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
Anyone want to start a Build-A-Bra chain? I’d be all over that. My problem is bra straps constantly falling down by the end of the day – thanks slopey shoulders! – so I’m always on the look-out for racerback bras. And not sports bras either.
If you’re in the DC area, I highly recommend Dor Ne in Silver Spring – they rock. And also, the Wonderbra outlet in Delaware. They have a pretty good selection – and I got four at $10 each last time.
I have the same *exact* problem! In my experience, VS isn’t even worth looking at, Gap Body is the worst, and nearly-whatever is waaay too padded. Intimacy Lingerie is the place to go (http://www.myintimacy.com) — they’ll fit you and they have cute bras for all sizes, including ours. You’ll have to pay a lot ($50 – $150, most are around $88) but honestly, it’s SO much better than buying horrible bras that don’t fit.
If you don’t have an Intimacy store near you, I have two bras that you’d probably like that you can buy online:
http://tiny.cc/hkpOk
http://tiny.cc/YWBgB
These are NOT padded, I swear, but they will keep nippage under control.
do you have a good bra store in your area? my whole life changed when i discovered “secrets from your sister” (toronto). they’re not cheap, but they fit perfectly, and you get the informed help you need.
I’m a 40a.
I decided ablout 6 months ago that if no one wants to make a bra in my size I won’t wear the damn things any more. It’s not like I need the support. But I felt so naked!
I’m wearing the day bra & matching boypants from Dillard’s and I lovelovelovethem. I haven’t been this comfortable since fifth grade, and I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so lacy & flattering. I bought every color – I feel adorable in this stuff!
Link: http://tinyurl.com/5nrt8r
Oooh, THANK you, people who discussed the different cup sizes for different band sizes, and the idea of buying a bra that’s snug at the loosest hook position! I feel really dumb, after years of too-big stretched bands, for not thinking of the latter. Argh.
I haven’t worn an A cup since I was about 8 years old (currently a self-fitted 46DDD, but given the information above, who knows?) so I can’t help there. For asymmetry, I recently resorted to the old standby of carefully folded socks underneath the “smaller” breast, to push it up and fill the top of the foam cup, which otherwise develops creepy folds/fissures that show through my shirts. It didn’t actually work, and resulted mainly in sweaty socks and the soundtrack of “Grease” running through my head. So yeah, in order to wear the only shape-giving bras I have, I need to find some real silicone push-up/fill-in pads myself, which just feels incredibly counterintuitive – isn’t something the size of a canteloupe ENOUGH?
@Anlyn – always fit the largest breast; then pad out the inside of the less-filled cup to match. There are a lot of different “fills” to work with – chicken cutlets in different sizes, etc.
As a 36D (a definite, measured, yep-you’re-a-36D-all-righty), I have found a couple of bras that fit my at VS: the body-by-Victoria underwire demi, and a couple of other styles that were NOT b-b-v. I can only wear the demi in the one line, and I don’t remember what the other two are; the cup fits fine, but the band bites into me. And the VS designers were drunk or stoned the day they decided that the straps on a D-cup bra needed to stretch; what’s THAT about? For years their D-cup bras had no stretch; now they stretch, and for why? So I can give myself a black eye if I run down the stairs?
@Well-Endowed: I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it’s likely your breasts will change size and shape throughout your life. If your weight doesn’t change, you should probably get measured every couple of years; if you get pregnant, or start to weight-lift seriously, probably every six months. And I HATE that bra bands aren’t designed for women who lift weights.
If you’re on a budget, don’t be afraid to extend the life of a bra by taking in that stretched-out band (same amount each side), moving those sliding straps in towards the back, or taking a dart in a cup that has stretched out; it’s better than wearing one that doesn’t fit properly, and bras can be altered just the way other garments are altered.
Are you the same La Bella Donna who posts over at A Dress A Day? If so: WHEN are you going to start your own blog?! And please, type my body!
For the OP: I am really a 32 AA, but I have great success with 32A Calvin Klein and Elle MacPherson bras, which are cut smaller than the norm (and MUCH smaller than VS! I would have to go up a cup size to fit in their A cups). I bet you would fit a 32 A.. if the band is too tight, buy a few of those little band extenders (most sewing/fabirc stores carry them).
“I hate VS.” me too emcasey -Victoria Sucks. The fitter there told me “You might want to consider enhancement surgery, you know, so your clothes fit normally.” Yeah, and I hope your thong grows teeth, bitch.
