A good style for very busty teen...

[gastromum]

Hello

Hoping somebody can help!

I've a 14 year old teen who has a very large bust - 36 DD. She's probably about a size 10/12 elsewhere. She has always lived in leggings and printed t-shirts, never really been "into" clothes, but is now starting to take an interest.

She's got a few checked shirts, but has to get a larger size to fit her chest, which means they just end up looking big elsewhere.

She absolute hates her chest, and any sign of a cleavage. I've made sure she has good, well fitted supportive bras. She wants minimisers but I'm not sure if that's a good idea whilst she is young, we were told no underwire but without them her back hurts.

She gets very despondent when clothes shopping as everything just doesn't sit right, and it totally affects her confidence.

I'm not at all big busted so have never had to think about that when choosing clothes and am clueless.

Any ideas what kind of style may suit?

[KatharinaRosalie]

StillMedusa send your DD to ebay - you can find the same brands for a fraction of the price, brand new of course. If she knows what brands and styles fit her, it's generally quite safe to buy the same ones even without trying. Brastop also has good sales.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.Xbra+28g.TRS0&_nkw=bra+28g&_sacat=0

[StillMedusa]

DD1 was fitted in Bravissimo as a 28H! Quite a challenge tbh but as she was wearing 34DD/G bras it transformed her shape! (I'm jealous as can barely fill a c cup)
She found Bravissimo's tight backs weird to start with but now is very happy in them. Shame it is so bloody expensive!

She joined a gym at Uni to get fit and as a side effect (though a tiny size 8) her boobs have shrunk to a G cup.She's 21 now... and finds if she maintains her gym routine her boobs stay smaller but if she relaxes any ounces she gains go straight..and only.. to her boobs!

[RaisingSteam]

I would agree Pepperberry have a limited range and it's targeted older, but it's not that bad. How about we lighten up on bandying the word "frumpy" around on what has been quite a kind thread?

[Branleuse]

i dont think pepperberry has to be frumpy. Its certainly fine for basics

[KatharinaRosalie]

www.biubiu.pl/lang/en also has clothes cut to accommodate boobs

[mysteryfairy]

I'm glad it's worked out. She sounds very similar to my DD then who is also a 34E, size 12 top and 10 jeans. I agree avoid pepperberry, it's too frumpy for me, never mind a teen and really designed for people far more spectacularly endowed anyway.

We've been shopping today and DD got two tops, a size 12 in top shop and a medium in urban outfitters. She looks totally fine in both of them, curvy but very gorgeous. I think I was an initial problem in shopping for DD in that I just couldn't believe she needed a 12 as I'd never been in that big a size and I couldn't believe that my 13 year old was bigger than me so I kept getting her to try smaller sizes. She has a broad swimmer's back and much bigger feet and hands than me though so once I relaxed and accepted she actually needed a size 12 on top, shopping was easier.

If your DD was wearing a 36 before she might find the new underwear feels tight to start with, but she will be better supported and look better so encourage her to persevere.

[187ab]

Pepperberry, in my opinion, is far too frumpy for a teenager. Just try on lots of styles in shops like H&M, Topshop, New Look and see what looks good.

Or try Asos: sign up for premier for next day deliveries and free returns so she can try loads on at home.

Ignore the non underwired crap.

Dd and I have been very pleased with bra fitting at Debenhams: she's a size 8 and was measured there as a 28F. The woman was very honest as she said they didn't stock that size and gave us websites to buy from! Would've been easy for her just to say the 30s they had were fine....

Dd basically lives in skinnies and t shirts over vests, but with the good bras can even rock a turtle neck..

[StatisticallyChallenged]

It's amazing how much difference just moving to a sister size (down a back, up a cup basically has the same boob holding capacity) can make to the fit and comfort.

[gastromum]

Hi, followed your advice and went to Bravissimo in Covent Garden. They really put her at ease, was a really lovely fitting. She came out as a 34E and feels a whole lot better in her new bras!

Clothes shopping next week!

[IAmcuriousyellow]

I have one of these - a teenager with a large bust. We struggled with school shirts in particular, as she needed such a large size in order to get it buttoned up but then the shoulders would hang off her and it would look awful with too much fabric round her waist. I found a local woman who altered the shirts for a couple of quid, as I remember s fiver per. She pinned them to shape while my daughter was wearing them (she was lovely and sensitive to my girls embarrassment). So we ended up with actually very elegant and shapely shirts, and we also had altered s few things she loved to wear because of colour or whatever, and it made a lot of difference to how she felt in her clothes. Might be an option for you. Also echo the advice above about v necks, even shallow v necks are much more flattering than round or boat neck.

