rant about bras

[31133004Taff]

Have done the interventions. Wearing the right size, right style, right everything but still have such a mixed experience. One day my bra can fit like a glove and I am delighted with the world. The next day I am wearing an instrument of torture and my mood plummets. I have to wear the buggers - working in customer service and 34K :(

Am I on my own to have such a mixed experience of this garment / instrument of torture?

I know you've tried Bravissimo, but in case you haven't tried this particular one...not pretty, but I'm living in these. Comfiest I've found in years, for the large of norkage:

www.bravissimo.com/products/luna-non-wired-bra-grey-marl-ro104gml/

I am absolutely hating wearing bras at the moment. Had dc 5 weeks ago and am hating my nursing bras. .non wired from mothercare, look lovely but I hate them, don't find them comfortable at all and were not cheap either. Went a few days without wearing and it felt so good except for the leaking milk so had to put them on again. My boobs going up and down in size throughout the day. . I really hate wearing them. If anyone knows of any good comfortable nursing bras I would appreciate it. I agree with others why on earth they cannot make comfy bras that don't cost a fortune or come up with something else.

Have you thought about breast reduction? A friend had it done and said it was life changing.

Are these molke bras REALLY comfortable and supportive because not being funny. They look like some sort of hippy boob swinging wrap that would do sod all to hold everything place.

Spare a thought for those of us who can't even fill a training bra

Bras were the worst part of pregnancy and breastfeeding. My discomfort while pregnant meant leaving work early/unfastening my bra and hoping nobody noticed/ taking it off and wearing a baggy jumper and again hoping nobody noticed.

Now I'm breastfeeding I'm approx a 34j so a similar size, was 30gg before pregnancy. Have suffered so many bras where the fabric just won't accommodate my boobs.

M and s fuller bralets have to be a size 18 to contain my boobs and even then they're not super comfy but probably worth trying on. I think they're mostly focused on women where the big boobs are the result of being big all over - sorry if that sounds rude I'm not sure how else to put it.

Molke I can see could be transformative, but I found because they don't open at the back I literally couldn't get the band over my boobs, it wasn't stretchy enough. I meant to reorder a larger size but never got around to it. I do think I made a mistake ordering though so I wouldn't be put off.

My current saviour is hot milk nursing bras. Godawful name but I wore a flexi-wire bra to a wedding: it was super comfortable and supportive but I still got a blocked duct which may or may not have been connected. Have since ordered two wire free bras and I'm v happy. I think worth a try. Since you're not breastfeeding I'd suggest seeing if you could tolerate flexi-wire as it did give a lovely shape.

Good luck. I really regret not putting more effort in while pregnant-I spent a couple of hundred quid in the end in m and s, mothercare etc because I knew I'd keep changing size and resented the money but the discomfort and pain was too much. Now I've found a suitable nursing bra it really makes a difference, and is worth the money.

@madeyemoodysmum they're honestly incredibly supportive but I found the difference between my back size and boob size meant getting into it nearly impossible l. However the level of support for an unwired bra was rally unexpected

I'm a 32HH and basically the only bra i can wear is Pour Moi St Tropez full cup bra because i fall out of everything else. I wouldn't say it's particularly uncomfortable but i guess it's not the comfiest either. At least i don't have to spend all day stuffing my boobs back into their container!

www.pourmoi.co.uk/products/st-tropez-full-cup-bra/

Hot Milk for nursing (horrific name!!).

I really like the look of the Luna bra In bravissimo. I may give that a go.

It looks like it actually separates. I don’t want a monoboob.

I’m 32ff/30g depending on weight/period fluctuations. I also have the added pain of being short and needing straps that fully adjust and not the ones that only move about 3 inch (although I have to make do with Shock Absorbers being slightly too long as haven’t found a better fitting sports bra). I pretty much only wear Freya now as they seem to suit me best. I wear Debenhams nightclothes with the supportive band but I think that only goes up to a G cup. My mum isn’t a particularly big cup but she’s having a nightmare with bras too (menopause), I’ll be passing on the m&s bralette info to her.

I sometimes have a break day and put my sports bra on. The extra support gives your back and shoulders a break as it's more spread out. I'm a similar size and I feel your pain. Took my bra off driving home the other day. Stuck in traffic so managed to squeeze it out from under my dress.

