Cardigan Geometry: How to Highlight or Disguise Your Boobs with a Cardigan

With September drawing to a close, we're getting into Autumn weather. I wanted to talk a bit about the various ways that cardigan sweaters (jumpers) can be worn. Cardigans are often considered to be one of the 'tricky' items for full-busted ladies, and as a result companies like Pepperberry have made them with extra boob room:

Pepperberry V-neck Cardigan

This is great if you're looking for a sweater to wear buttoned-up, but that's not how I like to wear my cardigans. I prefer to wear them open. What I'm about to suggest is a little unorthodox, but hear me out.

The key to flatter a full bust with an unbuttoned cardigan is to SIZE DOWN. You should think in terms of buying a size that would NEVER button over your boobs, and maybe wouldn't even button over your waist. The function here is to eliminate flapping, bagginess, and shapelessness that can come as a result of wearing an unbuttoned cardigan. When the size is significantly 'too small' for you, the entire body of the cardigan will sort of contract around/behind you and just gently lurk around your body without any issues of draping or hanging. I tend to be a size Medium in tops, but I favor an Extra Small in cardigans for this reason.

When sizing down this much, you can just let the cardigan hang down under your arms and it will look fine. But you can also pull the top of the cardigan over your boobs and let it sit there. Here's where things get interesting. Cardigans that have a gently tapering neckline--or in other words, what would look like a V-neck if buttoned, will play up, highlight, or create the illusion of an hourglass figure.

In this diagram, you see the lines that are created. The cardigan tapers in at the waist, and out at the neck and hips.

While some of us like to highlight an hourglass figure, others of us prefer to conceal or downplay the size of our boobs. I'm definitely one who has plenty of days where I want to balance out my boobs and disguise the comparative smallness of my waist. To achieve this look, use a square-neck or boat-neck cardigan--one where it buttons all the way up to the neckline.

Compare the different lines created by this cardigan. The smallest opening is at the bust, and it gets more open through the waist and hips. This visually tricks the eye into seeing the bust as smaller.

How do you like to wear your cardigan? Do you like to play up or camouflage your boobs? If you have any thoughts or other tips for cardigan use, let us know in the comments!

Curvy Kate, Flirtelle, and the "Upside-Down Seven" Shape

I started this blog about two years ago with a huge pile of Curvy Kate bra reviews. At the time, the brand seemed like the best new hope for full-busted women--a fun brand with a great social media presence, cool contests, great colors, and a cheaper sister brand, Flirtelle. Yet now, even though all of those things are still true, I feel let down by Curvy Kate--particularly their unpadded balconette bras. I don't mean to suggest their unpadded balconettes don't work for anyone. That's far from true. But there are pervasive problems, which tend to intensify in the bigger cup sizes. The specific problem I want to address now is an issue of fabric tension. It is, I believe, largely responsible for the fabled "upside-down seven" shape.

What's the upside-down seven shape? It's a phrase that was coined by Bras and Body Image in this post and quickly entered the lexicon on Bratabase and other forums. It essentially refers to a shape where the upper curve of the breast takes on an extra angle where the bra ends. The profile in the bra beneath points too far down as a result.

Now, the tricky thing with the upside-down seven shape in Curvy Kate/Flirtelle is that there are two different stages where it can occur. The first stage occurs when trying a cup size that is too small in these brands. A large number of people will always get this shape if their cup is too small.

Upside-Down Seven Shape in a too-small Curvy Kate

So what's the next step? Size up and shorten the straps. And, to some extent, this works. That's why my initial reviews of Curvy Kate's unpadded bras were so positive once I found my size. I bought a ton of them and happily wore them... UNTIL...

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror when you're not expecting it and suddenly realize "I NEED TO GET RID OF ALL MY BRAS"? That's what happened to me. Midway through the day, my Curvy Kate balconette had lost its lovely morning shape and my boobs were pointing at the ground.

What is behind this mysterious loss of shape throughout the day?

Bras and Body Image had it right on when she commented "It seems like the bottom section of the cup is not large enough to really give a well-rounded shape." Flipping this around, I believe the problem is that the upper section of the cups is TOO BIG. The top section is responsible for some shaping, but the bottom sections do the lion's share of the lifting. That's why bras where the bottom sections connect to the strap give better lift than bras where only the top section connects. When the bottom sections of a bra end too low, particularly if they end below the apex of the breast, the resulting vast expanse of fabric in the upper section often fails to achieve the desired lifting and shaping results.

