Let's Talk Bras....

[pilesoflaundry]

I hate padded bras. I really like the jockey brand. I'm smaller than you but my friend is bigger than I am and swears by them too. At the outlet they are not to expensive. I have no idea where else to buy them though.

 

[hambirg]

I used to have a terrible time finding bras. . ..38DD. But I went to Nordstrom's and got fitted. I like Lunaire bra's and I love the Oprah bra. . .worth every penny. I think it's LeMystere or something like that. I've tried VS and the Lane Bryant ones. . .but they just didn't fit me right. Everyone is different. I say go get a good fitting and go from there. I have found a few cheaper ones at Walmart. . .they were the no back fat kind. . .lol. Good bras but lost their umph sooner than the more expensive ones.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

34F here. I happened to be in Atlanta recently and finally took the plunge at Intimacy (the store featured on Oprah, etc.). While it was the most expensive bra I've ever purchased at ~$80, it does do a complete makeover on my bustline. They had an absolutely exquisite navy & black lacy bra but then I saw the pricetag - $170!

I used to wear Body by Victoria, but the brand I was fitted in is much better. The name escapes me at the moment, but each brand is chosen for the individual's needs so it wouldn't be a lot of help to anyone anyway. My daughter was with me, and the lady who fitted her was personally offended by my daughter's lack of support (she has an aversion to "back fat") and put the fear of god in my daughter. Her girls will be supported from now on!

Except for getting nekkid with a complete stranger, it was a fantastic experience. I'll go back.

 

[CinRell]

36DD here and I like the Cacique from Lane Bryant. You don't have to be a larger woman to buy there. I am a size 6 but I have a discount store here called Gabriel Bros. that often has them for 5 bucks or less, that's how I found them at first or I would have never thought to buy from Lane Bryant. I wait for a good coupon and a sale and get them pretty reasonably priced.

We have gabes by us too!! I also wear Cacique and their bras are 3.99 at gabes! LOVE IT!

 

[anna08]

Another vote for Cacique! How do y'all get coupons for them?

I have the problem of straps always slipping off my shoulders - anyone have a suggestion to fix this?

 

[Magix]

I have the strap problem, too. Always wore racer back bras to prevent the issue. I finally went to a local lingerie store that was highly rated online and had a proper fitting. I'd always worn a 38B. Turns out I'm actually a 36D!!! Who knew? I bought 6 bras (3 everyday, 1 strapless and 2 frilly) plus a bottle of delicate wash soap (that requires no rinsing!) and spent $700!!! But, I finally have bras that feel really good and the straps stay up (well, except for one of the everyday ones, the cheapest). If you take good care of your bras, wash after each wearing, they'll last a very long time and will be worth the money. I love the bras I purchased and feel it was totally worth the money. I'm much happier now than I was in the department store brands.

 

[tinker&belle]

I have the strap problem, too. Always wore racer back bras to prevent the issue. I finally went to a local lingerie store that was highly rated online and had a proper fitting. I'd always worn a 38B. Turns out I'm actually a 36D!!! Who knew? I bought 6 bras (3 everyday, 1 strapless and 2 frilly) plus a bottle of delicate wash soap (that requires no rinsing!) and spent $700!!! But, I finally have bras that feel really good and the straps stay up (well, except for one of the everyday ones, the cheapest). If you take good care of your bras, wash after each wearing, they'll last a very long time and will be worth the money. I love the bras I purchased and feel it was totally worth the money. I'm much happier now than I was in the department store brands.

What kind of soap is it? I would love to get something like that to make handwashing simple and make expensive bras last longer.

 

[Halle]

Hope it's not too much off topic, but I am needing to find a strapless bra for my 38 DD daughter's prom dress. Can anyone steer us toward a comfortable and supportive strapless for a larger size?

I am the same size but 55 years old, I bought a strapless bra (name escapes me but it had ribs that run the length of the cup and it is an underwire, extremely comfortable. I was concerned that with all the dancing(D's wedding) it would work it's way down bu it didn't. I'll look for it and pm you.

 

[JustGot2BMe]

I am a size 6 and wear a 32DDD. THe only place I can find bras that fit is figleaves.com...

 

[princessmom29]

Geez. I have $20 bras on their second year and they are like new (machine washed...no bra bag) and hung dry.