Another suggestion – shop in Europe. They have a huge variety of sizes available – the last 5 bras I wore out were purchased in Amsterdam (because my bag went to Rio, but that’s another story…) Much less of an everyone-must-look-like-Barbie mentality there. My size was everywhere!!!
I have the opposite problem – 32DD (and on a short-waisted 5′ frame, so distinctly top-heavy), so finding comfy, supportive, no-push-up-insert bras that don’t actually look like a dock crane is tricky. However, lingerie shops that carry bras that deal with my boobs will probably be well-stocked enough to carry small ones. I’m in Toronto & tend to patronize La Senza (some cotton everyday bras in my size and not hellishly expensive) and Change (ditto, better selection, yay!) for basics, and for the good stuff, Linea Intima and Secrets From Your Sister. I also have a long-standing love for Marks & Spencers, which does deliver lingerie from UK to Canada & the US.
Thanks to all who’ve recommended Bare Necessities & Lauren Silva; I will definitely be trying them.
@ AngieFM: “I know this may sound ridiculous, but the professional bra fitting I had last holiday season has literally changed my life.”
No, that doesn’t sound ridiculous at all. I finally got a professional fitting about two years ago and the girls have never been happier. And being a (currently pregnant) 36FF – which my husband claims stands for freaking fantastic – that IS life-changing.
I totally recommend being fitted on a regular basis. I only shop at specialty stores now, since department stores don’t carry my size, and every time they refit me to make sure the sizing is still accurate.
Hi, Bonnie, yes, I am. If I wander over to ADaD, and we go to the “How to Give a Dress” comments, I’ll be happy to do my best. It’s kind of OT for TN – although I’m going to take a stab here and now and say that unless you are a Very Tiny Person, you’re probably not an hourglass. On the other hand, Audrey Hepburn had a 31″ bust and she WAS an hourglass, so who knows?
Margaret in CO, that sounds as if it’s time for a Chat with the manager – that comment was totally inappropriate, totally unacceptable, and completely fire-worthy, IMO.
@ Margaret in CO – I agree with La Belladonna; what a horrible thing to say to a potential customer. Either she was very, very new or just very stupid, but either way, a complaint was definitely warranted. Ugh.
I don’t really have any useful advice…all the ladies in here talking about spending hundreds of dollars on bras are probably going to think I’m totally ghetto now, but I buy nearly all of my bras at places like Ross and Marshalls. Which actually might be an option – those kinds of shops often have a startling array of different sizes and styles, and it’s definitely heaven for budget shoppers like myself. The quality isn’t even that bad – I’ve found stuff from reasonably nice brands like Calvin Klein and Betsey Johnson. Of course, the problem is that it’s mostly discontinued/overstock type stuff, so if you buy something you absolutely love and then it falls apart later, the odds are very good that you will never find that particular style again.
Jen B does not lie! Intimacy changed my life. I thought I was a 42D or a 44C and it turns out I was wearing a bra WAY WAY too big for me. Turns out, I am a 38E. Who knew they made E?
Intimacy has stores in several cities (I went to the one here in Manhattan) but you can find out if there’s one near you at http://www.myintimacy.com.
Also, per the headlights issue, I mentioned it to the lovely women who fitted me and she suggested a product called . . . wait for it . . .Dimrs. They have a photo of a woman on the package driving a car with the headlights on! They are a silicone nipple cover that pretty much adhese to your breast inside your bra. A little rinse with soap and water and you can wear them again. I wear mine everyday. Awesome product.
Ooh I know this one!! Calvin Klein choice bras, if you can find the soft-cup versions, are great for the sub-A cup size. I think they are more marketed towards teens, why on earth a teen 34a would fit differently than their adult 34a is beyond me, but they do. This bra http://tiny.cc/T6Qv1 (ignore the giant boobed mannequin) I think is no longer made but I still find at Marshalls pretty regularly.
It’s embarrassing, but the teen section may be the way to go. I have bought Jockey Junior bras that were awesome, and only in the $10 range.
The CK 365 microfiber soft cup looks promising, too. http://tiny.cc/CewK3
Actually, i’ve had decent luck with the cheap-o walmart maidenform/vassarette bras. They make almost-sizes, starting with almost-A. They don’t have the weird, pointy look that some bras for the smaller chested chicas do. I have kind of the same problem, tried padding, ended up looking like i had stuck grapefruits down my shirt. The aforementioned bras have just enough padding/lift to make the most of my “blessings” without looking unnatural. Hope this helps!
Playtex makes “Almost” sizes, such as Almost A, Almost B, Almost C. I’ve seen them plenty of times at Target in the bra section.