With Curvy Kate and Flirtelle, though, there's more to it than that. The crux of the issue is their use of a fabric that DOES NOT STRETCH but CAN DISTORT. Let's get our terms straight here. When you grab the fabric in the top of a Curvy Kate balconette, you'll find that it can 'stretch' in all directions (along each grain and also diagonally to the grain). However, this isn't really stretch because there's no elastic in the fabric. That means it can change shape... but it can't change back. By contrast, the stretchy fabric in the top section of the Panache Andorra or Jasmine stretches, but it has the elastic to be able to bounce back and hold its shape even while adjusting to your shape. Other bras have no ability to stretch or distort in the top section. This tends to result in a trickier fit as it has to be perfect, but once you've found it, these bras won't change shape throughout the day. But fabric that distorts, but doesn't stretch, will embark each morning on a slow march toward loss of support. That's why you sometimes find a bra that looks great at first, but stops looking good later. It's not that you were temporarily deluded, it's that the bra actually changed.

For Curvy Kate and Flirtelle balconettes, the distorting fabric combined with the too-large top section means that these factors become a huge problem. For me, it's been enough to put me off these balconettes altogether. Let's look at how the shape changes on a Flirtelle Dahlia balconette.

At first, it's looking good:

Still looking pretty good:

Starting to look a little weird:

Not looking so good now:

By the last photo, I'm in full-on upside-down seven mode. And this is just after a few MINUTES of vigorously leaping around to simulate the effects of a day of walking and living life. In my opinion, it's really a shame that this issue with Curvy Kate and Flirtelle balconettes has persisted so long, so maybe it's time we start talking about it. These balconettes need firmer fabric that doesn't distort, or a little bit of elastic to fight those effects; or failing that, an upper section that is cut smaller. Please comment if you've had this problem with Curvy Kate. Was it solved by sizing up or did you find it persisted? I'm also curious to know if this problem is unique to full-on-top (FOT) boobs or is also experience by full-on-bottom (FOB) and balanced boobs.

Why Do Full-On-Top Boobs Look Pointy in Full-Cup Bras?

One of the most irksome aspects of the HerRoom bra shape quiz kerfuffle was their suggestion that full-on-top breast shapes would be suited to full cup bras. I've constantly asserted since starting my blog that that's not the case. But I never really explained WHY NOT, and I want to provide some visuals so people who are frustrated by this problem can grasp the central issue.

By now, you may be familiar with my "bra seam structure graphic".

The full-cup bra seam structure shown in the diagram isn't good at shaping boobs. But despite this, lots of people get a nice shape in full-cup bras and really like them. But others (hint: full-on-top ladies) tend to get a really pointy shape, and hate these bras. What's the secret behind this?

To start with, let's look at the sort of photos I usually DON'T post to this blog: my own full-on-top boobs looking really sad in a full-cup bra.

From the front, the Panache Loretta in a 30H fits well:

But from the side, you see the truth.

(Seeing this photo and keeping in mind the hefty percentage of bras that are made with this construction,   you might begin to realize why I named my blog "Bras I Hate.")

Now, in the first stages of putting this bra on and swooping/scooping, it appears to mostly fit but not suit my shape. But a few minutes of jiggling around make the problems worse...

And worse...

I know what you're thinking--you need a bigger size! In a way, yes, but largely no. Sizing up in this sort of bra WILL eliminate the bulging, but it will make the shape even worse and will create more and more extra space in the apex of the cup. Clearly this isn't a bra structure compatible with my shape. The problem? Full-cup bras provide a lot of support in the top section without enough openness. This tends to have a 'squashing' effect on those who have lots of tissue there. Combined with the lack of lift from the bottom, the shape is very downward-facing and pointy.

Why is it, though, that ladies with full-on-the-bottom boobs can still often get a nice shape in this sort of bra even though there isn't much lift from the bottom? Let's examine some graphics.

Here's what happens to full-on-top boobs in a full-cup bra.

The large amount of tissue that needs to sit outside the bra forms a really steep slope that, combined with the way the bra lies, creates this shape that most of us don't desire.

Here's what happens to boobs with lower fullness:

The gentler slope at the top of the boobs meshes well with the intended line of the bra's profile, and the result is a perky 'green shape'.

