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Clicky: Where do you buy bras?
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I need something more supportive. I HATE bra shopping - more than any other kind of shopping that there possibly could ever be. What is more discouraging that going into a dressing room, having to take off your bra and put on 5 new ones complete with uber comfortable cardboard tags and/or plastic buttons the size of a small rodent only to have 90% of them make you look dumpier than when you stepped in in the first place?! Not to mention scouring the racks to find your size, and then realizing the bra that looked uber cute in a 34 B looks horrid in a 36D. Stoopid bra shopping...
Oh - and if you have any suggestions for a supportive bra and possibly even minimizer for a gal who is fairly well endowed for her stature, feel free to share.
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Re: Clicky: Where do you buy bras?
Pre-baby I bought 90% of my bras at the Leggs Hanes Bali outlet - my favorite bra was by Barely There. They cost like $35 at regular stores but at the outlet I could get them for $20 or under.
Nordstrom. I would pay through the nose for a good bra. Hair and bra - two things you wear every day that totally affect the rest of your appearance. Nordstrom bra fitters are pretty skilled and can help you. Then if you know the brand and size you can look online for the same thing cheaper.
That and a local bra boutique. Those places are phenomenal. There's one near me that does bra parties where they have champagne and snacks and you come with your gal pals to get fitted and shop. Brilliant.
Sadly, no Nordstroms here. Where I used to live, there was a fabulous bra department in one of the upscale department stores. Loved it there!! *sad, sad sigh*
this is the gospel and 100% correct
I worked as a manager at VS for 7 years. I now know way too much about bras. It would be really hard for me, or anyone else, to suggest a bra that would be comfy and supportive and fit properly without a real fitting (and no, this does not involve being totally topless, please don't strip in front of the bra specialists, we don't like that) My suggestion would be to go to a Victoria's Secret at a non busy time (Tuesday or Wedensdays are usually good) and ask for a manager then ask her to measure you and give you the "bra wardrobing center" in that size (box of best bras). Then have her (or someone that she delegates) to check the fit once you have the bra on and go from there.
I would say off the top of my head that you'd probably have the best luck with a style from the Body by Victoria collection, depending on what you personally like and what works best with your shape. The fitting and the checking of the fit when it's on is really important.
I loved the local bra boutique near my parents' house. It specialized in breast cancer patients, which meant they carried odd sizes and I think had a lot to do with their excellent customer service and sensitivity. They not only measured you for fit but would come in and look at the bra on you to see how it fit since each style varies a bit. They gave tips on how to get yourself positioned correctly, how to tell if a bra fit well, etc. It should have been such an awkward moment for a teenager, but they had a tendency to make you feel so comfortable. I shopped there through college and for a bit after when I went home more frequently. Now I generally go to VS if I'm not looking for a nursing bra.
I am not sure where you are, but I would check to see if there are any speciality stores in the area. Sometimes you find a great fitter at Macy's or Lord & Taylor, etc. but it has become more and more rare with time. like someone else said - many bra boutiques specialize in mastectomy bras so if there is a local breast cancer support group, they may know where a shop is.
I may get some flames for this, but I don't think Victoria's Secret makes good bras. They make pretty bras, but they do not support and lift and separate large (and especially nursed) breasts well. I loved VS... and then I became larger than a size D. The bras that wouldn't give me quad boob did nothing to properly flatter my breasts. However a bra from say Wacoal or chantelle would make me look younger, thinner, firmer, sexier and more smooth under knits.
We do have a mastectomy specialty shop that I had thought about going to (they also apparently carry nursing bras) but never have. Maybe I'll try it out. We're pretty limited other than that for specialty shops (I did a search and it didn't turn up more) and the department stores here are less than upscale in the customer service/lingerie sense.
I have done the fitting at VS before, although not the full try on everything. I may give that a go, but I have to admit, I find their bras don't stay uber supportive for very long. It seems like I like them for a short while, and then not so much.
Ahh... joy of joys.
CRAP! stupid mommy brain. before i was huge, i got these amazing minimizer bras at Wal*mart. and now i can't remember the name of them.
now, i buy all my bra's from Lane Bryant/Cacique.
Even if this store doesn't have the right bras for you, I bet they can fit you properly and can either custom order or at least send you in the right direction online. Best of luck - it's SOOO worth it!
I feel like their bras stretch out or something after a while. It drives me up a wall, but I still put up with it.
Cycle #11: BFP
And to be a devils advocate here, body by victoria bras do nothing for my tatas. Worst bras I have ever tried on.
No flames, but I've nursed 3 babies, have a 34/36 (depending on the cut of the bra and my current weight) DD chest, and they carry the only bras that have made the girls look good, lifted, seperated, PLUMP, and oh so fabulous.
I think it all depends on your own body.
There's no way I would get fitted at a VS again. Pre-baby I wore a 32C and they would always try to tell me I wore a 34 or 36AA. Yeah, not even close and they would try to insist they fit because they didn't carry my size in store (and back then, it was only 3 or 4 styles online too). If you find something that fits properly then that's great, but I wouldn't rely on the fitters to help you out much. I tried many, many times and finally gave up.
My current nursing size is significantly larger in the cup but smaller in the band, which they don't make at all. I can only imagine what I would be told to stuff myself into now. [:/]
I go to a local specialty store as well, and all the bras I've purchased there are UK brands. Because apparently American companies don't think women need anything smaller than a 30 or larger than a E cup.