Why is it so hard to get bras in a smaller back size?

[Fink]

Out bra shopping for teen daughter. She'd be best in a 28F, can wear a 30E in some designs but definitely not a 32" or bigger, it's just far too loose. I'm a 30E or F. Even less able to go up a back size because I'm old enough to actually need some support.

I usually shop at Rigby & Peller for myself, love it. But it's blooming expensive for a teenager when what she really wants is something cheap and fashionable and doesn't need anything particularly sturdy.

But I've been traipsing around high street shops and there's literally nothing less than a 32" back that goes above a D cup, and nothing at all in a 28" back. It's 30 A - 30D, 32 A - DD and then loads of choice from 34" upwards, right up to 40". This includes specialist lingerie shops like Victoria Secret, and general women's clothes shops.

The thing is, I'm a former teacher and now a youth worker and I also coach a youth sport. I see dozens of teenage girls every day. Obviously I don't stare at their breasts or ask them what size they are, but my daughter doesn't at all stand out as being an odd shape and size compared to the average. In fact, she's got a naturally larger frame than quite a lot of girls her age, she is in no way petite. And the same for me as an adult. I just look normal, size 8-10 in clothes, can shop pretty much anywhere.

I don't understand how we can be such regular sizes but not be catered for in bras.

I know that reportedly a large proportion of women are in the 'wrong' size bra, but I've honestly tried 32" and 34" bras before, and so has my daughter, and they're just no good at all. So what's going on? Are we actually freakishly uncommon sizes? Do a large number of women walk around with a really loose bra and not care? Are there some market forces that make smaller back sizes not profitable?

AIBU in thinking that 30E is not a really unusual bra size to be, and to be baffled that retailers seem to think it is?

I’m a 30D (size 8) I used to wear 32 for years as I thought this was the smallest!!

so much more comfortable now I’ve found 30. Boux avenue or marks and Spencer’s (online only and selected styles).

Try Bravissimo. Apologies if already suggested! She has my sympathy!

boux avenue, brastop and bravissimo cover the many and varied boobs in our house

I'm a similar size and always go to bravissimo, never had an issue there. Not cheap of course.

this site could work, if you don't mind online @Fink

Freya bras also do small back sizes

My DD was small back, large cup as a teenager (30E). I always took her to John Lewis to be fitted. Now (she's 22) she buys from Boux Avenue and I've given her presents from M&S.

They would be if more people were wearing the correct size. Many people are in a too big back and too small cup.

As an F cup she does need something sturdy rather than cheap and cheerful. Breasts that size are heavy and can lead to back and neck problems. She needs good support and wide straps. Bravissimo are good.

DD has 30FF bought in John Lewis instore and online. There are quite a lot around.

This is exactly my issue. Neither of us have large breasts or tiny frames. I would understand better if we did. We just look average. Like some pps, people are often surprised to hear my size because they associate an E or F cup with massive boobs. I would have thought that by now most women at least would understand that a cup size by itself is meaningless, but maybe not.

I'm about to go into a work meeting now. I'll check out some of those online sites when I'm done. Thank you for all the suggestions!

Bravissimo, Fantasie, Freya, Panache are the best. John Lewis are fairly reliable stockists, but I also buy off eBay (30G).

Same here, measured my teen DD as a 30 E the other day. I did find one style that size from next but 30 is the smallest back size they do.
I ended up getting her a 32D which actually fit quite nicely.
It is annoying though.

Ps she's size 8 and really doesn't look that busty

I am a 30E. I used to wear a 32C until i visited Bravissimo and got properly fitted. Every time I try M&S again, they try and put me back in a 32 and I assume it is because so few of their own ones are available in a 30.

I’m a 28FF and DD should be in a 26FF - 26” is impossible to buy so she wears a 28F which is fine.

All hers come from Boux Avenue (we have one locally but I’ve bought online before and their customer service/returns policy is good), and mine generally come from Bravissimo or Bra Stop. I like Freya and Cleo brands. Have never bought Bravissimo’s own brand so can’t comment on that.

I agree with you that it’s really not usual to have a 28/30 back size. DD is 17 and a size 6 - she is petite but not unusually so. There are plenty of teens and women who are size 6/8/10 who cannot be more than a 28” back and yet it’s so hard to get bras in those sizes.

(Although, be thankful you are at least in the UK - in the US you can’t get anything below a 32” - when we lived there I stocked up on bras when we came home for visits. That’ll be why you can’t find anything in Victoria Secret - it’s a US company)

Came on to recommend brastop again as per previous posters. I use them regularly as the stock certain Polish bands like Gaia that are hard to find elsewhere. They allow free returns and they process money back in a couple of days so I'll regularly order multiple styles and sizes and return 50% of the order no problem. Also normally on top cashback for extra discount.

The general rule is that your band size is your normal clothes size plus 20. Obviously it's different for everyone but if you're a size 10 for example you'll probably be a bra size 30X or one either side.

Sizes in shops are so out of whack cause they still work on the plus 4" rule (from when the material was not elasticated). Which would put a size 10 at a 34X which stacks up with the sizes you generally see in shops. I think it's fucking madness that bras are still so badly measured, understood, available etc when they are so important for so many women to lead a comfortable life.

I totally agree. I'm a size 10 in clothes, and usually wear a 30 inch back. There are loads of people smaller than me so why don't bras go down smaller in the back sizes??

They are actually. It's just that if they're not stocked in stores then nobody is going to buy them, they're going to have to buy the wrong size and live with it. So the stats say they're not a common size!

M&S own brand miss cup sizes though so quite often their larger cup sizes are actually a size or two smaller than they say they are.

DD likes Freya bras - not cheap but they do 28" in larger cups. She really needs a 26" but no where seems to do those.

I had a small back size and large cup as a teen and m&s was the only place I could get them. I went to the one in Oxford Circus. They would stock Freya etc

I find that too ( and definitely not a teen😆)

I buy my branded 30G from eBay and Vinted. I love matching knickers, but find that too hard to find as the eBay/Vinted newbies tend to be left overs from shops/factories. Brands such as M&S, Boux Ave, Freya. Search by size and pick out the brands.

Just realised a typo in my last post and it’s too late to edit, but I’m posting a correction here because I do think it’s important:

I agree with you that it’s really not unusual to have a 28/30 back size

I was wearing a 34B for years. Then got measured properly in a boutique bra shop. I’m a 30D. Bras have fitted me immeasurably better since then. The lady in the shop says this happens all the time and people are a much smaller back size and much bigger cup size than they realise. It’s bad measurement that means nobody thinks they are a small back size so they don’t exist in mainstream shops.

(I can assure you that as a 30D I’m a size 8-10 with rather small droopy boobs not some kind of barbie)

Debenhams used to be good for smaller sizes or John Lewis's own make or Freya