Rolling Bra Band

Shopping_Mama · ‎06-15-2011

I need suggestions. I'm a 44DDD and I have repeatedly used Lane Bryant balconette bras for years and years. I also have fibromyalgia and cannot stand bra straps on top of my shoulders all day long (only 1-2 hours at a time, max). (So I wear them with the straps hanging down to my sides as though they are strapless.)

My problem is, a brand new bra used to work for a short period of time, but then the band would begin to roll in the back. It would curl up and I spend all day pulling it back down. So I tried going down to a smaller band, 42, but that actually made it worse.

And now, the new LB balconette bras have even less strong elastic in their banding. A brand new bra curls up immediately so there's no point in even buying them any longer.

I'm now looking for a corset, or an "industrial" banding bra (old grandma style), or super strong strapless. Or thinking that I should purchase some industrial banding from the fabric store and see if my tailor can't reinforce my LB bras in some way.

I need to get a breast reduction (obviously) and may do so in 2015. Until then, Mama needs something just short of duct tape to hold the girls up. Any ideas?

LisaandTrixie · ‎08-09-2012

Hey thanks guys, for all the suggestions. My combo of Cabernet (full coverage) & Spanx (minimizer) was crazy itchy in the hot and humid city (N.Y.C.) last night so I will be following up on the brands you suggested.

LisaandTrixie · ‎08-09-2012

Oops, posted this in the wrong spot! Anyway, Shopping_ Mama: all bras tend to rise up in the back if the "girls" aren't supported. The best idea is to purchase a supportive, non-molded type of bra. If you look on Dillards.com and check the Cabernet line you will see the supportive nature of the three part bra. The entire breast needs to be covered and separated.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Whatever bra you finally choose, you might have give up some lift for comfort. I don't have Fibro but I do have a pain syndrome that often affects my left shoulder and my neck. Genie bras have been a life saver for me. Occasionally, I wear something that requires a standard bra and I have found that I have too much pain in my shoulder/neck if I try to lift the "girls" to high. I'm a 38D, not small by any means. So, when I wear a traditional bra, I can't have as much uplift as I would like.

okiebug · ‎04-05-2010

If the straps are pushing into your shoulders, you are wearing the wrong size bra. The straps shouldn't be holding up the whole weight - the band and the cup construction is what is supposed to be the main support. I used to wear LB balconette bras, I had to alter the straps to keep them from falling off. I also have fibro and wear a 40D or DD. There's a great website, HerRoom dot com, that has good information on picking the right style bra.

gailcoco · ‎04-19-2012

I was just on the Lane Bryant website looking at the strapless bras. Why not try one of them. There is one that has tons of good reviews. I may have to try one so I can wear a cute summer dress that has skinny straps. Gail

~~66 and owned by cats and dogs.~~

Shopping_Mama · ‎06-15-2011

Wow. I am learning so many new things participating in these forum posts. Okiebug, her room dot com is an amazingly educational website. At 52 yrs old, the site made me look at and think about my rack in physical ways that I've never ever considered. Very informative.

I'm ordering a couple of bras from that web site to try out. Depending upon how they work out will guide me towards which direction to keep going. Thanks for suggesting it.

I do find the Genie bras to be comfortable every now and then, but again you have to wear the straps and that's just not something that I can do long term. It's not that my straps dig in, and they are not supporting all of the rack weight, it's painful that they are just touching me at all. So straps holding 10% of weight is more do-able than straps holding 30% of weight; but either way, 10% still causes pain depending upon how long that 10% is there.

Thanks again for the site suggestion. I get very frustrated and annoyed sometimes just being a girl.

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

Go get a professional bra fitting (suggest Nordsdtrom). I wear a 38 DDD and my bra straps do not hold any of the weight. In fact they occasionally slip off my shoulders.

mustbuyless · ‎03-31-2014

I just discovered today that HerRoom.com has great free videoclips/mini-lectures on bras and bra fittings. They actually have a questionnaire you can fill out on incredibly specific issues about bra fits: eg whether shoulder straps fall off, what petite women should watch out for, etc etc. And then based on your results, they make specific bra recommendations and they also send you a 10% coupon for you to use on their site if you buy from them.

I don't remember a ref to rolling bands in particular. But I wouldn't be surprised if they address it.

DiAnne, I'm the same size as you and have the same issues with slipping straps! Again, herroom was very helpful. For every bra they sell (and they seem to many major brands) they usually show you if the bra straps are too close to the shoulders or placed mid-way between shoulders and neck. I never used to look for that, but now I will. But they also give one tip I'd never heard of. Apparently if straps slip it's because we're buying band-sizes that are too big, so the bra rides up during the day and the straps slip. (They have a convincing graphic on this.) They suggest going down a band size and also going up a cup size...that way it evens out. So if the problem is not too widely-spaced straps, then maybe this experiment with band/cup size is worth checking out.

I have a ton of issues with fit. I'm thinking of checking out the longline bras- there's cute Emoli style at Nordstroms on sale.

Shoppingmama, a friend of mine swears by Goddess longline bras- the corset look. I think they have some strapless ones too.

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

I am also a bounteously endowed woman, and I wonder if you've tried any of the bras with wide, soft, camisole-type comfort straps? If you have a large, heavy bust, these are much easier on the shoulders than conventional straps. Someone who is very full-figured is going to have a great deal of difficulty finding comfort and support -- or keeping a bra band from riding up in back -- without straps to do part of the "heavy lifting". I hope one of these bras with wide straps might be something you can tolerate.

Here are a couple of comfortable, supportive, comfort-strap bras I've found. Both are available at JustMySize.com.

Glamorize "soft shoulders" wirefree minimizer bra

(extra-wide, soft straps. My #1 recommendation for support&comfort.)

Glamorise Soft Shoulders Minimizer Bra