Home » Fitting Room Diaries: Entry #008, 38DD, Average Roots/Even Fullness

Fitting Room Diaries: Entry #008, 38DD, Average Roots/Even Fullness

Customer: Pauline, Size 38DD

Pauline came to Understance looking for an everyday bra. She works at a desk, and wants something that’s comfortable for sitting for long periods of time. She’s tried bras from Knix and Diane’s Lingerie. She doesn’t have a preference for underwire or wireless bras, though she wants her bra to have a bit of lining or padding to hide nipples.

Her measurements: 36’’ underband (as tight as she likes her bra band to fit), 42.5’’ standing bust, 43.5 leaning bust. 14’’ top of shoulder to natural nipple, 9’’ between nipples unsupported. She is about 5’6. We recommended 38DD (took the average between standing and leaning bust measurements).

Pauline’s breast shape is fairly average – medium projection, medium root width and height, not very wide or narrow set, between firm and very relaxed. She has even vertical and horizontal fullness.

She has some breast tissue under her armpits. She doesn’t care too much about hiding it, but doesn’t want the bra to irritate the area.

Bra #1: Day to Night in 38DD

Day to Night’s wires are on the narrow side, with high side coverage. Pauline said this bra dug in on the sides for her. She could feel rubbing under her armpits.

*Day to Night has been discontinued, but its upgraded version, Mesh Contour, is still available. Compared to Day to Night, Mesh Contour has a wider underwire and more forgiving fit.

Bra #2: Zoe in 38DD

Pauline was surprised that Zoe was an underwire bra – she didn’t feel the underwire at all when she put it on. She likes the lower side coverage, which doesn’t irritate her underarm area. She also liked that the underwire separated her breasts and gave them definition, which is a must-have for her. However, she prefers a bra with some lining or padding for nipple coverage.

Bra #3: Harper in 38DD

Pauline said Harper wasn’t a bra she would pick off the shelf – she described the bra as “racy,” and said her tastes were more conservative. However, she’s pleasantly surprised at how good the bra looked on. It lifted well, the underwire was very comfortable, there wasn’t any irritation. She was concerned with the straps showing, but the straps stayed hidden when she put her blouse on.

*The original Harper has been discontinued and is almost all sold out, but Harper (Eco) is still available. It has a shorter band that doesn’t roll up and is made from recycled pre-consumer materials.

Bra #4: Simone in 38DD

Simone cut in on the sides for her. She could feel the bra rubbing under her arms.

*The original Simone has been discontinued and is almost all sold out, but the 2.0 version is still available. Compared to the 1.0, the 2.0 has pleated straps and underwire that’s a bit lower on the sides.

Bra #5: Luna in 38DD

Pauline didn’t like Luna’s shape. She felt that the bra was not lifting enough, and didn’t separate her breasts.

*Luna has been discontinued and is almost all sold out. If you’re looking for something similar, try our Soft Sculpt Back-Close. It’s also wireless, full coverage, and offers medium support.

Bra #6: Ivy in 38DD

Ivy was a winner for Pauline. She loved the more conservative design, especially with the front mesh panel, which made the bra feel very secure. There was no rubbing on the sides.

Bra #7: Hugger Smooth Lace in 38DD

Pauline was surprised to find that Hugger Smooth Lace provided some separation (the “centre gore” of Hugger Smooth Lace is made of a non-stretch material that’s different from the cups, and while it doesn’t tack, it provides a bit more definition than the average wireless bra). She said it would be nice to have a wireless option.

*Hugger Smooth Lace has been discontinued, and the original is almost all sold out. If you want a similar supportive, full coverage fit and smooth lace look, try Ginger.

Bra #8: Noelle in 38D/DD

Pauline felt that Noelle was compressive. The wide straps made her shoulders and back feel very good, and she loved the idea of this bra. However, she didn’t like that the front closure had 5 hooks in this size.

(Noelle fits tighter in the band. Because it’s a front close bra and only has one set of hooks [instead of 3, like back close bras], the hooks are the equivalent of the tightest hooks on a back close bra.)

*Noelle has been discontinued and is no longer available. While we don’t have a close replacement yet (you can refer to our Product Roadmap for details on future launches), our CoForm™ bras feature similar cotton cups. However, please note that Noelle is lightly lined, whereas our CoForm™ cups are lightly padded.

Bra #9: Noelle in 40D/DD

40D/DD is an improvement for fit, but Pauline didn’t like that the front closure had many hooks.

Bra #10: Eva in 36DD/DDD

Eva in 36DD/DDD was a cup size and a band size smaller. The cup volume was a better fit for Pauline, but the band was too tight. She could feel the sides cut in with this size.

*Eva has been discontinued and is almost all sold out. For a similar wireless, full coverage, and smooth look, try Ginger. It also has wide straps and offers nipple coverage.

Bra #11: Eva in 38C/D

We gave her the bigger band sister size next. 38C/D was the best size for Pauline in this bra. It’s 1-2 cup sizes smaller than her usual size 38DD, but because it’s a full coverage/wireless style, the smaller cup size didn’t give her spillage, and actually gave her more lift. (If spillage isn’t the biggest concern and you want a more lifting fit, you can try one cup size smaller in wireless bras).