Small boobs...

[1950sHousewife]

AIBU to think that I could find a bra that is uplifting, but not wodged full of foam, which will be flattering on those of us who are not overendowed on the boobicular area?
At the moment it either looks like I'm completely flat chested, or have two bean bags shoved down there.

I am struggling to find a bra that's pretty and supportive. Any recommendations?

Yes the scooping has worked it's way back out . I can get my whole hand between band and rib cage, but bra still feels quite tight. Only recently went from 34f to 32ff or g and not sure if I could cope with any tighter. I totally don't look jordanesque I hope and wear a size 8-10 top so don't understand how I can be so massive.

I have a Debenhams in town, i've always gone for fittings rather than look for myself so could give it a try - also have a small M&S, may have to look and see if they have any 28Cs for me to try.

This week is looking manic atm, so not likely I'll get to town, without littlies in tow & with time on my hands...!

Thanks for the link SC. I've ordered the M&S limited collection 28C and am feeling all hopeful again!

MysteryFairy, I would give it a shot. It sounds odd but sometimes a bra which is actually too big can feel tight. There are a couple of reasons - firstly, if the cup isn't actually big enough then the bra will be pulled forwards to provide the extra width for the cups which can make the bra feel tight, especially around the back.

The other is that even if the cup is roughly right, if the back isn't right then your boobs fall forward a bit and drag the bra down - which causes it to feel like it is digging in as instead of being perfectly horizontal it sits slightly diagonally (which is a bigger measurement)

The sort of sizes you fit honestly aren't enormous - I am a couple of cup sizes bigger and nobody every believes me when I say I am an H/HH cup. They normally guess at around a DD!

Jordan is a special case - her boobs are very upfront and stuck on so whilst she is probably something like a 28J, all of the breast "tissue (ok silicon!)" is in a very small area whereas natural boobs of that size have a wider base so don't look as big. I've read that a lot of women who have implants have difficulty with buying bras because the larger sizes which fit depth wise are effectively too wide.

Fingers crossed SlipperyVixen - never thought I would post an M&S bra link but a 28C does seem to be very hard to find. I thought those limited collection ones looked quite pretty!

Thanks both - nothing to lose but a bit of p and p if I order a few from bra stop. There is actually still a diagonal effect with a 32 now I study closely though much improved over previous 34. Can you suggest brands which fit slightly bigger? I ordered a mixture of 30 and 32 last time and one particular 30 was like a vice though I accept that could be cup size related!

Main brands which do a 28 (from tightest to loosest IME!)

Panache

Sorel and Statisticallychallenged - if I could kiss you over the Internet I would. I've worn a 34A for years and just accepted that I would never fill a bra cup. Had made my peace with it really and accepted my flat chestedness. Today I have bought three 30D bras and I actually fill them. And I have an appearance of cleavage. It's amazing! Thank you so, so much.

Awww thank you! Good to hear that you feel better - for a lot of people it makes such a difference.

(and there are unfortunately far too many bra fitters who are experts at making women feel bad!)

That's great news!

You are both wonderful.

Another one here who has gone from being 38c a year ago, to realising that was too big 6 months ago and buying 36d. Then a couple of weeks ago I actually measured myself with a tape measure as a result of these recent bra threads and worked out I must be a 32 or 34 e. Just been to Bravissimo today and left with two very comfy 32f

I can't believe that for years I missed the obvious signs of not fitting - band riding up at the bag and over boobs at the front, falling out when I leant over etc. Also, as has been alluded to by posters on this thread I think, I thought that I just had wide breasts and that was why the underwires dug in at the sides and sometimes bruised me - my solution was to keep going up a back size! Totally stunned by how well my new ones fit.

Lots of thanks to the clever women on this thread who have inspired me, and lots of others, to measure and get fitted.

Here here....I hearby award sorrelforbes and statisticallychallenged the mumsnet award for serviced to boobs [boob emotion needed]

Aw, too kind, too kind

I must give an honourable mention to HazelNutt who also haunts these bra threads from over the channel (and also has to contend with European measurements!).

