Reddit reviews Elomi Caitlyn Underwire Side Support Bra, Nude, 38H

A 42C is designed for somebody who measures 42" underbust and 45" overbust. Clearly, that isn't you ;-)

The absolute smallest possible size I am getting out of your measurements is a 40E. 40F, 38F, and 38FF are all possibilities as well. Are you scooping and swooping? That will make a huge difference. A bra band can feel too tight if the cups are too small, and that could have been the problem with the 40D you tried. The cups will also gap, wrinkle, slide around, and take on a mind of their own if they are the wrong shape. Do you have an idea of your shape - FOT, FOB, even, short roots, pendulous, etc. If I had to form an opinion based on your current images, I'd say you are pendulous with even fullness and short roots. It's hard to tell without a side profile shot, and this bra doesn't look to be doing much in the way of support.

Your current bra looks too shallow at the underwire and too big in the band, which you already mentioned anyways. My first suggestion would be to aggressively scoop and swoop in your current bra and see how it changes the fit. Also, grab the underwires and shove them up into your IMF as far as you can go, and then see if they stay there.

Bras that come to mind are Elomi Caitlyn in 38F or 40E, Curvy Kate Ellace in 40E or 40F, maybe Fantasie Lois in 38F, 40E or 40F. I'm not in your size range at all so I'm kinda digging up suggestions out of nowhere and hoping somebody else close to your size chimes in!

My next suggestion would be to pick up a 40E and a 40F on Amazon and before you decide the band is too small, turn it around and fasten the bra backwards so the cups are behind you and not affecting the band size. Fasten the band on the loosest hooks, and it should be snug enough to provide support at this point. Then when you put it on, make sure you consciously place the underwires in your IMF and scoop and swoop ALL of your breast tissue into the cups before trying to make any fit determinations.

The calculator is giving me 36HH/J and 38H/HH. It often overestimates in your size range, so 36HH is probably a good starting point; though trying on styles in 36H and 36J will help you narrow down your options.

Panache Jasmine is the standard for projected breasts, and the stretch lace top is FOT (Full on Top) Friendly. There's also the Floris/Olivia/Georgia - same model, different materials so you have quite an aesthetic selection. Freya has the Gem; and Curvy Kate the Princess and Portia. Elomi and Goddess are also popular brands in your size range: Caitlyn and Keira are their basic styles (Goddess uses USA sizing, so you would start with a L in their models).

Bratabase is a great place to browse different styles and see how they fit; I highly recommend looking up your options when you're trying to narrow down your selection to get an idea of what they'll look like in your size range.

That should give you a good starting point - come back with a fit check if you're having difficulty!

I think agree with khasiv and buymeflowers.

The wires are too narrow and you could use a larger, differently shaped cup.

The bras I am thinking about are the Fauve Fullcups and the Elomi Caitlyn and (please don't faint at the prices) Primadonna bras.

http://www.amazon.com/Elomi-Caitlyn-Underwire-Side-Support/dp/B00219VKUW/

The problem is that shape-wise you would do well in Elomi and Goddess, but you are at the lowest end of their size range. As a result you have more options with Primadonna and Fauve, two brands that are sadly a bit more expensive.

The cheapest source for Fauve is brastop and ebay.

http://www.brastop.com/fauve-lingerie-bras-swimwear#/

You could also give Freya halfcups a try, they also have relatively wide wires and are easier to get.

Panache Envy in 34F might also be worth looking at.