Irons are pretty simple contraptions, so they ought to be pretty cheap to buy if you can’t borrow one from a friend. I’d guess under $10 at WallyWorld, or $1 or so for a used one at a thrift store, or more like 50¢ at a yard sale.
The poke-free bra exists! It’s called the Bioform. Lovely lovely lovely idea. Unfortunately also pricey pricey pricey at the moment, but if you can afford it, it’s worth it.
Well, I’m sporting a NEW Victoria’s Secret bra and panties today (leopard print – Hon thinks it’s the cat’s meow). This is the first time in a month that I haven’t had a vicious wire gouging me. I simply must be good to myself from now on and buy more bras. I used to feel guilty about the expense, but I’m sick to DEATH of the discomfort! Yikes! I think my boobs are actually smiling!
I bought a new bra from Lane Bryant’s—red with black lace. Very comfortable bra, and very pretty! Only $12 on 1/2 price sale…
Another good place to find ahem larger boobage holders is the Legg’s/Hane’s/Bali outlet stores, espically in the South. (50 or a 52 DDD is the biggest I remember seeing, off the top of my head. One cup was larger than my head!) At the moment, I’m actually trying to find plain ol’ white bras because I’ve run out of 'em: the outlet stores have so many pretty looking ones…
And, for awhile I was able to find an underwire bra that was more-or-less a pair of 'U’s with the inside part chopped off, so they looked more like a pair of 'J’s. Unfortunately, they stopped making them. 
There’s also… oh geeze. Who makes 'em. I think I picked mine up from a VF outlet. Instead of wires, it uses plastic sheets cut into appropriate shapes. (Kinda like those flexible use-and-toss cutting boards.) Doesn’t support quite as well as the wire, but it’s more supportive than a non-wire and doesn’t poke.
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I would be glad to hold any woman’s breasts firmly in position should your bras all break (there are a few qualifications that need not be mentioned). Let me know . . .
i think what you’re trying to describe is iron-on hem tape. comes in a variety of colors. think there once-upon-a-time even used to be a lacy version of it too. but my sewing days are many moons behind me, so i don’t know how readily it’s carried in fabric stores and whatnot anymore.
but yes, that would definitely be a one-step hole-mending solution, if an iron can be found.
lachesis
Nightsong said, "Another good place to find ahem larger boobage holders is the Legg’s/Hane’s/Bali outlet stores, espically in the South. (50 or a 52 DDD is the biggest I remember seeing, off the top of my head. "
Am I the only one picturing Nightsong standing in the store with a bra atop her head? Tee-hee.
Boy, you big-breasted women really have your tit in a wringer when it comes to lingerie!
Here’s another idea:
Get piece of felt or heavy duty fabric to match your bra, and Alene’s Ok to wash it glue. After you put the wire back into place, make a small oval patch from the fabric and glue it into place.
I prefer felt because it gives some padding in addition to closing the hole. I’ve found in the past that simply sewing the wire back into place doesn’t help at all - the wire escaped because the fabric had become too weak to hold it into place.
We have a lot of bras for sale in our thrift shops. Big ones too…There isn’t a big market for used underwear.
(from Kalhoun)
You should have seen the looks my Mom and I were getting from the store clerks, as I was placing them on my head, and my Mom was boggling at being able to fit both breasts into one cup! 
(And I’m writing down these tips for underwire-bra repair: I normally make older bras into dance-costume tops, so additional ways to make sure the bra will last longer are good things to know.)
Yes, that’s it-TAPE! I couldn’t think of the word tape. How pathetic is that?
(grumble… kids and work and husbands who don’t help and never enough sleep and now I can’t even remember the word tape…^&*@#^&)
Oy. So many suggestions. Now I have to choose. Yargh. And I have to choose while having a piece of wire stabbing me in the armpit. Distractions. ::whimper:: I just want safe comfy pretty underwear…
Okay, first of all, I want to see some JPGs of these so called large breastworks. And secondly, I’m always willing to lend a hand or two to a woman in distress.
You know, my once-roomie and my bestest friend once did that when they came across a pile of my freshly folded laundry.
“I could wear it as a hat,” one said with amazement.
“I could sling grapefruits with it,” said the other.
I think it was just jealousy on their part.
Ranger, if you’re dying for proof, I’ve posted links to pictures of me on the board before… a bit of a search should turn them up. 
What? Just… providing a cite? Verification, you know. It’s not that I’m encouraging people to look at my breasts. Not at all. Who you callin an attention whore?