You are all too kind!

Hello again. I'm just reporting back that I collected my 28C bras from M&S today and they fit!! I'm amazed and delighted!

When I gave my measurements up thread and SC suggested 28C I was hugely sceptical having worn 32A all my life (except for the pregnant/ breast-feeding years), and picturing a C cup as a tennis ball sized sphere!

I have nothing in the ways of boobs at all - two tiny pyramids of flesh that look like they don't need a bra.

Whenever I've seen the statistic about women wearing the wrong size bra I've always thought that it doesn't apply to me because I've got the tiniest boobs and I wear the smallest size available already so how could I change?

What I've realised today is the the 32A was effectively flattening out what I've got, spreading it out against my chest wall. The band used to rise up and I'd be hoicking it down all day cursing my lack of boobage to hold it down. Whereas the 28C gathers it all in and sits it in a beautifully comfortable forward position. There's no gaping when I bend down, I genuinely fill the cups, and whilst I wouldn't go as far as to say I have a cleavage I do have two mounds with a dip inbetween! And it feels very comfortable too. I no longer feel flat-chested, I just have small boobs that suit my frame.

Anyway, I know I'm being ridiculously over enthusiastic and it's only a change in numbers after all. I'm still the same size as I always was but it is still a huge psychological boost to be a C cup (a C cup!) as opposed to an A.

So thank you SC and SF and HazelNutt and everyone else who has contributed to this thread.

The next challenge is finding the elusive 28C bras!!

So glad to hear you had a successful shopping trip.

I believe Ewa Michelak (a polish brand) do a very good range of sizes including custom sizes so they would almost certainly be able to help. Sorrel uses them regularly so will know better but I believe their back sizes can come up tight so it may be worth ordering a non-custom in a few sizes just to try and makes sure that if you do get a custom order it is the right size as they are non-refundable.

Another option which might be worth considering is finding a half decent tailor/seamstress. If you could find bras in a 30 where the cup fits (probably a 30B) then it wouldn't be much of a challenge for a good seamstress to take 2" out of the back for you. A lot of women who actually measure

Slippery I had the exact same experience - A and B cups flattened and tried to squash together my smallish wide-set breasts, C and D cups contain them and enhance them. And a good tight band gives support that I did not know I needed.

I would have gone to a specialist shop earlier but I had the idea that they are only for women with really big breasts.

Advice needed please.

Have been following thread & finally measured this morning, I'm 27/28 underneath and 32/33 over bust. So I worked out 28DD or 28E. I went to debenhams today and purchased these two sizes. Got home and couldn't for the life of me get the bra clasp on, far too tight. When I finally did get clasp done (assisted by my 17yr old DD, who was in fits of laughter by the way at the thought of her mother getting into a 28 bra) I found it incredibly uncomfortable?

Where did I go wrong

thingy, are they both the same brand? Some just fit smaller, I'm generally 32 but definitely need 34 in some brands, so why don't you just try a size larger? Sure it shoudl be tight, but you should still be able to breathe as well.

thing1 Have you tried them on back to front (don't swivel it around and put it on properly)? Will they do up back to front on the loosest hooks?

Yep same brand Hazelnutt, both from debenhams. It took me forever to find a size 28 in any cup size tbh, so was hoping if the cup size in DD or E fit I would scour Internet for future buys because it was ridiculous how little choice in size 28 back there is. I could breath but the flesh on my back was being pinched together, that can't be right.

Would u suggest 30dd/e?

the fact that you could actually do it up (with difficulty!) suggests you probably need to go up one back size in the specific brand. I wouldn't go up any more than that. At the moment I wear a 30 and could probably just about do up a 28 and wouldn't have a hope of doing up a 26 (if they existed)

I also feel (having been a 28) that for some reason there is a massive variance in the back sizes of 28s that aren't as obvious in other sizes.

Which bras did you buy?

Are they Debenhams branded (the Gorgeous range)?