In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Bra Talk!

zuzu

Wyomeg asked the following:

Maybe we should start a separate thread for those looking for a good bra! Maybe there’s already a site dealing with this that isnt affiliated with a certain store or brand. Anyone know?

Talk about your favorite bra store here, or your favorite brand, or your favorite fitter. Bonus points for those who can give the group information on where to find reasonably-priced custom bras.

UPDATE: Scott reminds me that Bitch, Ph.D. has two excellent and informative and comment-filled posts on bras here and here.

60 thoughts on Bra Talk!

  1. decentexposures.com. Seriously. They do everything custom (which is why it takes three weeks per order) are reasonably priced, comfortable (no underwires!) and have loads of colours. They have pretty much every size, too. I’ve ordered bras (and some other clothing) from them and have never been disappointed yet.

  2. I go here for all my bras (they have an excellent return policy, for those leery of online bra shopping). This is my favorite for exercise (seriously, they don’t move), while this is my favorite everyday. I can’t recommend their selection enough for hard-to-find bra sizes, and the prices are pretty good, and no, they aren’t paying me, although the way I pimp them, they probably should. I was just that relieved to find bras that didn’t give me quadraboobs.

  3. Do they have underwires, though? I can’t get the support I need without wires.

    In New York, the Town Shop is the shit, though Orchard Corset is not only very good, but a trip. It’s a tiny, crammed little space with no merchandise visible. Everything’s in boxes in cubbies on the walls. You walk in and Shmuley, the proprietor, will ask you what you’re interested in. You know your bra doesn’t fit if he cocks his head to one side and asks, “Are you happy with that bra?” Mostly, he doesn’t touch you, but just asks you the foregoing question plus what size you’re wearing, then he’ll scurry up a ladder and bring down a few selections, send you into the back with the female assistant (“the back” is “behind a curtain,” and the female assistant is, variously, an Orthodox Jew or a Latina). And the thing usually fits wonderfully and costs half what it would cost elsewhere.

  4. Oh, I can also highly recommend, if you are comfortable with knowing your bra size, seeking out the Charnos Bioform bra on eBay. It was one of the few new ideas in bra design, came out in 2001 or 2002, and went under at some point thereafter. It’s especially good for small band/large cup sizes. Essentially, it replaces underwires with plastic cups that are a little weird to get used to at first, but do a damn fine job of supporting and redistributing breasts (I have one, in a size I don’t wear anymore, and it was weirdly comfortable. Also, you could knock on your boobs).

  5. Do they have underwires, though?

    Oh yeah, the everyday bra I linked is an underwire. Most of the ones I buy are, though the sports bra isn’t. That one basically works like a chest binder (waves at piny).

    You know your bra doesn’t fit if he cocks his head to one side and asks, “Are you happy with that bra?”

    Ha! So New York. Sadly, there are no Shmuleys with the online shopping experience.

    Also, you could knock on your boobs.

    Now I have to seek it out for that alone.

  6. Oh yeah, the everyday bra I linked is an underwire.

    You had to go and comment before I did, so that my response to Leah’s comment looked like a response to you.

    Though I will be checking out your link, since it looks sweet.

    Figleaves.com is where I got my Bioform, since you could only get them in England when they came out, but eBay has them here now.

  7. On the other end of the “difficult to find good bras” spectrum, I cheerfully recommend Barely There’s cupless, wireless modal “bras” (I think they call ’em “day bras” or something silly) for those among you who are very small of boob. I’m not quite a full a-cup, and most real bras are uncomfortably binding in a way which is, frankly, unecessary. The cupless stretch bra design gives the tiny bit of support needed (I can even do light exercise in it), and is as comfortable as no bra at all.

  9. Every bra I own is a Fredericks of Hollywood Smooth Sensations bra. It is extrememly hard for me to find bras under $30 a pop that can hold up my 36DDs for more than ten minutes. Also, they come in pretty colors and are often on sale through the website. Since the town I moved to a year ago does not have a Fredericks store, I order everything online.

