Sports bra if you are 32D or 32DD - what would you recommend?

[mysteryfairy]

My 13 year old DD is genuinely that size using the bra intervention method. She is also 5ft 8 so whilst statuesque is not as out of proportion as the measurements say. I went to the gym wearing a rubbish sports bra the other day due to a laundry crisis and it was hideous - I was extremely jiggly and it really impacted how fast I could run etc. It's subsequently struck me that poor DD doesn't have any sports bras and has to endure games, p.e., dance, gym etc without. I wear a Freya active underwired bra but I know DD would think it was hideous and I'm just wondering what she can get away with at her size (and 13 year old perkiness!) Would those Lycra vest bra things be enough?

Hmm, I see what you mean - they are all a world away from what other 13 year olds will be wearing in the changing room.

I have a Freya Active moulded sports bra - they have a non-underwired version too, and a Berlei 'running' one too that all look a bit more bra-like.
I've got the panache ones too, and they're good. Might look a bit more crop-top-like?

Will add - for Freya Active, look for the 'moulded' option to avoid a prominent front seam that would prob show through PE kit.

Top three are Panache, the Freya moulded crop top (there's a new one out in some lovely colours) or a Pure Lime.

Less bounce.com stocks all of them.

Shock absorber simply aren't as good as any of the above. The Run is their best one, but comes up small.

The Berlei running bra is shit, avoid!

And the Enell is good, admittedly, but not on a teenager under gym kit. The moulded Panache or Freya ones are just as supportive IME (i run serious distances in both with F cup boobs) and they give a much "nicer" shape. Plus they're cheaper than the Enell, which helps.

Another vote for shock absorbers (I wear a 32D but had to go up to 34) Also agree with Lycra sports crop top over it. Mine's black with turquoise piping, had it years, also have a couple of plain black. They work well with racer back style tops and all my teenage gym class wear them (I teach PE)

I am a 32DD or 32E in some bras.

I currently have a couple of the ultra high impact zip fronted sports bras from M&S. I go up a back size and down a cup for sports bras.

They are pretty good for most gym stuff, but I still wear another one underneath if I am running.

I have yet to find the holy grail of a sports bra that holds my boobs completely rigid in the way that 2 layers does.

Wow thanks for all the responses. I wear the freya active fit underwired in whatever lurid colours are available on eBay cheapest - I just avoid nude and white ones as I think they look even more ugly - extremely matronly! I was picturing that DD might just wear a sports bra all day but on reflection that may not work well under a white blouse

I imagine the lululemon sports bra would fit the bill for her as long as she's not running long distance. They are very lovely looking bras and are what all the young cross fitters wear.

I am a 34 D/DD and wear the energy lululemon bra for most exercise that I do apart from running a long way. It is surprisingly comfy and does a good job of keeping things in check!

Mystery fairy - the Freya active fit underwired is ok, but the moulded crop top style they've brought out since then is so much better! In terms of support, comfort and shape.

I think they saw the Panache sports bra (also brilliant), copied it and came up with a very good bra indeed.

I do like the original Freya active sports bra - I ran a full marathon in it with no problem at all - but the new moulded versions are so much nicer.

You've got a lot of info to be going on with, anyway!

M&s ones are really good

Resurrecting the thread as somewhat predictably DD was very tearful over sports bras. She had spotted something she liked in Pink (sporty collegey arm of Victoria's secret). I would have happily paid for it except it didn't eliminate jiggle at all. I honestly didn't think shock absorbers looked significantly different from the Pink one in bright colours but apparently they are hideous and no one at school would wear them - only an old woman like me

We've bought a white one anyway but I can't see her wearing it all day. Would it work on top of a moulded t shirt bra just for the duration of a Games lesson?

It would probably be really uncomfortable, especially coupled with a moulded bra TBH.

Every single bra she's owned up to now has been moulded. She is convinced anything else is old ladyish. She is in year 8, only just turned 13 and really struggles with being bigger than many adults already. Really hard to know what to do with her but I really don't want her to stop exercising.

Would she possibly be more comfortable with a moulded sports bra in that case? A lot of teens are exceptionally paranoid about their nipples at the best of times, and the dominant teen bra styles do tend to be moulded. I suspect part of the problem is that a huge number of her friends will be wearing ill fitting 34a from H&M/New Look etc when they're really a 28D, and because she's wearing bras which fit properly those styles are out of reach for her.

Doesn't solve the sports bra issue, but Cleo has a few moulded bras (and some new ones coming out this season too) which she might find acceptable style wise for day to day wear but which are the sort of brands she probably needs to get used to wearing - just because chances are if she's a DD now she's going to grow a fair bit more. There's the Neve, Koko Icon/Flirty/Mode and Maddie

For the sports bra, what about this Freya one? The shape is closer to some of the VS pink ones. I think the VS ones all look less bra like and more crop top style so that might be part of the issue. The Shock absorber, you can see where the extra boob support is at the front

The Panache sports bra is also moulded, and looks very crop top-ish on.

Those are probably the ones which are good supportive bras, but look the least like "big boob" bras IYSWIM

One other wild card which might be worth showing her is this from Shock absorber. It only goes to a DD so it probably isn't as sturdy as the ones which go to an H cup, but a lot of the VS ones had the zip front, v neck design

If you can, try to keep her away from VS, they're bloody useless...you know they measure for bras by measuring under your armpits

I know its not ideal and may or may not meet the approval of teenage standards, but I'm a gym & dance teacher and do need to wear bras that are supportive but fit under leotards etc. I have a few shock absorbers as I said before, but also (esp for under costume stuff) are a couple of moulded "dreamwire" bras - they're a compromise and I'm a cup size smaller than her. bra gurus shoot me now They don't hold absolutely still but are much better than normal fashion t-shirt bras and quite supportive. Possibly worth a look. The ideal we know is a decent sports bra but at this stage she's not going to deal with that well and compromises might be the way forward. Good luck!

I'm 32D and bought a shock absorber at the weekend, wore it on my first ever run yesterday and it was fantastic. Lady in the shop avised me to go up a cup size so I have a 32E