Women: How Hard Is It To Find A "Correct" Bra?

[Markxxx]

Being a male, I don't need one <insert jokes here> and being a gay male, I have never seen one on a lady.

The other day I was watching a TV show, I think it was Rachel Ray, and the announcer says "85% of all women are wearing the wrong bra."

Of course he meant bra size :)

I also recall a very funny Married With Children wear Peg bemoans the loss of her bra and how she can't find a good one.

So my question to women is just how hard is it to find a good bra that "works" for you.

And if so why is it so hard?

I am sure this topic makes for a lot of jokes but I am seriously wondering about this

[sandra_nz]

I suspect for some women it's more that they don't want to admit to the size they are, and continue to squeeze themselves into what they consider an appropriately sized bra, either in cup size or band size.

There is also a misconception that cup sizes are A - D and that's it. In fact, there are specialist stores that do up to J and you can find even larger cup sizes than that, although it becomes increasingly difficult past J.

In most 'makeover' programmes I've seen, the woman has been wearing a too big band and a too small cup. So instead of being a 36C they are in fact a 34DD.

I can't walk into a store and buy the bra I need, but thanks to the internet, there are several online stores I can shop from. I have found one brand and make of bra that fits me perfectly, and I buy several at a time in fear that one day they will stop making my particular bra.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Women's breasts come in different sizes and shapes, which means that even if two women measure themselves, and find they should wear the same bra size, the same style of bra might not work for both of them. Bras are very much an item that needs to be tried on for fit.

In addition, even though bra manufacturers CLAIM to use the same sizing system, they don't. They are liars. Big, big liars. Hell, if a woman wears a 34C in Acme Company's "Lovely Lift" line, that doesn't mean that she'll wear a 34C in any of Acme Company's other bras. When she tries on bras, yeah, she can start by trying 34Cs in various styles...but they might not fit right.

Bras tend to stretch horribly. Part of this is just the nature of the material they're made from, and part of this is because most women tend to throw them in the washer and dryer. It's OK to wash bras in the washer, on a gentle cycle, with cold or lukewarm water, but heat will destroy the elasticity of the bra. So women, air-dry your bras! It's best to handwash bras in cool or lukewarm water and then air-dry, but who handwashes stuff any more?

I used to fit bras, and the majority of women that I fitted were indeed wearing the wrong size bra, and quite often, the wrong style, too.

Oh, and JUST when a woman has found a bra that fits properly, and does great things for her bust, then the manufacturer will discontinue that style. It's like a law or something.

I, personally, hate underwires and think that they are instruments of torture. I would claim that Satan devised these things to remind women that they are the ones who accepted the apple, but I'm an atheist. However, other women love underwires. At any rate, it seems that bras are either aggravating to wear, or ineffectual, or both. It seems that we can't design a bra that is both comfortable AND effective.

[lisacurl]

Women's breasts also change significantly with age and/or even a small weight gain, leading to the need to change sizes or styles of bras.

[Ferret Herder]

Skin sensitivity can matter as well, such that some women are driven around the bend by tags, lace, etc. Others prefer enough padding to cut down on any "headlights" events (nipples poking through) while others don't have that problem or don't pay attention to it.

[Kolga]

I voted "no problem," because it's not hard to FIND the right bra or bra size for me, but it takes several hours of trying them on. They're out there, but I have to spend a while in the store.

Of course, that several hours is torture, but the actual bra or bras that work for me are available. I just have to dedicate one day every year to finding them.

[alice_in_wonderland]

I'm an awkward size which makes finding the bras damn near impossible and then when I do find them they're $125 each.

After baby #2 I'm getting a breast reduction at least in part so I can actually buy bras that fit.

[Flutterby]

Thankfully I found a store with a style of bra that is part of their steady stock that fits properly. I've had to change sizes a time or two since I found them but they work. I still have to try on about half a dozen though due to variations in workmanship or sometimes they adjust the cup style a little.

If they suddenly stopped making them, I'd go nuts. Lots of stores seem to assume no one is above a D cup (sometimes a C!) unless you are plus sized and of course none of them want anything beyond a lacy over the shoulder boulder holder in white, beige, or black. Nothing cute, just functional and lacy.

I need to go shopping again, the ones I have are starting to stretch out too much and no longer support properly or the underwire bugs me now (I used to hate underwire but I don't even notice it now unless it doesn't fit right).

[Filbert]

There's one shop in my city that sells bras that fit me, they generally have around 4 in the size which is supposedly mine, but only one of them (if I'm lucky) will fit well.

To get a shop with more than one decent option I have to travel a few hundred miles, or buy online. Which is annoying.
I also, as well as having a stupid size, have magic yoyo boobs which constantly change size- I can be wearing the same bra for ages and suddenly (last time literally over the course of a week!) it becomes too tight, and I start spilling out over the top, though I don't appear to have put on weight anywhere else... I suddenly drop several sizes sometimes too. This means I can't even buy loads when I do find a good one.
The other problem in the larger sizes is that they tend look like scaffolding, rather than a bra, which somewhat detracts from the sexay.

Mind you, the situation, at least here, has so much improved in the last 15 or so years- when I first got properly sized up it took a full 2 months to get the right size; no internet buying, so find a specialist shop which 'could order them in' as the single UK maufacturer they had found wouldn't deal direct with retail customers, then add the sole bra they did in that size to the monthly order, wait a month, try it on, realise it didn't fit, order another in a larger size, wait another month... knowing this was the largest size they made, and if it didn't fit I was screwed...

[kittenblue]

It's torture. I know exactly what I want in style, color, cut, padding and price, but my size is not in the standard range...small cup, large band. So if I see a bra I like, they will stop one band size before what I need, or not offer it in my cup size. After my weight loss, I found the perfect bra from Joe Boxer, and bought a bunch. But that was a few years ago, and I've put on a few pounds again, and the elastic is going...so I started my search in January last year. After searching through all the affordable styles at WalMart, Kmart, Target, I moved on to Kohl's, Macy's, Dillards, Victoria's Secret, Nordtrom, Penney's, Fredericks, Sears, Lane Bryant, Dress Barn, Avenue.....then I started on catalogs and online stores. Finally, about June, I wandered into Catherines and found it...a bra in the right size, right style...and on SALE! Still more expensive than any bra I've bought before, but not outrageous. So I bought three. And you know what? After a few weeks of wearing them, I realized I'd still need to get extenders to add just a tad more comfort. So now, in addition to those three, I have three Almost Acceptables that I can also wear. I figure I'm good for a year, then it's back to the hunt. Because guess what happened when I went back to Catherine's? That's right,discontinued.

[Minnie Luna]

I have no problem, but I also have small boobs. Victoria's Secret 32B always fits.

[Alice The Goon]

I have no problem, but I also have small boobs. Victoria's Secret 32B always fits.


Me, too, except I'm a 36B. I have such an easy time finding bras that I can mail-order them with no problem. Guess I'm just lucky like that.

[BetsQ]

Buying a bra for me generally involves an hour with the nice ladies at Nordstrom's. I selected "very hard," because it takes a lot of emotional energy to go talk to a stranger about my boobs.

[WhyNot]

I don't know that it's hard, so much as that most women don't realize there is something better out there. So they wear what they've always worn because they don't know there's any option, and figure that their troubles (uniboob, slipping straps, digging straps, pokey underwires, whatever) is just part and parcel of being a woman. It's not, it's part and parcel of wearing the wrong bra.

