Comfortable pretty bra for loss of volume on top DD plus

[IlikebigMutts]

I know there have been a few threads similar to this but I've got a lot of requirements! I am looking for a comfortable wired bra that's not granny ish(even though I'm in my 50s) I'm a 34G and have loss of volume at top of breast so am full on bottom shape. Moulded T shirt bras which I used to love gap at top now and non padded lace type bras fit better but I don't like not having nipple cover as wear a lot of close fitting t shirt style tops. I found one at Marks and Spencer their Jaquard non padded half lace bra but they changed the design(this drives me mad!) And it's now coming up too high under my armpits. I don't want a minimiser bra. I'm living in M &S DD plus bralette but it's not the most comfortable. I hate bra shopping with a passion and because of illness usually do it online. It's not a fitting issue as have been fitted over phone/video with Bravissimo. Just hard finding a style that ticks all the boxes.

Have you tried a balcony style bra? I find them far more flattering than t-shirt bras or anything moulded like that to start with. You would need to go through lots of different balcony bras to find "the one"; like you say some come up too high under the arms etc and some still push too much on the sides instead of from underneath. Fitting is almost neither here nor there in terms of sizes, you can have the same size in many different bras and they fit differently (some don't fit at all despite being in your size, it depends on not just the cup or back size but the fabric and the stretch and the judicious placement of underwire and straps etc..) So I would pick a quiet time like a Tuesday morning at a large store with lots of different styles and sizes available of balcony to choose from.

www.calvinklein.co.uk/plunge-push-up-bra-customized-stretch-000qf4052e100
I’m a huge fan of this bra... in fact im about to order another one as I’ve just spotted it’s on offer thanks to your post
I have low volume everywhere but particularly on top.

I've always had low volume on top, and find that padded plunge styles are my best option from M&S.

That sounds very much like me post breastfeeding. All my t-shirt bras gaped but I found this one worked very well as the cup shape is a bit different

www.bravissimo.com/products/koko-muse-bra-coral-cl169crl/

Padded half-cups work for me, Fantasie and Freya do some very nice ones.

Gossard glossie Sheer A-G. Brilliant under close fitting clothes.

Freya I can’t recommend these enough. I went for a fitting in John Lewis and Freya bras seem to fit me the best, and my boobs sound just like yours. So comfortable and give a great shape. They last much longer than cheaper ones too.

I like fantasie belle and bravissimo Melrose for everyday (similar size to you)

pp makes a good point about a fitting though as different makes suit different shapes I think.

I can't get on with Freya or panache personally though their bras are nice

Hi everyone thank you so much for all the info. The Calvin Klein one looks super comfy but not sure it would go up to G cup ? I've looked at Gossard Glossies before and this was recommend by Figleaves assistant but just didn't look substantial enough but will have another look. I've tried balconnette styles before and they do give uplift for under a low especially square neck top but was looking for something every day , I've got a Panache balcony padded bra that gives what I can only call a tavern wench look !
BirthdayDreamer I totally get what you're saying you have to size up or down depending on brand style etc. It's a nightmare , I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates bra shopping ☹

OP I can't stand the tavern wench look either It looks great on others but I'm not keen on showing off cleavage. I go for non-padded balcony bras, they look lightweight but depending on construction (and brand) the non-padded are deceptively strong and good at shaping, more so than anything padded IMHO. I've never got on with t-shirt bras for this reason, none of them have anything like the kind of support I need. I hate bra shopping too. I bought around 6-7 fantastic underwired, non-padded bras from M&S (the Rosie range) a few years ago and they went strong for ages. Comfy and created great lift and separate without being wench-y at all. I replaced them recently and their equivalents aren't quite as good at shaping - the fabric is stiffer and they are not as comfy under the arms and the shape is slightly triangular/pointy with armpit bulge (that bit that sits on the arm side of the straps, top of bust). However I'm waiting for the next batch and hopefully I'll strike lucky again.

Have often wished I was a standard 36B in which every bra looks and feels ok instead of having to hunt so hard for the holy grail

I would recommend Panache Envy - it’s a soft, stretchy cup balconette. The description now says full cup, but I’m hoping they haven’t changed it, it’s pretty much all I wear. I’ve not got much on top and T-shirt bras gape on me normally. The Envy has a stretchy top half that fits me really well. I think they do a wide range of sizes and it’s on offer at belle lingerie at the moment. Bravissimo have it too, so you may have already tried it.
Bra shopping sucks!

Moulded cups only work well if you have breasts that are the same shape as the cup, so if you don’t then they gape or cut in, it isn’t just a bottom heavy issue, you may find a different bra does work for you.
You might suit a cup that is slightly more shallow, so it rounds out the breast, probably a bra with a narrow central gore will suit you -it is a matter of trying on loads of bras, annoyingly. Go into a bravissimo, get measured, and try on lots of different shapes. I struggle with British bras as I have a narrow back, with close set full breasts (28gg) so I buy Ewa Michalak bras from Poland. Freya bras have cups too wide set for me, and UK bras in general have wires that are too wide, too far apart in the central gore, and tend to have cups set slightly East/West.
I was reluctant to buy a bra from Poland, in case it didn’t fit, but I bought a couple of styles to start with and now they are all I wear, as nothing else fits me as well.If you do look at the Ewa website then think of trying the BM style, it is a flattering everyday shape. My breasts are less firm than they were when I was younger, years of breastfeeding, fluctuating weight, ageing generally, so I need different bra shapes to the ones I wore in my twenties.
This is my basic day bra, but I have the BM style in black too, and lots of lace ones. Also I wear the SM style which is slightly shallower .
www.ewa-michalak.pl/product-eng-533-Bra-BM-Bibi-bezowa-Perla.html

Hi ladies, thank you for all your help. I agree about Rosie bras from M &S, I had a couple of really nice lightly padded silk ones I got years ago that are on their last legs but new ones just not the same.
I've looked at Ewa Michalak previously as heard they were good but always bit of a worry in case they don't fit. The one you had in link SirVix looks as if it would be good for full on bottom boobs. Will also have a look a Panache envy. I am sadly no where near a Bravissimo store, they don't have anything near me I am down near Bournemouth. I've ordered online from them before and they do a video chat to check the fit.

Sounds like my sort of shape, I'm a 32hh and look like oranges in a sock. Try the Panache Cleo range.

more like grapefruits ! Thanks will have a look

Have a look on Brastop, they do all the major brands and are very reasonably priced. I love the Fantasie bras with side sections.