Fitting Room Diaries: Entry #011, 38C, Average Fullness/Roots
Customer: Caitlin, Size 38C
Caitlin found Understance through a mutual friend. She did her bra shopping at the Hudson’s Bay, and preferred Bali and WonderBra. She used to wear 34B before giving birth. Now she wears 38C consistently across brands. Top of her wish list are side boob coverage and some lift.
Her measurements: 36.5’’ underband, 41’’ standing bust, 41.5’’ leaning bust. She preferred a relaxed fit, and found a 36 band too constricting. Her shape is fairly average in root width, vertical and horizontal fullness, and projection.
Bra #1: Leanne in 38C
Caitlin liked the side boob coverage. The straps stay put and don’t slide down – another common bra-fitting issue. Leanne gave her a little more of a lift than the average wireless bralette. However, the band line was not the smoothest, and she thought the bra was too full-coverage.
Bra #2: Dandelion in 38B/C
Dandelion gave her just about enough side boob coverage, and lift-wise was surprisingly good. She usually only wore padded bras, but felt like Dandelion could change her mind. There was no digging, no pressure points. And it looked nice with a t-shirt on.
Bra #3: Cate in 38B/C
Cate was cutting into the top of her breasts when she first put it on, but fit well after a scoop-and-swoop. Good side boob coverage, no squeezing. Very comfortable overall.
Bra #4: Mila in XL
Compared to Leanne, Dandelion, and Cate, Mila was a pretty sub-par bralette support-wise. Pressure concentrated along the thin band, and the band rode up in the back. Caitlin said she “would wear this if I were a 34C.”
Bra #5: Hugger in 38C
Caitlin liked the coverage and lift of Hugger. It’s a more conservative bra, but with the fulller coverage and thicker straps came support. Caitlin said it would look good under some dresses, and “sometimes it’s not always about cleavage.” Overall a very comfortable bra.
Bra #6: Midsummer in 38C
Midsummer’s underwire fit Caitlin nicely. The lack of center gore really helps with center gore discomfort. Though it’s not uncomfortable, Caitlin said Midsummer is a sometimes-bra, not an everyday-bra.
Bra #7: Day to Night in 38C
Day to Night’s underwire is too narrow for Caitlin. The cups are a bit too shallow for her as well. Together they caused some above-the-wire gapping. A more open C-shaped underwire and a more projected cup would fit her better.
Bra #8: Cleo in 38C
Like Midsummer, Cleo has a “UniWire” which doesn’t have a center gore. If you have very close-set breasts or generally struggle with the center gore poking, Midsummer and Cleo are good solutions. Caitlin said Cleo was super comfortable and she loved the design.
Bra #9: Simone in 38C
Caitlin loved the Simone. She couldn’t feel the underwire at all. The unlined, seamed cups gave her a natural, gently rounded shape.
Final thoughts
At the end of the fitting session, we asked her to choose a bra as thank-you gift. It was a tie between Cleo and Simone – she chose Cleo in the end. She liked Cleo for its unique design and incomparable comfort.
