Comparing Plunge Patterns

 I realized that the Lansdowne by Orange Lingerie is at least a plunge style bra, if not a push-up, similar to the Push-up by Merckwaerdigh. I went ahead and purchased it this week and sewed a first go of it along with a Push-up. I moved up one size in the Push-up, and made the size with the closest sized lower cup piece from the Lansdowne pattern: 85B vs. 34B. (Note: I could/should have made the 36A, so that I have room to shorten the band because my ribcage size is an odd number in inches, between the 34 and 36.)

Comparison photo: I sewed the band on upside down! Other than that, you can see that the shape of the Lansdowne (top, in picture) follows the natural curve, and looks more like a regular day bra that is just meant to smooth and hold. The Push-up, on the other hand, compresses the outer/lower breast, causing it to be pushed to the middle. I’ve put the same size wire in the left (right in picture) cup of each bra, leaving the right cup (left in pic) free to show the difference the pattern lines make, and that the wire supports. See how flat the lower cup is on the Push-up? That’s what I need to get the girls in front of me.

I had made the Push-up in the suggested size the first time, the XO bra for Valentines. This time, I went up a size. This pattern has a set band that gets adjusted to size for the band to fit, and the cups are all B cups that use “sister sizing” to differentiate them. (Lying sizes, if I go online to a famous company, my sister sizes are 34D and 36B!)

The wire I had used the first time I sewed Push-up doesn’t really fit me: it’s a rocker style, but it was short enough to fit in the underwire channel. This time, I left the channel ends open and tried the wire that fits me best. The wires stick out both ends.

For the Lansdowne, I used the exact same fabrics. I think if I had stretch lace, it may have nearly fit me. I do think I need to go up a size, though.

I think I may not be measuring myself right, so I turned to my dear hubs. He measured me as best he could, at all the funny angles the best bra calculator shows. I told him to measure, write and just give me the numbers after and he obliged, shooing my prying eyes. His measurements are different than mine.

Upper bust: 36”

Full bust 39” average of ways to measure

Band/ribcage: 31” fully exhaled

BCD: Right:3”, Left: 3.25” (which place me at 34B, and 36B, respectively)

Well, he does get different measurements than I do. The calculator suggests 34DD, UK or US sizes.

Neither bra that I made today fit me. and that’s okay. I’ll go another size up. I’ll try them all until I get a fitting band and cup, or close to it.