There's an app for that: a review of the Bra-Fitter app for iPhone and iTouch

It was only $1.99, so I figured what the heck, and I bought the Bra-Fitter app for my iPod; and being endorsed by Stanikomania, I figured it was probably a pretty good calculator.

That being said, it is both good and bad at the same time. Naturally, I first tried it out by entering in my own measurements, and voila, it returned my correct bra size. However, I decided to test it with a variety of different measurements, to get a feel for its consistency. I entered in 25 inches for the rib measurement and 35 for the bust measurement, for which it returned the size 30E, which will be too large for a person with a 25 inch ribcage. I also tried it on the other end of the spectrum and the results were only marginally more acceptable. Here is what I think this thing is doing: for rib measurements under 28 inches, it is adding 4 to 5 inches to the underbust measurement, and for larger rib measurements, it is adding 2 to 3 inches. One quite silly contradiction that occurs with this is that a 27 inch ribcage is recommended a larger band than a 28 inch ribcage.

It seemed pretty wonky to me to begin with and I wondered why it would be adding all kinds of inches? Then it occurred to me that I believe this app was developed by Polish bra fitters, and one of the most important things in Polish bra fitting is to have the firmest underbust measurement possible. The prevalent bra fitting advice in Poland is to exhale all the air from your lungs and take the absolute tightest underbust measurement possible. For me, this decreases my measurement by a whopping two inches, which may well make all the difference in the world when using this calculator. Out of curiosity, I then clicked the help button, which took me to a FAQ page. Here is an excerpt from the page:

"Most professional bra-fitters nowadays say that after getting the measures [sic] done it is usually wise to go down [in] the band size (and up a cup size), especially if you are larger-busted."

Although this measuring technique obviously must be considered in order to use this calculator, there are some other excellent stand-alone features. Probably one of the best features is a size troubleshooter, which can be particularly useful for sizing down one band, as quoted in the FAQ above. After the calculator generates a bra size based on your measurements, there is an additional screen that will help you troubleshoot problems with the recommended size. For example, if the band feels too big, or is riding up, it will suggest smaller band sizes, with the appropriate cup sizes for you to try. I think this alone is useful. Another useful feature is size conversion between all the major sizing systems: UK, US, Continental, French, Australian and Japanese, as well as sizing charts that are specific to individual brands. The sizing charts for individual brands could be wildly useful, just because there is so much variation in sizing systems between brands.

Altogether, it's your call whether you think this app could be useful for you and at only $1.99 USD, it's not expensive. I'd be interested in seeing if this works for people when they use the Polish method of taking the underbust measurement, although I do believe that this calculator will be too unreliable for those with sub-28 rib measurements, as well as those with ribcages above 32 inches. However, if you want to reliably find your bra size and don't need all the other bells and whistles of this app, THIS is the best calculator I've found so far.

*photos are from Stanikomania and the official bra-fitter website

Review: Freya Arabella and Monet, plus the Nordstrom Rack is amazing

I am convinced that the Nordstrom Rack is actually located in an alternate universe where awesome undies are hella cheap. Within the last few days I have scored two Freya sets for around about $25 USD (£15) each. The Rack has a full range of sizes, but when you get into larger cup sizes, the selection is a little hit-or-miss. But I got lucky; when I saw the $20 price tag on the Arabella, I swooped it away to the dressing room, where I was thrilled to find it fit perfectly. I also found the Freya Monet for another $20. The matching panties for both of these were around $5 each. That is quite a bit cheaper than anything I've seen on British eBay. From now on, I think the Rack will for sure be my first stop when buying bras and underwear.

Now I've never met a Freya bra I didn't like, and these two are no exception. The Arabella gives a beautiful round silhouette, while the Monet is perkier and slightly pointier, but still very nice. Both are comfortable, but the Arabella has a slightly stretchier band than the Monet. They are made of high quality materials that do not itch or chafe.

In terms of aesthetics, these bras are so beautiful. The bold color of the Arabella is sure to make a statement, while I love the soft watercolor print on the Monet, with it's pink ruffles at the bottom. Both are great for everyday wear and at $25 for the set, you can hardly go wrong.

Review: Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless

After the better part of a month (!) my Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless finally arrived in the mail. I ordered it in two sizes from Figleaves - 32E and 32F - because I'd read from other reviews that the cup size might come up a little on the small side. Let me tell you, this bra is nothing short of a feat of engineering. There are no underwires, but rather a piece of plastic that provides the support. The band is quite tight, so I'm glad I opted for the 32, as the 30 would have been much too tight.

Appearance (5/5)
This bra is beautiful. The lace overlay is very feminine and the overall look and construction of the bra is very aesthetically pleasing. This bra definitely wins on looks. I contemplated buying the plain nude color instead, but in the end, this one was just too pretty - I had to get it, despite the fact that I can't wear it under lighter tops.

Comfort (3/5)
While this is far from the most comfortable bra I've ever had, I've come to expect this from a strapless. The primary issue with comfort is that this bra is a piece of armor. Trust me, you'll never forget that you have it on. It feels like a breast plate. Definitely not soft and pliable, but again, this is what I expected.