It's sort of like asking men if it's hard to find the right underwear. If your mom put you in tighty whities and you're used to them, you might put up with the inconveniences, not knowing that boxers or boxer briefs are options that might work better for you. It's a mental rut more than an actual shopping problem.

Now, I can't find bras in my size at most stores. But when I discovered Catherine's (which has hideous old lady clothes, so I didn't go into one until I had a gift certificate given to me), it suddenly became "easy". Do I wish there were more options for styles that work with my boobs that are pretty? Sure. But that doesn't mean it's hard to find a bra that fits, it's just hard to find a pretty bra that fits.

[Maastricht]

Not hard, when I go to a specialist store and get fitted. Good bras are just so godawfully expensive. Seventy euro's is nothing.

[carlotta]

Every bra is a compromise. My breasts differ by a cup size at least, so one or the other is always going to be less than optimally accommodated.

Price is a huge consideration for me. It may in fact be very easy to find comfortable bras if money is no object, but $35 is about as high as I can go.

Shopping fatigue is also a huge factor. I am DONE after about 90 minutes.

[Girl From Mars]

I have no problems finding a bra to fit me at 32DD (even maternity and nursing ones when I was 34E-F) because I went to the trouble of getting properly fitted for them, at a store which stocks a good range of bigger sizes.

As a contrast, I wandered around a department store like Target Australia and the largest maternity cup size they had was a C. If that was where I chose to shop, I'd either be completely out of luck, or trying to stuff myself into something which clearly would not do the job. Even the fitter at Myer was no good - she measured me as a 14 D, which left me really unsupported (most of the support is in the band, not the straps).

So the results of that survey don't surprise me, and finding a good fitter and bra stockist is really worth it.

[TruCelt]

I have never found one that fit in a store. I've had luck online a couple of times, but I've spent loads of money on "close-enough" bras and many an evening took one off right inside the front door when I got home.

I've since started buying them custom made on line (www.decentexposures.com (http://www.decentexposures.com)) and will forever bless the Dope for leading me to that site. It's just so amazing to actually want to wear one, and feel comfortable all day in it.

[purplehorseshoe]

I voted "no problem," because it's not hard to FIND the right bra or bra size for me, but it takes several hours of trying them on. They're out there, but I have to spend a while in the store.

Of course, that several hours is torture, but the actual bra or bras that work for me are available. I just have to dedicate one day every year to finding them.

Everything about your post is true ... except the "no problem" part. :dubious:

[Tracyfish]

It's hard for me because it turns out I need a band size that is smaller than 32, and most stores only go down to size 32. I was really happy to find a shop that goes down to 30 for band size and offers free tailoring last month.

[vix]

I chose "other" because I have no problem finding a bra that fits, given a helpful salesperson. However, as others have pointed out, bras stretch and bodies change, so keeping a bra fitting properly is a challenge.

[The Defenestrator]

It's torture. I know exactly what I want in style, color, cut, padding and price, but my size is not in the standard range...small cup, large band. So if I see a bra I like, they will stop one band size before what I need, or not offer it in my cup size.

Pretty much this. I finally found a good bra that I liked, then I got pregnant, and now I'm nursing, so adding that into the mix, I've just given up for now. I wear solely nursing tanks from target, gilligan & o'malley. They do nothing for looks or nipple hiding and don't really give me that much support, but they are comfortable enough and cheap.

[SpoilerVirgin]

I think a lot of it has to do with the limited size range that many stores offer. If you fit within their parameters (and that's not just a particular cup or band size, it's a particular combination of cup and band size) you're golden. If not, it's very difficult. I used to wear a larger band size with a smaller cup, and bra shopping was fairly difficult. Now that I am a 36C, pretty much every bra made is available to me, and I can easily find bras that fit me perfectly. Being a standard size also saves a lot of money. Before I used to have to go for the $60.00 and up bras; now I can fit into the $19.99 special.

[Dr. Woo]

I've never been fitted, so I just do a wild-ass guess on a bra every 5 - 10 years or so. I've never had the nerve or patience or whatever to wait around in a department store lingerie department for some 17 year old gum-chewing part-time sales clerk to mess with my boobs. Ugh! All those makeover shows say you should get fitted, but where do you go to do that? What store actually employs anyone who knows anything at all about boobs and bras?

I also keep reading about how most women wear bras with the band size too big and the cup size too small, so with that and my current brassiere discomfort in mind, I bought a smaller band size/larger cup size. Of course it's too bleeping small in the band (it pulls up right over my boobs for pete's sake) and sure enough, the stupid cups are too bleeping big.

And I'm an average size. I cannot even imagine what it would be like for someone who needs a J cup a 28 band.

[alice_in_wonderland]

I also keep reading about how most women wear bras with the band size too big and the cup size too small, so with that and my current brassiere discomfort in mind, I bought a smaller band size/larger cup size. Of course it's too bleeping small in the band (it pulls up right over my boobs for pete's sake) and sure enough, the stupid cups are too bleeping big.

And I'm an average size. I cannot even imagine what it would be like for someone who needs a J cup a 28 band.

Many times I do this (big band, small cup) because my size is just not something that is available. Currently I'm a 32 H (I"m nursing) and I was thisclose to buying a 36 F just because they were on sale half off at the Bay. I talked myself out of it because wearing the wrong size bra not only makes me grumpy, but it doesn't look good when you can see the band riding way up in the back and I'm having enough 'I don't look nice.' issues right now without the girls giving me grief as well.

[WhyNot]

What store actually employs anyone who knows anything at all about boobs and bras?

Nordstrom's. No 17 year old gum chewers, more like 58 year old matrons with measuring tapes (who don't even need the measuring tapes, their eyes are just that good.)

I made the investment for a couple of good, well fitted bras at Nordstroms for $65 each. (ETA: Not all of Nordstrom's bras cost that much. But all of Nordstrom's bras in my size cost that much.) Then I discovered Catherine's, as mentioned above, with a knock off of the same bra (slightly cheaper material and stitching), for $22. Even though they don't last quite as long, the cheaper price - enabling me to own more than two bras at once - is way worth it.

[aruvqan]

I have never found one that fit in a store. I've had luck online a couple of times, but I've spent loads of money on "close-enough" bras and many an evening took one off right inside the front door when I got home.

I've since started buying them custom made on line (www.decentexposures.com (http://www.decentexposures.com)) and will forever bless the Dope for leading me to that site. It's just so amazing to actually want to wear one, and feel comfortable all day in it.

I think in March when it is the ceremonial buying of the undies time I may indulge in some custom undies from them, and a couple tank shirt dresses for lounging around the house in [looks more comfy than a mans shirt from a tall/pudgy store]

[rhubarbarin]

It's hard for me, but a]I know enough about bras and fitting to know that b]I'm an unusual size, so no 'real bras' that fit properly and flatter are carried anywhere in the USA. Incorrectly sized bras are uncomfortable or even painful for me to wear as I have really sensitive breast tissue, it can't be squeezed or poked by a poorly-fitting bra for very long or I will get lasting soreness and sometimes, cysts.

Since I have shipped in all of my correctly-fitting non-sports or flattening 'training' bras from Britain or Scotland, I voted 'very hard'.

ETA: I usually wear a 28C, so I'm stuck in the no-man's land between kid sizes (28A and B) and the many specialty brands that cater to the small-backed, larger-busted woman (28D+). I think I'll make it into the second category if I gain the weight I want to.