  11. I was just thinking about this the other day! There should be a site/blog to get information or recommendations on a good bra. It is so hard to find a good bra.

    We are inundated with Victoria’s Secrets in So. Cal. and that place just sucks. And it is expensive. The bras never fit right. If you look closely at their ads, the bras don’t fit the models either.

  12. Oh just damn me and my bra-based commenting enthusiasm. But I’d like to know about the wires thing myself because I do still have trouble finding 90-100% cotton in an underwire.

  13. I’m an odd size (huge in the bosom, small of ribcage) but there’s a location in St. Louis called “Ann’s Bra Shop” which sells in every size EVER. They also specialize in bras for mastectomy patients, as well as swimwear and lingerie for people who have had mastectomies or are strange/uneven sizes.

    I thought I’d never find an underwire again, but these Freya things are awesome. Keeps the boobage up high and my back feels 1000x better.

  14. Speaking of figleaves.com, they’re having a 24-hour “preview sale” at the moment with a lot of stuff at 50% off! That’s where I get all my bras. They have an amazing selection, and free returns, which is so very very helpful. Also, their stuff goes on sale a lot, and when it does it’s cheaper than you’ll find it anywhere else.

    As for bras themselves, when I was bigger (36E), I loved my Berlei Microfibre Ultimate Comfort Bra. It fit right and was comfortable, and the band didn’t pinch. It was also really supportive. I recently lost about 25 lbs and am now a 34D, and I am really into my Pringle underwire bras, which I bought on figleaves.com in a sale for £5 each. I’d highly recommend them: they’re cute and sporty and nearly as comfortable as wearing no bra at all (and I don’t say that lightly).

    I’d advise yall to stay away from Jelaby, by the way. I spent £45 (!!!) on a Jelaby bra from Rigby and Peller in London, and within two weeks the underwire had come out of one of the cups. They wouldn’t take it back because it had been worn. Dumb-butts.

  15. I watched an a man try to buy a bra for his wife in a department store the other day. The assistant asked her size and he said she was about 130 lb and was then baffled that more information could be required.

  16. I am currently in chubalicious mode and I find that the bottom edge of the bra elastic tends to roll up and then wedge and dig in uncomfortably. The resulting deeply indented place around my torso is a less than flattering look. The only solution to this in the past has been losing weight, but surely bras must exist that don’t do this. Also, the bra can’t feel like it is made of some sort of hideous synthetic sandpaper. (No, I’m not picky, just reaally uncomfortable.)

  18. CJ
    What went through your head when you saw the man and salesassistant trying to communicate?
    At one time I would have been like that man, many years ago.

  19. The bras on the website are a little expensive for most people’s tastes, but their sizing advice is PERFECT.

    I had no idea that your band size could be perfectly measured by running the measuring tape over the TOP of the breasts (upper chest), instead of measuring underneath the breasts and adding 4 or 5 inches or what-have-you. Since I measured my bra size the Barenecessities way I’ve been able to order bras online without having to worry whether or not they’ll fit.

    Most people have a SMALLER band size than they think they do, and a BIGGER cup size. Fancy that! I measured my daughter a few weeks ago; conventional wisdom had her at a 34B but shes’ really a 32C.

    Thank god for the internet.

  21. Decentexposures.com does, indeed, rock. They can be a little expensive, but it’s worth every penny. Their bras fit and feel great – and without wires. I hate wires. Most people I know that are bigger than a B cup hate them too.

    Nordstroms’ usually have bra fitters. Now they can be expensive. If you can scrape together the cash, it’s worth it too. My mom dragged me in there for my birthday last year.

  22. I need a lot of support and I never buy a bra without underwire. My favorite bra-makers are Wacoal, Chantelle, and Le Mystere. None of these brands are cheap — they all cost around $60 each. But I believe that a good bra is essential, and I’d rather own two high-quality albeit pricey bras, as opposed to a drawful of cheap bras of mediocre quality.

