dopers (maybe you again?) talking about Bravissimo years ago, which is how I learned they existed. The bras are pretty, but in my case, the idea of so much lace… so much… eeek, makes me itchy. 😉 I do wish both of them had a store around, so that I could get fitted by them and try them on, instead of ordering online, waiting on the mail, and hope. Well, lacy bras aren’t only in the larger cup sizes; they’re common everywhere. 🙂 Plus, a lot of them are actually smooth fabric that just has pretty prints on it. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/73 "2010-03-19T13:20:39Z")
> [@Red\_Stilettos](#): > > I’ve heard this before, but it seems to me that for this to be true, you are just trading dents in your shoulders for dents in your ribs. Not to mention fat bulges around your ribcage where your bra is digging. There must be a very fine line between tight enough and too tight. > > I’ll also second MeanOldLady’s sentiment. Those are great sites. I’ll be perusing them as soon as I get a chance. Well, but think of it this way: 1 - Two narrow straps are going to concentrate force onto smaller areas than one band that’s wider and goes around your entire ribcage. It’s like the difference between a throwaway plastic bag full of 2 liters (that seem to cut into your hand, leaving horrible painful red dents) versus having a canvas bag carry those same two liters (where there are two thicker canvas handles instead). The canvas bag is much more comfortable and easy to carry. 2 - Dragging down force (straps) would be more uncomfortable than what’s the equivalent to a hug-squeeze. It’s like how there are two machines I can do leg presses on at the gym; one is laying down with pads on your shoulders and the other is sitting up so you’re basically in a chair. I can’t do anywhere _near_ what I should be able to in the laying one because of how much pressure it puts on my shoulders. It really _hurts_. Bra strap versus bra band are completely different ways of dissipating the force or support. Band will give much more comfortable support because it’s larger, wider, wraps all the way around and isn’t pulling down onto your body. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/74 "2010-03-19T14:05:07Z")
> [@Red\_Stilettos](#): > > I’ve heard this before, but it seems to me that for this to be true, you are just trading dents in your shoulders for dents in your ribs. Not to mention fat bulges around your ribcage where your bra is digging. There must be a very fine line between tight enough and too tight. > > I’ll also second MeanOldLady’s sentiment. Those are great sites. I’ll be perusing them as soon as I get a chance. I have one bra that is too tight around the rib cage and does have that issue of digging. But most of my bras are snug around the ribcage - snug enough to provide some support if I slip my straps off my shoulders (I wouldn’t go jogging like that) and I don’t have the band digging. My back isn’t fat enough to cause bulges even with the tight bra (the tight bra LOOKS incredible. I pull it out and suffer when I’m wearing tight and slinky. No seams, no silhouette, and my breasts actually sit in a place they are suppose to instead of seeing if they can touch my belly button!) It is a pretty fine line, which is how I walked out of the store with a two hour bra session and a $70 bra that digs. But its a line worth finding. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/75 "2010-03-19T17:37:21Z")
Why don’t they make bikini swimsuit tops like this? It would be more convenient! ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/76 "2010-03-19T23:30:41Z")
Hello, **zweis** , a moment of your time please? So I’m all over bravissimo and figleaves right now, and they are both rocking my socks. My question is, and this is my concern with online shopping in general, how true are their sizes to the “official bra measuring rules”? I don’t even know what the official rules are anymore, because they vary from source to source. The link provided in this thread earlier said add 4-5 inches to your rib measurement for your band size; I’ve always used 2-3 inches. Then each inch of difference between your band and your bust is a cup size. So based on this formula, how accurate is the sizing on these websites? Or, you can tell me your measuring system and how accurate their sizing is based on that, and I can figure it out. Thanks. 🙂 [small rant]I will never be happy about bras. I was late to the boob party, and once I arrived, everything grew really quickly, and I went up four cup sizes in two years. When my body finally stopped changing, there was some long, frustrating song and dance about what size to wear and where to get it, then I finally found something that worked and was happy. Then my body started changing some more (Grr! I thought we were done with this!) and I’ve spent the past two years being content with anything that held the girls and wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. The bras I own that are satisfactory now are not all the same size, which is high-larious considering they’re _the same brand from the same store!_ Should I be happy that they fit, and not even care what number and letter appear on the tag? Sure, but I hate having to go through some process every time I buy new bras, because apparently numbers and cup sizes mean precisely fuckall. So! A vendor that is _consistent_, even if inaccurate, would make my life.[/small rant] Had to get that off my chest. _Ba dum kssh!_ ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/77 "2010-03-19T23:41:43Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Well, lacy bras aren’t only in the larger cup sizes; they’re common everywhere. 🙂 Plus, a lot of them are actually smooth fabric that just has pretty prints on it. I know they’re common, bra shopping is not my ideal “how to spend a free afternoon” activity. 🙂 So you’re saying that they’re not straight lace, but have the lace on top of non-lacy fabric that actually touches the boobs. That would be easier to try. Unfortunately, too, they have crazy prints. I know, I know… I’m just not that girly (yet). Plus I’d be worried about prints showing through office clothes like buttoned shirts and tight stretch shirts. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/78 "2010-03-22T15:11:43Z")
_whistles_ ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/79 "2010-03-22T17:33:36Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > _whistles_ I’m here! I’d say that you do _not_ add 4-5" for your band size. Quite honestly, I think so many women wear the wrong bra size because they follow the advice bra companies give! To find out your band size, what you want to do is measure right _above_ your breasts, basically around underneath your armpits. That measurement is going to be your band size. Usually if you’re, say, 32" underneath your bust, that measurement will be a couple of inches larger, so you’d get a 34 band. Here’s where it gets tricky: the key is to use the inches difference between _under bust and bust_, not the band. So if you: measure under your bust and get 32" measure over the bust/under armpits and get 34" measure the widest part of your bust and get 38" You use 38-32 to get a 6" difference for your bust. This is what my bra-shop lady told me. I’m a weirdo who actually has her band size as her underbust size (apparently I have a narrow cylindrical ribcage), so it’s easy for me! 🙂 So with those measurements I gave, you’d be a 34F, give or take. My recommendation would be to go to a Nordstrom and get an official fitting there so you have a baseline. They’re good at what they do. Now you have a good size to base things off of. On Figleaves, they will often have customer reviews that say things like, “I usually order a 36C, and the band on this one was fine but the cups were too small!” so you know to order a cup size larger than you usually do. If you also go to a Nordstrom’s or a small lingerie shop, you can try on specific brands to get a feel for how they fit on you so you can adjust accordingly. Did that make any sense at all? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828/80 "2010-03-22T21:13:18Z")
Yeah, 4"-5" inches is ridiculous, and I’ve never used that number to calculate my bra size. Just made me chuckle that we were told figuring your bra size isn’t rocket science, then linked to a website that was way off. I’ve had the official measuring, and the size I was given doesn’t even _exist_ in stores; I’ve never seen it, anywhere, even once. I’ve never even seen it online until I checked out those websites, so I was curious if they follow the bra sizing rules pretty closely, or if they just make shit up as they go along like certain retailers. I’m looking at you, Lane Giant! Seems from your description that they’re good about that kind of thing, and if not, the comments will give me a useful heads up. I believe I shall buy a test bra and see how this works out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bras-that-close-in-front/532828.md?page=5)