Starting Points

You might notice I’ve created a new category for posts called “Starting Points”. I think this is important because not everyone is at the same point on their journey towards bra happiness and boob happiness.

When I started this blog, I decided to proceed with the assumption that everyone who ended up here would already have some idea of their size, or at least would know that there are sizes above DD. But it’s unfair to assume that awareness of the sizes implies knowing your own size, plus we all need to re-check once in a while.

A great post that has a comprehensive overview of the whole topic is "The Bra Fitting Revolution" at Barbara Rae's Rants. However, she doesn't say much about 'swooping and scooping', so go read her post, and then come back and read what I have to say.

The most important thing about bra fitting is to achieve a stable, comfortable fit where the band is tight enough to provide support and the cups are large enough to fit your breasts. The band should be straight across your body, not riding up, and the center gore (the part of the bra between the cups) should be sitting flat against your body.

To figure out your band size, measure around your underbust--the place right under where your boobs end. Do it in front of a mirror and make sure that the tape measure is sitting horizontally straight. This measurement will help indicate your band size. If you want a tight fit or have very heavy boobs, you'll want to try a band size that is the same as your measurement in inches (so if you measure 30 inches around, try a 30 band). If you want a slightly looser fit for comfort, without sacrificing stability, add 2 inches to your measurement (so if you measure 30 inches, you'd try a 32 band). Don't be afraid to try multiple band sizes. If your measurement is not an even number, you can either add or subtract one inch to get your size, depending if you'd prefer a tighter or looser band.

Band size is important to figure out, but cup size is MOST important. You can find more detail on that in my post here. Most women will find they are wearing a size that is too small. A great starting point to figure out your cup size is the Sophisticated Pair bra calculator.  Another good one is the Curves and Corsets calculator. These two are the only calculators I've found online that are fairly accurate. Based on what these calculators tell you, you'll want to order A TON OF BRAS. Order bras in the suggested cup size, one size smaller, and one and two sizes bigger. (Don't worry, you're going to be returning most of them.) You need to try a lot of different shapes and sizes in order to figure out what works. Bravissimo, Figleaves, Brastop, and Large Cup Lingerie are good places to start looking for bras.

When you try bras on, YOU MUST 'SWOOP AND SCOOP' your tissue to figure out if the size is correct. Basically, reach into the bra cup and pull up all the tissue. You'll find that a bra that might have looked too small will now fit; a bra that might have seemed like it fit will be revealed to be too small. You must swoop and scoop every time you put on a bra to make sure your breast tissue is being supported and lifted, not crushed and damaged.

To increase your success, it's best to also educate yourself on breast SHAPE as well as size. For this, check out my posts on figuring out the shape of your boobs, more detailed information on the same, and figuring out what shape you like to get from a bra. These posts will likely also help you figure out what bras to try.

You can also check out my brand overviews on Freya, Panache/Cleo, Curvy Kate. More overviews to come on Bravissimo, Fantasie, Tutti Rouge.

A lot of people will tell you that the only way to get properly fitted is in a shop, but that isn't realistic for everyone. First of all, real professional lingerie shops with good size ranges are very difficult to find, especially in America. Second of all, if you don't have a vague idea of what size should work for you, how can you tell if a fitter is doing their job correctly? You don't want to be victimized by a mediocre fitter. If you live in New England, definitely go to Zoe and Co; I can vouch for them that they are amazing, attentive, respectful fitters. Intimacy is another good, trustworthy store to get fitted at. If you live in the UK, Bravissimo is the ideal starting point for a fitting. Regardless of where you go, it's always a good idea to go in armed with some information.

Assorted tips and hints:

Beware of any website, store, brand, or size calculator that uses "American bra sizing"! There is no such thing as a standard of sizing in America. Most brands that market to America and reputable stores in America will usually use UK sizes. That is, in proper UK sizing, the cup sizes are AA, A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK, L. Each size is one size bigger than the one before it--there is no such thing as "half sizes"; some of the cup sizes are just called by a double letter while others are called by a single letter. One really odd thing I have seen is that certain online retailers only stock the single-letter sizes, as though they believe that the double letters are "half sizes" (they aren't!). Be cautious with retailers like that. If you see anyone listing sizes in a way different than what I've listed above, be careful when ordering from them because what you get may not be what you expect. If you encounter an American bra whose cup size is listed as "DDD", this is the equivalent of a UK size E.

