Bra for well-endowed teen

[ClaraMaugham]

Hi there - hoping someone can help. My dd is only 14 but already has a very impressive pair. She's coping well under the circumstances but hates the fact that all the bras in her size are basically women's bras, while all her friends get to prance about in little M&S cotton numbers. She seems to have 2 options - big, sensible grown up bras which look too big for her body, or slinky lacey things which she can't bear. I really feel for her. Does anyone know where I can find something a bit more teen friendly, but over a D cup? She's a really awkward size too - probably needs a 30 but you just can't get that combination except in specialist places which again are far too adult.

Very grateful for any ideas...

Hmmm...I think the idea that an F cup is 'large' is partly to blame here. I'm a 30E and I'd say my breasts are small.

We need to move away from the mindset that anything above a D is huge - it isn't.

That's very true Jackshit. I quite like the bra band project as an "educational tool" - it just has pictures of women in properly fitting bras and searchable by size but it really helps when people have the "D cup is big boobs, F cup is Jordan" type perception as it shows that something like a 28D is very petite and what many people would probably mentally imagine as an A cup.

Itsallgoingtobefine yes I'm sure she's a 32" chest, she's incredibly broad. Broad shoulders, hips and ribs too it seems. Has just had a huge growth spurt and is now 5'2" with a 29" inside leg!

I totally agree that we need to change the mindset that anything above a DD is humongous.

clara if she's a big size she's a big size so don't worry there re Bravissimo.

Have you seen www.investinyourchest.com (I'm not affiliated!) the women who run that love brightly coloured and not hugely expensive bras and try all sorts of brands. Debenhams Gorgeous do larger sizes too in nice colours.

DD is a 30EE and DGodD is 32F and we got them both plainish bra's from John Lewis.

My 15 yo is a 34DD and we have the normal tears because she can't buy bras at Gilly Hicks as too small for her, M&S are for 'old women' ditto John Lewis.
We then spotted a Triumph store that had a sale and I suggested we take a look. She loves them. Mostly thin moulded cups in fairly neutral colours are what we now buy with pretty straps.
I'm not sure what size they go up to but possibly worth a look. My daughter says that they are really comfortable and she is more than happy with what they look like.

Sorry to disappear, and thanks everyone for your very helpful suggestions.

fieldfare did you find anything for DD yesterday?

LaydeeC you sound like you're in more or less my situation, so I'm especially happy to hear from you. I will search out Triumph as well as Deco and some of the other brands that have been mentioned. Is there any particular style/name that your DD likes?

And I will take her to Bravissimo I promise.

I think triumph won't do a small enough band unfortunately, the main 28 band companies are Freya, panache -including Cleo -curvy Kate, bravissimo own brand, Debenhams gorgeous, tutti rouge. Marks and Spencer and john lewis do a few own branded ones too. There are probably a few others but that's the big ones.

My DD2 has similar problems.. at 14 we finally braved Bravissimo (she was nervous of being seen let alone measured!) and it transformed her life!

She's a tiny size 6-8 body but her boobs peaked at a 28J which as you can imagine , didn't give her much choice! (and I'm barely a C cup so god only knows where they came from)

She's now 20, and has got used to them. Also, although she is tiny, she started going to the gymn and eating really healthily and as she has toned up (into the most amazingly fit person) her boobs have actually shrunk.. she is now a GG/H cup and she is absolutely delighted! I'm only mentioning it because she had no idea that would happen and it's a real bonus to keeping fit!

Ooh thanks Medusa - it is good to hear from other people who have experienced this.

And thanks Statistically - your knowledge is clearly phenomenal! Shame about the Triumph though, I was quite excited at that idea. Some of the Cleo bras look good to me (DD much pickier obv) - even the straps look quite unobtrusive.

Op well done on sorting this out for your dd. My mum didn't bother and I ended up getting tested for breast cancer, as all the underwired bras she bough me didn't actually fit and I got a lump. I was probably a 26D as a teenager. Wearing 32b cast offs from my sisters.

Now I find 32gg great, and a well fitting bra makes my boobs look smaller, and tidy, if that makes sense.

Shock absorber sports bras are fantastic and look just like smaller sized ones.

Happy bravissimo shopping!

OP there's another brand called Made in Preston they've got a website that do their own bras you'd have to see re sizes.

Also figleaves have nice bras and their phone/online customer service is very good.

I had a reduction when I was 21. Am now 32ff :-) (am a lot older now)

I was lucky, when i was a teen my DM used to take me to an inde in my home town. Back in those days there was so little choice and everything was made with 4 hooks in the back and straps so wide they doubled as sleeves.

Lots more choice now. I like Panache and Pour Moi for comfort and fit. Just avoid M&S.

DD, 14 is an F cup, I took her to Bravisimo to be fitted, bought one from there then some more the same size from Primark.

I've showed her some of the Cleo bras on the Bravissimo website - she was very enthusiastic and that's really helped convince her to go for a fitting. Just need to make sure it's a branch that's got them in stock...

So glad you're getting her fitted and that she likes the Cleo ones. They stock them on Figleaves too for future when she knows her size.

I was the first in my year at school to develop boobs. I was ok with it, but what did bother me was having terrible fitting ugly bras. My DM took me to M&S when I was 12 because that was seen as the very best place for fittings back then, and they obviously measured me wrong so I spent most of my teenage years in a 34C when I was actually probably a 28E-F. I don't think I wore the right size until I was 23 and went into a Bravissimo.

Bulging lumps and bumps, constant adjusting and having to shove your boobs back into place all the time is far worse than a wide strap on a well fitting bra. She'll fast realise this after she gets new ones.

I'm a 30FF now btw and have found lots of brightly coloured, 'fun' patterned type bras in Bravissimo, Figleaves and Debenhams. Not a huge beige coloured strap in sight. I wouldn't say I have particularly big boobs either. Definitely not small and fairly ample but not big.

Good luck, hope she finds lots she likes.

Clara that all sounds really positive! glad you've found some she likes the look of and has agreed to a proper fitting.

We had a lovely day out but didn't manage to find any bras, got a couple of sports bras in TKMaxx actually as they had some shock absorbers in her size so she's happy about that.

If a lot of the issue is about the straps, could you or a local seamstress prettify the straps by adding some embellishments to them? John Lewis have all sorts of ribbons & edging & things.

some Fauve bras have really gorgeous straps - they are expensive, but once she knows her size, there are bargains to be found on Ebay or Brastop.

The Cleo Maddie has thin straps but still good support and is a moulded type cup.

The Cleo neve and jude are both moulded without monster straps too -none of my Cleo bras have especially chunky straps actually.

Your problem is that you are probably measuring her correctly a la mumsnet/bravissimo & her friends are being measures the wrong plus 4 M&S way

My dd is just 13 & was a late developer. She is a dancer.

She measures 26 D/ 28 C. M & S tried to put her in 30B/32A

She gets her bras from John Lewis.

John Lewis seem to measure correctly. They said DD is a 28F, but as that is so difficult to get hold of, 30EE. They seem to fit DD just right.

Hi ClaraM I had the same dilemma with my daughter she is now 16 but about a 30G We tried various shops to get her something comfortable but with the right support which is so crucial, finally we went to bravissimo ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC my daughter who up to then used to find the whole issue embarrassing now will happily go in there on her own to get measured and we have bought swimwear etc from them, the service is fab and the range of products great. Really worth a try.