Bra shopping. Large band size but small boobs.

[Charsy01]

Sorry wrong place but posting here for traffic.

Where I can find some places that cater for a lady (me) with a large chest measurement (42) and only just filling a B cup!

A lot of places don’t go up to a 42 and when they do it starts at a C - I need a B cup.

Marks and Spencer’s for a few but selection not great.

I like something slightly padded and I also really like plunge style bras as the wiring doesn’t come quite so far up between my boobs - that are also set quite far apart 😂 cannot go for anything to full looking on the cups as it just feels too big and often can be seen peering above t shirts and blouses etc that are lower cut!

I don’t want a sports bra as I do need some support and I do like underwiring to give me a bit of a push up!

Any ideas? Anyone else in the same boat? I feel shops feel curvier ladies will always have bigger boobs but my boobs don’t seem to increase or decrease with weight gain or loss!

It was much easier when I was slimmer and smaller band!

I am working on losing weight so don’t want to spend too much either as may need another soon!

And did you scoop ?

God this thread pisses me off.

I'm a size 12 and my back size is 38. Cup size c.

I've always had a broad back with a small waist and small shoulders.

I know that sounds unbelievable but there you go

There's a lot of people in here who don't seem to understand that people have different shaped breasts. Sister sizes don't automatically fit for this reason. A rugby ball and a football could have the same volume but doesn't mean you'd make the same bag to carry each of them in!

It is entirely possible for a bigger woman to have a wide and flat breast, or to carry weight on different areas of her body. I'm a smaller size but I can fluctuate in weight and stay exactly the same boob measurement and just add more on my midriff which makes my measurements seem 'off'

Op might be worth googling shallow breast shape or wide rooted breast shape to see if that could be a factor? It's when the breast tissue is spread over a large area of the chest/ribcage so the overall effect is 'flatter' than what bra manufacturers design for. If you have a better understanding of your shape you might find more recommendations about bra manufacturers that cater for you or have styles that suit you better.

I worked in a plus size bra store (ironically I'm barely a B cup) when I was at uni. I measured loads of women who had a large back size with A/B cup size, it's really common.

Annoyingly I've just had a look and they've shut their website down but there must be similar places

According to M&S, a 10 is a 34" a bust and a 12 a 36" bust, so how people this size can fit in a bra that is, respectively, a 36 or 38 band size (ie measurement around the ribcage), plus boob, is a mystery.

@PickAChew that's what confuses me. Not saying people are lying but at a 34 back, I can't fit in tops smaller than a 16 (I do have broad shoulders and am busty!) they would be too tight around my back

Have you thought about a supportive vest instead OP? If I was an A or B cup I'd jump at the chance to ditch uncomfortable bras and instead go for a smoothing camisole top with integrated cups for push up. M&S, Primark, TKmaxx tend to have them.

@BarbaraofSeville

Maz

An A or B cup means virtually no breast tissue at all. But the OP says she needs support, which implies she has something that needs supporting so isn't an A or B cup.

On the matter of bras being comfortable, they don't just have to be the correct size, but the correct shape. Not all brands fit all women and if a bra doesn't fit, it won't be comfortable.

When measured properly, very few women are below a C cup, even those who would say they have quite small boobs.

This is completely untrue and I know this for a fact as I've been professionally measured multiple times. I'm over a 40 band and a B cup. It's still quite a lot of breast tissue--it's just on a wider base. Volume of a 42B is equivalent to 40C, 38D, 36DD/E, and so on.

Brands to look for in large band/small cup are Elomi and Goddess. You may be more comfortable in a soft cup, not an underwire.

(Have skipped 4 pages sorry)

Thank you. Didn’t realise I’d have so many replies on this post. Really helpful. I’m going to M&S today (not to get measured as so many have said not good and not sure they would be doing it due to covid?). But I’m just going to have a look around. Probably get stressed as there’s so many! 😂 I do find M&S bras to be be comfortable.

I’ve looked on the website of my local bra fitters. They have absolutely nothing in stock n my size (biggest was 38 band) so I’m not even going there if they don’t have larger bands to start with!

I assume trying on bras is probably frowned upon too due to covid? Haven’t been shipping yet myself but assume it’s still no changing rooms open?

@DianaT1969

Have you thought about a supportive vest instead OP? If I was an A or B cup I'd jump at the chance to ditch uncomfortable bras and instead go for a smoothing camisole top with integrated cups for push up. M&S, Primark, TKmaxx tend to have them.

Having small breasts doesn't mean they don't need support I don't need a lot but I need more than a vest

@DianaT1969

Have you thought about a supportive vest instead OP? If I was an A or B cup I'd jump at the chance to ditch uncomfortable bras and instead go for a smoothing camisole top with integrated cups for push up. M&S, Primark, TKmaxx tend to have them.

Thanks. Might be an idea in winter but not so comfortable in summer with summery clothes! Despite not having much there I do still like a bit of support as I find they still need a bit of support. Not so bad when standing but when I sit I feel like they look bad as my excess stomach fat seems to push everything up and they kinda rest on top of my fat - I have a lot of fat around my stomach and waist... don’t even have much of a defined waist. I am definitely an apple shape.. I carry my weight all in the middle. Working on getting healthy and losing it! I find that a vest or sports bra tends to rise up as well and wrinkle under my boobs 😒 if this makes any sense.