If your bra has underwires that feel too wide, or the wires are digging into your ribs, it’s probably because your body isn’t constructed out of flat planed surfaces. Be sure to check out my post on bending the underwires to fit your body.

If a new bra has itchy bits on it from the rough edges of seams or threads in small areas, try rubbing at that itchy part with a nail file so it becomes smooth. Often this will solve the problem. If the tags are itchy, save time and just cut them off.

If a bra has a ribbon bow that’s too long and you want to trim it, but don’t want it to fray, cut it and then gently dab at the end of the ribbon with clear nail polish. That will seal the end so it can’t fray.

If you’re a student and your back hurts from long hours sitting in lectures and the library, try studying in bed. You’re worth it. (Sadly, this doesn’t apply to office jobs unless you work from home.)

Read this article on Boobius Maximus to learn how to recognize bad bras from good bras, and to pick out bras similar to ones that have worked for you in the past. This is the biggest wealth of information EVER contained in a single blog post. Read. It.

Also from Boobius Maximus, the bra alteration that can revolutionize your bra collection for FREE.

A great classic post from Thin and Curvy about good versus bad reasons to have reduction surgery. 

braforme Lookbook: My Signature Style

Everyone has that look… The one that is simply YOU! It is the style that people associate you with most in your day-to-day life. I present you with what I consider my signature look: I prefer dark colors with contrasting metallics, topped off with elegant accessories and a stylish, upscale purse. Now, the whole purpose of this segment is to entice and urge all of you out there to find YOUR look… What makes you who you are in fashion and style sense? What do you like in terms of colors, types of jewelry, type of look (Bohemian, upscale, preppy, etc.), hairstyle, and so on?

The key piece in my ensemble that I want to reflect on is my purse. It is a Chanel purse that my friend likes to refer to as a “wallet with a chain on it” since it is a bit small and has… Well… A chain on it J! The whole point is that I LOVE that purse; it just has that it factor to me. In my eyes, it is the perfect way to top of that look that I consider my own. I hope that all of you can find this piece in your own wardrobe. Do you have a purse or necklace that you’d simply die without, maybe a pair of shoes you hold sacred, or even a top or dress that you can never let go of?

Use that piece, and build your look around it; when it comes to YOUR signature look, no fashion magazine (as much as we might love and adore them) can ever tell you what YOUR look is. They may have the latest trends of the fashion world at large, but they might not have YOUR trend. DO you, and you will always be happier in the end. Take any advice you like, be it from Cosmo, Glamour, or even my blog, and use that as you will to create your style.

Be fashion forward in your own way, and wear that look that makes everyone who sees you scream: “That look is so… YOU!” Have fun with it, experiment, and be patient… The perfect “you-look” doesn’t always come together overnight!

 xoxo,

    Catherine C.

Purse: Chanel
Skirt: Forever 21
Top: White House Black Market
Shoes: Rack Rooms
Jewelry: Charming Charlies  

A Conversion Guide for Ordering Bras From Simply Be's US Site

A while back, I posted a guide to navigating ASOS’s confusing bra size conversionon their US site. I’ll never know why these UK websites invent new sizing systems for their US buyers, but ASOS is not the only one to do it. Today we’ll look into Simply Be’s bra size conversion on their US site. Simply Be has a small, but well-curated selection of Panache, Cleo, Freya, and Curvy Kate. They also have really good offers quite frequently, which is what originally tempted me to tackle their size conversion. They stock mostly 34 bands and above, but they do have a decent amount of bras starting at 30 or 32.

Simply Be, unlike ASOS, actually presents us with a size chart:

 

Please note that by this size chart, Simply Be’s US site does NOT sell bras in FF cup—they just skip the size for some reason. Knowing this throws off my original conversion, since I had assumed they had a FF. I can’t think of any reasonable explanation for why they do this, but I’m not totally shocked, since ASOS had a particularly odd conversion for FF as well.

Simply Be has included band sizes in their chart, which, in my opinion, makes it quite confusing visually, so I have created a simplistic cup size conversion chart as I did for ASOS. The band sizes, as with ASOS, are the same.

