to be a bit [shock] when Theo on dragons den said any thing over a DD bra

[delightfullyfragrant]

was not profitable because "it becomes a completely different bra" and costs would be too high.

Am I right in thinking he wouldn't invest in the woman's lingerie company for bigger breasted women because the bras cost too much to make when they get to an E cup?

The woman said that high street shops don't stock bra's above a DD and she wanted to specialise in bigger cup sizes. He just said that's because anything over a DD would need to be a completely different shape/mould and therefore companies find it too expensive.

AIBU to think with attitudes like this no wonder so many women are in the wrong size bras.

whatyalookingat"
Charming analogy
you say "good luck if you don't want to spring for the extra" I haven't said that at all.

But La Senza and Boux Avenue both sell bigger bras so he can't be against it that much.

And while he keeps saying that, Bravissimo is raking in the profits because it's the only company that realises women don't come in only 3 or 4 different shapes.

I also think this idea that anything over DD must be an extreme size, is why a lot women wear the wrong size without realising it. I bet at least half of women are over DD.

YABU. He's there to make money, not to provide a service for breasts. There are already companies that cater for a fairly limited market, it doesn't make business sense to try and grab some of that, especially when it can't be done in a cost effective way.

Bravissimo are profitable probably because their bras are crap. Every one I have had from them has come apart at the seams or is an awful shape. The material is really bad quality.

What is with the

And who was talking to you directly? Have a yourself.

I'm quite impressed that a bloke understands that bras for bigger boobs need to be structured differently! Even I didn't know that until my boobs got too big for "normal sized" bras and I had to start shopping in Bravissimo (I love that shop).

To make a healthy profit on bigger, well-made bras, they need to cost quite a bit. You can either make smaller bras more expensive so there's no disparity in the cost based on size, or accept that bigger bras cost more (if you want well made, well fitting ones anyway).

I'm not overly impressed with Bravissimo either tbh.

I'm a 32DD and trying to find bras I can afford is an absolute nightmare. I can't afford Bravissmo or La Senza or even M & S.
Asda where I can afford is very hit and miss as to whether they stock my size.
As a result I end up having to wear bras that are the wrong size.

ciske

I totally agree. I am a size 12 and in proportion so I never thought I could possibly be an E because that was huge! Therein lies the problem.

YANBU. SURELY lots of women are over a DD? The market must be there. I pay a bloody fortune for 32FF bras and would love a larger range. I just don't believe there isn't a market.

whatyoulookingat
The was for your analogy of the pop up tent and marquee

Where do you go if not Bravissimo ?

It doesn't surprise me that it cost more to make bigger sizes. Mine are ow huge - and they are quiet heavy.

I've always had good results with Bravissimo. Surprised others haven't. Would have thought if anyone's boobs were going to be bra wreckers it would have been mine.

Have you tried Freya bras?

I think that's the point I don't think it is a niche market

Theo IBU.

28, 30 and 32 DDs are fairly small and I suspect well over half the population are that size or bigger.

I loved the analogy whatyoulookingat - made me laugh.

okay, so seems some people hate Bravissimo unlike me. but i refuse to believe in this age of the internet that it's not possible to get big bras at reasonable prices, if you really can't find what you need on the high st/at supermarkets. even random sports shops i've tried have had sports bras in big range of sizes.

I'm expecting a flaming for this, but there is an element of choice in breast size.

While there are always going to be minorities of slim, large breasted women, generally speaking, larger women have larger breasts.

Now that so many women are overweight, breast sizes have, on average increased which has created this problem with bra sizes.

I do understand that there are a myriad of complex reasons behind obesity and it's not as simple as 'just eat less' but the fact remains that if women maintain a BMI of under 25, they will be a lot less likely to need bras over a DD cup.

In my mind, the argument that more and more wimed need larger bras is similar to the argument that the average dress size in the UK is a 16. That doesn't mean that a size 16 is healthy, desirable or normal.

I worry that if we continue to cater for larger sizes, we normalise obesity and thus perpetuate the problem.

It may be changing with population demographics - more older ladies and more people overweight = more women with larger boobs.

Indeed it requires Engineering bra to create one which supports bigger cups - that's why they are more expensive.

I don't complain as everyone is different, my eye problems mean that I have to pay around £400 for a new pair of glasses - no help from anyone here, even having Lasik won't help because my astigmatism is so big :)

WTF Cakeme?

I have a BMI of 22 and am a 32E. You are saying I shouldn't be able to buy a bra in case it normalises obesity ?

That is moronic. In the extreme.

I think my point is that if many high street shops are not even selling them many women will not even know which size they are. You can't go trawling the internet for a larger bra when you don't even know what size you are. Also different brands will be different sizes.

Hence the stats that say so many women are in the wrong size.

cake OR breast size hasn't really changed at all and we have just been cramming our boobs into bras too small for years because they are cheaper to manufacture.

Maybe over DD isn't a niche market, I'm a DD and I find I have plenty of choice. But when to get to a couple of sizes over that, it does become more niche, and more expensive to produce good quality bras of that size.

It makes sense to me that it's not particularly profitable, so I think YABU to make out that Theo whatsisname said something out of line.

I worry that if we continue to cater for larger sizes, we normalise obesity and thus perpetuate the problem.

CakeMeIAmYours - Firstly, I'm a healthy BMI but don't fit in DD, so I take exception to this comment. I'm more worried that not stocking larger sizes normalises an unrealistic body shape, which most women can't have unless they go for extreme diets or plastic surgery.

Also, I don't think you solve obesity by making bigger ladies walk around naked with no bras. .