    Specifically, my favorite bras are Chantelle #2031, Chantelle #2702, and Le Mystere #9955 (the “Tisha” bra, which is also a favorite of Oprah’s). All of these look great, are super-comfortable and feel great, and provide excellent support. A tip about the Tisha: often you’ll get a better fit if you go up a band size and down a cup size. E.g., if your usual size is 36D, try a 38C.

    Another tip: if you want to save money, check out Ebay, because you can often find great deals there. Buying on Ebay does entail some risk, because a lot of sellers, but not all, do not allow returns. But I think it’s worth it if: a) the seller has very positive feedback (preferably 99.9% or above positive) and b) if you’ve already gone to a department store and tried the item on, so you know how it will look and what size will give you the best fit.

    Finally, it’s essential to get fitted so you know what your correct size is! Your bra size changes with weight gain or loss, pregnancy, aging, etc., so it’s best to get fitted regularly. And even if you know your true size, it’s best to try on different sizes, because sizes may run differently for each manufacturer — or even for different styles by the same manufacturer.

  23. hey vulture – – I just bought 3 different Tisha bras on EBay, LOL!!! A good 30-40% off retail, and they’re great bras that absolutely DO NOT SHOW under clothing!

  24. My current bras are Tango II’s by Panache. (That’s a link to the new funky colored Tango IIs. They also come in beige and black, but I’m too lazy to find them.) I don’t know that they’re especially great bras, but they’re the best ones that come in my weird size. They don’t make sports bras in my size, so at the moment I’m using
    Moving Comfort Athena bras    , which work ok for my purposes.

    I definitely prefer an underwire. I also prefer a really structured bra, which rules out decentexposures.com. I am probably a tool of the patriarchy on the bra issue, but I’m not about to abandon my fifteen year quest for a super perky silhouette.

  25. It’s all about Natori bras for me. They’re comfortable, well-made, pretty, supportive, and they last forever. You can also find them at places like Filene’s Basement for under $20 (they’ll be closer to $50 at most department stores). I’m pretty sure they also make them in a wide variety of sizes.

    For pretty, frivolous lingerie, I’m obsessed with La Petite Coquette in NYC (on University Place). It’s amazing. I have no idea how good they are with larger sizes (I’m a 32B, so large isn’t exactly my issue), but their underwear is unbelievably gorgeous, and they have incredible sales — I’ve gotten $300 bras for $40. Agent Provocateur is also amazing.

  26. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good strapless bra with no underwires at all? Some of my most lightweight tops have necklines too wide to work well with regular bras.

  27. Pingback: Noli Irritare Leones » Blog Archive » Bra thread

  30. I say FORGET the strapless bra and go for a bustier. Strapless bras go south and end up around your waist no matter how tight you make them. At least a bustier will stay put! There are seam-free beige ones out there.

    I’m also a big fan of the bodybriefer; I have one by Flexees that I love. Keeps the pudge from sticking out around a brastrap, which is pretty important to me when I wear sheer/clingy things.

  31. I wear mostly Wacoal these days, because they have very solid minimizers. I’m a 36DD, and I really like having a minimizer. It makes it possible for me to consider wearing shirts with buttons that aren’t way too big for me elsewhere.

  32. ilyka, the only decent mostly-cotton underwires I’ve found are from Land’s End. I like Land’s End’s underwires but they’re sometimes poky under the arms.

    Following BitchPhD’s advice I recently dropped some cash on Wacoals and let me tell you they rock. They support properly and look natural under clothing while not shifting around at all. This is my new everyday bra, and this is a great sweater bra. I don’t wear it under t-shirts because the inner cup sling tends to show through, but ymmv.

    Back when I was nursing hungry infants, this was my favorite site for nursing bra info. They list fitting info by brand and by body type — and they had my beloved Olgas, which have since been discontinued.

    My hard-to-fit friends say that Petticoat Fair is the go-to place here in Austin. They’ve got bras up to JJ and good fitters.

