To pay £32 for a bra for my 13 year old!

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I don't actually have much choice as my large chested 13 year old is now a 28F! It's hereditary we all are large chested in our family. But she is still growing at Xmas she was a dd and bras on the high street don't go that size so off to bravissimo and 2 bras purchased. This week I noticed she is bursting out of them back to bravissimo and now a 28F! 2 bras purchased at £32 each! And they aren't attractive when you are 13 and want pretty bras your flat chested friends buy in primark! I wish I could pay primark prices.

And now getting upset about bikinis for summer as she realises all the ones she likes that her friends wear are not going to fit. She is going to have to get a (her words) horrible old lady one like you have to wear!

Thank you Lweji that is the correct name for what i was thinking of.

However I have to disagree with a comment from someone else who said that 'Its not that they arent aware, its that they know there's not a huge market for those sizes out there'.

I don't think 28F is that unusual at all and I think if all women were properly fitted, not at M&S, there would be far more smaller back sizes and larger cups. I am a medium sized woman with medium sized breasts and I am a 32F. Many teens will be 26/28 or 30 back at most and they're not all flat chested - an F cup on a 28 isn't really that big at all.

It's just that the supermarkets and M&S have 'forced' women into thinking that a 'normal' range of back sizes is 32-36 or 38 and a 'normal' range of cup sizes for 32/34 back sizes is B-DD at most, and for 36+ maybe 36DD to 38E, whereas the actual range will be much greater, especially at the lower end of back sizes.

Mainstream ranges starting at 32 back size are basically ignoring most women who are size 10 and below, (by current standards not historical smaller sizes) which is a huge percentage of women, especially younger ones.

Yes bras in larger sizes are so much money - I'm still hurting from spending £70+ for two 30 GG bras for myself.

And yes it's tough as a young teen to not be like your peers.

It's great that you are getting her properly fitted bras which give a good support and shape. With you building her confidence she will be proud of her body in 3/4 years and know what suits her underwear and clothing wise.

But yes it's hard to cope with as a young teen for her.

Barbaraofseville that's exactly what I mean! I'm a size 10 and a 32 back
Teens are between 26/28 m and s do aa bras - that's too look like your friends not because you need support. So if they cater for flat chested pre teens and smaller boobed teens then why can't developed teens also look like their friends in the same bras? We constantly hear that girls develop younger and I'm sure my daughter isn't the only girl with a larger than a d cup! There isn't as much material in a 28F as a 34F and the boobs are smaller so don't need industrial support!

The teen bras in m and s are lovely and suitable as not too grown up they are just catering to the wrong sizes!

an F cup on a 28 isn't really that big at all.
And yy to this

Oh god I remember being SO upset by this as a teenager. The Freya ones in Debenhams are really nice (and slightly cheaper than Bravissimo).

In addition to other online shops, I've also used www.belle-lingerie.co.uk/

was writing exactly as Barbara said - there would be plenty of need for small backs and bigger cups if women were properly fitted. I bet half of OP's daughter's classmates are in ill-fitting 34B's, as that's the size you can buy everywhere.

ebay for out of season styles.
online shopping from figleaves etc particularly at sale time
Always check sales stuff every time you pop into any of the expensive shops and so you pick up stock (particularly in fun colours/patterns) before you need a new bra - large debenhams and house of fraser go down to 28 back size. This really only works once you've settled down in size but if it ends up not fitting, sell on ebay and get her something else!

Most shops seem to start at 32, even in reasonable brands such as Triumph.
In a big department store, when I asked for a 28, they sent me to the children's department, never mind having it in anything above an A or B.

The problem is that high street shops will fit and convince customers to buy what they have.

But if you want a wide range of back sizes and cup sizes, and in different colours and styles, they become more expensive. It's inevitable.

Rocky bird, you're missing the tricky bit, which is the 28 band size

(Also,uch to my own annoyance, next no Niger do anything above a Good cup, which leaves me stuffed when I'm a 30H. And no, that is not an extreme size. I am neither extremely thin, at size 12,nor extremely busty.)

Niger= longer

Good = G

Figleaves Clearance and Brastop are your friends. I know whereof I write.

OP, perhaps not helpful if your DD is still growing, but one way to save would be to buy one bra properly fitted from Bravissimo and while it still fits, buy a few more in the same style from anywhere you can find it cheaper. Be aware that black bras are often smaller than other colours for the same size

If bikinis are only worn occasionally, it's not as cruicial that they fit perfectly, as long as they are reasonably comfortable and more or less the right size, so may be more scope to buy from ebay or other online discount places.

The outlet malls can be good for places to try on and buy cheaper than high street.

OP, I had to laugh at your last post, I (mis)read it as I buy her knickers for school at £85 a go... and I thought blimey, if you spend that much on one pair of school knickers, what are you moaning about

I echo the suggestion to try Debenhams, and I believe Figleaves have a sale ATM.

My 13yo is in the same boat...we have a Boux Avenue in our local shopping centre...its been great. She chose a few plain tshirt bras at £15 each. They start from a 28 back. They do mail order too.

They had lovely bikinis too....

Last year, dd just got bikini tops from matalan...the kind of covered ones which come up quite high to the neck, but they were just off the shelf and not underwired.

I feel your pain. I have MASSIVE boobs, and poor Dd is following.

Yes, buy her the best, it's a tough road and she will need her self-esteem.

OP as stated before ASOS do a fuller bust range that starts from 30DD... They are a lot more fashionable than say M&S so your DD might prefer that. They won't be as cheap as primark/supermarkets but should offer her the support she needs.

I do feel for her... its all skimpy styles in fashion at the moment and she is going to need more support than that

I'm a 28DD ( not particularly big) and it's the back size that causes me all of the trouble - the great shop I go to said that I could go for a 30D without much difference if I wanted them to be easier to find - though I did buy 2 £50 ones which actually fit right. Panache I second .

Thank you for all the links.

Problem is she is only a 28 - lady who fitted said ideally a 26 would be better but impossible to get.

Lots of places only start at a 30 and they are too big across the back.

Lots of places to look though so I'm sure she will find something she likes.

Debenhams have bikinis which go up to G cups, but with nice Primark-like bottoms, i.e. not big girl pants.

I'm a 30DD, but used to be a G cup and know how hard it is to get a decent bra that doesn't cost a fortune. Unfortunately, bigger boobs need more support and the technology for this costs!
As to bikinis, Asda do a good range and I can get away with a 32. Try tie back ones that allow for more adjustment. I have bought Size 16 bikini tops before and altered the straps.
You could try feeding her up so she becomes a 32?

I understand what you mean about the bras not being pretty.
You can buy some lovely camisoles and matching knickers from Primark,Topshop,etc they are quite stretchy so should fit. I sometimes wear them over plain bras.
You sound like a lovely mum by the way, she is very lucky.

Inappropriateraspberry she is eating me out of house and home as she is! How she stays so skinny I don't know!