The Vine: December 5, 2008
Hey Sars,
So not a question I expect you can help with, but I’m hoping the peanut gallery can be of assistance.I’ve been searching everywhere to find a new bra, and I’m stumped.Right now I’m wearing a 34A, but I really need a 34-almost-A.I know I’m not the only flat-chested woman out there — why can’t Victoria’s Secret make bras for us, too, dammit?
Options tried and rejected:
- Tons of padding.I’m thin and athletic-looking, and padding just makes me look like a bra-stuffing teenager.I’ve made peace with the size of the girls.
- No bra.No, I don’t need the support.But I do want a little subtle shaping and some chilly-weather protection.
- A sports bra.See above.
- A training bra.Yes, I know that if I’m willing to shop in the junior’s section I can find a 34AA.But they’re fugly and made for skinny adolescent bodies — my shoulders and torso are too broad to make them comfortable.
So, what I’m looking for is just a nice, everyday bra with a little bit of shaping to it.And a pretty one would make my day.
Thanks, Sars!
Where does Kate Hudson get hers?
Dear Let’s Hope It’s Not The Same Place She Gets Scripts,
You’re right, I can’t help you at all.Hee.Sorry about that!
But I’m sure the readers have some tips and recs.Readers, remember that TinyURLing is what’s for dinner — and read over the “tried and rejected” list above before posting.Thanks!
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty retail
What about a camisole? Some of them (you can usually get them at Old Navy) have little built-in bras that don’t have much support but do help with the shaping.
Playtex has a sizing scheme that includes half cup sizes they call “Nearly A(B and C).” The Nearly A size may work for you, good luck!
I have a weird little-ladies’ size too that VS recently stopped carrying (!!). I highly recommend barenecessities.com. You can shop by size, and there are a ton of options and great brands. I’ve now discovered a Calvin Klein style through that site, and I wouldn’t go back to that VS crap if you paid me.
I will second Stephanie’s suggestion of Playtex “Thank Goodness It Fits”. (At least, that’s what that series used to be called.) I wore the nearly B size for a number of years when I was in between an A and a B cup, and they definitely didn’t add a bunch of padding. Good luck!
As a small-chested woman, I’ve found playtex bras ranging from satisfactory to uncomfortable. Unpadded – they usually show my nipples ’cause of the material used. Padded – too much material. I’ve always found the fact that I have small breasts and show nippleage easily to be completely unfair, but I guess that’s off topic.
Anyway, I like “Maidenform for girls”. They have a demi-bra type (with a comfortable underwire and medium padding) that I got at an outlet store. Their 34A is like a 34AA for me.
I’ve found Jockey sizes to be smaller, as well. I don’t know if they have half-sizes, but their Padded Shaping Microfiber No Wire bra is comfortable and doesn’t make you look like you have darts coming out of your chest from the result of too much stuffing.
I personally like the padding, being a 32A, but try Intimissimi. It’s a European line carried at VS. They have different sizing that encompasses a range. For example, I wear a size 1 which is for 30B, 32A, 32B. They come padded & lightly lined. Good luck!
While I haven’t got a constructive solution, I’d just like to say for the record that Victoria’s Secret bras are not made for the well endowed either. I don’t know how they stay in business because I don’t know a single woman who can buy bras there.
I have the opposite problem as Hope, but LaurenSilva.com has been my go-to online bra resource. You can shop by size, and they carry everything from a 30AA up to a 56JJ. Also, I cannot recommend a professional bra fitting highly enough — Macy’s and Nordstrom both offer complimentary fittings, no purchase required.
Try Lula Lu, who specialize in lingerie for small sizes, at http://www.lulalu.com/
The “Thank Goodness It Fits” bras by Playtex were a wonderful invention. I’m actually 38 nearly A, which is almost impossible to find anywhere. I did a search at onehanesplace.com for 34NA (which is nearly A) and found three different styles by Playtex, so you might want to try there. Barenecessities.com is also a good place to look. They also sell the Playtex ones in Kohl’s and Target, if you’re looking beyond shopping online.
I don’t know if this really falls under the category of “tried it already,” but all purportedly same-size bras are not the same size. Victoria’s Secret 36D roughly equals a Betsey Johnson 36C roughly equals a Gap 34D, in my experience. Have you thought about just setting aside an afternoon, going to a department store, and trying on every 32 and 34 A and AA they have in every brand, every style? You can even scale back from that as you see fit, but even intra-brand, some things fit and some things don’t, depending on the style. I wouldn’t give up on mainstream bras (so much easier to try on and buy–I’m skeptical of buying a bra online because I hate the hassle of returning things) until you have really made a concerted effort.
