Fitting Room Diaries: Entry #013, Size 40G, Short Roots
Customer: Toni, Size 40G
Toni is one of our regular fitting models. She went bra-less for three years because she wasn’t able to find comfortable options. Prior to discovering Understance, she shopped at Knix and Change Lingerie.
Her measurements: 42’’ underband, 48.5’’ standing bust, 49.5’’ leaning bust
She likes a very lifting fit (or else no bra at all), so her preferred band size is 40. She can wear a 42, but would have to wear it on the tightest hook.
The feature that stands out the most about her breast shape is her roots – they are very short.
She has average projection for her size range, wide roots, and east/west breasts (pointing outward).
Bra #1: Sierra in 40G
Sierra is a perfect fit for Toni. The bra in this photo is actually her own! Sierra has a short cup, which suits breasts with short roots very well. This bra passes all the fit check points – no spilling or gapping in the cups, center gore lightly touches the sternum, band stays parallel to the floor, no gapping above the underwire. There is a bit of “strap gap,” which can be fixed by moving the apexes (where the straps connect to the bra) closer to the center.
Bra #2: Salma in 40G
Salma is a fuller coverage version of Sierra. They have the same underwire shape (Sierra is a bit shorter on the sides), but the two bras fit very differently. For Toni, “full coverage” did not equal “contained and secure” – it actually created empty pockets that made the bra less secure! The cups wrinkle above the wire, and there is some gapping below the mesh section – both signs that the cups are too tall.
Bra #3: Quinn in 40G
Quinn is the t-shirt version of Salma, so it’s easier to see the fit issue here. There is some significant space between the wire and the bottom of her breasts. The underwire cannot support her breasts because it’s not touching her breasts at all. The bra is simply too tall for her.
Bra #4: Zoe in 40G
Toni has Zoe as a regular rotation bra. The cup height suits her breasts well. Even though Zoe’s underwire is a bit narrow for her (and flares out slightly), it’s quite flexible and forgiving. It causes her no discomfort.
Bra #5: Simone in 40G
Simone is another one of Toni’s favorites. Its low-coverage balconette shape suits her well. Like Zoe, its underwire is a bit narrow. But because it’s quite flexible and opens up when worn, it doesn’t cause her any discomfort.
Bra #6: Ivy in 40G
You can see from the side photo that there is an empty pocket between Ivy’s underwire and Toni’s breasts. The underwire can do its job if it isn’t tucked into your IMF (where your breasts and chest meet). To Ivy’s credit, it feels very comfortable despite a poor fit.
Bra #7: Harper in 40G
Harper’s underwire skews narrow and doesn’t suit her roots. Toni said she could really feel the underwire when sitting down.
Bra #8: Petal in 40G
Petal is the wrong shape for Toni in a few ways. The underwire is too narrow, the cups are too tall, and there is gapping above the wire. Petal is made for tall roots, top-full, narrow-set breasts (“deep U” shape) – a complete mismatch for Toni.
Bra #9: Shea in 40G
Full coverage bras always create fit issues for Toni. The underwire is hovering, and there is gapping beneath the mesh section. However, the wire has the right width, and Toni said it feels comfortable despite the fit issues. Because smooth t-shirt bras are so difficult to find in this size range, she might forgive the fit occasionally.
Final thoughts
Toni said with all Understance bras, she felt less weight in the front. But of the bras she tried on, Sierra was the clear winner. It works perfectly for shorts and wide roots.