[Lamia]

I votes "Somewhat hard", for reasons that have already been mentioned: I'm a hard to find size, many of the available styles don't feel right or are otherwise not what I want, and some styles I did like have been discontinued. I recently found a Vanity Fair bra that I like (after literally trying on EVERY BRA IN THE STORE that came in my size), and I stocked up -- I have four identical ones now and am planning to buy more. I've been burned by the discontinued style thing too many times before.

Lots of women have never been properly fitted or believe they should still be wearing the same size they have for years. The fact that bras get stretched out over time can add to the confusion -- if a woman has gained weight her stretched-out bra band may still fit fine, but when she goes to buy a new bra in the same size it will be too small. There can also be a lot of variation in fit with different styles or manufacturers.

Another common problem is that when a bra doesn't fit right, it can be difficult to tell why. For instance, if a woman's bra keeps sagging down in front she might reasonably assume that she needs to tighten the shoulder straps...but this just causes it to ride up in the back while still sagging in the front. She might then wonder if she's wearing too big of a cup size and try something smaller, only to find that her breasts bulge out at the sides of the smaller cups. In this case the actual problem is likely wearing a band size that's too large, but this isn't exactly intuitive.

[Markxxx]

From a guy's standpoint this is interesting, as you would think it wouldn't be such a difficult thing, but evidently it is.

[Proudest Monkey]

One of my tests of a great bra is whether or not I keep it on when I don't really have to. Sometimes taking the bra off is the greatest aaaahhhhh of the day.

There are so many variables (band size, cup size, underwires or not, padding or not, minimizer or not, color, strap detail, etc.) that the likelihood of finding the perfect bra in a department store is small. In my experience.

In my lifetime, I've owned more bras that weren't right than bras that were.

Recently, I found THE ONE and I bought several of them. Now they will either discontinue it, or my weight will fluctuate and they will no longer fit. I love my breasts and love how they look when properly presented. But I hate the search for the perfect vehicle that supplies comfort, attractiveness and support.

[MaddyStrut]

I'm a 36A. It seem manufacturers have decided that I'd better have boobs if my rib cage measure all of 36. It's really hard to find an A cup in something larger than a 32.

And I don't like to order online since the cups are usually too narrowly spaced in the front. Apparently, my boobs are too widely spaced.

Finally, I need some padding to avoid the nips showing if I don't wear a sweater or something over my shirt. I can find teenager bras to fit, but they usually don't have any padding.

Honestly, I look in the mirror and I don't appear to be a mutant with too wide boobs that are too small for my oh-so-giant rib cage. But I must be one.

[alice_in_wonderland]

Honestly, I look in the mirror and I don't appear to be a mutant with too wide boobs that are too small for my oh-so-giant rib cage. But I must be one.

We didn't want to say anything....
















:D I totally feel you - I bet when you walk into Victoria's Secret and inquire about their sizing run they don't gape at you like you're a hideous mutant when you mention your size though. :)

[Freudian Slit]

Not really hard for me. I got measured once at a nice bra shop with bra experts, and I've just gone with that size and that particularly brand. (I have noticed that with some brands, my size is a little off.)

[PandaBear77]

I gave up trying to find a nice bra years and years ago. I'm a big girl AND a weird size to boot.

And finding a PRETTY bra? Im-fucking-possible. The American lingerie industry does business under the assumption that fat girls never have sex.

I'm not bitter, noo ...

[WhyNot]

And finding a PRETTY bra? Im-fucking-possible. The American lingerie industry does business under the assumption that fat girls never have sex.

I'm not bitter, noo ...
I (http://www.herroom.com/La-Perla-904541-Malizia-Sirena-Full-Underwire-Bra.shtml) don't (http://www.herroom.com/Freya-5721-Arabella-Underwire-Plunge-Bra.shtml) know (http://www.herroom.com/Felina-110061-Gabriella-Full-Busted-Bra.shtml) about (http://www.herroom.com/Chantelle-3855-Icone-Demi-Bra.shtml) that (http://www.herroom.com/Empreinte-1492-Salome-Low-Plunge-Underwire-Triangle-Bra.shtml). (Although the last one might give me a permanent headache from the sticker shock!) But yeah, compared to the 13 dozen cute cheap bras at Victoria's Secret, it does take more looking...and more cash.

[Kyla]

Timely thread. I read an article several years ago about how important it is to get a good bra and how big a difference professional fitting makes, etc. and since I needed some new bras anyway, I went to Nordstrom and got the fitting and splurged on some pricey bras.

MAJOR difference. Totally worth the money, imho.

Anyway, just yesterday I went to Nordstrom and went through the whole shebang, got a couple bras and today was BAD. The bra that felt great in the dressing room became increasingly uncomfortable as the day went on. So, even with a professional fitting, getting the right bra can be a challenge. (Although this is the first time I have had a problem with a bra from Nordstrom.)

Fortunately, since it's Nordstrom, I had my salesgirl's business card and called her up to make sure I could return it, and she assured me I could. Yay!

[rhubarbarin]

I'm a 36A. It seem manufacturers have decided that I'd better have boobs if my rib cage measure all of 36. It's really hard to find an A cup in something larger than a 32.

And I don't like to order online since the cups are usually too narrowly spaced in the front. Apparently, my boobs are too widely spaced.

Finally, I need some padding to avoid the nips showing if I don't wear a sweater or something over my shirt. I can find teenager bras to fit, but they usually don't have any padding.

Honestly, I look in the mirror and I don't appear to be a mutant with too wide boobs that are too small for my oh-so-giant rib cage. But I must be one.

I felt this way when I was wearing a 32A. Turns out my boobs are not too far apart - I'm just not an A cup (even though I have very small breasts). If your actual ribcage measurement is 35 or 36" (or if you've already heard what I'm going to say), then my point is moot. But if it is something like 34 or 32", you might want to try on some 34Bs and 32Cs.;)

[Flutterby]

:D I totally feel you - I bet when you walk into Victoria's Secret and inquire about their sizing run they don't gape at you like you're a hideous mutant when you mention your size though. :)

I'm just happy that I'll finally be able to walk into a Victoria's Secret and see if they carry my size! Yay for one opening in the spring!

Of course I could be horribly disappointed, but hope springs eternal..

[OldnCrinkly]

Another problem I find, that I'm suprised hasn't been mentioned, is that different shirts look better with different bras. Strapless, one shouldered, halter tops, even a wide neckline on a shirt, can all look bad with the wrong bra. But that wrong bra may be the best one to wear under some other top. So I think that even within the range of bras that fit properly I still need bras that flatter properly, a function that may vary.

[Incref]

I used to think it was relatively easy and that I was a 34C, I mentioned my cup size to a friend who works in lingerie and she almost spat her drink at me in shock, "YOU ARE NOT A C! YOU ARE AT LEAST A D!"

This came as a surprise to me as my girlfriend wears a DD but her boobs are waaaay bigger than mine. Maybe we have both been kidding ourselves. I have to drop in to my friend's work and get fitted, apparently you shouldn't have substantial cleavage if it's not a push up bra.

[moejoe]

I don't have much problem with size, but shape is a real challenge for me. I like round, not pointy on cone like or seamed. It seems like if you want any nip coverage at all you have to let the bra decide what your shape will be. Hate that.

I have had good luck with buying them online from Aerie, most of the bras are about $35, lined, pretty, and the size is consistent from one bra to the next.

