bra shopping - a vent

I've been bra shopping again. An activity guaranteed to tick me off.

I'm slender and not overly endowed. Bra shopping always turns into a study in frustration. I wear a 34B. It shouldn't be that freaking hard to find a bra. Why do bra manufacturer's assume anyone my size wants a padded bra??? The ones that really blow my mind are what I call "assualt bras" - you know the ones I mean. They look like funnels stuck over your breasts. Then there are the ones that lift your breasts up around your chin. On the rare occassion I find an unpadded bra there is a seam that goes over my nipples. (can I say nipples at PC?) Obviously designed by a man who doesn't comphrend the pain associated with chaffed nipples.

I found a nice, plain soft cotton bra made by Fruit of the Loom. Apparently they no longer make them in my size! I can find plenty of them in sizes for amply endowed ladies, but none in my size.

Most of the time I resort to wearing sports bras because I can buy them to fit, but there are times I want/need to wear something unsporty.

Victorias Secret has a nice selection for various sizes. I like Body by Victoria. I found the style I liked in the store and now when they have online sales I buy them there to save money.

UGH. Yeah, I wear a 40C and bra shopping is a hassle for me too. Manufacturers seem to assume that all plus size women have large breasts and I don't, so it's really hard to find a bra that doesn't chafe or isn't enormous on me.

Ugh. Yes, I hear you loud and clear. I hate bra shopping. When I find one I like I order like six of them and try to wear them for the next decade.
Last time I had good luck with the "Barely There"
I ordered them from Bealls, which I notice is a FL company.
Good luck!

I too hate bra shopping. I am one of those plus size women, and have a ummm... large cup size. Like DDD. Good luck finding any of that size that don't have a ton of hooks halfway up your back!
I would so love to have mine reduced. I wish I could find a nice, supportive, comfortable bra.

I too hate bra shopping. I'm plus sized with large breasts so any bra I buy has to be industrial strength. I don't remember where I heard it, but I once heard bras called "over the shoulder boulder holders". I thought that was a good line and accurate.

splitimage

arrrrgggggggg - bra shopping :-(

I've resented and hated bras since the first day I wore one. Shopping for them is an exercise in utter frustration. My left breast is an entire cup size larger than the right. Need I say more?

Can't stand bra shopping. I have to order mine online. I'm a 34E (DDD), yeah good luck finding a bra in that size. I have found Fantasia bra's to be very supportive. I was able to order a brand new off E-bay for under $30.

Lol this post made me giggle, I like to be free and I'm a 36 b so I feel you're angst, not only is it impossible to find a bra you like but when you do it's like every woman with a 36 b in the world bought it out, and I'm not one of those I'll buy my "sister size" just to have it. I'm one size I don't want something bigger that pokes out of my shirt and raises up makes me look like an unfortunate stuffer when you see an obvious gap between my boob and bra lol. The only thing worse then this is maternity bras..oh...my..stars!! If they weren't already uncomfortable enough they found a way to make it worse, which is double irritating when you already have raging pregnancy hormones! Dang it Eve lol! Don't even get me going on periods lol

Why do women have to wear the things anyway? (shades of bra-burning feminism) I just wear one to keep my nipples from poking out and my boobs from flopping. I don't even know what size I am at this point. Maybe 34-B? I guess I must be sort of average, because I can usually find my size, but sometimes not a style I like. I buy new bras every ten years, whether I need new ones or not!

Have you read those ads that say that most women are actually wearing the wrong bra size? How do you know?!

I don't like bras, wish I didn't have to wear them. However, my boobs are so big that it hurts if I don't wear one

ugh- i hate this ritual that women have to do--- I really do, like my boobs I have issues finding what cup they really fit into- I am not quiet a C but the B is too small .. and size, ugh yeah I am rounder so it is hard- I feel the pain, and then the prices of bra OMG- I am sorry i was a lil cheap scape last weekend (I only had 1 bra that was good that was not poking me or broken due to long use) I went to the clearance side of the retail store and hunted there for about an hour for bra's found 2, 1 is ok, the B one- like my boobs are not fitting all well in it- blah

Ya know I have issues with my size any ways to begin with - this shopping makes me even feel down more on I am not *Up to par* as a woman with my boobs

What I don't understand is, is why do 99% of bras are underwire bras. The wire just digs into my skin and they are very uncomfortable. I have found 1 bra that I quite like from Lane Bryant, that doesn't have an underwire and a little bit of padding. (yes i know I don't need padding being a 46 DDD, but it's still nice)

I found your post funny too lizardlady and I don't like shopping for them either. I also hate how expensive they are. I bought 2 bras for my 14 yr old and one was a strapless and they cost $60. Most big department stores offer measuring to make sure you're buying the right size. My area has a bra specialty shop and can also help with measuring / have many varied choices.

