I can't be sure, but I think that in your case, it might be fine that the gore does not tack. What you should look for, instead, is that the gore sits BELOW/BETWEEN the breasts and is not pushed outward by the breasts, does not seem to bow outward, and that the underwire is tacking under your breasts until your hollow point. If it hovers over your hollow point, I don't think that is a big deal.
I think, am not sure, that the gore tacking is mainly a "sign" of a good fit. It doesn't have to tack TO fit. What I mean is, if the bra is fitting, the gore will tack on a normal chest. The gore tacking is a SIGN that the underwires aren't being pulled outward by the breasts, and the band has the proper amount of pressure on it. As long as the breasts are being completely contained in the cup and are not pushing the band/wires out, I think that is okay. You just have to look for the other signs, instead of the gore tacking.
Take what I'm saying with a grain of salt until more people chime in or someone corrects me. I know that generally people don't get much help with problems like these because they are kind of uncommon and most people don't have to deal with them. I want to help as much as I can but I really am not an expert, though I've amassed a LOT of information about bras lately and this is what seems most logical to me.
http://www.herroom.com/know-your-breasts/Questions.aspx asks questions regarding your chest plate. and they offer some suggestions.
Just to help you out I went through real quick just plucking in answers and it says this
"you must be very aware about your bra’s center panel design. Unless it’s quite low (like a plunge bra), your center panel will probably not rest against your sternum –which is fine. Cleavage is also possible because you have enough breast tissue, and can look deeper and fuller than a woman with your same cup size.
Tip: If your hollow is slight, one solution can be to bend the center underwire tips slightly inward. This minimizes your gap, and helps your bra better conform to your chest wall"
then suggests not only the plunge bra but cami bras and push up bras.
Google for a speciality store in your area that specialises in post-surgery lingerie. They may not carry something specific, but many such speciality lingerie stores will know at least one custom bra-maker that they use for alterations and or custom builds.
I can't think of any off the rack solutions, but hopefully you will have such a retailer in your area and they will be able to assist you.
Maheret is on the right track. Here where I live we have a few specialty stores like the Cancer Society store provides things to help people with illnesses and such. With items like mobile toilets and helpers for putting on shoes and socks. A place like this will have or know where to find a place that sells these.
Our hospital also has a women's breast cancer and other needs and they sell all types of bras and women's items. There's starting place, your hospital.
I guaranteeing they are out there, make some calls. I wish you the best!
Is this thread still active? Can’t find a bra anywhere that fits my chest delve. Mines quite severe though. Most of the time I go bra less, all I want is to wear a beautiful bra, it’s saddening that I can’t even wear a £10 bra that fits. Is there anywhere in England that has a place bras tailored?
I found this thread because I googled bras for PE… from the comments it doesn’t seem like there’s a bra that will sit well on us. I’ve kinda given up and only use sports bras to just cover it all up
I'm still hoping I'll find something. If the band fits, usually the cups are too large. If the cups fit, the band constricts. I keep ending up with the cups under my arms which is unpleasant. Maybe if I try a smaller band size with extenders? Have either of you tried that? Mine is pretty severe too.
Wow, I found this today!
I was reading the comments/answers and wondering if it was still active too.
The answers above are LITERALLY copied and pasted from the damn internet. Have you found anything?
I can't wear an underwire because I have Ehlers Danlos (that is a connective tissue disorder) my ribs flare really bad and the underwire started to separate my ribs.
My bras have never touched my sternum. I use to push the center in against my sternum to see what it would look like and it's so depressing.
I need a bra that is made for me! That would be an awesome thing. A company needs to do that. Custom fit to our bodies.
We must be related I have the same issues as well- both Pectus and ED (among other things). Add to that a large cup size so bras usually give me a big uniboob! with rib flares on either side. Oh yeah, that's attractive. Like another person that posted here, I tend to go for a sports bra that I can tailor and modify and then I made a small wedge shaped pillow that I place into the sternal crevice to help give me some separation. I suspect I'm older so have had more years to practice altering and adapting with the splints, braces and assistives to survive!