I hope this is enlightening to anyone who wonders why full-cup bras work or don't work on their shape. For those who don't like full-cup bras, don't worry, there's hope--balconettes and half-cups.

Bras I Hate & Love Tries Tutti Rouge!

I've been dying to try the new brand, Tutti Rouge, ever since I first saw the product photos. Recently, I was fortunate enough to be loaned a few of the styles by the lovely Erica over at A Sophisticated Pair. I tried the Liliana in 30HH, the Betty in 30HH, and the Birds of a Feather in 32HH. My immediate thoughts are really positive. I figured I was going to love this brand, and I did. The bras are lovely in person and are really well-made, which is nice because they are also fairly affordable. I expected that I would need a larger cup size and band size in this brand, and I did. My conclusion is that I would fit a 32HH in all the styles I tried. Since I usually wear a 30H in Cleo and a 30HH in other brands, that's 1 band size up and 1-2 cups sizes up. I would recommend most people try a size up from their normal size in this brand. From what I have heard, the bands run tight in the smaller size region and start to run larger in the upper band sizes due to increased stretch, so if you wear a 34/36 band or above, you likely won't need to size up in the band.

Now let's see the bras...

Here's the Liliana in 30HH. Liliana has a three-piece balconette construction with padding in the lower two sections.

It's too small, but the shape is perfect for my boobs. This bra gives a very rounded shape. It keeps the girls really close to the chest, and as such is pretty minimizing. This bra is going to be GREAT for anyone who wants their boobs to look a bit more subtle but still really rounded.

I actually liked the partially-padded cup construction. I don't dislike padding as much as I once did, but having the top section unpadded really helps minimize that bulk that some of us dislike in padded bras. I had heard that this top section was stretchy, but I didn't find that it had much stretch to it.

The Liliana won't work for those who need deep cups and a lot of projection. It's just cut too shallow for that shape. If you have shallower boobs and like the 'purple shape', try the Liliana.

Next up, the Betty in 30HH. This bra has a half-cup construction with vertical seams--a shape guaranteed to give lots of uplift and never look pointy. Unlike most half-cups that have two seams, the Betty just has one:

Apologies about the antique mirror.

Again, this bra is one cup size too small, but the shape works for me.

It's so uplifting that it almost works as a strapless (and no, my boobs aren't self-supporting):

Half-cups typically work best for full-on-top boobs because the upper tissue can sit outside the cup. Those with full-on-bottom boobs can still get awesome cleavage in half-cups but might need to size up. I think the Betty will work for both types.

Like the Liliana, it is somewhat minimizing, so it's good for those of us who like that. Because of the nice cleavage it gives, though, this one will also appeal to those who like to give their boobs more visual oomph. In terms of size I think it runs about the same as Curvy Kate's Thrill Me and Tease Me half-cups--in other words, a little small.

It's cuter in person than it looks online, with the ruffle detail and cool modern-looking flowers. In this colorway, it's almost a little too twee for my tastes, but it's going to be coming out in red/black and a blue shade next season. I think I'll find myself tempted by the blue.

Next, I tried the Birds of a Feather bra in 32HH.

This one was the perfect size and fit, but didn't work for my shape. It has a full-cup construction with a side support panel, and like the Liliana the bottom sections are padded. Full-cup constructions usually don't work for full-on-top boobs because the upper tissue tends to make them look pointy (a topic I'll be posting about later this week), but sometimes they can succeed with a side-support panel. This one didn't have quite enough lift to avoid the pointy look on me, and also had some extra space I couldn't fill at the bottom:

I need this much lift.

If I had less upper tissue, though, my boobs would curve back in a different place, which would eliminate the pointy look. This bra will likely work better for full-on-the-bottom ladies. It also has a little too much depth for me, so there's a bit of empty space where my boobs are too shallow to fill the cups. So women who have more depth and projection to their boob will fare better with the Birds of a Feather bra, even though the Liliana probably won't work for them.

Overall I'm really happy with Tutti Rouge's launch. They started right off going up to a HH cup in all their bras, which fills my heart with joy. Since they run a little small in the cups, I hope to see them expand up to K or higher in the future, and with their clear enthusiasm to go to higher cup sizes straight off, I'm guessing they probably will at some point. I also like the fact that Tutti Rouge offers a range of different constructions and cuts so that different shapes will be able to wear the brand. Trying this brand felt sort of like the way I WANTED to feel trying Curvy Kate for the first time (sorry, Curvy Kate--expect a post about THAT next week!). I'd recommend Tutti Rouge (in a cup size up!) to fans of Cleo and Freya who want to expand their horizons.