Also blah blah the usual advice about going to a specialty lingerie store and getting fitted, you never know what size you are really, 90% of women in America are wearing the wrong size blah.
Ahhh, VS is the worst for the flat-chested! Everything is either totally unsupportive lacy bits or overly padded. Some of us are FINE with the small boobage and don’t need foam rubber to make us look like Adriana Lima. And so many of their bras don’t even come in an A cup. I don’t know why that is.
Fig Leaves might have what you need: http://tinyurl.com/38xpua. I haven’t ordered anything from them since I’m in a pregnancy boobsplosion state, but once things settle down up top I’ll be searching there.
Another vote for Platex’s Thank Goodness it Fits Bra. You can get them for a good price at http://www.oneshanesplace.com/
Have you tried going with a 32 A? The smaller band may pull in the excess cup.
My friend ahd the same issue, and ended up finding some great camisoles~it sounds creepy (and kinda of it) but a lot of the nicer camisoles in the Juniors/teen department of JCPenney or Sears or whatever (I’ve even seen them at Target) have LIGHT padding/contouring and a built-in shelf bra. I bought her some for her birthday, they were like, 12 bucks each.
Also, Lynne, I totally agree with you. I’m a DD and wear bras day and night, and I bought a couple from VS that fell apart within a month. Nothing like shelling out 60 bucks for a “big boob” bra and having it fall apart…and ironically enough, I have a great one from Target that’s held up well for the last 5 months.
I’ve had luck with Natori (carried by Nordstrom), and lucked out recently with a Besty Johnson (minimal padding). I second the advice to just block out an afternoon, go to a good department store, and have a saleslady bring everything she can find in small sizes. I did that a few months ago and bought four (!) bras, so it’s worth the time and the money to do a thorough search. In a pinch, H&M’s bras are cheap and mostly fit small sizes, so there might be something there to fill the gap until a quality bra is found.
A proper lingerie store visit is in order – not just to get fitted, but to have someone pull bras for you. They are getting harder and harder to find, but you should really look. The mark of a really great store is one where they do NOT have any bras out on racks for you to paw through. A truly great store will want you to head to a fitting room with a saleswoman, where she will measure you and leave you while she pulls bras from bins/drawers/whatever and brings them to you. She will be able to find you the brands and styles that will fit.
Once you find a line that works, order away at figleaves, barenecessities, etc., but this is one of those things that needs a trip to the brick and mortar store. If you happen to be anywhere near Birmingham, MI (I know, I know, just throwing it out there) try Harp’s Lingerie (265 S Old Woodward Ave, Birmingham, MI 48009).
I can’t say enough good things about Wacoal bras. They make a petite line – unfortunately some of the petite bras are pretty heavily padded but the contour ones provide enough coverage to minimize chilly show-through without feeling like you’re totally foam-fronting. They aren’t cheap, but treat them right in terms of gentle washing and drip-drying, and they last a good long time.
I have a small frame and, after years of making do, got a free fitting at Nordstroms. They gave me a few options: Natori and Wacoal (although pricey) have petite and small cup sizes. They may not work for you, but going in for a fitting might be helpful (and fun).
I feel your pain. I tried VS over and over, and nothing from there ever fit me right. Good luck!
I’m a 34 almost-A*, and I love the Calvin Klein bras that are slightly padded. They hold their shape, they’re pretty, and they have matching spanky-pants!
*My mother said I was a late bloomer. At 38, I’m still waiting to bloom.
I think I’m a 32AA, and I’ve had success with Fig Leaves as well as American Eagle – AE is geared more towards teens and 20’s but they have a nice selection of good-looking bras with AA sizes mixed in with the fun polka dots and bright striped ones. As someone who barely fills a AA but needs the right kind of shaping to work with relatively large pecs (anyone else have that problem!?), their bras are just what I’ve been looking for.
I’m small-breasted too, wore nearly-A for years (now I’m a mom so, well, there are different issues). I don’t remember brand names, but my favorite finds were at Target & JC Penney’s. At Penney’s I found some soft, non-underwire bras — they didn’t really have padding, but there were enough layers of jersey-like material in the cup that I didn’t have to worry about nipping out. Since I didn’t really need support, they were perfect. When I wanted a little more shaping I went with the Target bras — the cups had thin foam, so it didn’t feel padded, but again, there was enough to prevent visible nippleage. Bonus, last time I checked these came in at least some pretty colors.
