Friday, April 12, 2019

Bra options for if Fantasie 4510 makes your back hurt

This post contains descriptions of bras and of breasts, from a technical bra-fitting perspective. Linked images are catalogue-style photos of bras being worn by human models.

The Problem


After years of comfortably and happily wearing the same style of bra, (Fantasie 4510 in 34E) I suddenly started experiencing back pain caused by my bra digging into my spine.

Body Type


The Bra That Fits calculator puts me at a 34F. Most of the substance of my breasts naturally falls towards the outside, under my armpits. My ribcage protrudes under my bra band, to the extent that if the protruding part of my ribs were breasts, they would be B cups.

Bras I tried 


Freya Idol AA1050, beige, 36E 

On the first (outermost) hook, this bra is actually a bit too big based on how bras are supposed to fit theoretically. Sometimes this is comfortable, sometimes it's uncomfortable because the wires (sometimes - I haven't yet identified under what conditions) rest on my ribs rather than being tucked up neatly under my inframammary fold.

The second hook is a correct theoretical fit. Sometimes it's comfortable, sometimes it's uncomfortably tight and I like to loosen it.

The advantage of this bra is it gives me both these options.

The disadvantage of this bra is that the elastic at the very bottom of the band is "stiffer" than the rest of the band. In other words, if I put my hands on the elastic at the very bottom of the band and stretch it side to side, then move my hands up to the body of the band and stretch it with the same force, the body of the band stretches far more.  This means I'm hyper-aware of the elastic (the part that's painted red in this picture - the picture only shows a portion of the bra, but I feel it all the way around) and sometimes always feel like it's slipping between my ribs.

I'm also more aware of the wires in this bra, even though their fit is appropriate.  So, while it was the first bra I could wear comfortably, and is a lovely, high-quality garment, I've put it aside after arriving at the Fantasie and Simone Perele options below.

Freya Idol AA1050, white, 36E

After confirming that my first Freya Idol was a painless bra, I went to purchase a second one.  I bought it on ebay from a retailer in the UK, because that's where the best price was and I had to spend so much on bras during this endeavour that I want to save money where I could.

Unfortunately, it didn't fit the same way as the beige one.  The first hook on the white bra gave me the same fit (and maybe even a bit snugger) than the second hook on the beige bra, which, in combination with the same stiffness issues as the beige bra, rendered it useless to me.

Fantasie 4510, 36E

My bra fitter  had stopped stocking the Fantasie 4510, citing a decline in quality.  But I decided to see what my old style was like in my new size, so I ordered one online. The fit is correct from a technical perspective, it doesn't induce pain, but I'm still more aware of it than I prefer. I'm very aware of the part outlined here against my ribs. Sometimes I feel a tinge of something that's almost, but not quite, nausea when I wear it.  I want to take it off after 6 hours. The problem isn't what I actually feel when I'm wearing it, but rather what I'm afraid I'll feel after wearing it longer.

I did not notice the decline in quality cited by my bra fitter in this bra - all these problems are a combination of the fit of the bra and the finicky needs of my back.

I'm keeping it in my arsenal because it still gives me the best line, but it's not for everyday wear.

Fantasie 4510, 38D

Since I thought the band on the 36E was a bit snug, I decided to try a larger band with a sister size cup.  The 38 band is sometimes comfortable on loosest hook and other times has fit problem associated with a too-loose band.  Sometimes it is comfortable on the middle hook and other times I prefer to loosen it.  However, the cups are a bit too small, I bounce more in this bra, and the back arm of the wires is a bit further forward than I'm comfortable with.

This bra was manufactured slightly differently than the 36E (and than my previous Fantasie bras), in a way that looks a bit more crude and utilitarian, so that might be the decline in quality that my bra fitter was referring to. I can't tell if the difference is specific to the sizes or if my E-cup is just an older one and the D-cup is a newer one.