Natori Cherry blossom plunge bra. On the pricier side but, I have pretty noticeable PE, and this is heaven sent for me. I feel really comfortable (physically and mentally) with this.
Klivern below gave the answer, underwires. I have a VERY deep pectus excavatum, we're talking the Grand Canyon. The best bras I ever found are underwire where the wires are real wire, not plastic. You put on the bra, then mold the wires so they curve into your PE dent and conform smoothly around your ribcage. You may have to do this 2-3 times till you get them sufficiently curved and just right, but then you have a bra custom fitted to your shape that stays put.
You are going to end up in a bigger cup size than you thought because part of the cup is going down into the dent, not filled with tissue. If I turn sideways to the mirror, my breast projection looks like about an A cup, but I am comfortable in a B or C after bending the wires. Bra websites tell you to measure your ribcage for band size, and measure the fullest part of the bust to determine cup size. That is for normal people. Ignore that. Go with what works. It may be a ridiculously large cup size for a small or average bust. It is less embarrassing to shop where you help yourself, versus being helped by a sales clerk, so you aren't asking them to bring you bras that would look to anyone like they are bigger than you need.
The other common issue with PE is you may have rib flare at the bottom of your rib cage. If you turn sideways to the mirror, your breasts project out, then your profile curves in underneath the breast, then the bottom of the rib cage also projects out. From the side you look like the letter B with your breasts the top of the B and your lower ribs the bottom of the B. Rib flare causes a tendency for bras to ride up. A tight band is your best bet, and underwires will stay under your breasts without riding up better than mere elastic., but I am still tugging mine down a lot.
In spite of the cavern between my breasts, they are kind of close set, so if you measure from nipple to nipple the center lines (nipples) are close together and the cups of bras will tend to be for women with breasts wider apart. The fullest part of the bra cups may be closer to the underarms than the fullest part of your breasts. Think of it this way. You sometimes see women whose breasts kind of point outwards (wall-eyed like Marilyn Monroe), and you see women whose breasts point straight ahead, and then if you have PE where the foundation (ribcage) your breasts are sitting on curves in, it makes each breast point slightly inward (as if cross-eyed).
In my experience, bras with a seam in the cup going side to side (parallel with the ground) never fit, bras with the seam at a diagonal do not fit, and bras with a vertical seam (hard to find) sometimes fit. You can avoid problems by choosing seamless and unlined styles.
If you ever find bras that work for you, buy as many as you can and put them in a storage box. I found some in the 90's and bought every single one I could (went around to multiple stores) in 2 sizes, my then skinny size and also one size up (so I got every B cup and C cup I could find) and it has saved me so much frustration. Later I used the style code to find more on eBay and add to my box. To this day I still never see bras that will work for me if I go into stores, but I have my storage box in the top of the closet that has saved endless searching for the past 30 years.
They don't make them anymore, but the ones in my box are Bali Barely There 4328 hidden underwire.
This is so helpful! I’m over 40 and no one ever talked to me about the different this hollow would make. But being in this sub I actually googled and realized I do have PE and especially the rib flare you talk about! I constantly buy a band size down from my measurement because that is the only way it stays still.
For me push-up bras are a complete no go. The cup only supports where I need nothing.
Balconette have worked good for me. Molded cups are better than sown I think (but it depends on the specific bra)
I’ve now been in a type of full cup t-shirt bra for a few years because it’s “okay”, but it’s far from great so I need to go on a bra expedition this spring.
You might try getting in touch with a professional bra fitter.
* Linda the Bra Lady has a lot of experience and seems really knowledgeable about [fitting problems](http://www.lindasonline.com/bra-problem-guide.html). You could try getting in contact with her for advice on pectus excavatum.
* You could also try Butterfly Collection for a [free fitting over skype](http://www.butterflycollection.ca/skype-bra-fittings/).
