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Tops and tips for Big boobs- a resource post
Hey everyone!
I’ve been thinking for a while that there are so few nice tops and bras for us larger ladies… and that’s such a shame! Looking over a lot of the older posts on this page, I clicked some of the links, I took a look at a lot of the advice, and I figured I would make a big compilation post!
So, welcome busty ladies, to your ultimate SV resource for the big boob problem!I invite everyone to add their advice, their customer and product experiences and suggestions, and to check back often to show off their tops, update on new products they tried, and to see if there’s any new stuff to try!
I’d like to try to keep it positive and productive, but if you have an honestly horrible experience with a product, please let us know!
Though I have not tried many of these products, I thought I would start off with a list of places online that I found which sell proper sports bras for bigger busts. I tried to make sure they would fit the widest range of bodies, as well as ship to places like the UK, the US, and Canada.
http://www.barenecessities.com/
One of the places I’ve been thinking about ordering my own, normal-day bras from, as well as a place that sells some lovely sports bras, is this one! Searching my own size (currently, 32 J or K, depending) in sports bras yielded some lovely colours and looks that I would honestly try!http://www.biggerbras.com/
Not a place I had heard of before, and their website is a little funny to navigate (no “sports” section), they DO have some sports bras that look like they would be great for coverage and support! Maybe not the prettiest things to look at, but sometimes… we just need to git ‘er done.http://www.herroom.com/
Not as many choices (in my size, anyways) but I’ve seen this one talked about a few times online in relation to the ladies with bigger busts! A possible gem that might have some good sports bras.http://www.movingcomfort.com/
Not a place I can shop, but if you’re still within the “Under E-cup” range, this place might be a great one to find attractive and supportive sports bras!I was also considering the idea of beauty- a lot of these sports bras aren’t exactly nice-looking! One of my ideas for wanting to look good while poling, and also keeping the girls in check, was swimwear. There’s a lot out there, it comes in pretty sets, and depending on how it’s built, it may hold you in the right way!
So, on that note:
http://www.bravissimo.com/
This place DOES ALSO SELL SPORTS BRAS, but only a couple go as high as a J or K. However, many of their swimwear is quite pretty, and fits us busty ladies.Bare Necessities (linked above) and Bigger Bras (again, linked above) also sell lovely swimwear for busty beauties, and so are definitely worth a look.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any actually reliable research on tops that might work in leu of sports bras that would also look lovely, or ones that would go over sports bras. If you have any, please let us know!
Finally, I wanted to discuss fitting bras appropriately. Having bigger boobs doesn’t necessarily make us experts in the bra-fitting world, and I’ve seen a lot of women (not necessarily here) discussing bras and implying some very wrong information!
This information is also for anyone having issues with bras. Or anyone who must wear a bra. Or anyone who knows anyone that needs to wear a bra.So, someone like me wears a bra size of 32 J. That is, the band size is 32, and the cup size is J. This, we generally know.
HOWEVER
What we do not usually know is how the J part comes to be.
So, 32 is usually the inch-based measurement of how big around you are under your bust. In a completely level line, you would measure yourself around your body underneath the girls, where your bra would sit. This “should” give you your appropriate band-size measurement. SOME bra places “adjust” this for some reason, and I’m not well-versed in the world of different sizes through different countries. This is just how it works in Canada and the US.
The “J” part of the bra, however, is NOT A STATIC MEASUREMENT. I cannot stress this enough.
Around the fullest part of my bust, I measure at 43 inches. The DIFFERENCE between my band and my bust is 11 inches.
Thus:
A= 1 inch difference
B= 2 inches difference
C= 3 inches difference
D= 4 inches difference
DD= 5 inches difference
E= 6 inches difference
F= 7 inches difference
G= 8 inches difference
H= 9 inches difference
I= 10 inches difference
J= 11 inches difference
I am then a J.
Obviously, different bras fit differently, and also different humans will have some slide in this scale. When companies come out with doubled letters (such as a double H), I generally ignore them, or assume that these are “mid range” sizes, for people who are in between sizes (like if you’re 9.5 inches difference).So here’s how that math really gets fun: I used to be a 30 I. Which means that I used to be not a single inch smaller in the bust than I am now, but THREE inches smaller. Add two inches for the increase of band size (from 30 to 32) and then one extra for going from an I to a J. This is why I stress this so much: If I were to have the same bust but be larger around, I could potentially wear something like a 38 DD. More on that later.
Bra fit should be very comfortable, but what we get used to can become comfortable, and still fit wrong! So, your band should be completely horizontal, all the way around your body. Level. I’m bad for this.
