I’m an odd shape. Its what actually led me to writing this blog. I was having so much difficulty finding something to wear that works for me that I just had to find a better way to make choices.
One of my biggest issues is that I have big breasts. Seriously, really big. It’s the bane of my life. My choices in clothing are severely limited by the fact that my breasts are about two sizes bigger than the rest of me. And yet, I’m a actually a pear shape. Huh?
A bust size comes in two components – band size and cup size. The band size is the width around the body and the cup size is the size of the actual breast.
In my case I am really quite tiny around the upper body. In fact if you look at me from the back, which happily I don’t have to, I’m this narrow little thing with great big wide hips. And yet from the front I look top heavy because my cup size is so extreme.
IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE …
If you want to dress better the most important thing to do is get a properly fitting bra. It’s so simple and yet it can have a profound difference in the way you look. Particularly for plus sized ladies, or in fact any ladies with large breasts. Comfort for a start.
If your bra fits properly then your breasts will sit in the natural position for your body, they have good support and feel comfortable. You will open up your midsection which makes you look taller, and thinner, and get your breasts into a position where they look, and feel, most natural. More importantly if your bra fits then your clothes will look good. And, trust me, if your bra doesn’t fit it will spoil the line of your tops.
It’s estimated that around 70% of women are wearing bras that are the wrong size, so don’t naturally assume this is not you. Some of the problems you’ll experience if your bra does not fit well:
- Band rises up at the back
- Shoulder straps digging in
- Back band is too tight
- Underwires lifting away from the body
- Underwires digging into the breast
- Bulging over the top of the cup
- Cups are saggy
If you have any of these issues then your bra does not fit and you need to get one that does.
WHAT IF I’M PLUS SIZED?
I don’t know how it is in the rest of the world but here in Australia it’s pretty hard to walk into a store and find a bra with a cup size of DD. I personally blew past that when I was about 20, although I did continue to wear them for some time afterwards. I’m currently a size 16G or 18FF. It sounds really large and, well it is.
Luckily there are plenty of stores online that sell larger bras. I’ve been looking at ladies plus sized bras from simply yours and they have a fabulous selection up to a L cup. As with everything you buy online measure, measure, measure. In fact if you can go to a store and try and get fitted by a professional. Its usually free and helpful to know.
Even then though, be aware that different brands have different sizing. It is well worth persisting to get a bra that fits.
WHAT BRA SHOULD I GET?
I personally have lots of bras for lots of different looks – who knew styling breasts was as important as styling your hair? The basic ones that I have are:
Moulded bra: This is t-shirt bra and I have a couple of these. They’re your all round basic bra that can be worn under any top. The moulded cup fits comfortably and disguises the nipple. This is your workhorse bra(s).
TIP: If you’re buying a bra to go underneath anything make sure it’s a nude colour. A white bra will stand out as much or even more than a black one.
Balconette bra: This bra is made to be worn underneath a button up shirt. It pushes the cup into the best shape for blouses, which is basically up from underneath. Sometimes you end up with a little spillover (though that could just be me) which can spoil the line of knit shirts.
Plunge bra: This bra is for wear underneath a deep v-neck. Its a cleavage showing bra. It is cut in such a way that it can be worn with those sexy tops without showing the where the cups are joined together.
Minimiser / Enhancer: These two bras are doing the same thing just at opposite ends of the scale depending on what you’re trying to achieve. A minimiser pulls the breasts further apart to minimise cleavage whilst an enhancer pushes them together to enhance cleavage.
There are lots of other bra types as well such as sports of course, full cup, soft cup, maternity and so on and so forth. Its really a question of personal preference of what suits you. Whatever your choice, if you do nothing else, get bras that fit.
This post is showing ladies plus sized bras from simply yours and is created in partnership with Simply Yours.