Also, I don’t know how common this is, but when I was trying stuff on, very often the cup size would vary a bit with the chest measurement — like a 34A would have a slightly larger cup than a 32A. Maybe you can use that to your advantage.
Hope you find something that works and isn’t fugly. And I’m glad you’ve “made peace with the size of the girls” — I think we small-boobied ladies really lucked out, actually (:
hey LD: You’re not weird, you’re unique and beautiful. We’ve all got boobage and it all looks different and it’s all great. I thought I looked weird until I found this website called “The Shape of a Mother”. I know it’s mostly targeted to moms, so you might not think it would be relevant for anyone else, but just seeing how many different normals there are helped me realize how much my idea of “normal” has been shaped by completely unrealistic ads. Sorry if I’m overreacting to a throwaway comment. I just think it’s important (especially for American women) to encourage each other to appreciate and accept our bodies as they are.
Not to take away from the writer’s question, but I have one…what do you do about different shape breasts? My right breast is larger than my left, so it’s really hard to find a good bra that flatters me. Trying to get one to fit usually ends up choking the right one, or is way too loose for the left one. I’ve also tried getting a fitting, and have never had any luck. I was told I was a 40DD (wrong); I’m closer to 46 or higher. And, if I do find one that fits me around my torso, it’s a huge cup size (for both breasts) and extremely unflattering.
I’ve taken to wearing shapeless camis, simply because they’re the only ones that don’t hurt me. But they don’t support me, either.
I second the Intimissimi suggestion. They’re only available in some flagship-type VS’s (the last time I looked) but I like them and hate all of VS’s actual products. A great thing about the Intimissimi bra’s are that they also adjust on the torso band so they really fit better in multiple ways and the padding is light (you can buy more) and they’re demi-cup so they don’t come up to your chin.
I also like Gap Body.
Word, Lynne and Amanda. I’m a DD as well and VS can bite me. And frankly Macy’s and Nordstrom’s can get in a chomp as well–I was shopping only two days ago for some new camisole bras (rather, ones with thin straps that you can wear under tanks and camis) and not only did they not carry my size AT ALL, the second you go up from a C cup the straps instantly thicken out and you wind up with this harness that’s about as sexy as a concrete bridge abutment. I wound up stomping home and ordering from the Lane Bryant website (who had what I wanted but double placed my order and refused to cancel one, so now I have to ship one back and attempt to collect the fee—yarrrrrgh! Stupid boobs!)
I’m a small-chested almost-30-something female, and I can second American Eagle’s line, which is called aerie.
http://www.ae.com/aerie
They do the “lightly lined” thing well, and are pretty while still being functional. They also offer AA in some of their styles.
I agree with those who said Nordstrums for the free fitting. They are really good at what they do. I have the opposite problem from you but once I did find the exact bra that works for me I googled the specific bra (make/size/etc.) and it for less at bareneccestities.com (which has a good return policy)
For those on the opposite end of the spectrum may I take the liberty of recommending bravissimo.com. They are in England and even with overseas shipping and a weak dollar it is cheaper to buy from them than any store in the US or online. They are also very nice.
Just wanted to throw in that I always thought I was a 34 nearly A– turns out I am a 32C– which is a whole other pain in the ass to find. But still– get measured if you haven’t.
Even though I’m far from flat-chested (especially after nursing one and in the process of gestating another), I’ve always had the “popped turkeys” issue. I just have to _think_ about being cold and *boing*. Those ladies have some mucles, let me tell you.
Anyway, especially after the nursing of the first, they just pretty much never went away. I didn’t want to keep buying the nursing pads since I wasn’t leaking, but I needed something to keep the headlights at least on “low.” So I started getting really cheap pantiliners and cutting them in half. They don’t show through my shirts, they stay on great, and they might make shelf camisoles work for you.
Reiterating the fitting – I wore a 34C for years, having constant strap sliding issues, etc, and finally got fitted before my wedding. What do you know, 32D or DD. Here’s what the fitter told me – roughly speaking, if you go up a band size, the cup size also increases (the amount will vary with brand, etc, but it’s a good rule of thumb). So a 34C would have approximately the same size cups as a 32D.
The other crucial piece of info is that when you buy a bra, it should fit snugly on the LOOSEST hook. Bras will always stretch out – they will never shrink – so that way as the bra stretches, you have a couple of hooks left to snug it up. Most women buy their bras on the snuggest hook for some reason, which means as soon as the bra stretches out, the back starts riding up.
