Frustrating Bra Shopping
I spent two hours in the last two days trying to buy a bra and came out with nothing. To start with I need a 16B. Less than half of styles seem to go up to a 16. Of those that do, 90% start at 16C. Then, 90% of those don't have long enough straps over the shoulders. In fact, they're also barely big enough in the band at size 16, although I normally wear size 12-14 tops. 95% of size 16 bras only come in black, white or beige, and not that much black actually either. So I found one style that came in black and white that had long enough straps and was just big enough in the band to be comfortable, but it unfortunately wasn't one of half a dozen styles that wouldn't drive me crazy in less than half an hour. If we say that a bra with the greatest amount of uncomfortable, itchy features* is at 100%, most t-shirt bras come in at about 20%. There was one really good one that probably would have been only 10% or less, but the straps over the shoulders were way too short. So the one I found that fit was at 20%, and I bought it anyway even though I'll have to cover up the itchy parts in order to wear it, which will be messy and frustrating and I don't know if I can really be bothered. Blah.
* Features include, but are not limited to: plastic mesh; synthetic lace; plastic thread; bulky seams that stick out; the sliders on the straps; the fastener at the back that isn't properly covered by that strip of fabric they put there because I have to have it on the biggest setting and it still pulls; that strip of fabric; most of the thread on the seams; the edges of the straps
Ways to fix these include: using cotton lace, using soft thread, covering the seams, putting the seam bulk on the outside, using straps that aren't made out of plastic, using strap sliders with smoother edges, using a different fabric to cover the fastener, making the cover for the fastener longer, having less seams. Most of these could be summed up by "don't use plastic".
Instead I bought these, because it's cheaper to buy cheap jewellery and take it apart than it is to buy interesting beads. The bangles I might just wear, but it's also cheaper to buy bangles than it is to buy rigid circles for craft purposes. In case you can't tell, the weird ugly necklace has all these cool little rings on it - too small for wearing as rings, but could be cool sewn onto something as decoration.
* Features include, but are not limited to: plastic mesh; synthetic lace; plastic thread; bulky seams that stick out; the sliders on the straps; the fastener at the back that isn't properly covered by that strip of fabric they put there because I have to have it on the biggest setting and it still pulls; that strip of fabric; most of the thread on the seams; the edges of the straps
Ways to fix these include: using cotton lace, using soft thread, covering the seams, putting the seam bulk on the outside, using straps that aren't made out of plastic, using strap sliders with smoother edges, using a different fabric to cover the fastener, making the cover for the fastener longer, having less seams. Most of these could be summed up by "don't use plastic".
Instead I bought these, because it's cheaper to buy cheap jewellery and take it apart than it is to buy interesting beads. The bangles I might just wear, but it's also cheaper to buy bangles than it is to buy rigid circles for craft purposes. In case you can't tell, the weird ugly necklace has all these cool little rings on it - too small for wearing as rings, but could be cool sewn onto something as decoration.
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