A Good Bra

T.,

Avon sells bras that have the support of the underwire but doesn't have it in it.....I love them!

Sue

I have found Bali Concealers to be the best. They offer great coverage, comfort, and best of all NO WIRES!!!! I have recommended these bras to friends and to those who have tried them they agree that they are the only bras that they will buy from now on.

I used to have the problem with underwires. My sister found me a good bra at Lane Bryant. I know they're a bit pricey but worth it for the comfort! The brand I wear is Ciccique...

try knickers in hyde park.

Look for Bali bra's, I also have large breast and Bali has good models for full figure that are very supportive, even without a wire.

Good luck!

Look at the Glamorise bras at www.jms.com They're on sale right now, too!

I've had the most difficult and expensive time finding a bra until I tried Glamorise. I have several different styles, but my favorite is the minimizer kind. I am "wider set", and I didn't like the way the other name brand bras pushed my breasts to the center or down and conical for an unnatural profile or sides that cut in or bands that rolled. I don't have that problem any more. There are many different styles to choose from. Good luck! The reviews will help you decide, too.

I cannot stand underwires... but I would suggest going to a nicer store like Macy's or Victoria's Secret and having them fit you for a bra. The sales associates are trained to measure you and get your true size. I have done that and found out I was buying the wrong size bra all along. After following their recommendations, I felt and looked much better!

Hi!
I've always been bigger too and found it hard to find a good, withstanding bra that doesn't cost me a small fortune. My mom always preached underwire to me, so I can't imagine wearing a bra without one! Just here recently, I went on a day quest to about 10 (literally) different stores from recommendations to find a bra that would fit, be comfortable, look nice and not cost a fortune. As a bigger busted woman, you know that you normally can't find a good bra at Walmart or Target, and sometimes even Kohl's is difficult. But I must say, that I am super impressed with a line out by Queen Latifa called Curvatious. It's sold at Walmart and the most expensive one was $18. For me, they fit nice & comfortable, they look good and I can wear it all day without feeling 'confined'. The underwire is even comfortable to me. Hope this helps!

I just went thru this. I ended up in the Playtex 18 hr bras. I like them very much. They have wider backs (with at least three hooks) and sides, wider shoulder straps so they don't cut in... and they come in colors and front closures. There is even a posture improvement style.

good luck

Hello, I am a 36DD and finding a good fitting bra is a horribly difficult task! If you like a little minimizing with your size, I LOVE the "Bali 1 3/4" Minimizer". Yes it has an underwire ( I cant go without) BUT I have never ever had one poke through. And I am on about my 15th one of these. Eventually they do wear out (always buy at least 2 to rotate and never dry them in the dryer!)but they are made very very well. I LOVE them!!! Email me back if you need more info on them like where to find them...good luck!

Go to a store and get fitted for a bra. Then spend money on a really good one. My husband teases me because I'm saving my money to buy a really good nursing bra (or two)! I know the good ones are way more expensive that what I use now. Through my pregnancies I've watched my breasts get bigger and bigger and bigger! I know that I'm now wearing the proper size and probably don't have it adjusted correctly either. There are most likely stores in your area that specialize in lingere (sp?) (not the trashy kind, but real bras for real women). If not, I think some department stores and Victoria's Secret will fit you for free.

Hi T.-

I haven't been a DD since I was pregnant with my son and golly was that uncomfortable, but I have become a huge fan of Maidenform bras. Not sure if they have Kohl's stores in your area, lots of them in Indy, but they always have sales whether its a discounted price or buy one get one, something like that. Maidenform started making these really awesome bra's recently with no underwires that help keep the girls front and center and are SO comfortable. You'll notice them pretty quickly if you go bra shopping since they have an odd look about them, usually the outer shell color is one color and the inner lining is different.

Victoria's can be super expensive, I don't really ever shop there and I have actually heard of more than a few complaints that they don't size people correctly (a good sizing needs to be done in 2 measurements, one with a bra on and the other with a bra off), however if you do decide to go there, the quality is great and if you open an Angels card account there, you will never pay full price for anything. My best friend swears by it!

Hope that helps a little :)

Hi T., I am a gramdma of 68 years young and I buy my 18 hour playtex bras from Woman Within/Lane Bryant/Romans and I find them very comfortable. I buy them when they are on sale and usually pay around $15.00. They give good support and look nice in your cloths. I am a 46DDD so I know that a good bra is worth whatever you have to pay. Good luck.

I too have had the same problem with getting a good bra. But I finally found one - underwire that I like - go to Lane Bryant store and ask one the ladies to size you for a bra - tell them the issues you have and they will help you get a bra. I cannot remember the name and number for the one I have and the tags have gotten so I cannot read them. So I buy them on what they look like they match that's it. But at any store have someone resize you - most women are purchasing an incorrect size for them. I hope this helps some.