[gastromum]

Thanks for all the advise !

[mysteryfairy]

Btw I just buy one or two bras in Bravissimo as DD has been needing a new size on a termly basis for the last 18 months and with underwire the fit has to be good to avoid damaging her. I then buy the same style she has been fitted in off the Internet to bulk out the collection so I'd typically spend maybe £30/35 per bra in bravissimo and £15 to get duplicates off eBay. I just couldn't justify £200 on bras for her every 3 months but made sure I spent enough to cover the fitting effort.

Ring and book in advance so there is no hanging around embarrassingly, tell them you have a sensitive 14 year old and need a fitter who is good for that age range and also agree with your DD in advance what sort of thing she wants so you can do the talking. My DD still insists on moulded bras as not prepared to risk any nipple display and loathes nude colour, but would never say that herself so I am pre-briefed to explain it all. I've also bought bras in the bravissimo size in primark as for sme reason having primark bras is a thing at DD's school, though she won't consider anything else from there!

[Fluffycloudland77]

I hope she does go.

It really is best just to crack on with embarrassing things. It's not like they've never seen boobs before.

There's a dressing gown/robe on the back of the door and it's all discrete.

[Bunbaker]

I do as well MrsSchadenfreude

[MrsSchadenfreude]

YY, RaisingSteam - I always go bra shopping wearing a plain T shirt, so that any lumps and bumps are visible!

[RaisingSteam]

One tip trying on bras, remember to try your top on over to see how the shape looks with clothes on. Sometimes a new bra can feel or look a bit odd but of course nobody sees you in only your bra!

[christinarossetti]

A well fitting bra willake her look slimmer and well- shaped, rather than busty.

I agree Freya bras are pretty and last well.

[Branleuse]

Freya bras do lots of styles for big boobs, and the unpadded ones are great for slimming you down

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Both of mine are large of nork. DD1 is 17, and looks great in skater style dresses - with a scoop neck, small waist and flaring out over the hips. For tops/T shirts she tends to wear scoop neck or v necked tops, which look great with jeans or shorts. (She likes Desigual, which is a bit more colourful and interesting, although £££.) Both wear checked shirts, but with a close fitting vest top underneath, and with the shirt either open or buttoned up from around the chest area. Scoop/V neck is the way to go - it doesn't need to be a low scoop, just not up around the neck throttling like an ordinary T shirt.

I would also second Bravissimo. M & S put DD1 in a 36D, which made her look enormous. Bravissimo fitted her in a 30J or 32H, and she looks miles slimmer and much less busty, and felt a lot better about her shape.

[gastromum]

Ok she's read the thread and agreed to go up to the Covent Store branch on Saturday. Will let you know the verdict !

[Helenluvsrob]

Interestingly pepper berry fits well on dd but does rather emphasise her shape which isn't what she wants

[Helenluvsrob]

My youngest has been a bravissimo girl for ever ...bra intervention will be painless and life changing. Boobs will be supported and shapely not made to look Betty boop escque.
Tops wise she wears a lot of a line vests - especially with an inverted pleat at the scoop neck - fit at the shoulder and drape well - sainsburys or primark are fine.
Yes to shirts worn open with vest top too. Also the more peasant top style things with elastic at hip level. Got to be the right size not too big though.
( dd now 16 and size 10 30FF which I suspect your dd could well be she looks lovely and girlie , not like pin up material - the only problem fit was a blazer for 6th form - again sainsburys provided!)

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Definetely get her to Bravissimo, or have a read of this and take her measurements if she really won't go for a fitting. As others have said, it's fairly unlikely that a size 10-12 14 year old is actually a 36 back - not impossible but my default would be "probably not"

Once she's in well fitting bras she might find clothes a bit easier anyway as her breasts may well sit in a different place. Pepperberry are good fit wise but might be a bit mature for her, although for basics like shirts they are useful. There's also biubiu and Urkye (both polish brands) and dd-atelier (russian I think) who do clothes which are sized by clothes and bust so a bit more flexible. Also, if you can sew at all it's worth learning how to take things in at the waist - owner of 30HHs here, trust me it's a useful skill!

[Couldashouldawoulda]

Yes, try Pepperberry! They're part of Bravissimo. Everything cut nicely to fit big boobs. I had a few tops from there recently and like how they fit.

[NicoleWatterson]

What about tea dresses and tunic type tops over leggings. Most of mine have quite high necklines. They are also generally quite forgiving on big boobed small waisted types. I sometimes wear a vest top underneath, or jumpers over the top.
Think bernadette in Big Bang- although hers are still slightly lower than mine, but that sort of dress