I am a 36DDD or E, depending. I do not own any bras in that size because I do not have the money to keep buying bras as I lose weight. So I'm dealing with my 36DD and 38D bras. But I was in a department store over the weekend and I decided to poke around and see if I could find my new size. Mostly to see if I had measured myself correctly.
I found TWO bras that weren't minimizers. One was a 38DD. The other was a 36E. UGH. I feel for you girls who have harder to find bra sizes than that! Anyway. My gripe here is that anything above a 36D was full coverage. No demi. No balconette (Best for my boobs).
Am I the only one who doesn't like full coverage? Or do the bra manufacturers just assume we only want full coverage if our girls are bigger than a D? I HATE full coverage. My boobs aren't that big and they don't make cleavage, full coverage looks AWFUL on me. Just awful. I don't know if it's my breast shape or if I have a wide chest or what it is. But full coverage is not a thing I can deal with. It looks like I'm completely flat chested and stuffed my bra because you can't see any hint of breast except what's in the bra.
I'm mostly just ranting, but I am curious if I'm an oddity with my full coverage hatred. What do you think, ladies? And what is your favorite kind of bra?
Shop in a different store! I am a 36G, and I can find any style I want at the local bra store I go to. Full coverage with too much lace on top sometimes give me quad-boob, but I found a great bra that is like a demi that holds my breasts much better (you are probably fuller on the top if that is what works for you too.)
Check out the brands Freya and Fantasie, those are what work for me. They aren't cheap, but they are definitely a crucial item for me to budget for.
Also, get professionally fitted. You might be wearing the wrong size (since most stores only go up to D, they think all "big" breasts are D, DD, DDD, DDDD, etc. The alphabet goes above D!) Once you are wearing the right size, you won't need a minimizer.
I second what seagirl said about getting a professional fitting. Department stores tell me I'm a 38DDD because a 10" difference between ribcage and bust size doesn't compute in their minds. I'm actually a 34J. Freya and Fantasie rock. Freya especially has such fun designs in all styles. (Check their sizing against your measurements, though, as, for example, an American J equals a British H.) As you lose weight, you might check ebay for cheaper bras in atypical sizes. Frequently I've found my size for less than half retail price, brand new with tags on ebay.
I know what you mean! I'm on the tightest hook of my 34E so I KNOW I NEED a 32 ... x.x
Fredricks of Hollywood has larger sizes in smaller bands and they are sexy and great looking! I suggest going into a store and trying before buying.. since they vary in size. I went in there on separate occasions and found some amazing sales/clearance IN MY SIZE!
FYI I HATE HATE HATE Minimizing bras!... I mean REALLY.. I want my girls up and happy... not squished and trying to become invisible..thats what my sports bras are for! LOL
Yeah I hate full coverage bras ! There are actually some really cute designs for them in the mall here and they don't flatten my chest too much but they go up so high that I can't wear anything but tshirts! seriously who wants a bra that high!
The past few bras I've gotten have come from Dillard's. They have crazy pricing in their whole store but their bras are okay sometimes. I got one last week that was on the clearance rack for $14 (41 original). According to my own measurements I should be in an F but if I find the right style a 40d-dd fits nicely. Dillard's has quiet a few in these size ranges that look sexy still, they even have some gs if you look good enough. Their prices range from 30-60, but they're good quality. Make sure you check the clearence rack! I notice a lot of the largest sizes end up there.
The coverage for me depends on the outfit. A full coverage, underwire, seamless t-shirt type bra most of the time since I'm in t-shirts most of the time as a SAHM.
I DO want a bra that high! When you roll with kids, paint, mud, glitter, etc? The sneaker, jeans, t-shirt thing is like the SAHM uniform, dude!
Plunge, demi, balconette, etc comes into play when I'm wearing dresses to go somewhere besides the grocery store, the school, the library, etc.
But for curves -- above a C cup the underwire lends support and shows off the girls. I have a few that are NOT underwire left from my nursing days and that bra does tend to let the girls droop/flatten. Useful when I just wanted to hike it up out of the way without a poking wire when I was breastfeeding bugging the baby.
But I much rather be in underwire bras again now that my breastfeeding days are done.
I don't have kids so that thought didn't occur to me. I see where they are useful but the ones I tried on came up to the hem of the MANS tshirt I was wearing ! it was just uncomfortable, all that fabric, even though the design was cute. and I'm someone that wears a bra 24-7, including when I sleep. I can't stand being braless, it just feels so weird to me, Lol.
This is the only bra I've found that is even remotely comfortable. Lace makes me itchy. But I still find that the tops of my boobs sometimes spill over the cups. I want more coverage. I honestly want my entire boob covered by the bra fabric. Anyone know where I can find that?
I am definitely a balconette girl. I'm at a 36DDD right now, and will have to do some serious shopping when I shrink out of my current Lane Bryant bras.
I'm not much for demi-cups, though. I always seem to fall out of them, but I tried to wear them so long ago, I'm not sure I was wearing the right size then. I may try them again once my bra size stabilizes.
I like full coverage bras, but not formed cups. AND, I despise minimizes.
Minimizers shove your breasts to the side - flattening you out and looking much less girly/feminine. In the main stores - DDs and up are almos always minimizers. I simply will not buy them.
I am probably overdue to get re-measured. I do quite like Lane Bryant bras.
I've tried balconettes, but with my girls being wider-set, they look like an angry married couple not speaking to each other. I end up buying Plunge Bras to make them a nearer and dearer couple.
Re: getting measured. Please make sure you at least have an idea of your proper bra size first before getting measured! In an ideal world everyone would have a great local fitter but in reality many still follow the 4+ method and don't know the signs of a properly fitting bra. So measure your underbust tightly and get an idea of your band size (using band size=underbust) as a starting point. It really will make things easier in the long run.
Re: full coverage bras. There are a TON out there!!! Some of the best brands out there that carry lower cut bras (Definitely in your size!!):
- Ewa Michalak
- Freya
- Affinitas
- Cleo by Panache
- Fantasie
- Masquerade
- Comexim
- Curvy Kate (especially their Showgirl range)
Many of these you can easily get for around $40, sometimes much less if you check out ebay (look at ebay UK too!!).
there are a TON of amazing plunges in your size, more than I can count.
Bra sizes and coverage.
So measure your underbust tightly and get an idea of your band size (using band size=underbust) as a starting point. It really will make things easier in the long run. 
