Bras...

[Serpentine]

They're adjustable, but they're also finite and sometimes an issue. Alternatively, there's the width of the back strap and the width of the shoulder straps, where exactly the shoulder straps sit and whether you can adjust them in different ways, where the very front centre of the bra sits - flush against your chest, or sticking out a bit? - where the underwire sits (I just improved one old bra of mine slightly by stitching up the sides to pull the underwire back a bit, so I'd stop bruising the undersides of my upper arms), full cup or half cup or contoured cup, whether the cup can be seen over the tops you want to wear, the support value of the bra, whether the cups enhance or reduce your apparent size... Take your pick.

edit: I made this a while ago:

[Asta Kask]

Can it really be comfortable if it's not the right size?

[Aedilred]

Can it really be comfortable if it's not the right size?

I have plenty of clothes that, while undoubtedly the right size, are really quite uncomfortable. Well, I say "plenty"; I've phased most of them out of my wardrobe for obvious reasons. But I have had plenty, especially shoes. And I'm a relatively straightforwardly-shaped and -sized guy (except apparently when it comes to feet).

[Asta Kask]

I have plenty of clothes that, while undoubtedly the right size, are really quite uncomfortable. Well, I say "plenty"; I've phased most of them out of my wardrobe for obvious reasons. But I have had plenty, especially shoes. And I'm a relatively straightforwardly-shaped and -sized guy (except apparently when it comes to feet).

Yes, but that's the opposite of what I asked. There's a difference between "comfortable and not the right size" and "not comfortable and the right size".

[Aedilred]

Yes, but that's the opposite of what I asked. There's a difference between "comfortable and not the right size" and "not comfortable and the right size".

That's also perfectly possible; some of the most comfortable clothes are really far too big to be practical. I don't know how exactly it goes with bras, of course, but I imagine it's possible to have one that appears comfortable (again, possibly through being a couple of sizes too big) but isn't actually offering enough support.

[EmeraldRose]

Yes. You can have bras that are not the proper size that are super comfortable. You can also have them the proper size, but depending on the fabric or if they are underwire or whatever, they may not be very comfortable. Might itch, might poke whatever. It might be a type of fabric that doesn't breathe well and even though it fits great, you are sweaty.

They might fit properly, but the thingy on the straps is worn so it slides loose and by the end of the day the shoulder straps are sliding down your arms (not comfortable) even though it is the correct size.

Many, many variables.

[WarKitty]

Definitely. So for example, one issue I tend to have with bras is that I'm apparently just narrower than they expect. Straps slide off, and the gore of the bra digs in or otherwise sits funny.

Some of the softer bras can be comfortable even if not the right size, although they tend to make you look bad.

[lio45]

Great! Just email us your bank info, we'll have you buy us some bras, and everyone will be happy.

You know, it wasn't actually my intention at all initially, but I could easily come up with poorer ways of spending charity money than to help a fellow reader of a webcomic I've been following for over a decade! :P


(All I was saying was, we actually faced the exact same student-on-a-very-tight-budget-needing-unusual-bras-to-be-comfortable problem that the OP is bringing up (well, I considered "we" were in this together, like everything else, but technically, it was her problem, not mine), and that's the solution that worked for us. A variant of it can be "mom/dad, can you help me buy that bra?" We've all been broke students at some point, there's no shame in that.)

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

Y'know, this may be dumb and rude of me, but every time I go past or through this thread, I compare this problem to one of my own: shoes. I'm a pretty big guy, I have minor problems with finding clothes anyway, but shoes really screw me over.

See, since my feet stopped growing, I've been wearing size 13 or 14 shoes. They're the only thing that I can get my feet into. Those are expensive and hard to find enough, but about October of 2012 my feet got sore. Had a lot of trouble getting up, staggered around the house, felt every miniscule pebble and slope of ground through a thick sole. Turned out I had gotten really bad inflammation in both my heels. Really bad. So I was on fairly heavy inflammation and arthritis medication for a couple months and honestly I'm still dealing with the fallout; the pain in my feet had me keeping my back and shoulders tense all the time, until things came to a head and broke me down royally. Anyway, it really showed us how important having your arches in the correct place can make a difference (it weren't the only reason, but it was certainly one of them). See, lengthwise, my feet are size 12 at most. But they're so wide (and so tall) that I can't get them into size 12 shoes, so I need shoes that the dealer's catalogue list as size 12 6e. And, of course, no one stocks shoes further up than 2e width. So if I want shoes that work, I need to get them ordered, wait for them to arrive, and then find out if they're comfortable. And only a few brands actually bother manufacturing such monster-shoes, so my choices are limited.