  33. My issue with underwire bras is that as a large, large-chested, very short woman (46H, 5’0″ tall), underwires tend to dig into my stomach. I mean, my stomach sticks out, my posture isn’t so hot, and second I’m not reclining on my back, I have two half moons of wire sticking into my guts. Very, very uncomfortable. Suggestions?

    I have been on the great bra search for about 6 months now, and still haven’t found the right thing. Lane Bryant bras (from the website, where they have larger sizes) are currently doing the best they can. But they totally give me the uniboob, and everything that looks great hurts like hell (because of aforementioned underwires). Plus, I’ve found the 46 band size even harder to find than the H cup size. *sigh*

  34. linda’s at 63rd and Lex. is really great, in NYC. Not a huge selection, but she (or her assistants) will fit you. They carry my fave–Duet.

    My bra “problem” is that a I am a 36AA, and tall, and my boobs basically start at my armpits and stay there. If I want to have ANY curves at all, I need underwire. But it is impossible to find a smaller-size bra that does not have ginormous padding.

    WTF?! I am happy being small-of-boob, and I like the way I look with a little pushup underwire. I just don’t want to wear some silicone injected monstrosity to “make up for” the fact that I am flatchested. 15 years ago, I could find a decent selection of A-cup bras. No longer.

  35. I usually buy Olga but they are too expensive. However, I am also a lazy shopper and they fit & are comfortable — so a list like this is great for other suggestions.

    Anybody got good sugestions for strapless in 34D? I have difficult times finding a good strapless. (also looking for another sports bra.)

    Little cabage – where do you get the Pringles? Can we buy them in the US?

  36. Talking about breast and bras is one of my favourite things! Amongst my friends and family I am known for my strict policies about wearing bras that actually fit and are comfortable. As well as my frustration with the big North American bra manufacturers, who don’t seem to think that women wear bras in cup sizes larger than a D or a DD. Most women are wearing bras that don’t fit properly – that are too big in the band size and too small in the cup.
    I used to have huge breasts 34FF. For years I thought I was a 38 DD due to several bad fittings at department stores and even an actual lingerie store. It wasn’t until I went to Secrets From Your Sister in Toronto that I got properly fitted. It made such a huge difference. No more grooves in my shoulders from bra straps! The one thing that they really emphasize there is that the support should be coming from the band around your ribcage, not the straps (which should be relatively neutral in terms of support/pressure). My back felt tons better, clothes fit better (i.e., I could sometimes find a shirt that fit properly), and no more angry red marks from my bra digging into my body.
    I have since had a breast reducation (thank you socialized medicine!), but I’m stilll bigger than average at a DD cup, and I stil have to go to specialty stores to get bras that fit properly, especially sports bras and the like.

  37. linda’s at 63rd and Lex. is really great, in NYC. Not a huge selection, but she (or her assistants) will fit you.

    See, I was less than impressed. I walked in there one day and asked for a fitting. The assistants told me that no way was I wearing the size bra that I was and told me that I must have at least a 44 band size. And here I was, wearing a stretched-out 40 band that was letting my boobs slip out in front. I walked out.

    And went across town the next week and got fitted for real at the Town Shop with the proper size.

  39. Bali Lace n Smooth, in the $20 range. After years of bras that didn’t fit right and were uncomfortable, a friend introduced me to this one. She’s been wearing it since she was 13. I’m a 38D and it fits me great. She’s a 36DD. I don’t know how well it would work for someone not in that general size range.

  40. Geoduck2: I’m not sure if you can get them in the States, but I get mine from figleaves.com. (They’re not on sale at the moment and they’ve only got a few left, but my guess is they’ll be getting more soon.) It’s this bra.

    They ship internationally to pretty much anywhere. 🙂

  41. Actually, I’m sort of an idiot; my bras are the non-padded version of that bra. (The padded one is nice too, though, and pretty subtle.) They don’t seem to have them at the moment but they probably will soon.