Curvy Kate "Desire" Multiway Bra Review

Due to the miserable lack of options for multiway bras above a G cup, I was understandably excited to see Curvy Kate coming out with a bra that can be worn as a halter or cross-back. When I found the Desire for sale cheaply in a 28J, I decided to try it out.

I knew I would need an extender with the 28 back as I am more like a 30HH or 32H in Curvy Kate now. Even with an extender, this is a small 28 band.

The bra doesn't come with an additional strap to become the halter strap. Rather, the normal straps are long enough so that one can be made into a halter strap. Although I worried the straps were too easily adjustable and thus would slide out of shape, I didn't find that to be a problem.

The bra is very low in the armpits, which I know some of you will like, and others will dislike.

Beyond these factors, though, I'm very sorry to say that the Desire is disastrous. And not just disastrous on me; the bra itself has a MAJOR issue that will need to be corrected before this bra can be remotely marketable.

You can see from the front that the bra looks to be a pretty good fit. The gore is nice and low but lies flat.

The issue arises when you look at the side view. Somehow the foam in the padding is distorted. It squishes in about an inch from the top edge, and then flares out. Even with my aggressive upper fullness, my boobs can't fill that huge flare at the top when they are being squished in just an inch underneath.

Indicating the place where the foam squishes inward

A better view of the edge flaring out

The best photo I captured of the overall distorted shape

I'm pretty baffled by this shape snafu. I'm sure this is not how Curvy Kate INTENDED for the cups to be shaped, because this is not a shape that will work for anyone. Check out another review of this bra from a blogger with a completely different shape to witness how problematic this issue is. It also suggests that I didn't just get a 'dud', but rather than this is a persistent issue--at least in the upper cup size range. I'm really hopeful that Curvy Kate will take quick steps to resolve this. As is, I can't even re-sell the bra in good conscience because I very much doubt it will work for anyone. Instead, I'm going to try to do some alterations on the bra to make it work. I still really want a halter bra just to have the pressure moved to a different place on my shoulders on some days, and I'm wondering if taking a dart in the top of the cup could help with the shape. I'll update when I've figured something out.

Has anyone else tried this bra? Has anyone tried it and NOT had this issue? Let us know in the comments.

Freya "Patsy" Padded Half Cup (H-cup!) Review

I'm back :)

Freya recently made a (very quiet) decision to extend the sizes of their padded half-cup bras to H (previously they only went to G). I was thrilled to hear this, because the vertical-seam design of the padded half-cups is perfect for giving a round shape. Since Freya's balconettes tend to give a pointy shape on lots of people, I was happy to see them giving more attention to a better seam structure. Unfortunately, Miss Underpinnings recently reported that (after only about a week of these bras being available in H-cups) they're already limiting the number of bras that will have this extended size range for next season. Boo, Freya. Don't be frightened of adding a mere TWO cup sizes to a successful shape. We want these bras and we will buy them if you make them. I'm hoping my review can highlight the fact that these bras are here, they work, and they're great! If we all go and buy one, maybe Freya will see that there is indeed demand for this shape up to H cups. That's my shameless plug.

To start with, I've always loved the design of the Patsy but never bought the unpadded balconette because it's famous for giving a very pointy shape. I always lusted after the half-cup, but wasn't sure if I could take in a 34G to make it work. I love the new "Ballet Pink" color, the first to go to H, and couldn't buy it fast enough. I decided in the end to get a 32H instead of a 30H, because I was afraid these would run a little small in the cups. (The band doesn't matter much to me because I've recently gained weight and a 32 band is fine for me now, though I've preferred a 30 in the past.)

I was right that the cups run a little small, and the 32H was perfect for me in the cups. I'd recommend going up a cup size if you have a lot of upper volume or if you are usually between sizes. For those with lower fullness who are consistently the same cup size, normal cup size should be okay. 

