To think that the fashion industry discrimates against big boobed women?

[JellyDiamond]

I'm a 34 HH and it's almost impossible for me to find a decent, pretty and most importantly affordable bras on the high street. Most shops now go up to an E cup, but if your cup size is any bigger than that your stuffed. Debenhams do occasionally stock the bigger cup sizes but you have to riffle through the rails to find one of the larger sizes, and then they are always expensive and dowdy looking.

There is Bravissimo, but they don't have one in my town and when I'm able to get to one that does have a branch as lovely as they are, they are extortianetly expensive.

I know this is not just me, I've spoken to so many women in a similar predicament. None of us are overweight, which actually makes things even more difficult as there seems to be this idea that if you have big boobs your fat. Hence they don't seem to cater for the smaller back sizes. It seems to be a real problem that so many women can't get decen bras these days without breaking the bank.

AIBU to think we are being discrimated against?

Yabu, it's the same as anyone who has any shape that isn't average or common.

It's the misconception that large cup size = huge boobs. Eg someone who is a 28FF would only measure around 36 inches around the bust which is only around a size 12

It's so frustrating, I understand OP. I discovered Bravissimo about 15 years ago and their sales are lovely. Brastop and Figleaves good also. I hate M&S bras, make mine go all pointy, (except their basic nursing bras which I am currently living in). Bravissimo Etc do online too. However it is depressing so you ANBU to be annoyed.

I agree withpringleabout the sizing issue.

I've been wearing a B or C cup from M&S for about 35 years ( a few,not just the one lol) and was always told that was my size allowing for weight/ pregnancy fluctuations.

Last year my sister persuaded me to go to Rigby and Peller and get properly measured. Well! When the girl said I was an E cup and 2 sizes smaller I was quite sceptical. But after trying a lot of bras on I could see she was right. Ended up buying 2 which I have worn almost exclusively for the last year. My bust looks so much better as its properly supported for the first time and I feel much more confident.

So, although these bras were about £80 each, they are still in really good nick after a lot of wear - my old M and S ones would have been exhausted by this stage. It may be in the long run they work out cheaper on a per wear basis.

I wouldn't use the word discrimination. But it is a bit annoying I agree. And I think treaclesoda is right about it being self-perpetuating that there isn't more demand.

Part of the reason why Bravissimo's bras are expensive though is that bigger boobs do need much better designed & constructed bras. Most of the smaller bras sold by the likes of M&S are pretty flimsy in comparison and really not up to the job.

worra if you saw me you would think I was 'average' I suppose. Not hugely overweight but could lose a few pounds and look better. I wear a 32GG. I don't even look particularly 'busty' to use a popular description. When I recently told some friends that I wore that size (first time in my life that I've told anyone as I was always too ashamed) they were astounded. Because I look 'normal'. So it's quite possible that you see it all the time and aren't aware

i'm a larger back and i'm a AAA.
i'm chronically flat chested.

YABU really. I've been everything from a 30E at my thinnest up to a 34H in breastfeeding days, and I've never struggled to get good quality cheap bras online.

Lessbounce is brilliant for sports bras, and all my everyday bras are Freya ones off EBay. Or John Lewis own brand in the sale.

Tbh my brother struggles much more with buying shoes for size 15 feet than I do with buying bras for big boobs. There are so many more choices now than there were 10 years ago.

Not discrimination, but I agree. There should be the demand, it's just that nearly all women are wearing the wrong size. I'm quite slim a size12 and wear 32g. Can't find a bra or decent bikini on the high street. My boobs don't even really look that big!

Not discrimination they have to plan their stock to sell quickly amongst a bell curve of popular sizes.

I'm a G cup and use Rigby and Peller for good fitting advice.

Then top up online at Jolie.co.uk, Figleaves etc.

Even M&S cover my size these days.

I have gorgeous bras from Prima Donna and Empreinte.

Very interested to see some mumsnetters who need an A cup are struggling to find bras as well. There is a misconception that all women are a 34 back and somewhere between a B and D cup, surely high street stores ae failing their customers by not having a variety of cup sizes on offer? I also wonder how many women are squashing their boobs into the wrong sized bras and suffering health problems as a result? I know I was before I went to Bravissiom, and suffering back ache and shoulder pain as a result.

M&S told me I was a 34DD, hence me spending years in the wrong bloody size!

Try SImply Be. They do bigger bra sizes and they are pretty and affordable.

I hear you!

I would love to just quote my weight minus my boob weight. Then I'd be happy.

An AAA cup means your boobs go in, I think you need an intervention CalmYourselfTubbs.

I'm 34G. You can get some larger sizes at figleaves.com which are cheaper than bravissimo.

The high street is dire near me. I haven't bought from the high street probably for around 8years. Even the local independent shop doesn't go that large but she can order styles in my size but only if I'm definitely going to buy them.

Rigby and Pellar are brilliant but pricey and obviously not a nationwide coverage with their shops.

Most ladies I know have D+ sizes and my family are all particularly well endowed in the bust department with a considerable number having F+ sizes. Shops are lying when they say there's little demand for those sizes. It's more about the look of the bra. Small dainty bras look better than big chunky bras.

If more ladies were measured correctly then they would find that a considerable portion of the population are above a C cup. I have never been smaller than an E cup (as an adult) yet as recently as last year both Debenhams and M&S measured me as D and DD cup with a back size from 32 up to 40.

I'm 5'7", weigh about 9st 5, wear a size 10-12. I'm not overweight. My boobs don't look that big.

I wear a 30G. Tricky and expensive to find bras. Buying a swimsuit is nigh-on impossible.

I'm actually heading to Bravissimo on Monday to buy some new bras, having lived in nursing bras for the last 18 months. The cheapest one on their website that I can see is £30 so you're looking at a hundred quid for even quite a minimalist bra-drobe (say, one each in black, white, nude).

nah - they don't go in.
honestly AAA is really a size.
its the smallest size and an AAA bra is still a bit big for me.
i never had boobs.
it runs in my family, unfort.

If a AAA bra is too big, do you need one at all? Can you not wear a vest instead to prevent visible nipples?

I used to wear Lejaby but have defected to Fantasie as Lejaby were brought out and the material is crap and scratchy now. I pay a lot for underwear as I don't need back ache along with everything else. Yes, I agree that paying £50+ for a bra is a pain in the arse.
What I would real really like though, is clothes cut for women with bigger boobs that don't make me look like a galleon under sale (I'm looking at you, Bravissimo)
Boo to massive boobs (34f, not really that big but still a pain) although dh disagrees

Worra look at the models on Bravissimo and Brastop, they are not overweight at all. You can buy a bras with a 28/30 back sizes, that's pretty small.

It is a myth that you can't have big boobs and be slim.

M&S don't know that there is the demand because they use the old method to measure women. This method makes women broader backed / smaller cupped.

See the Rigby and Peller example above for the adjusted fit.

And padding makes the bras stand out more on me.

Sorry if this is a rude question - I don't mean it to be - but do you even need to wear a bra if you're a aaa?
I'm a 32e/f, don't find it too hard to get bras ( spent years thinking I was a 34dd)

Oh, and I'm 5'8' and a size 10. Slim with boobs!

It's unlikely to change unless shops and manufacturers start teaching women to measure themselves correctly. So many people still assume they are something like 36C when in reality they are a 32FF or similar. And most people don't realise that the band size and cup size are relative to each other so actually a 30G is not that big in the cup.

I'm 30FF and buy most of my bras on eBay or Amazon. I rarely pay over £25, sometimes as little as £10 for brand new bras of quality brands. Obviously it's still not as easy as walking into Primark and picking up a handful of cheap bras.