  42. I second what debbie said about people not wearing the right size bras AND about support coming from the band and any underwires, NOT the straps. The straps are mainly there to stabilize things. *grin*

    Victoria’s Secret models uniformly are wearing bras that are at least a size or two too small to get the “poppin’ cleavage” look that Vicky’s is so famous for. *rolls eyes* It’s a photographic trick to make them look bustier than they are, and leads people to think that’s how bras should fit. Bleah!

    Olga is my favorite bra type at the moment, the Tapestry minimizer to be exact. (I wear a 38D at the moment.) But I am VERY glad to get other recommendations!! 🙂 I’m jealous of you ladies in New York — it sounds like you have some great store options that just don’t exist here in FlyOverLand. I find that the Olga bras are not overly expensive if you can find them on sale — I think the ones I just got were $20 each, which is more than I *like* to pay, but I have to (occasionally!) be realistic. Also, as a seamstress, I have an idea of how much work goes into making the durn things. Whuf!

    I also second the view that regular strapless bras are simply useless. The problem is that they are all elasticized and the elastic wants to go to where it is not stretched. This is typically around your waist. 😛 A long line bra or bustier *with boning* is typically a better bet underneath a strapless dress. Not having to tug your bra up all night is, in my opinion, worth the extra money you will pay for the long line version. But then again, I have no issues with either underwires (as long as they don’t come up too far under my arms – ouch!) or boning of any sort. I wore a Georgian style corset for my wedding and was perfectly comfortable. (1770s-ish era — very straight front with just a little pulling in at the waist. I had the best posture EVER, and my back felt awesome! 🙂

  43. kwj, it’s not only a-cups that are terminally padded these days. I’ve had trouble finding mass-market c-cup bras without padding or molding. When I balked, the saleslady assured me that it’s technically ‘lining’ keep my nipples hidden. I don’t have a problem with nipples but I do have a problem with padding. Padding, to me, is hot (as opposed to hott) and makes me self-conscious.

    Lands End has several styles of unpadded underwires in A and B cups (some on their overstocks page) but they only range A-D.

  44. My bra size is somewhere in the 36-38/DD-DDD range depending on the manufacturer. I’m a 38DDD at my current bra dealer, Lane Bryant. They aren’t perfect but they were having a great sale and they seem to fit better than any other bra I’ve tried.

    My biggest problem is that my shoulders are pretty narrow, so my boobs tend to be closer together than the norm. That means that a lot of the bras in my “size” still don’t fit. The cups are too far apart which results in excess cup near my armpit and sort of not enough cup in the middle, which leads to the dreaded bi-focal boob. It’s enough to drive you crazy.

    I also used to dislike the padding on the larger size bras until I realized that my padded bras tended to last longer. I think a big part of the padding is that it helps the bra keep its shape and maybe provide just a little more support.

    Here’s a question for all of you larger chested women out there: How do you store your bras? I found that they took way too much room in my drawers (and every now and then some of the fabric would kind of catch on the wood and snag). So recently I have just been hanging one strap around the neck of a hanger so I have a hanger of bras in my closet.

  46. Just thought I’d vouche for decentexposures again. =) i happen to hate underwires, and that place has been the only place i’ve ever found a bra comfortable enough to wear a whole work-day.

  47. Wow…thank you so much for providing this space! I had no idea there were so many resources and options for us giant-boobed women out there. Seriously, I’m almost crying. Time to do some online shopping.

    Hedonistic, thanks also for the tip about measuring the upper chest for band size–cool! I’m gratified to know that I’ve actually been wearing the right bra size according to these sites…I guess all these years of bra issues have paid off for something.

    As for Decent Exposures, people seem to either love it or hate it…personally I can’t stand those bras, because they don’t feel very supportive, and they give me major uniboob.

    I hear a lot of great things about Wacoal–do they make bras in the F, G, H range? I’ve been looking but haven’t seen any above DDD.

  48. Jeeze, I feel so flat-chested now!! 🙂

    I find that I really like the Playtex HalfSize Too. I haven’t found a cup in any bra that fits me comfortably besides these. (They have B, nearly B, C, nearly C, etc.) I believe they come in underwire and non-underwire styles, and are cheap. I know it’s supposed to be worth it and all, but it kills me to spend $50 on a bra.