[Cat Fight]

Women's breasts also change significantly with age and/or even a small weight gain, leading to the need to change sizes or styles of bras.

Some women's breasts also go down a cup size or so depending on the time of the month.

[Rachellelogram]

So hard I stopped wearing one. I went to several different retail shops to be told my boobs were anywhere from a D cup to an H with equally varying numerical measurements. My boobs are really not that big--certainly not a goddamn H--and they're pretty small proportionally to the rest of me. Maybe between a C/D if I had to guess, and there's an atypically large gap between them (I can't do cleavage even though smaller girls with the same size of boob could do it easily--they're just not close enough together no matter how hard they're lifted and pushed or pulled).

I tried on every conceivable size of bra at Lane Bryant, and none of them fit right. I'm convinced that I would have to get a bra custom-fit to my measurements if I were to get one that fit properly. I'm much happier bra-less than I am in a constricting bra. I just wear an undershirt instead. I have small nipple "points" if you will (the areola is large but the nipple itself is tiny even when erect). So I don't blast headlights at people, lol

[Pigs in Space]

I'm a 36A. It seem manufacturers have decided that I'd better have boobs if my rib cage measure all of 36. It's really hard to find an A cup in something larger than a 32.

And I don't like to order online since the cups are usually too narrowly spaced in the front. Apparently, my boobs are too widely spaced.

Finally, I need some padding to avoid the nips showing if I don't wear a sweater or something over my shirt. I can find teenager bras to fit, but they usually don't have any padding.

Honestly, I look in the mirror and I don't appear to be a mutant with too wide boobs that are too small for my oh-so-giant rib cage. But I must be one.

Lula Lu Petites (http://www.lulalu.com/) is great for small cup sizes. The Timpa bras I got there are the only underwires I can call comfortable. I measure out to a 34A, really take a 34B, and in this bra I'm a 34C, but it fits my shape very well. I completely understand about not being able to buy online, if you're not in the bay area.

[CanvasShoes]

Women's breasts come in different sizes and shapes, which means that even if two women measure themselves, and find they should wear the same bra size, the same style of bra might not work for both of them. Bras are very much an item that needs to be tried on for fit.

In addition, even though bra manufacturers CLAIM to use the same sizing system, they don't. They are liars. Big, big liars. Hell, if a woman wears a 34C in Acme Company's "Lovely Lift" line, that doesn't mean that she'll wear a 34C in any of Acme Company's other bras. When she tries on bras, yeah, she can start by trying 34Cs in various styles...but they might not fit right.

Bras tend to stretch horribly. Part of this is just the nature of the material they're made from, and part of this is because most women tend to throw them in the washer and dryer. It's OK to wash bras in the washer, on a gentle cycle, with cold or lukewarm water, but heat will destroy the elasticity of the bra. So women, air-dry your bras! It's best to handwash bras in cool or lukewarm water and then air-dry, but who handwashes stuff any more?

I used to fit bras, and the majority of women that I fitted were indeed wearing the wrong size bra, and quite often, the wrong style, too.

Oh, and JUST when a woman has found a bra that fits properly, and does great things for her bust, then the manufacturer will discontinue that style. It's like a law or something.

snip......... At any rate, it seems that bras are either aggravating to wear, or ineffectual, or both. It seems that we can't design a bra that is both comfortable AND effective.About 90% of what Lynn says here minus the underwire hatred (MUST Have them, cannot get good support without them for me), plus just a few other thoughts.

It's the weirdest thing, bra manufacturers seem to think that if a woman has large breasts, she must then also be large all over, and vice versa.

So often if a woman is a DDD she can't find a bra with a band size smaller than 36. And women who are AAAs often can't find bras with band sizes bigger than say 38.

Bra sizes more "custom" than that are available, but at a hell of a lot more money than the department store ones.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

And...what is up with D, DD, DDD, etc.? I get measured for a bra and it turns out my ideal size is 32G. So does it go D, DD, DDD, G? Or is it D, DD, DDD, E, F, G? I mean, what the hell, you don't starting doubling the letters until you've exhausted the letters, right?

Well, I know where to find 'em now. The thing is that I would like a minimizer. That's really hard in my size because, apparently, most people who are my size are that way on purpose, and they don't want minimizers or they wouldn't have gone that big in the first place.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Some bra manufacturers use DD instead of E, DDD instead of F. Some will put something like 42DD(E) on the package. I don't know why they do this. Maybe this is an effort to sell more bras.

They're all in this together, it's a conspiracy, I tells ya! Just like it's a conspiracy when you find THE perfect style, then they discontinue it.

[Nava]

I'd quote Lynn's first post, only I'd have to quote it in full and I don't like doing that.

In my case, the extra-wide base means no tolerance for underwire. The owner of the store where I used to buy my bras had retired, leaving the store to her idiot daughter who promptly ran it into the ground; the first time I went there after the change of hands, Ms Curly Lip informed me that she did not have any no-underwire... "but you have lots of Playtex and Peter Pan, I know both brands make no-wires, don't you have any?" "those are out of fashion" - me and my unfashionable tits had to start looking elsewhere.

About three years ago I changed sizes: I used to be a 90/75, and I think I really should be a 95/75 now, but the codes used for sizes have also changed, so the first thing I need when I'm looking for bras is someone who can translate that to what the boxes say; there seem to be very few brands which have any size labeled 75C (I think that's what it translates to, only not everywhere... any bra sold in Spain carries codes for 4 or 5 different sizing systems), but also, and since the actual measurements aren't the same as what the label says, I often end up getting 80Bs and the occasional one in my old size (75B I think, I know I was a B-cup). Thankfully and after a bad experience with someone who was supposed to be an expert in sizings but who used a different method from anybody else and who gave me 115/75 (honey, I could fit both tits in one of these cups, if I happened to be able to squeeze them together!) and two years of "you know, these don't... quite fit", last year I located another good corsetier in the town where my family lives: one of the things I did last Christmas was buy 5 new bras.

Oh, and it's one of those cases where you can't just say "I like this model, please give me one each in whisky, skin, white and black" (why are there no other colors in my size unless they have underwires? Hey Playtex, I want navy! My panties are red and green and yellow and fuchsia and orange... but bras? Hah.) - nope, you have to try every single one, and you may find out that one is too long on the band while another one is ok but needs to be hooked at a different position :confused: You can even get that with the exact same model in the exact same size, same color and same batch!

[Nava]

Checked: the bra I have on right now says: E-P 100B, FR 100B, GR-EU 85B, UK 38B. Not only does my ribcage no way measure 85cm, you need a gorramn GPS to navigate through that.

[SecondJudith]

I don't know that it's hard, so much as that most women don't realize there is something better out there. So they wear what they've always worn because they don't know there's any option, and figure that their troubles (uniboob, slipping straps, digging straps, pokey underwires, whatever) is just part and parcel of being a woman. It's not, it's part and parcel of wearing the wrong bra.

I totally agree with this. I thought I was a 36C for years until I was sized properly at Rigby and Peller and it has made an amazing difference. Now that I know I'm a 32DD I can go into M&S or wherever and pick up everyday bras that I know will fit just off the rack.

I have two Rigby & Peller bras that are my "good" ones - one is "everyday" but really well made and comfy, which was £65, and one is my sports bra, which was £28. I've had them both for about 18months and the sports bra just now gave up, although the everyday one is still going strong. I definitely believe in investing in high quality bras that last a long time. I do have a few fun (bright polka dots and things)/date night ones from M&S, but I don't wear those every day.