Um, sorry if it seems a bit insensitive to bring it up. It felt good to type it all up, though. And, well, with my hideous shoe costs, I'd just like to say I know a little bit of how you feel.

[Asta Kask]

Yes. You can have bras that are not the proper size that are super comfortable. You can also have them the proper size, but depending on the fabric or if they are underwire or whatever, they may not be very comfortable. Might itch, might poke whatever. It might be a type of fabric that doesn't breathe well and even though it fits great, you are sweaty.

They might fit properly, but the thingy on the straps is worn so it slides loose and by the end of the day the shoulder straps are sliding down your arms (not comfortable) even though it is the correct size.

Many, many variables.

Definitely. So for example, one issue I tend to have with bras is that I'm apparently just narrower than they expect. Straps slide off, and the gore of the bra digs in or otherwise sits funny.

Some of the softer bras can be comfortable even if not the right size, although they tend to make you look bad.

I bow to your expertise.

[Serpentine]

To be slightly more specific: I have one old bra that is pretty comfortable (well, it was, before the underwire snapped and started stabbing me in the ribs), but it's a cup or two too small and so tends to produce the doubleboob effect. Not a good look.

[Mauve Shirt]

Woo, got fitted today and am a size smaller!
The bad news is it's in waist size not cup size, so I have the unobtainable 32 to go with the DDD. A 34DD is the closest most non-specialty stores can manage.

[AtomicKitKat]

To be slightly more specific: I have one old bra that is pretty comfortable (well, it was, before the underwire snapped and started stabbing me in the ribs), but it's a cup or two too small and so tends to produce the doubleboob effect. Not a good look.

Wait, is that where it's a half-cup that seems to support enough, but then the above-nipple section overhangs it, making it look like you have abs on your chest(or I guess more like other mammals' mammaries)?

I'm not certain how much this applies to WarKitty, but one disturbing trend among the youths of today is a marked tendency to slouch, with a commensurate narrowing of the shoulders. It's incredibly rude, but I can just barely keep from reminding every other person I see to pull their shoulders back like my mom kept reminding me during my puberty(thanks, Mom!), to avoid giving themselves future backaches. It may seem like something that's more important to guys(presence/intimidation), but if you're already a small lady and you're hunching your shoulders, you wind up looking even smaller. And I can't even begin to say how bad that is going to be for your back with mass on the chest.

[Serpentine]

Uh... Kind of? It's when the cup is too small and squeezes, so the top of the boob bulges out over the bra, to a greater or lesser degree.

[Coidzor]

To be slightly more specific: I have one old bra that is pretty comfortable (well, it was, before the underwire snapped and started stabbing me in the ribs), but it's a cup or two too small and so tends to produce the doubleboob effect. Not a good look.

Spoiler: blood, tangent, squick

Show

Yikes. That's scary stuff. I didn't even know those things could snap, and I still haven't been able to figure out why and how, but thinking about underwires still squicks me out slightly from when one of my former roommates ended up getting partially impaled from the side by hers when it broke forth. I can still remember seeing the bloodstained bra in the sink and wondering if someone had gone Halloween Axe Murderer on us before I found that my housemates were all still alive...

Uh... Kind of? It's when the cup is too small and squeezes, so the top of the boob bulges out over the bra, to a greater or lesser degree.

When you say out over the bra, are you meaning primarily up or a forward spilling component as well?

[Mauve Shirt]

Yes, underwires break after a bit, and they do poke. I've lost many a bra to that affliction.
To understand doubleboob, imagine wearing a too-tight pair of pants, constricting around your bulging belly producing what looks like two bellies underneath your shirt. Except twice, on your chest.

[Asta Kask]

None of you women feel like burning your bras then? It's a symbol of the patriarchy, you know.