To reassure you, I’ve been fitted lots of times and they never look at you topless or measure you. Normally you say what size you think you are and then you & the fitter try different bras until you find some that work. Different brands have different cup shapes so you might have different sizes if you buy a sports bra and a bra to wear under a low cut top.

I think people who'd say they'd love to go braless don't know remember what it's like to have small boobs! They still move for starters, and tighter tops (eg crop tops) just flatten everything out in ab not very flattening way. Fine if you're doing sports but not great if you want clothes to fit for one thing. And while I understand looks aren't everything, many people who carry weight on their middle appreciate clothing that creates a bit of definition.

To the PP who talked about page 3 girl measurements, they were made up because men assume bigger numbers + a letter meant bigger boobs. That's why they were 36DD or EE or FF. Papers who sold that stuff weren't exactly known for honesty

Tried scopping i see no difference :) am stuck wih my tiny boobs. I dont understand people who say bars are uncomforatble, i dont find them uncomfortable at all. I do need to wear one, can't wear bralets cami etc.

Have you tried bralets OP? I find them so comfortable. I just bought a pack on amazon which were about £20 for 5 - they have a bit of padding which you say you like and spaghetti straps so can wear with summer clothes. They do hold everything up too. I switched to bralets in my second pregnancy and have never looked back! For everyday wear that is - I do still have a couple of "proper" bras for certain nicer dresses I own.

When you reduce the band size the cup size goes up. Not the same size exactly but sometimes it gives a nicer fit. Eg 42B goes to 40C

Sometimes I have had to buy a bra to fit the cups even though the back is too small and put a bra extender in the hooks at the back. My problem is reversed to yours though. Small band large cup so I can't say for sure what will help, just try different sizes!

If you are going to M&S today then have a look at their bralettes, they have some really lovely ones and I find them quite supportive. My BOB size is 32HH and so much better and more supportive than the 38DD I was previously wearing.

I've tried scooping but it's bloody uncomfortable and weird. My back fat doesn't want to be in my bra, and I don't know why I would want it there. The person who claimed you can train back fat to move to the tits is just...I don't even know.

I've always thought I was a 42B as I have small saggy boobs and I'm overweight. I've just done the boob or bust measure and it says I'm a 40GG! I'd get lost in that cup size!!

@PickAChew

According to M&S, a 10 is a 34" a bust and a 12 a 36" bust, so how people this size can fit in a bra that is, respectively, a 36 or 38 band size (ie measurement around the ribcage), plus boob, is a mystery.

When M & S provide measurements for clothes sizes (dresses/blouses) they are using the overbreast measurement. They say in their instructions "Measure under the arms at the fullest part around the bust horizontally"

So the average size 12 measures 36inches over the fullest part of their bust.

When you measure for a bra you measure under the bust to get your band size and over the bust to get an idea of your cup size. So I'm a size 12-14 and measure 32 inches under my bust and 37 inches over my bust. I wear a 32 E bra.

@greeneyedlulu
I think small and saggy is a blind spot of the BOB method due to the leaning measurement. Mine go long and thin when dangling, so give a big measurement but with no volume behind it. My BOB size is apparently a 30G, my lived in size is 36B. I'd maybe consider giving a 34C a go but G is just ridiculous.

Traditionally we added 4 (or 5) to the underbust measurement to allow for breathing before the days of elasticated fabric. Now bras are made of stretch fabric. Comfort (and fabric/cut variations) may dictate going a size either way from your measured size - I have bras that are sold as 28 and measure 26 or 30 when stretched!

I wouldn't go on the fit of one bra (or manufacturer) to reject a size, it would be like trying on one size 16 pair of jeans in 1 shop and declaring that although the waist was too loose and the thighs were too tight you needed a 14 or an 18 in that exact pair of jeans rather than looking for a different style (or colour) because they were wrong in opposite directions.

See also shoes. I know I'm a 6 - 6.5 although a 5.5 might sometimes work. I also know that I need a shoe that is narrow at the heel and has more width at the front, a shoe which is wide everywhere will rub at the back as my heels are the wrong width. Over time I've learned which styles and brands work for my feet.

Same goes for bras. I know I can't wear Curvy Kate because they have wider wires for the same volume and my boobs are all in front (think orange/grapefruit in a sock).

One of the most common bra shapes sold is the T-Shirt bra which is a moulded seam free full cup design. It's difficult to fill correctly unless your boob is the exact right shape. Judging your size on this type of bra is very misleading, like judging your shoe size on crocs!

@DispareSquid

If you go long and dangling when leaning you want narrow wires with a lot of forward projection. Curvy Kate will be wrong as they're generally flatter and wider (plus inconsistent/poor sizing quality control).

Also need plunge or half cup rather than a full cup.

It’s not that your breast tissue moves, it is that as other posters have said, there is actually a lot of breast tissue extending around your sides and a bra with a wide back size and smaller cup size often doesn’t capture that. So the side seam will be sitting on your breast tissue. This is the case with wide set breasts in particular. You want the seam / underwire to be sitting far enough around your side to capture that breast tissue and as others have said, that can depend on the shape of the cups which varies from brand to brand. The back and sides should be tight but comfortable. When you are in the right bra size you can feel it. I’m sure that some people do genuinely need a large back size and small cup size but there are a lot of people who are in the wrong bra.

Don’t be embarrassed about not having been measured in store, so many of them use an old fashioned method! I’m a boob or bust convert too and I got my unusual size from Bra Stop