 

In my travels around the Simply Be website, I’ve noticed there is an occasional glitch that causes the size conversion to alter in 36 bands and above. This happened last night while I was preparing my post, and has corrected by this morning. If you ever see a changed cup size listing in 36 bands or above, I would recommend just waiting to order until it is fixed. If you can’t wait, I present my best attempt at a conversion for these glitchy times:

 

The UK D=US DD and UK C= US D issue irks me especially because ALL of these (C, D, and DD) are proper UK sizes, and they are NOT interchangeable. I’m guessing Simply Be has alienated more than a few D or DD-wearing customers who found they didn’t get what they bargained for. Furthermore, the true irony is that these UK brands are shoe-horned into a nonexistent “US Size System” to appeal to US buyers, but this invariably means the cup sizes look even BIGGER than they really are (K becomes P) which makes them more likely to alienate uneducated US buyers.

Now, despite this annoyance, I do actually have experience ordering from Simply Be and can vouch for certain size conversions…

I ordered a Tutti Rouge Liliana in 34L, which turned out to be a UK 34H.

I ordered a Freya Deco in 30K, which turned out to be a UK 30GG.

I ordered a Curvy Kate Lola and a Cleo Lucy in 32L, both of which turned out to be UK 32H.

Finally, I ordered a Tutti Rouge Betty in 32M, which is a UK 32HH.

I was correct in guessing at all of these sizes, and due to the 30% and 40% off promotions that Simply Be often offers, I was glad I took the risk. In addition to their amazing offers, they also often have exclusive colors. So I hope this post offers some guidance for those willing to step outside the safe land of Figleaves and Bravissimo. (And no—Simply Be’s UK site won’t ship to the USA, as far as I can tell.)

A Meeting of Cycle Minds: When Jools Met Caz...

Since starting VCG, I've made some wonderful friends in the cycling/blogging community and it's always a joy to meet them beyond my laptop. This week, that finally happened with Caz Nicklin -  founder of online cycling accessories shop, Cyclechic!

Although we've been in contact for almost two years, the first ever product review on VCG was for Cyclechic AND we live in the same city, our cycle paths didn't cross until Wednesday... how long overdue is that?!

We met-up after Caz asked me to work with her on an upcoming and rather exciting project, which involved us filming together at her lovely home and around Chiswick, West London.

With perfect sunshine and a slight chill in the air, we spent the day on our bicycles with a very cool all female film crew in tow. it's fair to say between us all, there was plenty of talk about bikes & fashion, style and all things women's cycling.

Finally getting to ride and chat with Caz about her starting-up Cyclechic, her passion for the business & women's cycling fashion was fantastic. She's also a natural infront of the camera, and behind it too with her Go-Pro...

I'll leave you with this little sneak-peak of the day with Caz and the crew (I can see myself becoming addicted to Vine) ... keep your eyes peeled for more updates on the project!

A CycleStyle Mix...

It's been a little while since I've put one of these together and my CycleStyle radar has been going off like mad with clothing and accessories being brought to my attention! With Spring attempting to make an appearance and me itching to get out and do some longer rides (especially on my new bike) here's a little selection of what's caught my eye... 

1) Women's Cotton Rain Trousers - Vulpine: These trousers are a perfect fit for both on and off the saddle. Made from Epic Cotton, they're breathable, water resistant and designed to withstand tough rides... yet style has not been sacrificed in the design. Vulpine's Cotton Rain Trousers include subtle cycling specific features (such as the reflective inner leg seams) meaning that teaming them up with your everyday wardrobe isn't an issue.

2) Chrome SPD Truk Pro Shoe - Always Riding: If you've seen on my Facebook page and on Twitter, you'll know that I am now the proud owner of an Aprire Celeste road bike! A new world of clipped-in riding awaits and as a city cyclist, this style of these SPD's are calling out to me. I love the idea of having a clipped-in shoe that I can comfortably wear all day, so these could well be the ones.

3) Anna Cat Print Sweatshirt - Markus Lupfer: Sequins and embellishments teamed up with cute kittens? This sweatshirt was bound to get my attention! I've a long standing love for Markus' designs with a couple of his pieces in my wardrobe. With a chill still in the air in London, this Sweatshirt would keep you warm on a brisk ride.

4) Alcaria Bicycle Pannier - Ideal & Co : Available exclusively through Saddle and Spoke in the UK, this stunning pannier is made from laminated cotton canvas fabric, with a tan leather trim. Doubling up as a backpack with its extra shoulder straps, this is another cycling accessory which gets the VCG thumbs up for use on and off the bike with an urban and classic twist.

5) Ray-Ban Pink Wayfarer Sunglasses - ASOS: A little bit of pink goes a long way, and these are a great little injection of colour into Spring on your bike! 