[SecondJudith]

Some bra manufacturers use DD instead of E, DDD instead of F. Some will put something like 42DD(E) on the package. I don't know why they do this. Maybe this is an effort to sell more bras.

In the UK, DD and E are two different sizes. I'm not sure why.

[Filbert]

In the UK, DD and E are two different sizes. I'm not sure why.

Because.. they're different sizes, E is bigger? UK sizing goes D, DD, E (no EE) F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK.. and then you're probably out of luck. I've found the odd L and even an M once, but they're really hard to find, even in supposed specialist shops.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

The minimizer I like--which I generally have to special order, and even if they have one in the store with the right size it may not work, and if they have two in the store that say they're the same size, they're always different--says "32 XXPS" and how the hell do bra fitters know all this stuff? DD can be E, but not necessarily, and so forth, and then we get into XXPS territory (this one is manufactured in New York by people in a union BTW).

[WhyNot]

... and how the hell do bra fitters know all this stuff? DD can be E, but not necessarily, and so forth, and then we get into XXPS territory (this one is manufactured in New York by people in a union BTW).
When you have nothing to do but fold bras all day, what else is there to learn? :D I knew way more about movies when I worked at a video store, just out of sheer boredom!

[Blackberry]

I never understood this either, this thing about [some high %] of women are wearing the wrong size bra. Okay, well, there are only so many sizes. Even if I'm not wearing the most optimal size imaginable, I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere in the ballpark, and the ballpark is not THAT variable. There are countless different TYPES of bras, but there are only so many sizes. If I think I'm a 34D, maybe a 32DD or a 36C would fit better, but I'm pretty sure I'm not actually a 40F or a 30AA, so the statistic just makes no sense to me. If there are three sizes I'm deciding between, even by chance I should be right 33% of the time.

[PandaBear77]

I (http://www.herroom.com/La-Perla-904541-Malizia-Sirena-Full-Underwire-Bra.shtml) don't (http://www.herroom.com/Freya-5721-Arabella-Underwire-Plunge-Bra.shtml) know (http://www.herroom.com/Felina-110061-Gabriella-Full-Busted-Bra.shtml) about (http://www.herroom.com/Chantelle-3855-Icone-Demi-Bra.shtml) that (http://www.herroom.com/Empreinte-1492-Salome-Low-Plunge-Underwire-Triangle-Bra.shtml). (Although the last one might give me a permanent headache from the sticker shock!) But yeah, compared to the 13 dozen cute cheap bras at Victoria's Secret, it does take more looking...and more cash.


Not one of those sites you linked carried anything near my size. Once you go past a 38 or 40 band size you're pretty much screwed as far as "pretty" goes :(

[Hilarity N. Suze]

When you have nothing to do but fold bras all day, what else is there to learn? :D I knew way more about movies when I worked at a video store, just out of sheer boredom!

Ah, but the 32XXPSes do not fold! They don't pack very well, either.

(Okay, I will modify your sentence to read: "When you have nothing to do but HANG BRAS ON HANGERS and PUT THE BOXES INTO DRAWERS all day..."

[ladyfoxfyre]

Very difficult. Just like clothing for women seemingly has no standardization, bras offer only a little bit more in terms of standardized sizing. Sure, we have band sizes and cup sizes, but I have been inaccurately measured at several places in my time. One woman at VS tried convincing me I was a 34 C. There are many people on this board who know me in real life, and they would all laugh at that estimation. I told her no, thank you, please bring me the D cup because a C will never work. She wouldn't believe me and kept bringing me 34C until I stepped out of the dressing room with quadro-boob and she finally relented and got me the D cup.

Continuing in that vein, there are so many manufacturers out there that even a slight difference in how a bra is cut can skew how the bra fits. The bottom line is there is so much variation in breast size, placement on the chest, chest circumference, and the cut of the bra that for a piece of clothing you are expected to wear for the majority of your waking life, it is difficult to find one that has the correct fit for you.

[Lamia]

I just remembered an anecdote about my sister. She was complaining about how she couldn't find a bra that fit, and actually burst into tears describing how even the A-cup was way too big and she'd never be able to wear anything but sports bras. And this was a 24 year old woman, not a 14 year old kid.

Anyway, while my sister is not what you'd call busty, I was pretty sure she wasn't less than an A-cup. I asked her what band size she was trying on, and she said a 36. I said "There's no way you're a 36, because I'm not a 36 and you're skinnier than I am!"

She insisted that she was indeed a 36 and could not be persuaded otherwise. I asked her if she was sure she'd been measuring herself correctly and even explained the method, and she swore she'd done it right and that she was definitely a 36. She absolutely refused to consider any other possibility, so I finally gave up and just told her that she should ask a bra fitter at the store to measure her and recommend something.

A while later I was visiting and saw my sister had new bras hanging up in the bathroom. (She always had bras hanging in the bathroom -- she'd hang them up to dry and then never put them away.) I said "Oh, I see you did get some new bras. What size are they?" Turns out she actually measured to a 32B, which would have been about my guess. I refrained from saying "Did I not tell you there was no way you were a 36?", which was probably wise, but to this day I have no idea why she'd been so firmly convinced that she was two band sizes bigger than she actually was.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Theoretically, a woman is supposed to measure either just under her armpits, and take that measurement as is, or measure just under the bottom of her tits, and add four inches. This is the band size. Then you're supposed to measure across the fullest part of your bust, and do some adding or subtracting to get your cup size. Many women, however, will say that they're a 36C when they mean that they wear a C cup, but that their bust measurement is 36...and so they don't get the right band size.

Hanging bras up to dry is good. However, most people feel that this detracts from the decor.

[Lamia]

Theoretically, a woman is supposed to measure either just under her armpits, and take that measurement as is, or measure just under the bottom of her tits, and add four inches. This is the band size. Then you're supposed to measure across the fullest part of your bust, and do some adding or subtracting to get your cup size. Many women, however, will say that they're a 36C when they mean that they wear a C cup, but that their bust measurement is 36...and so they don't get the right band size.That makes a kind of sense, although in my sister's case I'm pretty sure she didn't have a 36" bust either. But this was not exactly the first time in her life that my sister has been firmly convinced of something that wasn't true.
Hanging bras up to dry is good. However, most people feel that this detracts from the decor.Yeah, I always air dry mine as well...I just put them away when they're dried out! :)

[rhubarbarin]

Theoretically, a woman is supposed to measure either just under her armpits, and take that measurement as is, or measure just under the bottom of her tits, and add four inches. This is the band size. Then you're supposed to measure across the fullest part of your bust, and do some adding or subtracting to get your cup size. Many women, however, will say that they're a 36C when they mean that they wear a C cup, but that their bust measurement is 36...and so they don't get the right band size.

Hanging bras up to dry is good. However, most people feel that this detracts from the decor.

This is debateable. There is a school of thought that due to the fact that bras are now made with so much spandex, there's no need to add four or five inches to your ribcage measurement at all - to do so will put most in a bra which is too loose in the band to provide proper support (which means it will ride up on your back and your shoulder straps will cut into you).

Works for me - I've got barely-27" ribs and wear a 28 band. 32s are huge on me.

[carnut]

In the UK, DD and E are two different sizes. I'm not sure why.

I was told that DD is halfway between D and E. I'm not sure that is true. I couldn't find one that fit while I was there anyway.