[WarKitty]

None of you women feel like burning your bras then? It's a symbol of the patriarchy, you know.

That actually never really happened in the first place. The closest that things came was one time when a bunch of people did a burning of symbols of femininity, which may have included a bra. But it was the era of draft card burning and the media kind of pounced on the "bra-burning" idea...

[Asta Kask]

That actually never really happened in the first place. The closest that things came was one time when a bunch of people did a burning of symbols of femininity, which may have included a bra. But it was the era of draft card burning and the media kind of pounced on the "bra-burning" idea...

Okay, maybe not burn, but there was a symbolic throwing away of feminine products, including bras. So, are you going to throw away your bras?

[Mauve Shirt]

The only time I burned a bra was at a viking funeral for one of my favorite pieces of underwear.

Also gals, Bare Necessities is having a sale and you can get boob halters in large sizes for like $35.

[Themrys]

None of you women feel like burning your bras then? It's a symbol of the patriarchy, you know.

I have been a feminist ever since I went to primary school. Which means, I never bought a bra, so don't own one I could burn or throw away. (Not that bras are inherently unfeminist, but I don't need one, so unnecessarily subjecting myself to the torture that is trying to find a bra that fits would be unfeminist.)

[Krazzman]

1. In Australia, for one, you don't get paid for donating blood. You do get delicious snacks, though, so there's that.
2. Having enough money you could reasonably expect to pay for a decent bra doesn't help one bit if you can't actually find one that fits properly, is comfortable, and you like - and I've spent hours looking for that and finding nothing before I've even touched the price tag.
3. Your advice pretty much boils down to "can't afford it? You should have more money, that'll solve your problem!" No, really? You seriously think we should have to sell parts of our bodies just to be able to afford underwear?

As for your very first line: When you have to find a garment that fits you three different ways, each way often measured in a completely different way from brand to brand and country to country, when a bad fit isn't always immediately obvious and can lead to full-blown back and neck problems, and you can do so within a half an hour squiz around one shop, then you can have a go at us for not being able to "buy proper clothing for ourselves". We're not talking a pair of boxer shorts or a t-shirt here (although several people have already explained why even that is ridiculously complicated for women). Condescending, much?

At 1:
So there is NO way a broke student can do anything in australia to get a bit of extra money? Not even donating Plasma?

2:
One word. Tailoring. Or if you can't do it yourself seek out the professional: Tailor.

3:
As this is INHERENTLY a problem to throw money at. Yes my advice will focus on use more money. Can't afford it - do something against it. That was the main point of my advice. Albeit bruntly and maybe not in the right tone (which I did not intend).
About selling parts of your body. Donating Blood or Plasma was a way I had contact with which brings stupid amounts of money here in germany. Dunno about the blood part. But additionally it is something that is both good on another scale altogether. Donating Blood Plasma gives you free checkups up to twice a week + Money and is needed for scientific research and saving lives. And seriously spoken... working costs time and if you are a student you might not have the time to work x hours or can't make more hours due to tax laws or whatever. But you could get around 1.5 hours of time where you read stuff while donating plasma.

Also I don't get it. If you know you have a problem with the normal sizes that are displayed in shops why don't you custom order stuff? I mean the internet is awesome like that. Or support your local Tailor/whatever. Why stress yourself if you can solve it with paying extra for better quality?
I'll say it again: for 3 things you need to pay good money: Clothing, Bed and Footwear. Some poster said "ask parents". I think most mothers would understand it if you would ask them (depending on how good you are with your parents).

[Serpentine]

At 1:
So there is NO way a broke student can do anything in australia to get a bit of extra money?

Probably. But if someone's poor enough that they have to buy cheap bras, you know what they're probably gonna do with that extra money first? Almost literally anything.

Not even donating Plasma?

Was "you do not get paid for donating blood in Australia" unclear? No, not even donating plasma. Blood donation in Australia is a charity, not a business.

2:
One word. Tailoring. Or if you can't do it yourself seek out the professional: Tailor.