Fit (4/5)
My only real complaint about the fit of this bra is that the cups come up pretty high on the sides on me. The problem with this is that I have some minor armpit rolls that I'm dealing with, and when I first put the bra on, the rolls are in the cups and not creating anything unsightly. However, as soon as I lift my arms, they pop out, and unless I manually place them back in the cups, they just flop over the edge, essentially accentuating them. Not good. The only solution I could see for this is a lower cut cup on the sides - low enough that the rolls and the cup never meet, so the rolls can't fold over the cup. Anyway, I know this is bad for tissue migration, but since this will only be an occasional bra, I will let it slide. It passed the 'jump test' which is more than I can say for any other strapless I've ever tried. I jumped up and down for about a minute and this thing didn't budge. The cups did seem to come up quite small - I was busting out of the 32E and can just barely get everything in the 32F. I might have even done better in a 32FF, but sadly Wonderbra does not make this bra past an F cup.

Overall (3.7/5)
In general, this is a pretty good strapless. It gives a decent shape under clothes and it certainly does what a strapless bra should - it doesn't move. I'll keep it because it's the best thing I've found to date, and my only real complaint with it is the accentuation of the armpit rolls.

Do you have a strapless you absolutely love? If so, let me know so I can give it a try!

Updated Review: Curvy Kate Tease Me Bra

I am really happy to write this update. I washed the bra and wore it for two days, and I am thrilled to report that the strange boxy shape on the right breast has become beautifully rounded, just like the left breast. The wash seems to have softened the cups up a bit, making them more pliable, so that they hug my shape better. So, here is my updated review:

Appearance (4.9/5)
This is exactly the same as before.

Comfort (4/5)
Again, still the same as before, although, I feel I should qualify why I docked one point off - the shoulder straps are very wide. They dig in slightly when I reach for something, but it's not a huge deal and certainly won't stop me from wearing this beautiful bra. But it is something to think about if you are really bothered by wide straps.

Fit (4.5/5)
Fits very well, give a lovely, rounded silhouette. I'm really, really glad the squarish shape is gone from the right breast, because I think this bra is so pretty and I wanted it to work out for me so badly. Fortunately, it did!

Overall (4.3/5)
In general, this is a wonderful bra, and I will absolutely be buying more from Curvy Kate. The beauty, style and comfort cannot be beat at this price. I only hope they break into the US market sooner than later; we really need beautiful bras that cater to larger cups and smaller backs here.

I also wish I could find the ivory/coral Ella bra in a 30FF, now that I know my CK size, but I think it might be too late, as it seems to be sold out pretty much everywhere.

*Note: My methodology for coming up with the 'overall' rating was by taking the weighted average of the three previous categories in order of their importance to me, with comfort being the highest priority, fit coming second and appearance coming third.

Review: Curvy Kate Tease Me Bra

After many months of eying it, I finally broke down and ordered the Tease Me bra from Curvy Kate. It is one of their most popular bras, and I ordered it in a beautiful green color, which was on sale for about £19 ($37 after shipping) at lovebras. At first I was a little hesitant about what size to order - I mean, I know lovebras does returns, but seriously, why would I want to blow money on return shipping? I bought another Curvy Kate bra about a month ago on eBay; it was the Ella bra, and I ordered it in a 32E, because I'd heard that CK runs a little small in the band. Definitely not true for the Ella; the band is super stretchy. I also found the cup fit to be too small. Given this, I decided to order the Tease Me in a 30FF.

It finally came in the mail today. As an aside, the ordering process through lovebras was very easy (this was my first purchase from them), but if you live in the US, be forewarned that shipping is relatively slow. It took close to two weeks for the bra to arrive, although I'm not sure how much of that time was spent in customs.

So, I'm going to go about this review somewhat systematically:

Appearance (4.9/5)
My first impression upon pulling the bra out of its packaging was that it's actually more beautiful than I had expected. The green is very vibrant and is set off nicely by the black mesh. Very stylish, and great attention to detail. I docked off 0.1 points because I think it would be more elegant if the bows were a bit thinner/smaller. That's a minor nitpicky thing though. On the whole, it's probably the most beautiful bra I own.

Comfort (4/5)
The bra generally feels quite comfortable, and is comparable to any of my Freya bras in terms of comfort. There may be some very slight itchiness in the cups, but I find this with most bras, and it generally becomes less of an issue after one or two washes. The band is relatively stretchy, but in general, I feel that the 30 band was a good choice for me.

Fit (???/5)
So here is where I'm still the foggiest. Ordering one size up in the cup was definitely an excellent choice. If I had ordered my regular 30F size, I'd be busting out of these cups, just like I do in the Ella. I like the way it fits my smaller breast, but there are some fit issues on my larger breast. The top edges of the cups are somewhat rigid, and stand out against the larger one, while the smaller one is just small enough that it lies at the correct angle and doesn't stick out. I read on Balkonetka that there are some girls who've had similar fit problems with the Tease Me, where the rigid cup edge stands out against them, creating sort of a boxy profile, but they seem to say that after some wash and wear that the edge begins to lay flat and it's not so much a problem anymore. So, I'm going to give it a chance, wear it a bit (boxy larger breast be darned), and see if it changes at all. The silhouette created on my smaller breast is very rounded and essentially perfect.

Updates will definitely follow! If this bra ends up working out well, I've next got my eye on the Thrill Me, possibly in cobalt/fuchsia - what a beautiful color combo!