All this to say – it’s possible you need to go down a band size, which means an A cup will be smaller and might be exactly what you need. A fitter can tell you this. Also, a true lingerie store will have more and better sizes (higher-end department stores are pretty good about this, too), so if you really do need a 34 band, they are way more likely to carry mid-sizes or brands that run small. Be prepared to spend a little more money and take good care of your bras, and you’ll be able to find something good that will fit really well, give you a great silhouette, and will last a long time.
I am also a 34 nearly-A, and I’ve had terrific luck with Target bras. They are cute, they fit well, and they’re surprisingly durable given the price. The Exhiliration line is geared toward teens and/or younger women, and seem to have a slightly smaller cup size.
I had a mammogram technician look at my girls and say, “Hmmm…I didn’t know you were so small. I’m going to have to use the special machine.”
Regarding the “popped turkey” syndrome (@Princess Leah, hee, I’ve never heard it put that way, but my ladies have muscles too, boy-howdy) you know what works fantastically well? Bandaids. Seriously. Make sure they’re the cloth kinds and not the plastic (you can see the shape of the plastic edges, but not the fabric edges) and put them on pretty tight, and they’re a god-send on cold days, spaghetti-strap days (strapless bras are USELESS on me) and days when you really wanted to wear the thin comfy bra but are worried about being all pointy. (We called it SNE: Spontaneous N*pple Erection. Hee.)
I also have overactive headlights and now that I’m older (and had fluctuating weight), sometimes they don’t point in the same direction — ala, one high-beam and the other one low, even when I purposefully try to get them to look like they used to in my younger, perkier days. So I found something called Bra Disks…they’re like those “Petals” Maidenform is now putting in their bras. They’re made of silicon (I think) and are washable with just soap and water. You stick ’em in your bra over your nipples and eventually they will kinda stick to you. So no matter where your nipple ends up, it’s covered. BEST invention ever! I’ve found that they won’t show through even my thinnest of bras as long as I have a shirt on. And, you can wear them under shelf-bras and camis since they “stick”. I got mine for $20 at LaurenSilva.com, which according to another poster has bras for smaller women. Can’t beat one-stop-shopping!
I couldn’t agree more about the need for a proper fitting. I too thought I was one size (36 DD) and turned out to be something completely different (32 F). (And yeah, only specialty stores work, since department stores and La Senza don’t carry much beyond a D cup. The last time I bought bras I paid $250 for TWO of them, for fuck’s sake.)
Sorry, TMI. Anyway, someone who knows what she’s doing will be able to fit you properly and suggest sizes, brands and styles that will give you a nice shape. Just be firm about what you want, and don’t be bamboozled into buying something if it’s not working for you.
I am apparently an exception to the rule, because my two favorite bras are VS. They are, however, a discontinued model (34A, the “old” T-shirt demi-bra, completely different than the T-shirt bras they offer now) for which I have yet to find a sufficient replacement, so there you go. I have also done the Playtex TGIF, but the last time I tried the styles were not very cute. Personally, I love the VS IPEX wireless bra, although I only wear it on weekends because I prefer a little more shape/padding for work. But the IPEX wireless padding is minimal, there is no underwire, there is no cone-shaped or pointed effect, but it does add some subtle shaping and is comfortable. For me, anyway.
Anlyn – have you tried getting a bra that fits the larger breast, and then using those chicken cutlet things to fill out the other cup? If the difference is significant, you might even want to get a mastectomy bra and a prostheses.
Anlyn, I don’t know if this would work for you but you might check out bosombuddy.com. It’s geared more towards mastectomy patients but they sell little contour shaped pillows that might give you enough padding to make up the difference. Their customer service people are really nice so if nothing else you could email them.
I’m one of the rare women who finds good bras at VS — I’m a 36C and their ipex bra is the most comfortable one I’ve ever owned. I bought three. My girls behave as though it’s 20 degrees even if it’s 80, and the ipex has just enough padding to keep it under control (most of the time). I’m looking at the VS Web site and there is a wireless ipex model that comes as small as a 32A. It claims there is “no nipple show-through, ever.” The demi model, which is what I love, also comes in those small sizes, at least on the Web site.
I second the vote for Lula Lu. They seem to understand the whole ‘small doesn’t mean deficient’ that a lot of retailers seem to overlook. Their reviews are spot-on, and they have a 3-week return policy.
I second the opinion that you should try some Calvin Klein 34A bras. I always take a size up in their bras – ie. I’m usually a 32B but in CK, I’m a 32C.