First of all, I have done that to an extent. Secondly, I don't think you're getting just how complicated bras are. Yeah, tailoring might help, and that could well be something people should be having a go at more often, but I was almost terrified at the prospect just of stitching in the sides a bit to try and stop the underwire sticking out so much on an old bra I don't particularly care about. You tuck here, and this other bit might suddenly be all out of whack. And there's not a lot a tailor is likely to do about a poorly-shaped underwire.

3:
As this is INHERENTLY a problem to throw money at. Yes my advice will focus on use more money. Can't afford it - do something against it. That was the main point of my advice. Albeit bruntly and maybe not in the right tone (which I did not intend).

"If you don't have money, you should just get more money". Are you aware how that sounds? Yeah, frankly, telling people "you should just have more money!" is pretty much the opposite of helpful.

About selling parts of your body. Donating Blood or Plasma was a way I had contact with which brings stupid amounts of money here in germany. Dunno about the blood part. But additionally it is something that is both good on another scale altogether. Donating Blood Plasma gives you free checkups up to twice a week + Money and is needed for scientific research and saving lives. And seriously spoken... working costs time and if you are a student you might not have the time to work x hours or can't make more hours due to tax laws or whatever. But you could get around 1.5 hours of time where you read stuff while donating plasma.

Again: This is not a universal solution. There are countries such as mine where it's not available at all, and there are a number of people who can't or shouldn't donate for a variety of reasons.

Also I don't get it. If you know you have a problem with the normal sizes that are displayed in shops why don't you custom order stuff? I mean the internet is awesome like that. Or support your local Tailor/whatever. Why stress yourself if you can solve it with paying extra for better quality?

As I believe I said before here (but may not have): I regularly go to a shop and try on a dozen or more bras that I think should be acceptable and might, MIGHT, if I'm lucky, leave that shop with one or two adequate options. And most of the time I end up finding out that I was wrong about that one or two, because there's a difference between putting it on without a shirt for a minute or two after you've already tried on 14 horrible alternatives, and actually wearing it for hours on end under a variety of tops. Moreover, the last time I went bra shopping I thought I was a D-cup and then went home with E and F cups. There is no way in Hell I'm going to spend a bunch of money on something I can't even look at in person, much less try it on first. Maybe other people can look at a bra and know how it'll fit on them. I can't.
And I have never, never seen a tailor that makes their own bras from scratch. If they exist, they don't advertise.

[FinnLassie]

Honestly, ordering a custom tailored bra online is probably one of the worst ideas I can think of when buying a bra. Ridiculously expensive and well, it just might not fit your breasts at all. You.... You just don't put the cup on your breast, you have to set and wiggle it to fit it. You don't know your preferred fit unless you have a very well/perfectly fitting bra to compare to.

[Coidzor]

Honestly, ordering a custom tailored bra online is probably one of the worst ideas I can think of when buying a bra. Ridiculously expensive and well, it just might not fit your breasts at all. You.... You just don't put the cup on your breast, you have to set and wiggle it to fit it. You don't know your preferred fit unless you have a very well/perfectly fitting bra to compare to.

Definitely seems more like one of those things where one would want a personal touch where one can give feedback, yeah.

[Asta Kask]

Germany hails "bulletproof bra".

Sadly, it is not bulletproof - I imagine a kevlar bra wouldn't be very comfortable.

Crucially, though, the bras do not have any under-wire or fastener made out of metal or plastic.

Because the impact of a bullet can push metal and plastic bits into your body.

[Krazzman]