Your straps shouldn’t ride, your underwire should NEVER stab, and you shouldn’t be chafing, popping out, or having some kind of pocket within your bra. The middle part of the bra, between your boobs, should press against your chest- it shouldn’t float away. If you can stow your lipstick in there, it’s on the right fit for you!
Finally, the “lift” of the bra does not come from the straps. It comes from the band underneath. Tightening straps is NOT a way to add lift!Many of these measurements and resources for fitting bras can be found online.
And please, don’t always believe the sales-people in bra stores. No matter how much they measure and how knowledgeable they may seem, they CAN be wrong. I’ve had people tell me “No, no, you’re definitely a 38 DD!” The incredibly uncomfortable bra they put me in was perhaps the worst I’ve ever seen- I popped out at every angle, and very little of the band itself actually touched my body. It rode up or down in all the wrong places, and it was just wrong! While the bust size may have been correct, the band was SO far away from my actual band size that it provided me literally nothing for support.
I’m not sure where she was getting those numbers from, and I’m not sure how one could get them wrong… but, clearly, the math behind it was okay! It was just so far away from my actual size that it just didn’t fit.
Educating yourself is the BEST way to know if your bra fits!If you guys have any other questions, I would be happy to help.
I’m not trying to assume you’re misinformed or whatever, I just know that most of us don’t talk about boobs, or bras, or how they’re supposed to fit.
And, if you suddenly realize you may be wearing the wrong size, have a day, go “bra shopping,” and find out! No harm in discovering you’re a different size.Happy poling, and happy boobs!
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48 Replies
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ok, this is gonna sound funny but I am such a bra person!like, obsessed with the “fit” of a bra and I hate seeing other women wear the wrong size-and most are wearing the wrong size. most women need a smaller band size and larger cup size. we tend to buy bigger more comfortable bands but like you said the band is actually wear the support comes from. if you’re relying on your straps to support you then you have the wrong size. I am a 32F, when I was measured in two different stores in the same day I got two different measurements. one store said I was a 34DD. Im not. my boobs spill out of the cups and the band is very very loose. another store said I was a 38B!!! ummm, a B cup wont even cover my nipples and a 38 band, even on it’s tightest hooks will fall down around my ankles. I laughed at the 38B sizing. I asked her to look at me and tell me whether she really truly believes I would fit in a 38B. she was adamant about what her tape measure told her. I wish I would have tried on a 38B just to show her that something was not right. I just left instead. I have bought many bras from bareneccesities and herroom. I have been very happy with both of them. I believe they also sell cup size swimwear. 🙂 for pole wear I wear pole fit and I just have to wear a bra underneath my top. the only pole top I have that I dont have to wear a bra with is the spider back top from Bad Kitty. it has a lot of compression and works pretty well. However, I have a very tiny tiny back and rib cage and I think that is why it works with my big boobs.
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I know what you mean! I’m totally that person who just wants to go up to someone on the bus and be like “Hey, you know you’re totally not wearing the right bra size, right?” I’ve done it once or twice at work. I really have to bite my tongue not to do it too much!
Good to know that Bare necessities and HerRoom are reliable, and that the spider back top seems to fit us larger chested ladies! I might have to check it out 😉 -
This is some great info…too bad I have no boobs! lol Hopefully it can help someone out!
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I hope it helps some people out, too! And you DO have boobs, they’re just resting! After four boys I can only imagine your poor chest needs lots of rest 😉
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Lol resting boobs!
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I was so happy to see this post here!!
Before I met my husband, I was “measured” at Victoria Secret. They told me I was a 38DD. When I met my husband, he was like “there’s no way”. He educated himself on how to properly measure and he measured me. Come to find out, I was a 32FF!! I couldn’t believe it. I had a lot of back pain until I finally got the right bra size.
I currently am a 36FF but I am hoping to get back to a 34 or 32 once again. Wearing the proper bra was life-changing for me. I def recommend educating yourself & find your own proper bra size.Also, I shop from barenecessitates.com & I love it! I have bought about 10 bras from that site and they’ve all fit really well.
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It is so hard to find the right fit! By 19 I was a 32E and had decided to get a breast reduction. As a girl who was only 5’1 and 105 pounds they were huge. I became a 32D afterwards (pound out of each boob!). Even now at 28, 5’1 and 125 pounds, I struggle to find the right fit. My boobs are a bit wider and most stores don’t have something that fits right even if they have my size. Victoria’s Secret still insists that I am a 32C but my boobs spills out and a 34C would have my boobs falling out the bottom. Even a 32D I wear on the tightest setting but a 30D is a bit too tight. Once I do manage to find the right bra, I wear it until it dies! Haha.