6) Olivia Burton Big Dial Watch: Yes, big watches are in at the moment, but if like me you like them simple and not overdone with bling, stones or big gold straps, these watches by Olivia Burton will be right up your street. A classic design with a simple leather strap makes this just wonderful, and a beautiful finishing touch to your CycleStyle wardrobe whatever the season.

How to Figure Out The Shape Of Your Boobs

I had a question in my comments regarding breast shape and how that can affect bra fitting. My post on “What Exactly is a Good Shape?” was an importing starting point for this, but I think it’s also pretty important to share a bit of the background to that post. Because I’ve tried so many bras and the shape of my boobs is very stubborn and frustrating, I’m very aware of it. Figuring out your shape is something that tends to happen gradually the more bras you try. But for trickier shapes, or for those who haven’t tried as many bras, it can be more difficult to figure out what shape you are. Once you’ve figured out your shape, you’ll be better equipped to choose bras that will suit that shape.

If you have boobs that are full on top, you will find that you struggle with bras cutting in across the top, especially when there is a ribbon or tighter detail there. In some cases this just means the cup size you are trying is too small, but women with full-on-top boobs will often have this problem even if the bra fits otherwise or is even too large everywhere else. Full-coverage bras can be very hard to fit into properly for those with this shape. If you find that you fit lower-cut bras in a certain size, while bras that have tighter upper section across the top cut in and give a “four boob” effect, you might be fuller on top and more suited to bras that are lower-cut or more open in that part. Stay tuned to this blog for reviews of bras that will work well, as this is the shape I have.

People with boobs that are more full on the bottom are likely to have more luck with bras that have a tighter upper section, like Bravissimo’s Alana and Dotty Spot or Freya’s Arabella. On the other hand, these women might find they need to size up with bras that give a lot of uplift by pushing the bottom of the breast tissue, like Curvy Kate's Thrill Me and Tease Me styles. Women with this shape will also have an easier time fitting into full-coverage bras, though they may find that style doesn’t give as much support and uplift as they’d like. I have no scientific data on breast shape, but from people I have talked to, and my observations of bra designs that sell well, I believe the full on the bottom shape may be the most common shape.

Other women have boobs that are more full on the sides, which I imagine would mean they are better suited to wide underwires; or full in the middle, in which case you might find you 'fall out' of plunge bras in the center. Or, some people’s shape might combine several of the shapes I’ve described. If you've tried lots of bras and have never noticed any of these effects, you might have a balanced shape that doesn't skew to any one direction, which could be good, and mean you fit in a lot of different styles.

If you haven’t been able to try on a lot of bras, you can also start to guess your breast shape based on the shape of your boobs without a bra. See if you can tell where most of the volume of your boobs is, and where they are most firm. For instance, my full-on-top boobs have the most volume on top, and that area is also very firm compared to everywhere else. Your monthly breast self-exam is a good time to investigate your shape while you’re at it.

You also may be able to tell your shape based on the appearance of your boobs without a bra. Although once again this is not scientific and won’t be true of everyone, boobs that are full on top tend to look more like the figure on the left without a bra, while boobs that are full on the bottom tend to look more like the figure on the right.

One last point is that some boobs are close together, while others are set further apart. If you have close-set boobs, you might find that you get a lot of cleavage without trying and need a narrow center gore, or to alter wide center gores so they don’t cause discomfort. If your boobs are wider-set, you might find it is harder to get cleavage when you want it, and you might find it is difficult to find plunge bras that work for you—Cheryl at Invest In Your Chest has talked about this difficulty.

I hope this post is useful to anyone who is working on finding the right bra for her shape. Of course, like any such guide, this is only a starting point. The main point I want to make is that there is no “wrong” shape for breasts. Every shape is normal and attractive, and every shape deserves a bra that fits well. There are lots of different kinds of bras out there, and especially as the market is growing, there will be something out there for everyone. The more you know, the better luck you’ll have. 

Curvy Kate “Emily” in Flame (Review …ish)

This will be a quick post; I just wanted to share my answer to a question I’ve had for ages. Exactly what color is "Flame"?

 I’ve long considered buying Curvy Kate’s Emily bra in this color, but I wasn’t sure if it was red or orange, or in between, or a bit of both. It seemed to look a bit different in every photo I’d ever seen of it. Personally, I love red, but I’m not so crazy about orange, which was why I was so curious that I ordered the bra.