Probably. But if someone's poor enough that they have to buy cheap bras, you know what they're probably gonna do with that extra money first? Almost literally anything.
Was "you do not get paid for donating blood in Australia" unclear? No, not even donating plasma. Blood donation in Australia is a charity, not a business.
First of all, I have done that to an extent. Secondly, I don't think you're getting just how complicated bras are. Yeah, tailoring might help, and that could well be something people should be having a go at more often, but I was almost terrified at the prospect just of stitching in the sides a bit to try and stop the underwire sticking out so much on an old bra I don't particularly care about. You tuck here, and this other bit might suddenly be all out of whack. And there's not a lot a tailor is likely to do about a poorly-shaped underwire.
"If you don't have money, you should just get more money". Are you aware how that sounds? Yeah, frankly, telling people "you should just have more money!" is pretty much the opposite of helpful.
Again: This is not a universal solution. There are countries such as mine where it's not available at all, and there are a number of people who can't or shouldn't donate for a variety of reasons.
As I believe I said before here (but may not have): I regularly go to a shop and try on a dozen or more bras that I think should be acceptable and might, MIGHT, if I'm lucky, leave that shop with one or two adequate options. And most of the time I end up finding out that I was wrong about that one or two, because there's a difference between putting it on without a shirt for a minute or two after you've already tried on 14 horrible alternatives, and actually wearing it for hours on end under a variety of tops. Moreover, the last time I went bra shopping I thought I was a D-cup and then went home with E and F cups. There is no way in Hell I'm going to spend a bunch of money on something I can't even look at in person, much less try it on first. Maybe other people can look at a bra and know how it'll fit on them. I can't.
And I have never, never seen a tailor that makes their own bras from scratch. If they exist, they don't advertise.

A person needing money spending it on other things first... I get that. But seriously spoken... again. If you want fitting trousers do you go into a discounter and take what fits/fits after a little bit of tailoring or go to an expert directly? I didn't want to go to a tailor for my trousers at first but now I would seriously consider going to another place first. Clothing/Underwear has to be the most comfy stuff you have after your bed. You spend a long time in them. So IF you can afford it then go do it. Throw more money at it.

About not seeing the bra... what difference does it make seeing it and then buying it after it fits or sending it back after receiving it. The last time my wife ordered bras she ordered 5 and only kept 2. Maybe it needs a bit of hunting. Maybe there is no one in the city/next city or whatever. But if you have problems then go to a tailor and ask them if they can tailor this bra to fit you better or whatever. This should be possible. I never meant from scratch directly.

And to go back YES donating blood was unclear. As Plasma is another deal.

About the Money thing. Getting more money as a Student is something that can be done. Anywhere. In germany we have non-tax jobs. With one of those you can make around 450 € per month as a maximum. Or you can ask family if they could lend you a bit for a new one or or or.

Honestly, ordering a custom tailored bra online is probably one of the worst ideas I can think of when buying a bra. Ridiculously expensive and well, it just might not fit your breasts at all. You.... You just don't put the cup on your breast, you have to set and wiggle it to fit it. You don't know your preferred fit unless you have a very well/perfectly fitting bra to compare to.

Custom with a tailor in town. Online you give in your stats and hope to get the right one and send the wrong ones back. Due to being custom sizes most of the time you probably pay more than 50$ per Bra but wouldn't that be worth it?

[Serpentine]

Yes yes, keep on telling all the silly women how to dress themselves in the very complicated and specific garments I find it very hard to believe you have ever had to buy for yourself, and keep on telling all the poor people that they should just have more money and solve all their problems. Very helpful. I'm sure you know best, regardless of our actual personal experiences.

[Aedilred]

Definitely seems more like one of those things where one would want a personal touch where one can give feedback, yeah.

Heehee </twelveyearsold>

About the Money thing. Getting more money as a Student is something that can be done. Anywhere. In germany we have non-tax jobs. With one of those you can make around 450 € per month as a maximum. Or you can ask family if they could lend you a bit for a new one or or or.

The thing is, "if you don't have enough money, go get more money" (which is what this boils down to) is not particularly helpful advice. The issue is how to go about doing that (and, no, "get a job/better-paying job" is not really any more helpful). If someone hasn't worked that out for themselves, then they've probably got bigger problems than ill-fitting bras, so it just comes across as condescending, if not judgmental. If someone's asking how they can do something within the budget they have, it's fairly safe to assume that getting a bigger budget is not an immediately viable solution, and advising along those lines doesn't do anything to resolve the problem or answer the question.

[FinnLassie]

I really, sincerely doubt a tailor would ask only fifty bucks for constructing a bra. I would also imagine that finding a tailor/dressmaker actually willing to make one will be difficult as well, and I don't think any woman wants someone's first attempt.

And Krazzman, you're basically saying that in order to get better money as a student, you should move to a country with good student benefits. Or better, already live there. Doesn't quite work that way. And some people simply don't have a family to support them financially as well to help with living costs.