[Girl From Mars]

Not one of those sites you linked carried anything near my size. Once you go past a 38 or 40 band size you're pretty much screwed as far as "pretty" goes :(

This is where (http://www.bravalingerie.com.au/view;jsessionid=93E065967A112EF9AF73E9142356CBED.C1N1?command=cman_view_webpage&pkey=brava&webpage_id=17&inp_profile_id=5&searchtype=product%20attributes&Size=22%20H&inp_search_refer=Y) I get my bras from, and they have 22H (I think this is 44H?) as their largest size, if the brands are any help.

[Lamia]

This is debateable. There is a school of thought that due to the fact that bras are now made with so much spandex, there's no need to add four or five inches to your ribcage measurement at all - to do so will put most in a bra which is too loose in the band to provide proper support (which means it will ride up on your back and your shoulder straps will cut into you).

Works for me - I've got barely-27" ribs and wear a 28 band. 32s are huge on me.I've heard this, but I think there must be two different sizing systems in place because I have never, ever seen a bra with a band size under 32. I have an underbust measurement of 29", but if I needed that as my band size I'd be SOL. Looking at the Victoria's Secret website I see that they do produce a 30, but it only comes in A and B cups and I've never seen that size in VS stores anyway. I generally buy my bras in department stores and have never seen less than a 32 in any of them either. I was a 32 when I was younger and thinner and even that can be difficult to find in the bigger cup sizes.

I just put one of my bras on the bed and measured it out, and the total length comes to 26" or 27". That's 2-3" less than my actual rib measurement and a good 7-8" less than the band size (34). So the band size number clearly does not reflect the real length of the band or my underbust measurement, and it must be stretching a couple of inches just to fit around me.

[SecondJudith]

Because.. they're different sizes, E is bigger? UK sizing goes D, DD, E (no EE) F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK.. and then you're probably out of luck. I've found the odd L and even an M once, but they're really hard to find, even in supposed specialist shops.

I know how UK sizing works, I live here. What I meant is that I'm unsure why manufacturers suddenly start bothering with double letters above a D.

[Antigen]

Oh, and JUST when a woman has found a bra that fits properly, and does great things for her bust, then the manufacturer will discontinue that style. It's like a law or something.

This is why, when I find one that fits perfectly, I buy at least two.

I'm a regular, average size, not too big or small to find bras at JCPenney or Sears, but the styles can be a pain to navigate through. Lots of bras have molded cups, and my boobs are not shaped like their molds. So either I'll squeeze out the sides a little and get the dreaded quadraboob or I'll go up a size and have dead space inside the cups and it'll look like a cave-in. Victoria's Secret bras are like this for me in general, so I never bother shopping there anymore. Which is too bad because some of their stuff is very pretty!

Add to that the fact that different brands (even different lines within the same brand) will have slightly different sizing, so I'll try on dozens before I get it right. And some of them stretch horribly with wearing or washing, so they'll feel great for a week or two and then I'm yanking on them all day.

I hate bra shopping.

[booklover]

I think I am something like a 38C (though have never been measured, so no doubt this is wrong). I salute the people who are brave enough to have a professional size them, as I cannot conceive of doing this.

My big problem seems to be spillage from the top of the cups---the demi-bra style is a disaster waiting to happen, and I will spend a bit of time in the dressing room bending over, hopping, etc. to see if there is any chance a boob will come flying out when I least expect it. As Antigen said, the molded cups never seem to fit my chest and look very weird on me.

Plus, I like a nice wide (preferably elastic) strap to keep the straps from biting into my shoulders. Some manufacturers have bras with great cups, but the straps are made out of some itchy, nonstretchy fabric, or are so skinny that I feel like the weight of my chest is pulling on them.

I normally buy the Bali bras that have "concealer petals" (gag-inducing name) to prevent undue nipple-age, since a padded bra just makes me look huge. They have a style that mimics underwire but doesn't have any actual wires in it as well.

Hate bra-shopping with a passion, and hate it even more now that I'm in my thirties and things are starting to sag.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

Spillage from the cups--wrong size bra.

Straps digging in--wrong size bra.

Get professionally fitted. You will be amazed at the difference.

[KarlGrenze]

Soma's bras (from the same line as Chico's clothing) are very good. Their minimizers have wide, comfy straps that don't dig into my shoulders.

Right now, the bras I have that DO dig my shoulders are my old ones that are on their way to being slowly phased out in exchange for newer ones (either Soma's or VS).

I wouldn't dislike bra shopping so much if I had more money to buy the bras I truly need.

[Rhiannon8404]

I go get myself professionally fitted every year or so. I don't have any problems finding the right bra because I have an expert find it for me.

[Lamia]

I think I am something like a 38C (though have never been measured, so no doubt this is wrong). I salute the people who are brave enough to have a professional size them, as I cannot conceive of doing this.You may be aware of this already, but just in case you aren't, you don't have to take off your bra for a fitting.
My big problem seems to be spillage from the top of the cupsI'd be pretty sure this means you need a bigger cup size.

[Rhiannon8404]

I think I am something like a 38C (though have never been measured, so no doubt this is wrong). I salute the people who are brave enough to have a professional size them, as I cannot conceive of doing this.

If this is because you don't want to be seen w/o your bra...don't worry. They measure you around your old bra. And they don't touch you. Only the tape actually touches you. They are very professional.

They can tell by looking, what is wrong with your old bra. Usually then they will either take you around or just go and get like a dozen or so bras, different styles and sizes for you to try. You go into the dressing room and try them on. If you hate it, just go onto the next one. If you like it, or aren't sure they can help you with your straps or recommend a different style. If you want more help, they will help you. If you don't, just tell them to give you a bit of time and they will probably just come back and check on you in like 10 minutes or whatever.

I was nervous the first time I went. I am a quite a bit bigger than you and I was embarassed because I had gained weight up there. The ladies were so professional and in minutes I was totally comfortable.

[carnut]

Definitely get fitted every couple of years or so. It makes a huge difference. And don't let yourself be fitted at Vicky's Secrets. They're terrible.

Spillage usually means you need a bigger cup but it could just be the wrong style. Also, don't rely on the shoulder straps to do the supporting for you. Support should come from a well-fitting chest band. Go to Nordstroms if you can and ask for fitter. They are well-trained and professional.

[Green Cymbeline]

I chose very hard. I have a pretty normal size (36C) but 99% of bras do not fit me correctly. Right now there is only ONE bra out there I can wear, and it costs $80. So I usually have 2 in rotation, and have to get a new one about every 6-9 months after they stretch out. It really sucks.

[Lamia]

Definitely get fitted every couple of years or so. It makes a huge difference. And don't let yourself be fitted at Vicky's Secrets. They're terrible.I saw a fitter there twice, and the first one seemed fine and recommended a style that wound up fitting very well and that I liked a lot. (This style was, OF COURSE, discontinued about two years later.) The second time I asked to be fitted at VS the woman whipped out her measure tape right then and measured me over my sweater. I could have objected, but I figured anyone who had to be told not to take someone's bra measurements over a sweater wasn't going to do a proper job of it anyway, so I just let her do it and then left without buying anything. I've actually never been back.

[Lacunae Matata]

Spillage from the cups--wrong size bra.

Straps digging in--wrong size bra.

Get professionally fitted. You will be amazed at the difference.