The answer? As you can see, it's highly dependent on the use of flash, but I’d say it’s more red than anything else. It's a shade of red that is slightly tinted towards coral or orange, but to my eyes it falls solidly in the category of red. For a much better visual aid, here’s a photo of the Flame Emily next to my red Princess, which is a classic pillarbox shade of red:

As you can see, the two colors are not that far off. However, the Flame Emily does have embroidery in orange, so I think it will satisfy fans of orange as well as red.

As for the fit and shape… well, last time I reviewed the Emily I wasn’t very kind to it. But that was unfair, since I had tried the Emily in one cup size up and two cup sizes up, but never in my actual size. In my normal Curvy Kate size of 28J, the Emily was a good fit and actually gave better shape than the other Curvy Kate bras I’ve tried. It’s still not open on top like a Panache balconette, but the top section is much looser than that on the Angel or Princess. In fact, the material makes it a lot like the Ella, which is the Curvy Kate bra I found the easiest fit. The Emily is, like the Ella, pretty forgiving and I think it’s a good Curvy Kate bra to start with if you are still trying to find your size in the brand.

The shape from the side is pretty good, not mind-blowing. It’s still a little more triangular than I’d like, and not as round as the shape I get in my favorite bras (Panache Sienna and Confetti, Cleo Lucy and Brooke). It’s not a terrible shape, just kind of average on me. I would consider this more an everyday bra than a sexy number. Of course, sometimes that's what you're looking for.

When a Leopard Gets a Tan

Here is one of my favorite products for the season! It’s called “When a Leopard Gets a Tan” by NYX.  It compares pretty well with the Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder, a product of about twice the price!!! I prefer the NYX product not only thanks to the better pricing, but also because it has just the right amount of shimmer to give you that perfect glowing look and pinkish hue you want to liven up those cheeks.  

Bring me sunshine...

How perfect is this to brighten up a grey day?

Flowers have a knack of making a girl happy, so when this one arrived at my office today, it sure put a smile on my face.

This big Sunflower will be taking pride of place on my Marsupial Grass-Shopper Pannier, replacing the (sadly lost) Lisianthus flowers I had on it before.

Thank you Marsupial for the injection of sunshine into my afternoon - this certainly has me thinking about Spring cycling.

A Tale of Two Babydolls: Curvy Kate "Lola" and "Ritzy" Review

Last week I posted about my tendency to wear wired bras to bed. With the recent WONDERFUL explosion of babydolls on the full bust market, it was a natural and fun transition to begin wearing these to bed. The babydoll phenomenon really did happen all at once, and suddenly I went from having zero options to having four. Curvy Kate put out two babydolls, the Lola:

and the Ritzy:

Cleo also produced a babydoll version of their Marcie bra:

 

  

Because they inexplicably decided to make this babydoll totally open in the butt, it's fairly useless for my purposes (to use as a nightgown) and therefore I'll be skipping it permanently.

The fourth option is Parfait's Alexis babydoll, which I have not yet tried:

Curvy Kate's Lola was the first to make it to my home. The structure of the cups is a padded version of their normal balconette shape, which makes it the same as the Daily Boost. Now, I knew I was taking a bit of a risk here. Curvy Kate's balconettes tend to fit me well but not give me a great shape. However, since the shape usually looks decent at first and slowly degrades throughout the day, I thought I would be totally fine with a nightwear item, which just needs to look half-decent on its own--no issues with the look under clothing. However, I thought wrong:

WAUGH! UGH! CURVY KATE WHY!!!!

 

The cups on this bra are So. Pointy. when combined with my full-on-top shape. Now, I am sure some readers take no issue with getting this look in a bra, but I also know that I am NOT okay with it and that many of my readers join me in attempting to avoid this shape. I encourage these readers to refer to my post "Why Do Full-On-Top Boobs Look Pointy in Full-Cup Bras?" to answer the pressing question "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??" This Lola has balconette cups, not a full-cup structure. Even so, the graphics in that post will help to explain why this bra looks like crazy sauce on me, but will likely look totally normal on ladies with less upper fullness than me. If not exactly rounded, these cups will at least probably be 'good pointy', the cute retro look, on those who don't share my shape. Anyone who has boobs as full-on-top as mine knows that the sun will rise in the west and set in the east before our boobs can ever get that shape.........

In any case, my natural first thought was to perform the alteration described in my post "How To Make a Pointy Bra Round." To my consternation, the alteration DID NOT HELP. These cups remained stubbornly just as pointy as ever. Shortening/lengthening the straps also made no difference.

