To have a rant about bras in America - GRRRR - International Bra Intervention Needed!

[AhDinnaeKen]

After wearing ill-fitting bras for years and being measured anywhere between a 34B and a 36DD (with the exception of pregnancy and bf'ing) I was finally measured properly at Bravissimo and discovered I was a 28F Ever since I have been much more comfortable and look much better. I moved to the US a year ago and I have not been able to buy a single bra since I moved here - the smallest back size is 32 - everywhere! I have been in Macy's, Nordstrom, Victoria Secret & Soma and looked at over 10 different brands - they all only go down to a 32inch. WHY?!?!?! Can anyone enlighten me? The labels all say UK/US implying that the sizes are the same in both countries so why on earth would they not go lower than a 32? I am a size 8-10 which is a 4-6 here and there are sooo many women who are a heck of a lot skinnier than me who must be a smaller back size than me - what are they all wearing?

They can't make tea there, either.

Come home!!

America is a bit behind the times with the bras I'm afraid, I'm a member of a few bra forums and most of the american ladies order online or internationally if they are smaller band sizes. Nordstrom do 28s on their website but maybe just don't have them in store. Herroom and figleaves are very popular, and it's worth keeping an eye on brastop who often run free international shipping promos

In a 28 you will normally be buying european/uk bras anyway but the band sizes are the same but cups aren't, us brands miss lots of the double letters out so you will need to check brand size charts and count up for comparison if you find a 28 band us brand

I went in to some US bra stores - UK 30HH so about a 30M or something in US language. no use!

I was a size 30ff (now a 32)

you would think LA of all places I could buy a bra that size lots of skinny women with pumped up boobs

no the only bra I could get could have also been used as a hammock for medium size mammals

my sister has problems (she lives there) she orders from amazon

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I saw that Nordstrom have them online in smaller back sizes, but not in our local store. I occasionally bought from Figleaves at home but I didn't know they delivered to here - will have to check it out!

Bravissimo also deliver internationally :)

Amazon. Seriously, they have everything. And most clothing has free returns!

As an American woman who is a UK 30HH, it's terrible. I can only get bras online. American companies don't even MAKE my size. I thought I was a 34DD for years and years. It's not a fun size to have, and my back hurts terribly (so I'm getting a reduction soon).

Most Americans, even women, have no idea that there are band sizes below 32 or cup sizes above DD. Even my surgeon who's doing my reduction doesn't understand bra sizing! I had to show him pictures of what I wanted.

It's so incredibly frustrating. There's a small boutique where I live that will special order bras on request. Try going to small, independent stores too.

There is a US figleaves. I have ordered from there, its good.

I have never been able to figure out the US bra situation. The bras are either flimsy things or like re-inforced armour.

Fig leaves and bravissimo ship :)

Order online from Nordstrom if they have them in your size! They have a wide open return policy - something you won't find in the UK - and you can take anything you don't want back to your local store.

If you are anywhere near the border, this store called Change is very good for fitting, but I think it's only in Canada, not the US.

I used to come back to the UK once a year and so a massive M&S shop......

There are forums especially for bras? Multiple ones? Wow.

I'm in america too - try Nordstrom rack, I've got a large cup size and have found some real bargains on there. Also asos ship for free and free returns, and stock all different sizes.

www.brastop.com/

I use this website for my massive boobs. I've also suggested it to US friends as they (the website) will post internationally for not that much. I've had a quick look and they do your size so might be worth ordering a few.

They go from a 28D to a 48K for anyone else struggling to find bras for bigger boobs.

Also it is £7 for USA/Canadian delivery or free if you spend £60.

Thank you all! I knew I could count on the wisdom of this brood of vipers to help! I am off to spend a happy morning searching bravissimo and figleaves. Will check out brastop too - thank you!

Sadly I am almost as far from the border as you can get Nando (Texas) so no luck there - appreciate the thought though.

I can't wait to get home and buy proper bras on the high street again!

On a side note - does anyone know where to buy swimsuits? Maybe I'll just do figleaves for that too actually. I need a new one and all I can find are flimsy bikinis or sports type ones which just squish my boobs uncomfortably. Urgh - there are some shopping experiences I love here, and some I really, really hate!

I got my last swimsuit at Lands End.

i'm in Canada and use Bravissimo - so thanks for getting me some new places to try OP

Even if you found the back size in the stores you're looking in you won't find the cup size. Everywhere stops at a DD

I went to a proper lingerie store the other month. $150 for a bra. WTF???!

Oh God - don't get me started! This is still my biggest rant after 15 years of living in the US. Seriously, in a nation of 300 million, meaning approximately 150 million women... the notion of a slim women with big boobs is still apparently alien! I' 5'4", 110 pounds and usually around a 32E bra size (It's variable since I have to try on a bunch of bras and go with the best feeling one...) The worst part is that when I find a bra that fits in the cup and band size, the straps are way too long because the bra makers assume this sized person must be 6 feet tall!

I have concluded that the UK must contain an unusually high proportion of petite yet big boobed women. I have been asked to my face here (USA) on at least 4 different occasions if I have had a boob job, which I find equally amusing (who in the hell would pay to have these things attached to them?) and offensive.

Honestly, I have wondered in all seriousness if there is something that causes UK women to develop bigger boobs whilst still being a slim/normal body weight? Other than Bernadette from Big Bang Theory I don't really ever see women here who have my body type and the dearth of bras that fit me seem to back up my conclusion. Maybe it's all the dairy I drank as a child (my unscientific theory after reading how dairy farmers keep cows pregnant much of the time to keep them in milk production so we inevitably get their pregnant estrogen in the milk...)

I was beyond devastated when after all the hype of Victoria's Secrets opening in the UK, they didn't have bras below 32.

I love Wacoal bras, but whilst they do some 30 in US, these are not available in the UK.

Joining the

Wacoal does have sizes that fit me but the styles are often very unsupportive and the straps are too long most of the time. VS is terrible in my opinion, poor quality and maybe one or two bras that are a 32 band but over a size DD at most. Strangely enough, the best supportive bras that fit me well have been Elle Macpherson bras.

Thank you for making me laugh Rainbunny - I'll blame it on my mum and her insistence on 3 full glasses of milk a day growing up!

Cocobear what back size are you? I have asked in VS for smaller than a 32inch and they just looked at me completely baffled!

I had the same reaction in Calvin Klein - which really annoyed me because I love the look and feel of their t-shirt bras and matching boy shorts but none of them fit me

Oh, something to consider also is The USA still uses the old bra measurement system, when you measure your band size by measuring around your rib cage and adding 4 inches. So I'm a 32 band size and my rib cage measure 28". I think someone told me that they don't measure that way in the UK anymore, don't know if that's true?

That's not strictly true Rainbunny. If you look at a lot of retailer websites in the UK you will still find the add 4" advice being spouted here too. It's not accurate here, and it's not accurate in the US either.

Good to know Statistically. It's not like bra buying isn't challenging enough without conflicting measuring systems!