First, you have to make sure you've measured correctly. It's the smallest or second smallest measurement on a woman's body (depending on waist). Don't compensate with a bigger band just because you can't find a big enough cup. V's S is notorious for doing this for non-nursing bras because they are sized big to begin with so they can't accommodate any truly thin women with larger breasts.

How do you know if you are wearing the badly-sized bra?

* Band is to big if:

1. it rides up your back (stand sideways in the mirror and look to see if the band is level in front and back)
2. is sags in font (stand sideways in the mirror and look to see if the band is level in front and back)
3. your boobs come out under the band in front/the cups rides on top of the breast
4. the band doesn't stay in place if the shoulder straps aren't tight

* The cup is too small if:

1. there is extra breast flesh coming out over the top of the cup (you look like you have extra boobs) or under the armpits
2. with an underwire - the breast isn't fully contained within the wire under your arms or the wire sits on top of any part of your breast instead of against your ribcage
3. with an underwire - the part in the middle where the wires curve up together should always, always, ALWAYS sit against your sternum. This one goes for any bra you EVER wear. If it's not against your chest, the cup is too small. Every good bra lifts and separates.

SO...how do you get the correct size? I suggest you have a friend or hubby help you. First, you take a measurement while wearing a bra. Have the other person use the shoulder straps to lift your breasts so that the fullest part is at or just higher than half way between your shoulders and elbows. You measure around your body at the fullest point. I'll use my measurements as examples. So, I get 38. Next, take off your bra and measure your rib cage under your breasts, WAY up where the flesh of your breasts meets your rib cage - lean over if you have to to get your breasts away from your body. I get 31, this is the band size.

When it's an odd number, you add 1, so I'm a 32. Then, you subtract this from the larger number to get the cup. 38-32=6. The only difference in sizing at this point is that different companies use different scales. Each inch is a different size. I'm a 32F.

American bras tend to run:

* 1=A
* 2=B
* 3=C
* 4=D
* 5=DD/E
* 6=DDD/F
* 7=G
* 8=H
* 9=I
* 10=J
* 11=K

European bras tend to run:

* 1=A
* 2=B
* 3=C
* 4=D
* 5=DD/E
* 6=DDD/F
* 7=FF
* 8=G
* 9=GG
* 10=H
* 11=HH

It can vary from brand to brand, so you always want to check the brand's sizing chart to make sure.

My favorite websites for nursing bras and regular bras are:

* biggerbras.com
* breakoutbras.com

If you figure out what bra you are looking for, you can also go to froogle.com and just type in the bra you want and see what comes up for pricing.

It is suggested that you get sized at least once a year, and better every 6 months. If you wear 2 or 3 bras all the time, they will only last you about 6 months, if you have one for each day of the week, obvisouly you can keep them longer, but you shouldn't have a bra in your closet from 5 years ago. When you buy a new bra, it should fit snuggly on the largest hook setting so that as it stretches (or you lose weight), you can take up the extra by using the smaller settings. If you haven't been wearing the right size, your first few times with a good bra could be irritating so you should wear them for a few hours and then take it off until you are used to it.

Lastly, I know they can be expensive, but you get what you pay for. A cheap bra is cheap, it won't make your breasts or figure look good and it will wear out. Spend the money you're saving by not formula feeding and get a few good bras. I bought one each month for a few months so I had a few different ones to chose from.

So, that was long. If I confused you, feel free to PM me. PLEASE, realize that it's better to have a bigger cup and smaller band. Being a 36G doesn't mean you're fat, but wearing a 42DD to compensate can make you look fat because it doesn't fit correctly.

Hi T.,
see your Avon lady!! they have playtex, bali, & hanes. And a good variety to choose from. I don't like the underwire either.
Also a g-ma in my
50's

Good luck
L.

Fashion Bug has a bra that I've found and love. I wear the same size bra and this bra is wonderful. It's the "Enchanted" style #9843. No underwires but it does have a side wire and when I buy mine, I make a little slit at the bottom of the wires and pull them out. And if you watch their sales, the buy one get one free is a GREAT deal!

Try victoria secret. They can be a little pricie. But they have lots of choices. The store is always having sales. You can order on line. I beleive the web site, is...Victoriasecert.com. The website most likely also has a phone number you can call. If you don't have a computer try the library. Hope this helps.

The Bali brand found at Kohl's has a great line of Bras without that underwire but with good support.

I am bigger busted than you and absolutely HATE underwires. I discovered the Brand that Lane Bryant makes. They are called Cacique. They are awesome. Make sure you get fitted properly. and you'll fall in love with them. They are a little pricey but at least the are buy one get one half off.

Two suggestions. There's a good online shop here:
http://www.decentexposures.com/

And in Dayton, Isabella's Bra-Tique is a good place for fitting, etc. Good luck!