Exactly. Most of your support should come from the band - the straps are pretty much like wearing suspenders along with a belt. (Think about it - strapless bras can be supportive, too.) I would guess that your band is too big and your cup size too small in your current bras. (And very few things irk me more than seeing women walk around with the back of their bra bands riding up above their shoulder blades - in that case, why freakin' bother with the bra? It's doing nothing except keeping your boobs warm!)

For me, bra shopping is right up there with balancing the checkbook or doing my taxes - time-consuming, annoying, but necessary. You have to get fitted. You have to try them on. And once you've done it, you have that "aaaah" feeling of comfort until next time.

One resource that hasn't been mentioned here (or I missed it): I don't bother with Victoria's Secret (her secret? She can't seem to make a decent bra for me!) and there's no Nordstrom within 120 miles of here, but there is a Hanes/Bali outlet store nearby. They do fittings, and seem to be pretty good (at least at this store.) I've bought all of my bras there for the past several years, minus the occasional sports bra when I find the right one elsewhere. I wear a 32DD, and can find my size at the outlet store, for a pretty decent price, and even found a nursing bra in my size there, for about $35.

[Incref]

For anyone who was interested I did get fitted by my lingerie friend and have gone from wearing a 12C (which is a 34C?) to a 10DD (32?). I always thought the cup sizes stayed the same and it was just the chest measurement that got bigger, obviously not.

[sandra_nz]

For anyone who was interested I did get fitted by my lingerie friend and have gone from wearing a 12C (which is a 34C?) to a 10DD (32?). I always thought the cup sizes stayed the same and it was just the chest measurement that got bigger, obviously not.

The cup size is relative to the band size, i.e. (although not the right numbers because I don't know what they are)
A cup - 1 inch bigger than band
B cup - 2 inches bigger than band
C cup - 3 inches bigger than band
D cup - 4 inches bigger than band, etc.

So say the measurement across your breasts is 36 inches:
If the measurement under your breasts is 32 inches, you are a 32D.
If the measurement under your breast is 34 inches, you are a 34B.

[Dangerosa]

I go get myself professionally fitted every year or so. I don't have any problems finding the right bra because I have an expert find it for me.

I do the same, but I won't say I don't have ANY problems.

First of all, it isn't fun. And it takes at least an hour and after an hour I've put on 30 bras to find ONE style that fits, looks good under my clothes, looks good with my shirt off (I'm vain that way), and is comfortable. And sometimes I have to make compromises on one of the above. When I'm done, the bra I have in my hand will run between $70 and $130 - and it will be the ONE in that size Nordstrom has in stock. I'll order three to have them shipped to me.

So problems:

Its time consuming.
I'm not modest, but still, its not my favorite activity to stand in a dressing room while someone hands me bras.
I seldom get EXACTLY what I want in terms of function, fashion and comfort.
I spent a metric ton of money.

[rhubarbarin]

I urge all of you who say you have the right size but struggle to find a single bra in that size that works for you; explore other sizes. Go down one band and up 1-3 cups, see if it works better. When I found my correct size, it was an amazing difference; suddenly instead of 10% of the bras I tried on being comfortable and well-fitting, it jumped to around 90%. I honestly did think my boobs were weird; but it had nothing to do with them, it was just that the vast majority of 32As don't fit any part of my body.

For anyone who was interested I did get fitted by my lingerie friend and have gone from wearing a 12C (which is a 34C?) to a 10DD (32?). I always thought the cup sizes stayed the same and it was just the chest measurement that got bigger, obviously not.

The opposite, usually. Most women do not carry much weight around their ribs (the measurement of which should be close to the number on the band), so with weight gain and body changes, it's not unusual to go up or down many letters while the number stays the same.

[Dangerosa]

I urge all of you who say you have the right size but struggle to find a single bra in that size that works for you; explore other sizes. Go down one band and up 1-3 cups, see if it works better. When I found my correct size, it was an amazing difference; suddenly instead of 10% of the bras I tried on being comfortable and well-fitting, it jumped to around 90%. I honestly did think my boobs were weird; but it had nothing to do with them, it was just that the vast majority of 32As don't fit any part of my body.


Of course. Otherwise there wouldn't be 30 bras AVAILABLE in my size at Nordstrom. But still, far less then 10% will fit, look good under my clothes, be fairly attractive, and comfortable. (32F, try having a teeny tiny ribcage and middle aged stripper boobs).

[rhubarbarin]

Of course. Otherwise there wouldn't be 30 bras AVAILABLE in my size at Nordstrom. But still, far less then 10% will fit, look good under my clothes, be fairly attractive, and comfortable. (32F, try having a teeny tiny ribcage and middle aged stripper boobs).

If your ribcage is really tiny, you could very well be a 30G or 28GG. But those sizes are not available in American department stores.

[carnut]

Menopause caused me to have to change the style of bra I wear. Luckily, there is one, but only one, that works for me in my size. I am a dreaded H at the moment. Hopefully, weight loss will help in that regard.

[Dangerosa]

If your ribcage is really tiny, you could very well be a 30G or 28GG. But those sizes are not available in American department stores.

No, I'm a 32 or 34. I'm not that tiny - haven't been since pregnancy.

[j666]

Impossible; they don't exist.

I have a very broad back and am not particularly 'well-endowed'; no-one makes bras with the right band and cup size combination for me.

I also have very square sholder and 'over-erect' posture. Add in breasts that are atypically high with respect to my scapula, and there is no bra on the planet that does not dig, squeeze, slip, or sag. The only bras that are comfortable are cotton sports bras, but that raises the nipple issue. My nipples, though not particularly large, are rather stubborn.

God, this is a depressing thread.

[Lynn Bodoni]

There are nipple covers made to help with the nipple issue. They are flower shaped and generally come in beige and black, and are called petals. I can't remember where I saw them for sale, though.

[Zyada]

I don't have any trouble finding the a bra that fits in the band and the cup, but I have a weird body in that my shoulders slope much more than normal* and I am generally shorter from neck to waistline.

So I can find bras that fit me easily enough, but the shoulder straps on most of them slide off after a couple of hours of wearing. There are a couple of things I can look for in styling that help me pinpoint which bras are more or less likely to work, but not with 100% reliability. It's not something that I can check in the fitting room either (I've even tried jumping up and down!).

Sometimes I modify the bra if I like it otherwise, and sometimes I just give up in disgust.

*really - my mom had a custom pattern making program and it would complain about my shoulders every time we printed out a pattern for me.

[AshenLady]

I hate brassieres. I only wear them when I have to. Most of them must have been designed by misogynists of one kind or another.

No man would put up with the discomfort that these things offer.

[WhyNot]

There are nipple covers made to help with the nipple issue. They are flower shaped and generally come in beige and black, and are called petals. I can't remember where I saw them for sale, though.

Again, Nordstrom, and they're really not terribly priced. I've also seen them at Marshalls and TJMaxx, but it's hit or miss. (Heh...does anyone else remember Hit or Miss, or am I getting old?)

Or, of course, Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_sq_top?ie=UTF8&keywords=petals%20bra%20inserts&index=blended&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000L1C8KS&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0K8HPJ7AXJX945Y37VJC). (Oh, good lord, why are some of these categorized in "Baby Products (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_seeall_8?rh=k%3Apetals+bra+inserts%2Ci%3Ababy-products&keywords=petals+bra+inserts&ie=UTF8&qid=1296236987)"?!)

[Girl From Mars]

I don't have any trouble finding the a bra that fits in the band and the cup, but I have a weird body in that my shoulders slope much more than normal* and I am generally shorter from neck to waistline.