  49. Just had to put in another good word for Wacoal. Not the prettiest bras I’ve ever had, but damn near the most comfortable and dependable. I feel supported, and still look natural; no missile tits. I’ve been a lot of sizes that manufacturers like to : believe don’t exist (including the short time when I was losing weight but the boobs hadn’t gotten the memo, when I was a 30F!); Wacoal has never let me down. So to speak.

    Secretnatasha: DDD = F, AFAIK. I don’t know why, but somebody somewhere decided that sizes over D were scary, and they should just keep adding Ds instead. It defies logic, like most of women’s fashion.

    I’m currently in a 32D-32DD, depending on time of the month. Has anyone here tried the Fantasie of England brand? They look so pretty! Can they really be supportive and comfortable?

    Also, does anyone know anything about the difference between US and UK sizes? I’m American, and I hear the UK cups are a bit bigger, and I might want to order one size down. Truth or Urban Legend?

    One last thing, because apparently I have a lot to say about bras today: http://www.barenecessities.com is great. Definitely on the expensive side, but you can shop by size and get a whole range of styles and manufacturers. Then you can look up the ones you like elsewhere to see if you can get them cheaper. That’s what I do, at least.

  50. Target carries a line of Maidenform for girls which fits my -A cups really well. They come in band sizes 30-36, maybe 38. The straps are too short b/c they are designed for people under 5 feet tall, but the construction is good enough that the straps strech rather than the band creeping up. There is no gaping that the top of the cup, the underwire goes all the way around my boobs instead of cutting into them under my arm, and they actually have space between the cups. There is a removable strap variety which comes with a spare pair of clear straps for the fake strapless look. The cost? $8. They are in the girls section. The first time I bought one, some 10 yr old was repeatedly looking me up and down with a WTF? look on her face. I wanted to say, “Listen kid, this could be you in 20 years,” but I didn’t.

  51. Secretnatasha,

    I looked at the Wacoal site and in the bras section you can search by size. It looks like they have one G style and a bunch of DDDs. I always thought that DDD and F were the same, but they’re not, are they?

    They’ve got some cute smaller-size bras, too, under petites.

    zuzu, I had a bra-“fitting” experience like that while I was pregnant. The gal looked me over, didn’t measure, and kept bringing me bras that were so small that the middle of the front was riding halfway up my chest. I went home, went online, got a measuring tape and got my bras.

  52. Hornet Queen, I wear Fantasie bras–I sometimes have issues with the side wires digging a bit, but generally they’re very comfortable & supportive. You can get them here:

    http://www.bravissimo.com/

    This is a great site for us big-breasted women–lots of pretty bras that really fit! I actually got fitted in their Ealing shop five years ago when I was in London, & nearly fainted when the manager cheerfully informed me I wasn’t a 44DDD, but a 38J! Spent most of my travel budget there, & it was worth every penny. Am still wearing most of the bras I bought then.

    So check it out; I’ve ordered from the website regularly, & the service is very good.

  53. The Shock Absorber is a great sports bra. They come in different levels of stability based on the type of exercise that you do. I run and I have always had to double up on sports bras, and I am not that big. This is the best sports bra I have ever used.

    I got both of mine at Victoria’s Secret but I don’t see them on their website. Shock Absorber does have a website, but they are in the UK (for those of us in the states). They can be a bit expensive but not more expensive than buying two bras to wear at the same time.

    Note re. Shock Absorber website: They have this wierd little animated cg clip of what your boobs go through when you work out and it is creepy to say the least.

  54. Has anyone here tried the Fantasie of England brand? They look so pretty! Can they really be supportive and comfortable?

    Major Fantasie fan here. I think they’re beautiful bras. My favorite model, the 4500, I’ve heard criticized for having only 2 rows of hooks in the back; if you like a wider back band, that may be one to avoid, and I think their 4520 is designed similarly.

