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!

I can't offer any advice, although I'm pleased to hear you found a bra OP, but I am heartened to read there are other A cup ladies out there other than myself!! Also, I really didn't rate Boob Or Bust, they tried to size me at a 28C, the band nearly cut off my circulation. I'll be sticking with my 34As in future..

I've found an oddity in the sizing of some smaller band and small cup bras - like the 28C - some of them seem to be absolutely tiny. I've had to buy some recently for my DD and they were so much smaller in the band than some larger cupped 28s I had. I think a lot of them are aimed at the teen market (no offence meant there whatsover I swear.) It's a bit like the difference between a size 8 in topshop vs an 8 in phase eight - they're not the same!

It's also very common - and something which lots of calculators don't allow - for people who are slender to need a band size bigger than they measure for comfort. And if you're breasts are smaller there isn't quite the same need for the brand to be firm as you won't experience the same postural/pain issues from undersupported breasts. And on the flip side the well cushioned amongst us often need a smaller size as the band obviously, erm, compressed . So plenty of slender women need to do +2, and some women need to do -2, or more at bigger sizes.

I suspect that the optimum size for you is probably somewhere in between, something along the lines of a 30B/C perhaps.

My belief is that average sizes are more standardized and those with narrow back/band size and large breasts or wider back/band size and small breasts have much more sizing discrepancies to work through.

I compared the teenage bras and adult bras when buying my daughters first bras. They weren't the same sizes at all and the teenage cup sizes were all over the place.

I talked to a bespoke bra maker years ago and she told me that many older women go for comfort rather than support. She said the band needs to fit tightly and a proper fitting bra is more important as you get older. She said the mistake most women make is a too wide a band and too small a cup size.

Well this is interesting. I've struggled for years to find a comfortable bra for my tubular breasts. I've been wearing a 36c but the band is too tight and can give me raw skin after a few hours. If I go for a larger cup the shape of me doesn't fill it and I'm left with loose cups. I just tried the abrathatfits calculator and it says I'm a 34F. So if I were to buy bras in this size online would they fit my tubular breasts?

If you are away from London I'd say It's absolutely worth having a day off for a fitting here. I was convinced I would need a bra made for me, they offered a range of standard bras so I could pick shape and colour. No tape measures in sight, just lovely ladies who show you how to put the bra on abs adjust all the straps so they are perfect for you.

https://www.rigbyandpeller.com/en-gb/

@findingabrathatfits

Well this is interesting. I've struggled for years to find a comfortable bra for my tubular breasts. I've been wearing a 36c but the band is too tight and can give me raw skin after a few hours. If I go for a larger cup the shape of me doesn't fill it and I'm left with loose cups. I just tried the abrathatfits calculator and it says I'm a 34F. So if I were to buy bras in this size online would they fit my tubular breasts?

How would a tighter band be better than the one you have now which is too tight? You need a wider band and smaller cup size. Try a 38b or a

If your breasts are narrower get a narrow type of wire (Elomi) and a plunge. My bras rub more when the band is too loose - I know it feels bizarre but my sports bra rubbing is my cue to move in a set of hooks!

Band size feeling tight can be misleading, because if there's breast tissue which can't get in the cup then that tissue ends up stealing space from the band. Sometimes when your band feels tight it actually is a lack of cup space, it's not always obvious.

A good way to test is to try your bra on back to front. This way you are focusing only on the feel of the band without the cup having an influence. How does the band feel if you do that?

Tried it back to front and still a bit tight to be honest. However measuring with a tape measure a 34 seems quite comfy?

Could be that specific bra? May be shrunk? A well fitting band should have enough space for you to fit 3 fingers under it

Sizes do also vary between brands.

Yes could be that it has shrunk. I've just ordered ten bras in differing sizes online as an experiment

Bra should always be closed on the outside hooks. Then as they naturally stretch over time you can bring them in a hook.

I think that tubular breasts are likely to distort the cup measurement - it varies a lot between individuals but because tubular breasts are generally narrow then there might be less breast volume than you would expect from the measurement, if that makes sense?

@LesserBother

My bra size is 30E. I have small breasts (ie don’t need to wear a bra).

This is what I don't understand, I'm a 30f, can only wear shirts from somewhere like bravissimo, size has always been commented on ever since I was a teenager. 30e isn't massive but I'm struggling to understand how it can be small

I'm a 30F and my boobs don't look big at all. Even before I had my daughter, I used to struggle to get shirts to button over my boobs and that was when I was a 30C and looked very slim and willowy.

I think if you've got tubular breasts then it is even harder trying to find something that fits and gives enough support.

My friend with tubular breasts was advised to get all her bras handmade. The bra fitter advised her to buy mastectomy bras and transfer the bespoke padding. The bespoke bra was expensive - but she found out what she needed - she then bought m&s mastectomy bras and extra padding from ebay.

I'm now 30f and feel very self conscious. I have cleavage I don't want

I have slim shoulders

I hate the way the media portrays breast size and bra size as if says something about the person. But we had decades of a daily paper that published topless pictures of women along with their so called bra sizes. Reports on celebs wearing fairly normal clothes describe them flaunting their bodies, normal cleavage is commented on. Unless we want to spend thousands and go through major surgery our breasts are what they are, and they say absolutely fuck all about our value, our personalities or our sexual availability. The only thing they say is that we're bloody female!

Hear hear @StatisticallyChallenged.

I have side set breasts too and they’re a nightmare. I used to wear 38C or 40B for a long time, then tried Boob and Bust and 32GG fits so much better. I am around a 12/14 on top though.

OP I think I may be a similar size and shape to you, I’m a size 18-20 , and Boob or bust didn’t work for me at all. I’m usually a 40D and they were feeling a bit tight so had a look at boob or bust website (recommended on here) and they sized me at 36F I ordered a bra in that size from where I usually do and it was so badly fitting across the band it ended up giving me a headache after 2 hours.

Also don’t bother getting cheap bras off Amazon (speaking from experience!)

Check if your measuring tapes have stretched too!

My friend said her plastic one was out a few inches.

Certainly an interesting thread. I am someone that boob or bust actually worked for from wearing a 34dd to 32ff and I'm a size 12 generally.

OP can I just ask if the middle of your bra sits flush against your breastbone.... This is the best way I was told to know if a bra fits, when I first went to my new size, I thought no way, back is going to be too small etc but actually, it was tight for first few wears and then it was fine and I have no gap between my breastbone and the bra.

I told my mate about it when I noticed due to wearing a low cut top that her bra was wrong size, she ended up, after measuring on boob or bust coming down 2 back sizes and she proudly showed me the no gap in her new sized bra. Even if the boob or bust method doesn't work for you, please don't be afraid to come down in the back and up in the cup... You may be surprised.

@StatisticallyChallenged

I hate the way the media portrays breast size and bra size as if says something about the person. But we had decades of a daily paper that published topless pictures of women along with their so called bra sizes. Reports on celebs wearing fairly normal clothes describe them flaunting their bodies, normal cleavage is commented on. Unless we want to spend thousands and go through major surgery our breasts are what they are, and they say absolutely fuck all about our value, our personalities or our sexual availability. The only thing they say is that we're bloody female!

Amen to that.