The gore on this bra does NOT lay flat on me. This is not ideal, but also not unexpected as Freya is not known to have the strongest wires. I don't mind very much because my boobs are firm enough to not slip around, and in some ways it actually makes the bra more comfortable. However, if you are a perfectionist about gores lying flat, or if you have boobs that tend to spill over into the middle, the gore in these higher cup sizes may be an issue to be aware of.

The shape from the side is stellar, exactly what I look for. The Patsy (and by extension, the Freya padded half-cup shape in general) gives a bit more lift than Cleo's Juna-based half-cups or Curvy Kate's Showgirl half-cups. It is less low-slung than those and consequently a little less minimizing, but still holds everything closer to home than most balconettes do.

As you can see, the underwires are a little less wide than many British bras in this size range. They're not as narrow as most Polish bras, though.

The padding is thin, which I'm glad about. However, when combined with the patterned mesh overlay, it's also a little 'rustle-y'.

I love how the pattern is continued on the straps and around the entire band. It's such a cute bra, just the thing I've been hoping to own for years.

As you can see from the above photo, the apex this bra gives me is a bit low (which matches my natural apex, actually, but looks slightly different from the visual apex I get in Cleo bras). This supports my theory that the Patsy half-cup may actually work for both upper AND lower fullness. Half-cups often work only for those with upper fullness and gape on those with lower fullness, but I feel that the Patsy could work well for both. For those without upper fullness, the shape will curve back in where the bra ends, giving an uplifted round shape. For those with upper fullness, the shape ends up being a little longer and lower--actually mimicking the real shape of full-on-top boobs. I'm kind of into this.

One more note about this bra, though. It is VERY shallow. Those who have a lot of projection and need deep cups will not find this bra serves them well.

If anyone else has tried the Patsy half-cup up to H, or even in the previously existing lower sizes, let us know in the comments if it worked for your shape!

Guest Post: Enell Sports Bra Review

You might remember my mom's guest post in which she shared her experiences with various sports bras. She mentioned in that post that she had recently ordered an Enell sports bra, and many readers requested a full review. Ask and you shall receive! Here's her review of the Enell.

I wore my new Enell Sport bra for several trail and road runs. I forgot I was wearing a bra. More accurately, I forgot all about bras and chests. I just ran.

            The Enell—which, I reported before, suffers the unfair moniker of “Last Resort Bra” in the Title Nine Sports catalog—passes two acid tests. First, it holds my breasts close to the body so that they don’t bounce all over the place. (They still bounce. Breasts always will bounce a little. Anyone who says otherwise I challenge to a duel.)

             Second, the Enell does not chafe, even after several miles of sweaty running.

            Whenever I put on this bra, I laugh that I have gone backwards in time to the corset. That’s a joke that only a modern woman could make; in fact, it resembles a corset in length and front-hooks only. I realize that I know nothing of how my ancestors must have suffered. Corsets obviously were terribly constricting, and this bra is anything but that.

            But make no mistake: the Enell holds yo in for high-impact sports. It isn’t the sort of bra you’d wear all day at your desk, although you might be able to get away with it for half a day before you realized you were wearing a top with 12 hooks and eyes. Getting dressed into the Enell takes longer than hooking up any other bra I could mention. But it’s worth it. 

            I wear a 32E or sometimes 34DD these days. In an Enell sport bra, I choose size 1. The sizes go from 00 to 8, which means that this bra takes seriously its mission to help real women with real chests to real sports. I’d ignore the corresponding commercial bra sizes in the chart and stick to the bust and rib cage measurements as your guide. Oddly, the size chart never goes above a DDD in the cup size, which irritates me.

            Because of this size-chart vagueness, I worry that this bra is not sized for those with small rib cages and large breasts. Or that the size chart is misleading. So I suggest trying on a few for size.

            Remember, because it’s a sports bra, it is designed to give a bit. You are going to breathe hard when you run or jump for the volleyball net. The “give” cleverly remains in the back with wide criss-crossing elastics hidden beneath the fabric. The front of the bra has no elastic but does have seams, so the breasts are resting comfortably in those cages as I like to call them, without bouncing either out the bottom or up the front.

            A final word: I’ve lost weight since I bought my Enell—about 9 pounds. I don’t think I’ve gone down a size in my bras, but when I looked at these photos of me now, in the Enell, I see some extra fabric there. But it doesn't affect its support. There’s room in the bra to grow a bit without losing out on its wonderful, unobtrusive ability to reign me in for a good run.