Fantasie 4510, 38DD

Further interneting suggested that, in the Fantasie brand, DD might be a size between D and E (I'd assumed it was a synonym for E, because Americans can be weird about letters beyond D appearing in their bra sizes).  If that's the case, the 38DD would actually be the sister size to the 38D, so I decided to give it a try.


It turns out the cups of the 38DD are a bit too big - I don't fill them entirely, even though the cups are slightly smaller than those of my 36E.  The fact that I'm not filling my cups is obvious when I'm not wearing a shirt, but a shirt conceals this.

The 38DD is the same style of manufacturing as the 38D.

I decided to keep one of the 38s in case I find myself in a situation where I need a magnificent line but can't handle the Fantasie 36E. It was a toss-up, but I decided to go with the 38DD.

Simone Perele Caresse 3D plunge bra, 36E

This was another option provided by my bra fitter.  It doesn't give me as magnificent a line as the Fantasie and the Freya, but the band gently embraces my back without applying nearly as much pressure as the others.  It's now my day-to-day go-to, with the Fantasie held in reserve for when my shape is particularly important.

The only disadvantage of this bra is it shows sweat stains at the slightest provocation, in the area painted red in this picture. Because of this, despite the beauty and comfort of the garment itself, it wouldn't be the right bra for if I had to look good without my shirt on.

Nevertheless, if I were only allowed to own one style of bra, I'd choose this one.

The unsolved sports bra problem


Alongside the Fantasie 4510 in 34E, I was also wearing Panache's wired sports bra in 34E.

I went in for a fitting of sports bras as well, and, after trying a variety of things, found the best fit was the same Panache wired sports bra in 36E.

However, this still exacerbated the back pain. I went and got refitted, and the best we could do was the same Panache wired sports bra in 38DD. Sometimes I wear it on the first hook, and sometimes I wear it on the second hook.

However, it isn't a proper fit, and I find myself wanting to take it off after a couple of hours.  (My life doesn't require me to wear a sports bra for more than a couple of hours, but I still consider it an unacceptable degree of discomfort if I can't wear a bra all day without thinking about it.)

I still haven't found an optimal sports bra.  I have to find out which Toronto bra fitter has a better selection of sports bras (or, barring that, a drastically different selection of sports bras) and get fitted again, and I haven't yet reached the point where the Panache is bugging me enough to motivate me to do that.

The bra fitters I worked with did repeatedly have me trying on various styles that pull over the head and then hook up behind the back (I don't remember the brands or styles), but I couldn't reliably do them up properly.  So if you can do that style of bra up properly, that might be a fruitful direction to look in.

March 2022 update: The Knix Catalyst meets my needs! Full review here

Takeaway

  • If the Fantasie 4510 is causing you pain by digging into your spine, try Simone Perele Caresse 3D plunge in a band size larger.
  • The Fantasie 4510 in a band size larger fits, but isn't comfortable enough for all day wear. In two band sizes larger and one cup size smaller, it is comfortable but doesn't fit perfectly.
  • The Freya Idol is comparable to the Fantasie 4510, but the sizing is unpredictable and the elastic at the bottom of the band feels uncomfortably conspicuous.
  • If the Panache wired sports bra is causing you pain by digging into your spine, try two band sizes up and one cup size smaller. But this is not an optimal solution and I have not yet found the optimal solution. (If you have it, post here!)
  • Sports bra update! The Knix Catalyst meets my needs! full review here
I will update this post as and when I gather new data.

3 comments:

laura k said...

I admire your hunting/shopping patience.

Also: Bra That Fits calculator!!! Wow!

I'd assumed it was a synonym for E, because Americans can be weird about letters beyond D appearing in their bra sizes

LOL an astute observation. In the US you can be D, DD, DDD, DDDD -- all considered hot. But E -- considered weird.

impudent strumpet said...

LOL, I'm not patient about shopping at all! This was simply the bare minimum effort required to not be in pain!

impudent strumpet said...

Sports bra update! The Knix Catalyst meets my needs! full review here