Bra fitting advice, for teenager.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Dd is 13 . She’s been wearing the M&S bras for teens, padded non wired or padded with a flexi wire. The wired one had to be taken in. I thought that wires weren’t a good idea until you’d stopped growing, but the fitter said the the softer flexi wires are fine. I think I remember reading here that a wired bra is ok for teenager if it fits well, is that so ? She has the family tiny ribs , so finding bras to fit is going to always be tricky. I have just measured her and her rib cage is 24.5 inches. Around her bust is 30” , around her bust with her bent over is roughly 31”. She is in a class with older girls and feels too flat chested in comparison, so likes bras that give her a bit of shape. (I would put her in soft crop top things, but she doesn’t want that for school as she thinks it looks too little girly). Any thoughts as to size ? Suitable makes for her age ?

[Upupupup]

I found wires very uncomfortable until I grew enough to fill a bra, but I think it’s important to get the right size to avoid damaging breast tissue.

Size is hard to guess, as other things such as shape and body size generally can affect bra sizes. I don’t recommend M&S as they’re sizes always seem dodgy, Debenhams is much better. It’s good to try bras on and get an advisor to judge on whether it’s fitting correctly, but at that age her size is bound to change quickly.

The traditional way to work out bra sizes is to add 4 inches to the under measurement, Especially for young girls. From the measurements you give it looks like she would be roughly a 28C (add 4 to back size and bust size = A= the same, B = +1 and C = +2) or a 30 A or B

[WowserBowser]

Try this site booborbust.com/

The adding 4 to the band size is out dated. Bras stretch around the band so there is no need.

[Upupupup]

I don’t think there’s any need to add 4 to adult women’s bras, but for some reason you need to for teenagers and smaller sizes (I know I had to). I think the smaller bras are made with this in mind, and most teenagers are smaller than 28 around their ribs but 28 is the smallest band size.

[SirVixofVixHall]

She is thin with no padding at all over her ribs, so I think a 28 in some makes would be small enough perhaps. I think she might find a wire uncomfortable, she’s ok with the flexi one but I think her non wire ones are more comfortable. I’d rather she had a non wired one but they tend to make her look flatter, so unless they are padded she doesn’t want to wear them. She has 28c in the teen bra, too small in the cup. The 30C fits just about in the cup. Almost too small in the cup but needed taking in around the band. (These are the “angel “ bras from M&S I can’t find anything else to fit, it would be good to have a choice of shapes) .

[Tatapie]

Another vote for Debenhams, DD had excellent fittings there twice and have bought the bras online too in multipacks - they do two styles, one more padded cotton non wired which my DD prefers. https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod107011100011520102419433-1

[SirVixofVixHall]

That style is very like the one she is wearing, but doesn’t come in a size that would fit her . The problem with buying her a 30 is that even with the band altered, the cups are wrongly sited as the usually sit too far apart. This was my problem for years, with my first bra I had to cut the cups apart and re join them, and then hack inches out of the band...! She really needs a tiny band, 28 max, but with a d cup.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Life will become a bit easier now she's moving in to D/DD territory - 28C are like the rocking horse poo of the bra world, hardly anywhere does them at all.

Wired are ok, so long as the fit is good (so the wires aren't resting on breast tissue) - AFAIK the main problem with wires + teens is the same problem as in pregnant women, that the breasts grow and a fitting bra can end up non fitting. As long as you teach her to know where the bra wire should be then they are ok. Unfortunately teen bras have a tendency to only be available in a really limited range of sizes.

For someone slim it is sometimes necessary to go up 1-2 bands from the measured size due to the lack of padding on the ribs so a 28 will probably be ok but as she's now a D I'd be looking away from the normal teen ranges and at the D+ brands to give you better choice as you often get teen brands doing A or B, other ranges doing A to D but not starting until a 30 or 32...

Panache start at a 28D, as do both Curvy Kate and Freya which will give you more options - Freya have the deco which is a plain, moulded (tends to appeal to nipple conscious teens IME) bra which has a wired and non wired version. Figleaves have it in stock in a 28D.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Hello Stats thanks for posting. I think I will buy the non wired Deco, she does like the coverage of a padded bra, as well as the fact they make her look a bit more busty. Shame it doesn’t come in white, as she usually wears white for school, but I’ll get the nude. I’ll have a look at the other brands. She needs something simple, not too adult looking. I did wonder if that Deco style was a bit “push up “ but it is probably worth trying. She had 28c in the marks and spencer bra but it is too small now in the cup, I suppose she might be a C in an adult bra though, I’ll just have to buy a D and see how it fits.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I think the deco won't be hugely push up in her size - it can be quite va va voom on bigger busts (especially close set boobs) but a lot of people also wear it a tad on the small side to get that look from it (been there myself tbh!)

The Freya idol is similar to the wired deco, but more balconette, and comes in white linky

If the freya is a tad big it might be worth trying Curvy Kate as IME they run a little smaller in the cups than Freya. They have a few quite plainish options (Smoothie and Daily Dream spring to mind - try brastop) but again - wires...

I've not tried them in a while, but last time I did I found that Tutti Rouge run absolutely tiny in the band too. As do M&S at small sizes if you can sneak past the fitters!

[BagelGoesWalking]

My daughter likes the Pink bras, the cheaper Victoria’s Secret range. She's says they're the most comfortable she's ever had, she's also small breasted.

They often have discounts, 3 for 2 etc, worth signing up for their emails.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I don’t think Victoria’s Secret do small back sizes ? Certainly they didn’t a few years ago. I’ll check in case, but the smallest they did was a 32 last time I looked.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Stats - Oh yes Tutti Rouge were tiny , I needed to get a 30 back as the 28 measured 24” around the band and I couldn’t do it up. I’m 26 to 27 around my ribs, depending on how tubby I am.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

I thought you were small but I've been off the bra threads for a bit so wasn't sure if I was mistaken! Tutti Rouge gave me a complex, couldn't even get it close to fastening.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Yes that was the first bra ever that I couldn’t do up . I did once buy a rogue Freya bra in a 28 without trying it on that was unusually tiny, but I could at least get the hooks closed !

[BagelGoesWalking]

Pink @ Victoria’s Secret goes from a 30.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Oh do they do a 30 now? Too big for dd without alterations , but good to know, as other mothers of teens might see the thread.

[SirVixofVixHall]

I had a look, the 30 back is available in a few styles but only up to a c cup. I think the back would be too big, as it is in the M and S bras, and she is on the edge of the C cup, so might need a D. I might order one just to check though.