What type of back do the molke Brad have?

30HH here, and sympathetic to the issues with nearly all bras. I've got chronic back pain partly because of having such a large chest on a short frame. I'm back in physio for it now and over the last month have resorted to wearing strapless bras exclusively. Having bra straps on my shoulders is just too painful and I could cry that this is the state of my body, partly because if my chest, at 25 years old. It sucks.

Also can I ask (because I worry this might just be me wearing them wrong) does any one else find that where the wire is meant to sit on your ribs is often too low? In the rare occasions I wear a bra with straps, I find when I sit down the wires slip down under my ribs and causes tremendous discomfort. I'm not sure if this is just because I'm short though?

I second the pour moi bras. Great value if purchased on offer. The cups sit in the right place, the bands are supportive, without digging in, and the straps are just wide enough.

I'm a 36G. I hated bras, but one day wore my sports bra to work as I was behind with laundry and haven't looked back. They are hard to get on, but I find sports bras a lot more comfortable and the racer back means the straps aren't constantly falling down which I used to struggle with.

@lilyheather1 could it be you just need to tighten the shoulder straps?

I used to go to an independent bra fitter called Design Also on St Paul's Rd in London and she was AMAZING (if a little bonkers), too far to travel now but recommended, if she's still going.

I really think bra fitting is an area where the change in retail has done customers a disservice. You want experienced, skilled fitters who really really know the products and actually care about the outcome. You can't expect people on low wages who've had three hours' training to do the same thing.

Even Bravissimo are not very good - they sold me balconettes which look good for 5 mins until you lean over then there's a whole heap of boob making a run for it.

Last time with maternity I just put up with some godawful non-underwired things for the first few monster weeks then switched to my normal bras and hoiked my boobs over the top, ruined the bras but still more comfortable and no blocked ducts.

nocoolnamesleft - Luna Bra. Going into Bravissimo this afternoon to try one on. They have a range of sizes.

Molke - although very mixed reviews, I am going to give them a go. I like the stretch of the fabric and the broad back band.

Breast reduction - on the days when my bra fits like a glove I am relieved that I have not gone down that route. I feel I am mutilating my body because the garment industry isn't getting this right for women. Grrr.

Pour moi - checked out and do not go up to my size and up to a J is only sports bras. With a sports bra I find it difficult to tolerate the compression.

I do think I have to consider that menopause is having a impact.

I want say thank you all so much for your responses. This experience is so isolating. It's not something you can bring up over a cup of tea at the office.

I will say that M&S Full soft cup has proved to be really good and I have at least 7 on the go at any one time so I wear only for a day and then let the elastic recover. I do not have any digging into my shoulders and on a J/K cup there is a four hook band which provides added support in the band. I also adapt them to fit my figure, ie, I don't like the fact the bra pushes the breast outwards - the 'east west' position, so I pull the cups in more central by sewing in the seam. Also the stupid plastic strips in the sidebands. What's that about? They bend out. So they're out immediately. However, the downside, with all M&S garments, is that the quality of the fabric is very changeable so they can stretch very quickly. I know they are only £18.00 but sometimes the stretch means a bra places it pretty much in the single use disposable category.

And yes, sympathy if you're the other extreme. I know having a very small cup size can be as uncomfortable as a large. Again! Why is the bra industry finding it so difficult to address this?

Will try Design Also next time I am in London. Thanks

Ordered the Luna bra. Will report back next week.

I will report back on Triumph Doreen, Melke and the Luna. I really like the look of the Luna but believe a wider band gives good support. I see from The Bravissimo reviews that 44K wearer says they are very supportive. Let’s hope the reviewer not a plant.

40F and fed up wires stick in me and why on earth would someone my size want padding? straps slipping down at the moment i have a minimiser on mostly makes my boobs go under my armpits not a good look

32/34 HH/H here and I feel your pain! I'm yet to find a 'bralette' or anything else that holds the buggers in the right place! I'm pregnant too and just finding bras excruciating all the time rather than some of the time!!

Molke 34H here and more comfy than wired.

Thanks Chief, that’s the third vote for Molke.