Small back sized bras - is there a campaign to get stores to stock them?

[macnab]

Thanks to mumsnet a few years ago I measured myself properly and wear a 28DD bra. I'm quite petite, would wear a size 6 or 8 top so it made sense to me that in reality my bra size is 28 rather than 34! I do find it very difficult to buy bras though and it really shouldn't be.

High street shops all stock tops in a size 6/8 yet their bras start at a 32B I'm just wondering if there's any way of getting them to catch up with this? Is there a similar problem in other countries? I've seen some really lovely bras in Tesco (don't judge!) but the sizes are all wrong. They're losing out on my business because of it!

It is annoying isn't it? I'm a 30 back size and not really even that petite. I recommend looking for Freya bras on eBay - I've got loads from there (I think from companies that sell end of line items) for loads cheaper than department stores.

I agree with you - I wear a 30 back as I can’t find anything I like in a 28, but even size 30 is nigh on impossible to find on the high street. It’s about time bra manufacturers caught up.

Oh god don't get me started on this. I'm a 32 dd/e and really really don't want to look bigger so don't want padded push up bras and would prefer non-wired really. DD started wearing a bra about 6 months ago and that's even worse. I've measured her and now I think she's a 28/30 b/cc (if that even exists) and it's a nightmare. She's too big for first bras but too small it seems for adult bras (and any that I do come across aren't really suitable for a 12 yo to wear to school). I reckon anyone setting up a bra company for smaller women/teenage girls could make a fortune.

Where is a good place to get measured? My whole bra keeps riding right up at the front and I’m sure it’s because it’s not tight enough around the back.

Do a search on MN for bra interventions and someone will tell you how to measure yourself properly.

Allosaurusroar its really easy to measure yourself. Just follow the instructions here that's the easy part - then you have to find a bra in that size!

I'm a 28E / 30DD and it's impossible to find bras on the high street. Due to the positioning of my boobs I also find a t-shirt cut front-fastening is the best which is basically a unicorn. I do sometimes find 30DD with front-fastening in Victoria Secret, both online and in the real-life shop. Last time they had a sale (bras were £16 instead of £65!) I spent £200 on all of the front-fastening bras in my size as they're so hard to find normally.

VS sizes do also run small generally so @Waspnest their sizes would fit your daughter. If you can't find a store nearby their returns policy is vvv good.

Thank you Doctor - will look online.

I’m a 28/30 back never had a problem buying bras and mine have been as small as 28dd and have been a 30g always get the sizes I need either online or bravissimo.

Two petite young ladies, and one larger mum here.... one a 30FF (15 year old) and one 30E (21). Me, I'm a 34FF. We all now shop at Bravissimo, I know it is not cheap, but they really are very good, and stock a very wide range of sizes. Once you know your size, I have also found Figleaves to be very good, especially in sales, as these sizes tend to be the ones left, so we have got some very good bargains in the past. The slight struggle we have, is finding bras that are suitable in style for my 15 year old, as she doesn't want sexy, or lacy, but recently found a couple of very nice Freya bras in Bravissimo £36 each though !! But I agree, no standard High Street shop caters for the small backed, big boobed girls, and that goes for tops and shirts too, nightmare.

Hmmm I’m not so sure about that measuring method. It’s come out at 28D. Anyone looking at me would burst out laughing if I said I was a D cup 😂
I will definitely go and try to find some 28 inch backs and try some different cup sizes on though. Thanks.

My current bra is a 34 so yes I’ve had it very very wrong for a long time!

It will be correct, Allosaurusroar, its just as you go down in the back size you must go up in the cup size. But they are relative to each other, so the cups in a 34DD would be much bigger than those of a 28DD. The band needs to be quite snug fitting too, which can be uncomfortable until you get used to it.

Strongbeatsskinny I know I can easily pick up bras in specialist lingerie shops or online, but my thread/point is really about high street shops, I suppose really I mean for those of us on a budget!

It's not as simple as knowing my size, I need to try on various styles and brands in that size as they are all so different - I have very awkward boobs!! This would be much easier if I could do it in a high street shop. There are no specialist shops where I live, so I have to order loads online, pay for them, wait for them to arrive, try them all on and then return the ones I don't want (and wait for my refund to come through) It's all a bit of a faff when there's hundreds of lovely bras and bra sets in my local shops that just don't fit me.

I usually go to bravissimo for a bra fit eg I’d gone up in size and didn’t have a strapless bra in my size that I currently was. Tried on everything they had but didn’t specify which colour.

Unfortunately the bra I wanted they didn’t have in my actual size /colour. I photographed the labels ones I needed and brought cheaper online.

Yes it’s awful the high street shops don’t have a range below a32 most of the time but unfortunately they are seeing what sells and just stocking those sizes

It's crazy. I'm a 14/16 and need a 32 band!

"they are seeing what sells and just stocking those sizes"
But really I think a lot of the problem is that people aren't aware of their proper size, so they're buying 34Bs thinking that's their size and putting up with a not-quite-right bosom. If everyone knew their correct size, I reckon the demand for 28 and 30 inch bands would force the shops to stock them. And given that so many clothes sell in a size 6 that must be a LOT of people?