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Beccaf87,
Haha that’s so true. I do the same thing when I find a bra that fits well. I wear the crap out of it! It’s so interesting that you were a 32 E and you are 5’1 & I was a 32FF and 5’9. That is a lot of boobs!!!
Yeah, I don’t shop at VS anymore (obviously because I can’t fit their bras) but also because they insist I was a wrong size as well. When anyone girl (family member or not) comes over to my house, I’m always eager to measure them. It sounds weird, but once they try on a bra that actually fits them, they get so happy! The only complaint I have about having big boobs is that I do have to order them online & you can’t find a lot of cheap bras at my size. I wish I could just go to Walmart or another clothing store & find my bra size. -
Dolce Vita, I am sure my sister wears the wrong size. I think she is scared to admit she has bigger boobs than she does. We call it the “family curse”. However, since she is 5’8 and generally bigger than I was she had less of a difficult time with it. She has no problem finding bras, though maybe if she got properly measured she might.
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Beccaf87,
I actually just measured my sister over Christmas. She is my identical triplet, so she is big chested exactly like me. She always wears sports bras. Sports bras are good for exercising, but to wear them consistently is actually not enough support for daily wear. I asked her why she wore them all the time, and she told me it was because she was never comfortable in bras.
So I measured her.
She was a 36E, I think. Luckily I had an old bra in that size. She tried it on and couldn’t believe it! She was so thrilled.
If you suspect your sis is wearing the wrong bra, I’d just measure her. Tell her just to see. It could be fun! You can find tons of bras online. So having a bigger chest doesn’t mean you can’t find bras. I have bought tons of bras online. However, going to a store and picking up a bra can be tricky.
I have found that most online shops will give you free shipping after about $50. So there’s no real downside to shopping online (other than the fact that you can’t try them on before you purchase them). I have ordered a couple bras that didn’t fit. When that happens, I would just send it back and get my money back or get a bigger/smaller size.
Who knows, your sis might like how her boobs look in the right size bra–I say this because mine went from plunging and hanging out of my bra in all aspects, to finally looking upright, supported, and super sexy. -
I actually dragged both my mum and my sister to my last bra-shopping trip! I know (and my sister knows) that she’s also really big in the chest. She doesn’t quite have the same bone structure I do though; I’m built more like a celtic warrior, and she’s a bit more… er, soft, small, and feminine? Haha
However, the most interesting discovery of that trip was my Mum! She turned out to be wearing the wrong size all along. She thought she was a 36 D, but was closer to a 32 H or so. I smiled at her like “Now you know!” Haha, she was surprised, but oh so happy to be supported properly! Her posture changed a lot, and she seemed much more comfortable.
I actually bought six bras on that trip. Three to use first, and once they’re all dead, the next three to last me till the next time I could afford more bras. I wish they weren’t quite so expensive! Not like I asked to be a J 😛
I’m happy to know you ladies are spreading the knowledge, though! There’s just nothing like finding the right bra size when you’ve got a big chest! -
I’m in on this too! 32DDD or 32F. I chave to wear big tops leaving huge arm pits hanging and doing the chicken lol. I would love to find pole wear I can practice in that fits without paying an arm and a leg for. I’m 5’11’ and have legs like a giraffe and struggle finding pants. A girl should only have to fight one battle. Clothes shopping….I’m a mess and always hear how nice it must be to be tall. Long legs and big boobs……wrong it’s not nice! I really appreciate the info, so now I have a few other places to look….thanks!!!!! Oh and I gave up on VS too. They don’t know how to size and do not cater to big boobs or tall women, and yet they have models advertising their goods….custom made I’m sure.
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Pam, I hear you on the fighting one battle! But I am on the short side. Even petite pants can be so long! Or if they fit the length they won’t fit over my bubble butt! When I was in high school my friend and I would go shopping and both us of ended up so frustrating. Me: 5’1 and 32E and she was 6’1 and 32AAA. We were a funny pair!
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Pam, sounds like you and I are very similar sizes! I am happy I have my long legs and now that I have the right bra size, I love my boobs too.
From what I’ve seen from VS, the models have smaller boobs, in which they might be able to fit what they sell.
The worse things about trying to find pants when you are tall is that most pants come short on me. I actually don’t even wear jeans anymore. After I gained weight, I said screw it. I stick to leggings, jeggings, and yoga pants. They are more comfortable and look sexier on me.
Oh my goodness, Beccaf87, 6’1! I can’t imagine being that tall. Haha, I bet you and your friend always laughed about your heights. You guys are a whole foot apart. It’s like my mom and dad. My mom is 5’2 & my dad is 6’8!! -
Dolce, Mmy boyfriend is 6’4!!! Don’t know how this happened! we make quite the pair lol.
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