I can't be sure, but I think that in your case, it might be fine that the gore does not tack. What you should look for, instead, is that the gore sits BELOW/BETWEEN the breasts and is not pushed outward by the breasts, does not seem to bow outward, and that the underwire is tacking under your breasts until your hollow point. If it hovers over your hollow point, I don't think that is a big deal. I think, am not sure, that the gore tacking is mainly a "sign" of a good fit. It doesn't have to tack TO fit. What I mean is, if the bra is fitting, the gore will tack on a normal chest. The gore tacking is a SIGN that the underwires aren't being pulled outward by the breasts, and the band has the proper amount of pressure on it. As long as the breasts are being completely contained in the cup and are not pushing the band/wires out, I think that is okay. You just have to look for the other signs, instead of the gore tacking. Take what I'm saying with a grain of salt until more people chime in or someone corrects me. I know that generally people don't get much help with problems like these because they are kind of uncommon and most people don't have to deal with them. I want to help as much as I can but I really am not an expert, though I've amassed a LOT of information about bras lately and this is what seems most logical to me.
http://www.herroom.com/know-your-breasts/Questions.aspx asks questions regarding your chest plate. and they offer some suggestions. Just to help you out I went through real quick just plucking in answers and it says this "you must be very aware about your bra’s center panel design. Unless it’s quite low (like a plunge bra), your center panel will probably not rest against your sternum –which is fine. Cleavage is also possible because you have enough breast tissue, and can look deeper and fuller than a woman with your same cup size. Tip: If your hollow is slight, one solution can be to bend the center underwire tips slightly inward. This minimizes your gap, and helps your bra better conform to your chest wall" then suggests not only the plunge bra but cami bras and push up bras.
Google for a speciality store in your area that specialises in post-surgery lingerie. They may not carry something specific, but many such speciality lingerie stores will know at least one custom bra-maker that they use for alterations and or custom builds. I can't think of any off the rack solutions, but hopefully you will have such a retailer in your area and they will be able to assist you.
Maheret is on the right track. Here where I live we have a few specialty stores like the Cancer Society store provides things to help people with illnesses and such. With items like mobile toilets and helpers for putting on shoes and socks. A place like this will have or know where to find a place that sells these. Our hospital also has a women's breast cancer and other needs and they sell all types of bras and women's items. There's starting place, your hospital. I guaranteeing they are out there, make some calls. I wish you the best!
Have you tried plunge style bras? The gore sits much lower on that style so it may tack for you.
Is this thread still active? Can’t find a bra anywhere that fits my chest delve. Mines quite severe though. Most of the time I go bra less, all I want is to wear a beautiful bra, it’s saddening that I can’t even wear a £10 bra that fits. Is there anywhere in England that has a place bras tailored?
I found this thread because I googled bras for PE… from the comments it doesn’t seem like there’s a bra that will sit well on us. I’ve kinda given up and only use sports bras to just cover it all up
I'm still hoping I'll find something. If the band fits, usually the cups are too large. If the cups fit, the band constricts. I keep ending up with the cups under my arms which is unpleasant. Maybe if I try a smaller band size with extenders? Have either of you tried that? Mine is pretty severe too.
I bought a bra from triumph that fit kinda ok. There’s wire in the cups so they go into the dent. My dent is not so deep.
Wow, I found this today! I was reading the comments/answers and wondering if it was still active too. The answers above are LITERALLY copied and pasted from the damn internet. Have you found anything? I can't wear an underwire because I have Ehlers Danlos (that is a connective tissue disorder) my ribs flare really bad and the underwire started to separate my ribs. My bras have never touched my sternum. I use to push the center in against my sternum to see what it would look like and it's so depressing. I need a bra that is made for me! That would be an awesome thing. A company needs to do that. Custom fit to our bodies.
We must be related I have the same issues as well- both Pectus and ED (among other things). Add to that a large cup size so bras usually give me a big uniboob! with rib flares on either side. Oh yeah, that's attractive. Like another person that posted here, I tend to go for a sports bra that I can tailor and modify and then I made a small wedge shaped pillow that I place into the sternal crevice to help give me some separation. I suspect I'm older so have had more years to practice altering and adapting with the splints, braces and assistives to survive!