So I can find bras that fit me easily enough, but the shoulder straps on most of them slide off after a couple of hours of wearing.

Have you tried a convertible bra which allows you to cross the straps at the back? You may find that that helps. You can also buy bra strap holders like this (http://www.thestrapper.com/) (ignore the music!) which is normally used to hide straps when wearing racer back tanks, but might help hold them in place for you.

[carnut]

Again, Nordstrom, and they're really not terribly priced. I've also seen them at Marshalls and TJMaxx, but it's hit or miss. (Heh...does anyone else remember Hit or Miss, or am I getting old?)


Just because I also remember Hit or Miss doesn't mean you aren't getting old. :p

[j666]

*really - my mom had a custom pattern making program and it would complain about my shoulders every time we printed out a pattern for me.I believe you; standard patterns bring the collar up to my ears and cut off all circulation to my arms.

Where did you get the customer pattern program?

[salinqmind]

'Petals', 'cutlets', straps, and things associated with making a goddam bra bearable to wear can be found in fabric stores, on a rack near most lingerie departments (I've seen a wide selection at Walmart), or of course online. Interesting to see these things showing up after decades of putting up with ill fitting bras - it's like some company realized all those billions of bras hanging on racks in every store really don't fit most women and figured, hey, help is needed, let's make some Bra Helpers.

[Filbert]

I know how UK sizing works, I live here. What I meant is that I'm unsure why manufacturers suddenly start bothering with double letters above a D.

I always assumed it was because AA - DD were 'standard' sizes, and it's easier to differentiate 'B', 'C' etc for the commoner sizes, with a double letter size at either end of the range as an 'extra' small or large. Anything above would be from a specialist (or not available)- and after a certain size, it sounds smaller- and I think it feels not so far from the norm- to say you're, say, 'HH' rather than an 'N'. Plus they'd be in danger of running out of letters by now.

I've always wondered why there was no EE though. I suppose 'I's look too much like '1's, which explains them not being there, but what's up with 'EE's?

At least we have only one system though, the US variations sound like a nightmare...

Ps, wasn't being nasty- I've met a lot of people here who have no idea what the sizes are above 'high street' sizes, simply because they don't have to shop for them, and they're not in most shops. Which is fair enough really.


Oh, and Dangerosa, swap for some 32Js? ;)

[Lynn Bodoni]

Interesting to see these things showing up after decades of putting up with ill fitting bras - it's like some company realized all those billions of bras hanging on racks in every store really don't fit most women and figured, hey, help is needed, let's make some Bra Helpers. My theory is that most women used to just rig up some sort of device themselves...and these days, they figure that they can manufacture and market these devices themselves, too. In the past, specialty devices like this would have required someone to put them in retail stores, or in a catalog. Today, though, we have those TV infomercials and internet sales, so it's easier for a small startup to offer just one product nationwide.

[lee]

Theoretically, a woman is supposed to measure either just under her armpits, and take that measurement as is, or measure just under the bottom of her tits, and add four inches. This is the band size. Then you're supposed to measure across the fullest part of your bust, and do some adding or subtracting to get your cup size. Many women, however, will say that they're a 36C when they mean that they wear a C cup, but that their bust measurement is 36...and so they don't get the right band size.

Hanging bras up to dry is good. However, most people feel that this detracts from the decor.

My under bust is 43 now, but my 48 I bra is now in its tightest hook row and so I was looking to go down to 46, but the 46 I that I bought is comfortable around in its tightest hook row but hopelessly too small in the cups, so I am thinking a 44, but everything I am reading says band size plus 5, I just measured my over bust and that is 44, so your method yields the first result which is aligns with what I am seeing in how the bras fit. Now to determine the cup size. One place says that you need to add a cup size for each band size you go down, so if you are wearing a 48 I and it just adequately holds your breasts, if you go down a band size, you need to get a 46 J and a 44 K. I just bought a 44 L, because the current 46 I seemed about two cup sizes too small. I hope it fits.

I have lost weight over the last year, and when back to my pre-pregancy bras, but now I am even narrower.

[Zyada]

Have you tried a convertible bra which allows you to cross the straps at the back? You may find that that helps. You can also buy bra strap holders like this (http://www.thestrapper.com/) (ignore the music!) which is normally used to hide straps when wearing racer back tanks, but might help hold them in place for you.

I haven't tried a convertible with the cross-straps. I may have to try one of those.

I have the bra strap holders, and have modified a couple of bras to have something like that permanently.


I believe you; standard patterns bring the collar up to my ears and cut off all circulation to my arms.

Where did you get the customer pattern program?

Mom found it advertised in the back of a sewing magazine. I don't remember the brand, but there are several out there - this page (http://www.costumes.org/advice/1pages/pattern_links.htm) has a number of links, or you can google custom pattern program clothing (http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=custom+pattern+program&aq=f&oq=#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=custom+pattern+program+clothing&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=515a0bb0da71d200)

[j666]

I haven't tried a convertible with the cross-straps. I may have to try one of those.

I have the bra strap holders, and have modified a couple of bras to have something like that permanently.




Mom found it advertised in the back of a sewing magazine. I don't remember the brand, but there are several out there - this page (http://www.costumes.org/advice/1pages/pattern_links.htm) has a number of links, or you can google custom pattern program clothing (http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=custom+pattern+program&aq=f&oq=#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=custom+pattern+program+clothing&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=515a0bb0da71d200)
Thanks for the links.

In return I will share that cross strap bras solve a lot of problems, except the little loops the straps hook into tend to rip, leaving you with the halter or strapless options only.

[Dangerosa]

Oh, and Dangerosa, swap for some 32Js? ;)

Oh my. Now that is teeny tiny ribcage, large stripper breasts! I don't think your bras would fit little tiny me. And I now feel much better about having 30 bras to try on at Nordstrom.

[lee]

44L does fit, barely in a soft cup bra. For an underwire I would want a larger cup.

[espresso_dreams]

Apparently, my perfect size lies somewhere between 38C and 36D. Supposedly, they are the same size, but the C is too small in the cups and the D is too small in the band. 38D, you'd think would fit, but i can't fill the cups quite right. Too bad nobody makes a 37D. lol

[purplehorseshoe]

Weird bump of an old thread but, what the hey - I'd wear that bra, espresso_dreams. Sounds like it would fit me too! :)

[gwendee]

In addition, even though bra manufacturers CLAIM to use the same sizing system, they don't. They are liars. Big, big liars. Hell, if a woman wears a 34C in Acme Company's "Lovely Lift" line, that doesn't mean that she'll wear a 34C in any of Acme Company's other bras. When she tries on bras, yeah, she can start by trying 34Cs in various styles...but they might not fit right.


My best fitting bra is a Playtex 18 Hour comfort shoulder blahbidy blah. It has no underwores and seamless cups. I like the line it gives me under most clothes. It's black. I bought a white blouse to wear on an job interview and decided that none of my not quite right bras were quite right underneath it. I went to the same store, and bought the same bra (same style number and size) in white. It didn't fit at all the same. Grrrr.

Since wearing the wrong bra is something that really doesn't affect anyone but me I'm not inclined to spend any of my limited budget to address it, but when I win powerball/publish the next Harry Potter/get a surprise inheritance I will go to a specialty store, get properly fitted and buy a bunch.

As for how hard it is, I'm an uncommon combination of plus size with B cups. Most stores don't keep a lot my size in stock. Online works best.