This was a tragic turn of events because the Lola babydoll is so perfect in every other way. The body is made of a soft, high-quality mesh and the hem is finished with a gorgeous wide stretch satin trim. Because it came so close to being wonderful (and yet so, so far) I decided to keep it, wear it to bed, and just avoid ever standing in direct profile in the vicinity of my boyfriend or a mirror.

For sizing reference, I got the Lola babydoll in a 32H. The cups and band run the same as other Curvy Kate balconettes. My hip measurement is about 2 inches smaller than my bust measurement, and I found that with the notch in the babydoll section where the band meets, I am able to step into it and pull it up over my hips with no difficulty. Judging from other reviews, if your hip measurement is larger than your bust, you will need to shimmy it on over your head.

Following my disappointment with the Lola babydoll, I decided to have another try with the Ritzy babydoll. This cup structure, being a half-cup, is innately much more full-on-top friendly, so I had no worries that it would work perfectly for me in the same size I'd tried in the Lola (32H). Behold:

The Ritzy is a regular old half-cup style with two vertical seams. I originally thought that Curvy Kate had experimented with a single-verticle-seam half-cup structure similar to Tutti Rouge's Betty, because you can only see one vertical seam on the cup overlay. However, the inside of the cup reveals there are two seams. This means the cup shape is the same as Curvy Kate's Tease Me and Thrill Me styles. The one difference is that the Ritzy runs larger in the cups than the later iterations of Tease Me and Thrill Me (which got smaller as the seasons went along). I only *just* squeeze into the Thrill Me in a 32H, but I get slight gapping in the Ritzy in 32H when lying down. Ladies with less upper fullness can possibly fit into a size smaller in the Ritzy than they would need in the Thrill Me and Tease Me. The band is also tighter on the Ritzy babydoll. I know some people felt that the Showgirl bands were a little too loose, so this will be good news for them.

The body section of the Ritzy babydoll was at first less to my taste than the Lola's body section. The body section is more clingy, almost as though it was static-y. It also lacks the satin trim of the Lola and is much less substantial-feeling. I prefer the Lola's body section, but I feel that Curvy Kate may have made the Ritzy's body section in this way to deal with the worries some women have about having their body swamped in a babydoll. It's a fairly classic full-bust dilemma to wish you could cut apart the sections of various items to create one that is perfect. Failing that, the Ritzy is the stronger  option for now. And it will be coming out in red for Autumn/Winter '14:

Of course, I still prefer the Lola colorway for AW14:

However, since the number of babydolls available has increased vastly from the previous zero, I'm not going to grumble too much.

Cleo "Brooke" Review

Once again, this is an older bra that isn’t being produced anymore, but I consider it one of the “oldie but goodies”, so I’m doing a review to help anyone who is considering picking up the Cleo Brooke on sale or on eBay.

I find this bra very similar in shape to Panache’s Sienna and Confetti bras, and Cleo’s Frances. It’s very open on top, which is perfect for my full-on-top boobs. I wear a 28J in this bra, which is a good fit but a tiny bit roomy; I could potentially also fit a 28HH because it is so open at the part where I have the most volume.

The shape from the side is stellar, placing this in the short-list for Best Bra Ever in terms of how it looks under clothes. I also think it’s cute without clothes, especially the bow in the middle of the cups.

I also like the fact that the color and fabric (mesh) are the same all over--I find that sheer or color-blocked upper sections can often be unflattering in higher cup sizes. 

To get to the bad points, though, this bra suffers from a few annoying problems. The straps are only half adjustable—not a problem for me as I have pretty average-height shoulders, but for anyone petite who normally needs to shorten straps a lot, this one is a miss. The back band has only 2 hooks rather than 3, which I find annoying, but which I know can be a plus for those preferring the more delicate appearance of a thinner band. My final annoyance with the Brooke is that it’s been VERY difficult to break in. I know, from my experience with my Lucy, that once Cleo bras soften up they are very comfy, but it can be a long road to get to that point. Right now, my Brooke feels very rough in the center of the underwires, even though I bent it to fit my body like I do with all my bras.  It’s a bit of a vicious cycle—because it’s not broken in yet, I don’t often wear it, but because I don’t often wear it, it’s not broken in yet. Hopefully I can get past the discomfort at some point. A brand-new Brooke is not for the faint of heart—or at least requires the purchase of some Band-Aids for the first five wears.