Yup, bra shopping is one of my dreaded chores too.

What did one Catholic nun say to her Mother Superior when her bra strap broke? "Mother, my cup runnth over".

Once I did go in for a 'bra fitting' and wasn't all that impressed with the "sales" fitter. And I was wearing the 'correct size'. She was a sales rep from whatever brand she was pushing that the large dept. store brought in. But I will do it again soon as most of my bras are almost dead.

Wouldn't it be great if there was such a thing as a a custom 'build your own bra' shop, like Build-a-Bear?

My perfect dream bra:

1. At leat 3 hooks in the back for support and it helps the back fat too.

2. A longer band of fabric around the ribcage, under the cups, I hate my boobage to fall out the bottom.

3. Wider strapes than normal, but not so wide they would show around the necklines or sleeveless tops.

4. Fabric that is pretty, but hearty enough to not be hand wash only.

5. Fabric that lets your clothes drape, not grab and stick like some of the cotton knits ones do. Something for T-shirts.

6. Oh, and the cups, I don't care for any seams, but also hate those pre shaped/stretched/molded knit ones that always fit me badly. I never have enough boobage at the top part to fill them in. I'm a 36 C, but look puny in that style.

7. I know my boobs are as old as I am, but want them to look perky, not smashed like sports bras, not under my chin like the Wonderbras and not all pushed into the center as cleavage!

I hate having my girls fall out of the top when I bend over because the cup won't keep them in there.

8. It really frustrated me when an unwire breaks or pokes out, but love to wear them anyway. And my last 'wish' would be a resonable price!

I hate bras. I wore the wrong fit for years and it always felt like my torso was being strangled by a very thin boa constrictor. Nowadays, I only wear them unhooked -- just for the protection in the front. That's why I only wear loose T-shirts so no one can tell. (Very attractive...and I wonder why I am still single..) I recently bought a new one following all the fit guidelines that I thought would lead me to the perfect fit. I hooked it up for a job interview-- and it still felt like torture. Who designs these things? Gotta find that job that will let me wear an apron..or my t-shirts..or a muumuu.... and I am always trying to think of money-making ideas.. custom-made bras!.. now if only I liked to sew...

Bras (& high heels) MUST be designed by MEN! Same with mammogram machines. No woman in her right mind would design these things for their fellow women!

I HATE shopping for bras! Can never find the right fit, and they don't last long. They should be more durable for something you have to wear everyday, and they should be made sturdy enough that they don't require hand-washing. Who has time for that?

Maybe that's why mine don't last long... Even when they say "Hand wash only" I put them in the washer... just use gentle cycle...

I am on a never ending journey to find a comfortable bra, i bet i have bought 25 bras this year and hate them all. I am a 44 c and b... underwires really hurt and non underwire make me look like my boobs are at my waist! haha i dont think there is a perfect bra out there, i often rip mine off in the car on the way home! hahah sheer torture... if anyone has a brand they like, let me know!! thanks!!

Amen Sister! I've said the same thing for years!

Ha! What a thread!

I'm a 42G and it's impossible. If only I was a 38G like before I could pick bras up anywhere. But I went along to Evans one day (big girl's shop) because they must surely make bras in my size. The assistant had me in tears within about half an hour, and said that I would have to have my bras specially made.

Ridiculous.

That's for underwires. I haven't looked, but I presume there's no shortage of the old ugly white grandmother bras that will give up supporting me after an hour. I regularly snap underwires - other bras have no chance.

On a related note, MEN probably invented girdles too & other restricting garments like CORSETS that our ancestors wore! All these items make it uncomfortable for or restrict women in some way.

Lynn is right that they are expensive (quality ones) and so are other necessary things, like feminine items for that monthly ordeal that goes in for DECADES. I mean, you can't walk around bleeding on everything. And stupid supplements or HRT for the miserable menopause symptons are also not cheap! They know we need these things, and they make us pay dearly for them. Think how much money women would save if there was no such thing as periods.

Ha this made me laugh I went through puberty the same time my mom hit menopause, my older brother moved out shortly after LOL it was a house of bloody horror!

big girl with big boobs... have the same difficulty, loads of padded bras out there ... big boobs don't need padding and do need wider straps!!!!! I tend to go for sports bras too, found a really comfy one in M&S last year, went home, tried it on (couldn't get my scooter in the changing room) went back the next day to find it was discontinued aaaagggghhhh, have not found a decent one since
think more women need to be in control of bra manufacturing as men really are not getting it right!

i feel for u. i have way to much there and it is getting heavy and hard to carry around. i hate going to a larger size around, but if i don't, i feel like a vice is squeezing me so hard i can't breathe. go on like and order something, you can return it if the fit isn't right. oh, i cannot wear a totally smooth bra, must have some design on it because my nips stick out like no body's business. a good friend let me know. ugg