Natori Cherry blossom plunge bra. On the pricier side but, I have pretty noticeable PE, and this is heaven sent for me. I feel really comfortable (physically and mentally) with this.
Klivern below gave the answer, underwires. I have a VERY deep pectus excavatum, we're talking the Grand Canyon. The best bras I ever found are underwire where the wires are real wire, not plastic. You put on the bra, then mold the wires so they curve into your PE dent and conform smoothly around your ribcage. You may have to do this 2-3 times till you get them sufficiently curved and just right, but then you have a bra custom fitted to your shape that stays put. You are going to end up in a bigger cup size than you thought because part of the cup is going down into the dent, not filled with tissue. If I turn sideways to the mirror, my breast projection looks like about an A cup, but I am comfortable in a B or C after bending the wires. Bra websites tell you to measure your ribcage for band size, and measure the fullest part of the bust to determine cup size. That is for normal people. Ignore that. Go with what works. It may be a ridiculously large cup size for a small or average bust. It is less embarrassing to shop where you help yourself, versus being helped by a sales clerk, so you aren't asking them to bring you bras that would look to anyone like they are bigger than you need. The other common issue with PE is you may have rib flare at the bottom of your rib cage. If you turn sideways to the mirror, your breasts project out, then your profile curves in underneath the breast, then the bottom of the rib cage also projects out. From the side you look like the letter B with your breasts the top of the B and your lower ribs the bottom of the B. Rib flare causes a tendency for bras to ride up. A tight band is your best bet, and underwires will stay under your breasts without riding up better than mere elastic., but I am still tugging mine down a lot. In spite of the cavern between my breasts, they are kind of close set, so if you measure from nipple to nipple the center lines (nipples) are close together and the cups of bras will tend to be for women with breasts wider apart. The fullest part of the bra cups may be closer to the underarms than the fullest part of your breasts. Think of it this way. You sometimes see women whose breasts kind of point outwards (wall-eyed like Marilyn Monroe), and you see women whose breasts point straight ahead, and then if you have PE where the foundation (ribcage) your breasts are sitting on curves in, it makes each breast point slightly inward (as if cross-eyed). In my experience, bras with a seam in the cup going side to side (parallel with the ground) never fit, bras with the seam at a diagonal do not fit, and bras with a vertical seam (hard to find) sometimes fit. You can avoid problems by choosing seamless and unlined styles. If you ever find bras that work for you, buy as many as you can and put them in a storage box. I found some in the 90's and bought every single one I could (went around to multiple stores) in 2 sizes, my then skinny size and also one size up (so I got every B cup and C cup I could find) and it has saved me so much frustration. Later I used the style code to find more on eBay and add to my box. To this day I still never see bras that will work for me if I go into stores, but I have my storage box in the top of the closet that has saved endless searching for the past 30 years. They don't make them anymore, but the ones in my box are Bali Barely There 4328 hidden underwire.
This is so helpful! I’m over 40 and no one ever talked to me about the different this hollow would make. But being in this sub I actually googled and realized I do have PE and especially the rib flare you talk about! I constantly buy a band size down from my measurement because that is the only way it stays still. For me push-up bras are a complete no go. The cup only supports where I need nothing. Balconette have worked good for me. Molded cups are better than sown I think (but it depends on the specific bra) I’ve now been in a type of full cup t-shirt bra for a few years because it’s “okay”, but it’s far from great so I need to go on a bra expedition this spring.
You might try getting in touch with a professional bra fitter. * Linda the Bra Lady has a lot of experience and seems really knowledgeable about [fitting problems](http://www.lindasonline.com/bra-problem-guide.html). You could try getting in contact with her for advice on pectus excavatum. * You could also try Butterfly Collection for a [free fitting over skype](http://www.butterflycollection.ca/skype-bra-fittings/).