I've been thinking about making a "sizing post" like this for awhile. This post is an attempt to give some sizing guidance, and also to collect your impressions and wisdom in the comments. I'll make a permanent link to this post in the links sidebar on the journal's main page, so that it can easily be found for reference or to add to the comments when you try a new brand or style and have info to share (or questions to ask) on how the fit in certain brands and styles compares to the same size in other brands and styles.

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During my trip to Bravissimo Edinburgh, I tried on a bunch of stuff, both to buy and to figure out the best sizes for some ranges, (in case I decided to buy those styles online in future seasons when they might come out in different colors or slightly different materials). I tried on mostly bras, and found a new favorite t-shirt bra. I also got a dress from their fitted range, and tried on a bunch of their fitted jackets (my verdict: don’t bother with the jackets, they just made me look lumpy, at least). Hopefully these reviews will help out some of you who may have also been thinking about buying these online...

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One of the best things about being able to find the right size bra is that it often means you're also able to find the right size bathing suit.

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I figured I should post about this here, since it will likely affect this journal. It was a hard decision, but I've decided to have a reduction. Primarily so that clothing will fit better, and so that I will be able to buy bras in your average mall store, rather than through specialty retailers. Also, a straight male friend of mine recently told me that guys don't actually like big boobs anymore, and a lesbian friend chimed in to let me know that womyn, in fact, also hate big boobs.

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This LJ is going to be a collection of tips, tricks, advice, and other info for ladies who need bras in D cups or larger (roughly up to a K cup). While much of the advice will focus on those wearing band sizes in the small-to-standard range (roughly back sizes 28 to 38 inches), there will also be information for ladies who wear back size 40 and above. Bras in all of these sizes DO exist, in a variety of pretty colors and in many different styles.

They range from balconettes:


To full-coverage:


To smooth t-shirt bras:


To strapless:


To plunge bras:


To sexy, colorful little numbers:

(images courtesy of Panache)

And more! In the coming weeks and months, I'll update with entries (roughly once a week) on each of these bra types, spotlighting both manufacturers and shops (many of them online vendors) who carry these products and sell to the American public.

So, you may be thinking: "Wait a minute! I've gone my whole life without finding bras that fit me! Where have they been hiding?" The answer is, for reasons that are mainly historical (and also profit-driven) American retailers have a very limited selection of bra sizes and styles nowadays. Women who grew up in the fifties and sixties tell me it was not always this way, that the selection of sizes winnowed as major retailers turned to mass-production in overseas factories. Indeed, as far as I know, only one American lingerie company, Goddess, still makes bras in the USA-- and they offer a wide range of sizes (34 to 56, B through J cup).

Today, the options are increasing, as niche-market retailers begin to bring more variety of sizes back, but the answer to the question "Where can I find a bra in my size?" is still most often answered with the following: you have to resort to online retailers, particularly those that specialize in British lingerie. The British and European markets have many companies (Panache, Miss Mandalay, Kalyani, Freya, and Triumph to name but a few) that specialize in larger cup size bras and bra-sized swimwear in a variety of pretty styles and shapes. (No granny bras here!) But never fear! These brands are slowly filtering across the Atlantic, and I'll also be talking about American retailers who carry some of these bras (albeit a limited range).

I've found myself fielding many questions from other women about this subject, and from my own experiences I realize that there isn't a whole lot of good information out there. The right bras are hard to find sometimes if you don't know where to look. But wearing the wrong size bra is uncomfortable, embarrassing, and often injurious to the health of your spine and neck. It makes you feel tired and sore by the end of the day when it shouldn't. Wearing the right size bra eliminates all of these problems, and also allows you to achieve a clean line under clothes, and move about with confidence.

I wore the wrong size bra for many years because it was the only size I could find that even remotely fit. I wore a size 38DD or 36DDD when I could find it. The cups were still too small though, and the band size (unbeknownst to me at the time) was too big. It rode up in the back and by the end of the day left me with a sore neck from constantly trying to re-adjust it and tighten the straps to achieve the support that was missing from the too-loose band. After living in the UK briefly, I discovered that I didn't have to put up with this anymore-- there were actually bras, in pretty styles no less, that went as high as a K cup. After some experimentation, I realized my true size was a 34FF to a 34G and I've never looked or felt better.

My aim in making this page is to help others get to this point-- where bra shopping (and wearing!) becomes a joy instead of a humiliation, a pleasure instead of a painful chore.  I hope that this might help some folks out there, and I encourage you to add your own advice, questions, and information in the comments!

Next post: Defining some common bra terminology, and discussing the rules-of-thumb for finding out if a bra fits you or not. Also, some tips and tricks for bra alteration. Thereafter, each post will discuss a particular style of bra, a particular manufacturer's range, or a particular online reseller. Please note that while I will discuss (and in some cases recommend) different manufacturers and retailers, I am in no way affiliated with any of them-- my experiences come from having been a customer only, and should only be taken in that light. I can't guarantee that you will have a good experience with certain retailers just because I have, though I certainly hope my experiences will help you.

Stay tuned!