You must not be very uh... large. I am a 42DDD. The elastic is "sprung" in most of mine after about 6 months of wear. The best I have found is playtex front hook. The stance on them in high enough that there is no spillage, and no underwire. If I wear and underwire all day, I have bruises under my arms the next day. Literally purple for about a week!! I cannot get a cacique with enough support in no underwire.

 

[PeytonSdiz]

You must not be very uh... large. I am a 42DDD. The elastic is "sprung" in most of mine after about 6 months of wear. The best I have found is playtex front hook. The stance on them in high enough that there is no spillage, and no underwire. If I wear and underwire all day, I have bruises under my arms the next day. Literally purple for about a week!! I cannot get a cacique with enough support in no underwire.

Nope, thank God. Proud 34A here!

 

[pklein09]

Nope, thank God. Proud 34A here!

My 13 year old has a cup size on you! Daddy just doesn't want to know.....

 

[PeytonSdiz]

My 13 year old has a cup size on you! Daddy just doesn't want to know.....

I love love love being petite.

 

[pklein09]

I love love love being petite.

I was a lovely 34B before children. My nursing size was 36G I shrunk back down to a 34DD/36D, depending on the brand. I can no longer buy button-down shirts. Everything has to be a knit. Which is okay, but there are times I wish I was a bit smaller.

 

[owensamo]

I swear by Fantasie and Prima Donna. I thought I was a 36DD/38D because that's what I was wearing at Victoria's Secret, and always had strap issues, etc. Then I went to Intimacy in Chicago and got fitted - and found I should be wearing a 32F/G! I actually went *back* to VS after that, and they still fitted me in a 36DD, which just doesn't work! Once you get fitted correctly, you know what to look for and it's easy to find bras that fit right even if the sizing between brands isn't the same.

If you're in a larger cup size, I recommend taking the time and money to find a local bra shop that sells european brands and does fittings. We have one locally where the owner was trained by the woman who started Intimacy, and we have one other that is actually endorsed by the Intimacy site. I swear by it. I used to have horrible back pain for about 3-4 weeks in the fall every year, and once I got fitted correctly - no problems since! And the bras last really well if you use Forever New (which renews the elastic - it's available from Amazon). I wash mine in the machine on handwash cycle and hang dry them and I'm still wearing the same first bras from Chicago 4 years later.

 

[flowerpower]

I consider bra shopping a nightmare.

My daughter and I went to an independently owned shop in RI recently and I almost fell off the chair when they measured my 14 yo: 30F. She is short with a petite build.

Her bras cost about $60-$80 each, but I do not want her having problems in the future. She may be "perky" now, but that's not going to last forever....

I've tried Figleaves.com with moderate success. Basically, I've learned to budget the expense and keep my eyes out all over the internet for sales.

 

[Tisha_PA]

I'm a 38DD and the only bras that I've found that work for me are from Victoria's Secret.

 

[finz2left]

I'm a 38DD and the only bras that I've found that work for me are from Victoria's Secret.

Gosh... shape of the size is everything! VS never worked for me even when I was a 34 C. They gave me double **** or i hung out the sides. I'm rounded all around my breasts. I love the look of VS in the windows, but, alas, it is the Fantasie, Le Mystere, Wacoal expensive ones for me

 

[benolathe]

The bras at Target beat out the ones from Victorias Secret according to Consumer Reports. For the price they can't be beat.

Do you know what style/brand at Target is recommended?

BTW, absolutely hate to wear a bra! The tightness around my rib cage and the constant riding up in the back really bothers me. I am a 38DD or 40DD and just can't find anything that I don't want to rip off as soon as I get home!

 

[finz2left]

Do you know what style/brand at Target is recommended?

BTW, absolutely hate to wear a bra! The tightness around my rib cage and the constant riding up in the back really bothers me. I am a 38DD or 40DD and just can't find anything that I don't want to rip off as soon as I get home!

If your bra is tight around your ribcage OR riding up, you REALLY need to get sized and fitted at a professional lingerie shop. Target bras aren't made for bigger gals, particularly as gravity takes hold. Your issues really are ones of fit... you might be shocked to find you are really a 36 DDD or F even... and the back is giving you probs. b/c the cup is just wrong.