Having been nothing but strange bra sizes (30A moving up to a 30C after I turned 21) here’s the breakdown I’m familiar with:
Lulalu.com – Pricy, but with very pretty bras and lingerie in petite sizes like 34AA
figleaves.com – Better selection in a wider price range in a truly astounding variety of bra sizes.
I do most of my shopping on figleaves.com now, but I have some very pretty bras from lulalu that I was sad to grow out of.
I second (third? fourth?) any recommendation of Calvin Klein. They were perfect when I was a 36A.
However, around age 30, I became a 34C. Late blooming does happen. And yes, it was all natural.
I second the suggestions for a) a professional fitting, and 2) blocking out an afternoon to pull all bras anywhere near your size from a well-stocked store. I went shopping at a high-priced bra-tique for my wedding dress bra, and the lady looked at me, fully clothed, and said, “you’re not a 34C, you’re a 34DD or D”. Fantastic. Who knew the girls could grow into my 20s?
Well, she tried to sell me underwire nasties that hurt my ribcage, so I took her size advice and high-tailed it to Kohl’s, which has most of the department store brands, but often on sale, or cheaper to begin with. DH and I were there for over an hour, pulling all the bras I could see in my size. I ended up buying 3 different ones, and then we went back and bought up the entire stock (on sale!!) of my favorite. I now have 9 in various colors, and I couldn’t be more satisfied unless they were all in cotton. (I had to settle for microfiber)
I have my own requirements, so I feel your (collective) pain, ladies. They just don’t make a plethora of cotton, non-underwire, non-padded (do I really need more breastage??) bras in 34D for smaller-framed ladies? I gave up on VS after the straps stretched out in about 2 months and left me feeling quite droopy. Though I did pony up for their non-wire IPEX for my wedding, and I love it.
@ Deirdre! We have the same boobs and the same story.
I know this may sound ridiculous, but the professional bra fitting I had last holiday season has literally changed my life. No more slipping straps, no more trying to figure out why it feels like my boobs are melting down my torso because of a too-loose band, actual support (!) that makes my whole figure look ten years younger. I was SURE when I went in that fitting room that I was going to be the exception, that I had been wearing the right size all along. Nope. Not even close.
Another vote for getting a professional fitting. When I did it (I’ve done it a few times, checking for changes over time), the ladies doing it have been unfaillingly professional, and it wasn’t awkward (after the initial moment). Also, prepare yourself to spend more money on a bra that you really like, but it’s worth it.
Another 34 not-quite-an-A, here. My advice is to steer clear of dept brands like Playtex and Maidenform – they are the worst, at least for me (except for Wonderbra if you want a padded number). I tried one of those nearly A’s and it kept riding up (though the cup size worked perfectly).
Target has been my go to lately – the Gilligan O’Malley 34A T-shirt bra fits me really well, and is only lightly padded. I also second the Exhilaration teen line – though they seem a bit more padded to me. Finally, I have never been happy with Calvin Klein underwire bras – but their soft cup bras fit really well.
Thanks for all the tips – and I guess I will get measured after this pregnancy – obviously I know the cup size, but the band size seems to change drastically for women!
@Kates:
“Also, I don’t know how common this is, but when I was trying stuff on, very often the cup size would vary a bit with the chest measurement — like a 34A would have a slightly larger cup than a 32A. Maybe you can use that to your advantage.”
Interestingly, this is actually true not because of any “variation” but because that’s how cup size works. I had NO IDEA until I started working as a bra fitter, and I think the reason most women wear the wrong size (blah blah Oprah 90%) is because they don’t understand this. A 34A cup is bigger than a 32A, and smaller than a 36A. The cup size is not absolute, but is the difference (in inches) between your rib cage and your breasts. To illustrate: I thought I was a 36C because those cups fit my breasts, and I “couldn’t” be a D (only women who had really HUGE breasts were Ds, right?) When I found out that I was actually a 30, my cup size ran up the alphabet to F. My breasts didn’t change size, but when my band did, so did the cup.
So yes, a 32A would definitely be a possibility for finding a smaller cup! And I’d definitely eighth the suggestion for a professional fitting. I didn’t become a good fitter overnight, and it’s hard to walk into a store and fit yourself properly, even if you bring a friend. A fitter adds a lot of experience to the equation.
I was a 36C at VS. At Kohl’s, where I get bras that fit, I’m a 40D. *sigh* I hate bra shopping.
I am in the same boat- I am a 34a on one side, 34 aa on the other. Gap Body makes a wireless t-shirt bra that you can transform into a racerback for more oomph. I love their bras. I hate VS.