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.

Ebay can be great for those with weird bra sizes - you can get some really good makes at knock down prices (as a 32G cup myself).

And tampon sizes should we just have regular and super. Superplus and slim are of course a niche market

Sainsburys range of very nice underwear is reasonably priced and goes up into larger sizes too. I am a 36EE and their bras are fabulous. They wash well, last ages, and are usually under a tenner.

No, we shouldn't stop creating them, we should just accept that they are going to be more expensive and harder to find with less choice. Which is what already happens with people who have specific footwear requirements.

We can't have it both ways though. It's true that women kicked off when bigger bras were more expensive, so which is it that we want? Do we want to pay more for our requirements if they don't stay close enough to average, or do we want to have less choice and availability?

Whether people like it or not, bra size is often affected by weight. In some cases, nothing can be done about that, but in some cases, losing weight woudo help. So people can choose. Do they want to try losing weight, or is the lack of pretty bra choices in their size not really that big an issue?

Outragedattheprice

Out of interest what size are you?

But here is the issue: lots of women are bigger than DD, it's not an extreme size. I personally don't mind paying more (I already do) but to say it's not profitable to make bigger bras, ignores the blatant facts that 1) it's not a niche market and 2) it's already being done commercially.

What stops high streets is this silly idea that over DD is an extreme size.

34DD. And like I said earlier, I feel I have loads of choice, so I can see how yet another bra manufacturer wouldn't make that much profit in times like this.

It is a derogarory term used to describe people with learning disabilities. please use something less offensive in future.

No, it isn't. It was a term originally used to describe a specific IQ level. Over a hundred years ago. Words change. Now, it means you are a very foolish person with a stupid idea.

Another one who has only bought bras from Sainsbury's for the last five years. Sports bras too, very good indeed.

women maintain a BMI of under 25, they will be a lot less likely to need bras over a DD cup.

yes my 10 year old self should have just stopped eating and my boobs would have magically disapeared. Hang on ..............

It shouldn't cost more to create bigger bras, you need marhinally more material but the cost surely comes from the manufacturing and stiching.

I have a very narrow back, with no fat on it at all... oh, and humongous boobs that no amount of dieting or exercise can make smaller..

The people saying it costs more to make bigger bras. You are talking pence per item for materials. The price that the consumer pays is marked up by 100s of % between the producer and the retailer.
Many many women are larger than a DD cup. The pence per item loss would be more than compensated by the added sales.

YANBU, Op. on another thread we called it DD-denial and comments like that are directly to blame. That oooh, DD+ is niche market, for weirdos only, who would need such ridiculous size?

Half the women, I would guess, if they were in the right size.

Yes it costs more to make and I don't expect to find a nice supporting G-cup from Primark. I'm wlling to pay for Prima Donna.

I don't understand Cake's logic. Generally as people get fatter they get wider and as the band size goes up the cup size goes down. So someone who was a 34 E becomes a 36DD and if they carry on getting wider they might be something like a 38D. I completely agree with novice about M&S having a lot to answer for. I was fitted there for years as a 36C only to finally find out I was a 30FF (and I didn't lose any weight - if anything I'd gained weight after my first pregnancy)

I had a look online for stats, but I couldn't find any that show what % of women are which size. Not surprisingly, the few stats I could find only divided women into A, B, C or D cups, and didn't look for anything bigger. Which confirms that there is an inherent assumption that DD+ is a niche size.

I did find a few stats that say 80-85% of women wear the wrong size, so what bra sells the most, won't tell us anything about what size women really are. It would be interesting to see 'real size' stats, if anyone can find them.

I make bra's - as well as corsets etc. the construction of larger bra sizes is different and more costly. If you're doing it for mass production you don't get the economy of scale due to a reduced market and therefore you don't get the return on your investment that you get at the smaller end of the scale.

He's not interested in providing a service, he's interested in making profit, therefore he goes where the profit is easiest and at a higher return. Yes, he provides some larger sizes but not in the ranges you get the smaller sizes in.

IME people don't actually want to pay for the man hours and extra skill it takes to make a larger bra and get very rude about it when you cost one up for them, I don't make them anymore for people unless I know them very well and like them.

EveryoneShouldHaveAOneCustomeMadeBraAtLeastOnceTiggaxx

I miss La Senza lovely bras that fitted my huge boobs and didn't look matronly

Has that actually happened NickCave?

usually both gets bigger.

Primark bras are absolute shite in the larger cup sizes.

Its not the materials that make it cost more, its the design. And the scaffolding.

I understand they cost more, I personally have no issue with paying more for a bra that fits. Clearly there are many women who are happy to pay more for a bra that fits because otherwise Bravissimo wouldn't have been so successful.

That is my point really. When I wrote the OP I had no idea that M&S had had opposition to the extra charge.

Maybe a better marketing campaign would have helped to explain that the bra's are not just an extra bit of material but structured differently.

However, I still thinks it's odd that high street shops specialising in bra's don't sell them to fit a large portion of UK women.

If the woman in Dragon's Den wants to specialise in bigger sizes, then she doesn't have to worry about having to price them the same as smaller ones. She can just make them as she feels is best, price to reflect her costs, and then sell them. This negates Theo's point about extra costs as she can incorporate that in her business model.

He probably just doesn't want to invest in the competition.

Ciske

Yes I think you're right. And I know it's edited but the way it came across was "no don't want to invest because it's too expensive to produce bras above DD" no question.

So as a 30G I have the same volume of boob as someone who is a 46A (I think). Boobs the same size, hence you would expect the same construction in the cups. But of course the person with the 46" back measurement would need a lot more material in their band.

And therefore I should pay more because...?

I completely agree that this kind of nonsense fuels DD-denial! La Senza was shit anyway for anyone with big boobs. Theo sounds clueless.

I'm sure decent bras are more expensive to make, because they do more. I pay more for my bras than any other item of clothing (32-34G).

For the person who was looking for reasonably priced big bras, Debenhams' Gorgeous range is reasonable and often knock down cheap in the sale. Brastop.com specialise in discounted big bras, and Figleaves and Leia both have outlets online with bargains. It's not impossible to find big bras any more, things have changed!