    Personally, I find the band support strong enough and am thrilled NOT to have to do up 3, 4, or even 5 rows of hooks every day, but you know what they say about mileage (and boobage) varying.

    It looks like they have one G style and a bunch of DDDs. I always thought that DDD and F were the same, but they’re not, are they?

    It depends on the manufacturer and the country. It’s my understanding that the European Union uses a different size chart than the U.S. does, and I can’t remember whether the U.K. follows the E.U. or does its own thing. If you scroll to the bottom of the page here, though, there’s a chart of cup sizing among popular manufacturers. Things basically get completely arbitrary after “D.”

  55. Columbusqueen, I love the tagline for bravissimo: “Lingerie, swimwear, and clothing for big-boobed women.” Like, let’s dispense with this “bosomy,” “full-figured,” “Rubenesque” nonsense and get right to it.

  56. My understanding of the cup sizes (and I either read this here on another post earlier this week, or I’m completely pulling it out of my ass).

    US D-cup = UK D-cup
    US DD-cup = US E-cup = UK DD-cup
    US DDD-cup = US F-cup = UK E-cup (confused yet?)
    US G-cup = UK F-cup
    US H-cup = UK G-cup
    US I-cup = UK H-cup
    US J-cup = UK I-cup

    etc, etc. Essentially, whether US manufacturers use “DD” or “E” is a matter of preference. You can also usually bet that “EE” is really “F”, etc. Basically, in the US, two letters in a row is really the next letter. This is NOT true for UK bras, at least not around the D, DD, E range, where DD comes before E and after D.

    Did that make any sense at all?

  57. Wow. Again, wow. So much info! I’ve been taking notes!
    I’m in the middle of trying to determine what to exchange for from my first shipment from figleaves. I knew I’d have to return as I have entered the beyond DD/DDD territory – where I’ve been for awhile apparently but had been limited to department store selection. Crappy little-city stores at that. And it really does get arbitrary in these ranges. I am currently trying on a Fayreform Profile Perfect Contour, which seems pretty comfy even though I don’t quite have the right size.
    I, too, am jealous of you big city dwellers. I do have a local bra shop, but I know she’d be having to order and guess as well. And I like having options. It’s a trade off, but I like where I live.
    I too am a fan of wires because I ‘ve never found a softie that works for very long with out the uniboob look. I’ll probably explore that territory more once I enter the nursing phase of this adventure in reproduction.
    Anyone know when I should expect my ribcage to expand as well? I’m 3 months – any time soon? So far I’ve only experienced more in the cups.
    Thanks to all for sharing!

  58. I am currently storing my bras in a hanging closet cubby thing. I’m a little short on space in my dresser and I have an extensive collection. None which fits well right now. I should purge some.
    Also, I had heard great things about Wacoal, and I own one, but I never found it very comfortable. They seem to size big cups for width as well as volume – the underwires almost wrap into my armpits and they meet in the middle. I bet they’re a great fit for certain breast shapes, but not mine.
    And when I make it back to England, I’m totally visiting Bravissimo.

  59. Wyomeg, I’ve had that problem (the wide cups) with a lot of bras–so uncomfortable!–good to know that about Wacoal. (But I’m pretty sure they don’t make bras in my size anyway.)

    Hmm, this sizing thing is confusing. For the past few years I’ve been getting all of my bras from Bravissimo, mostly in 34G. But they’re British, so does that mean that in American sizes, I’d be a 34H? It would seem so, except that, according to the sizing info on all of these sites, 34G is correct for my measurements. Oh well, I see a lot of buying and returning in my future. I really think we need to abolish all this multiple-D stuff. One letter per cup size, I say!

    I also want to plug the strappy tops from Bravissimo–they are very supportive, flattering and natural-looking and last quite a long time, much longer than your average bra. I practically live in mine.

  60. Pingback: Noli Irritare Leones » Blog Archive » Fun with bra sizing

Comments are currently closed.