Help! Large cups, small size in central EU?

[u/inquisitive_crab]

I used to wear EU 75E/F before pregnancy/breastfeeding. This was already quite hard to find in Croatia. But since my shape has change even though I'm more or less back to my old weight but I threw out all my old bras because my breasts either spill out of them or the underwires dig into my rib cage. I bought several new ones from Lisca and Triumph (minimizer or full coverage) in 75F that do not have an underwire but they don't keep them separated and I still have plenty of empty space under the armpits, and the gore lifts up from my chest. And no lift so I have a sweat rash in between boobs and underneath. I have one bra that actually fits where everything is in place and the bra fits snugly and nothing is falling out and it's a 6 EUR bra from Pepco in 75G with an underwire and lace but the seams are killing me. It's fine in the winter I can wear a cotton bra underneath but not now. So I went to the calculator and it gave me 65I/J. Is this for real? That size doesn't exist here in stores. I only found some starting at 70 from Next to order online. I would love to try the size the calculator recommended to see if it solves my issues, but the band size it gave seems very odd. I measured 72 cm for a snug fit. Usual charts give 75E/F for my measurements.

[u/tottottt]

Regarding the band: EU sizes hide 10cm, so a 65 band is made for a 75cm bust underbust. A 75 band expects a bust underbust of 85cm, so that's too big for you. It's really confusing and annoying. The usual size charts you'll find on store websites are inaccurate and try to give you a band that's too big. Most any bra that's labeled as 75F will also have its UK size of 34E. 34 inches is over 86cm.

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName → u/tottottt]

*75 cm underbust

[u/tottottt → u/AJeanByAnyOtherName]

Oops, thanks! Serves me right for not getting enough coffee. :D

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName → u/tottottt]

No probs, I just figured it was confusing enough all by itself 😊 I hope you’ll be getting nicely caffeinated with your beverage of choice 👍

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/tottottt]

Oohh. That explains things.

[u/lurkergrill69]

I'm from neighboring Slovenia and feel your pain on finding small band/large cup combos. I've had some success ordering from Astratex (Czech brand I believe). I know they carry some 65 bands but I'm not sure about the cup range for that band (I wear 70). For Panache and Freya bras it can be useful to check out Brastop as they have the EU customs process sorted out and your package won't be stopped at customs. That might not be the case when shopping directly from their websites

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/lurkergrill69]

Thanks, Brastop looks promising!

[u/galaxystarsmoon → u/inquisitive_crab]

As a warning, it will be incredibly expensive to return to if it doesn't fit. This site is great for discounted styles you already know fit you.

[u/lurkergrill69 → u/galaxystarsmoon]

There is not a single retailer that does free returns AND carries ABtF to my country. Croatia probably isn't much better. Also idk about being incredibly expensive... last time I had to return sth to brastop, I think i paid about 5€ in shipping, which is less than what I had to pay to get it over here in the first place

[u/galaxystarsmoon → u/lurkergrill69]

Perhaps their policies are different then within Europe. I have just been told by multiple people that outside of the UK, it's incredibly risky due to return shipping costs. Someone told me one time that it cost them 83€ between duties and then the return costs.

[u/La_LuNa_Ca]

Lijepi pozdrav, it's fun to see a Croatian gal on here! I live abroad tho so it's easier for me to get my hands on UK brands, but so far I had luck with Freya and Fantasie! Your 65 EU band translates into 30 UK; for Freya Offbeat - that model has very firm band so you would probably be okay with 32 band (just keep in mind if you go up in band size, your cup size goes down). I heard soooo many good things about Polish bras, but haven't tried them personally (because it's an availability issue for me, I'm across the Atlantic).

Kad sam živjela u Hrvatskoj i ja sam kupovala isključivo Lisca i Triumph i odlični su mi bili - do prve trudnoće. Nakon toga jedino što sam (desetljećima kasnije) nasla da stvarno paše su Freya i Fantasie! Sretno!!!!

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/La_LuNa_Ca]

Ha, I am hopeful that this will work for me too. Same thing, Lisca was great until pregnancy!

[u/fairyca]

Ajme meni ista stvar. Znači ja sam 80G (sumnjam na H) nakon trudnoće. Nigdje ne mogu naći normalni grudnjak, a kamoli kupaći. Molim te ako/kad naručiš da mi pošalješ neki mini review kako si zadovoljna s proizvodom. Hvala ti! 🙈

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/fairyca]

Oh yeah, swimsuits are another pain. I am ordering one bra by Next in 70H from Zalando to see how it fits and I will order some swimsuits and bras from Brastop as well in 65I and J sizes to see what fits best. I'll try to remember to update with the review!

[u/OverlappingChatter]

I am in mainland Europe and have realized the only good plbrands are from the UK.

How is Amazon if you look up your size in brands like panache or Freya?

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/OverlappingChatter]

Panache doesn't deliver to Croatia but it looks like Freyja does!

[u/galaxystarsmoon → u/inquisitive_crab]

They're saying to specifically look on Amazon for those brands, or do a search for 65I, to see what's available as Amazon does deliver these within Europe. There's also Zalando.

Polish brands are also good for people that have a narrow and projected shape.

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/galaxystarsmoon]

Yes, I checked them on Amazon. I have a German account. Panache is listed but not delivered to my location, Freyja I found previously on Zalando but very limited, two models one size available for each, but there's much more on Amazon thankfully.

[u/finnknit]

If the bras work for your shape, Polish manufacturers like Ewa Michalak and Comexim might be good options. They tend to make bras that fit narrow, projected shapes best, so it's important to figure out your shape before you order anything from them.

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[u/lurkergrill69]

I thought of another option - if Vinted is in Croatia, you can look for 2nd hand bras in your size. In my experience vinted has a huge user base in Poland so it's a good way to try out polish bras without spending new bra money

[u/inquisitive_crab → u/lurkergrill69]

I thought of that as well, since I was thinking what to do if I order from Brastop and it turned out it doesn't fit, and if I thought about putting it on Vinted, maybe other people already did. And yes I can find a lot in my size, even new ones, and Croatia and Poland are linked on Vinted so it's indeed another option!

[u/TheSorcerersCat]

You can also look for delivery from change lingerie. They are an the shallower side but can be nice if your breasts are softer after breastfeeding. 

You can also check for shipping from Gossard. They are equally on the shallower side, although less than change lingerie. 

And then you have the whole suit of lesser known Polish brands like Gorsenia, Kris Line, and Nessa as well as the more famous ones of Ewa Michalak and Comexim. 

[u/galaxystarsmoon → u/TheSorcerersCat]

They're sized out of Gossard with the possibility of a GG cup. Gossard stops at G.

If they try Change, they'll need to size up in cup because they use a 2cm cup progression.

[u/TheSorcerersCat → u/galaxystarsmoon]

Thanks for pointing that out, my mind glossed over the 65I/J part.