Fun with long line bras: A plus size round-up
Fashion Advice
Guestpost by
on June 02, 2010
58
Andrea D put together this helpful post detailing her search for the perfect plus size longline strapless bra. Let us learn from Andrea's trials and errors, or at least see what kind of undergarment options there are out there.
Oh and BTW: there are bra & panty pics in this post, so it may be NSFW. -Megan
I have a strapless bra. Which I tolerate, but its not ideal. It's this strapless Va Bien bra. It fits fine in the band, but the cups are a touch too big. I ordered my size — 44D. I think I got this bra from BareNecessities.com. I usually just pull my side fat into the cups and call it a day when wearing halter dresses or casual strapless styles. Lol.
But I want a bra that fits better for my wedding. I don't want to have to worry about tugging it up or worrying about a nip slip. I would also like a little more support and smoothing across the torso, and obviously a regular strapless bra isn't going to cut it.
Initially I decided to get this bra:
But I sent it back because of my short torso and big tummy combo. It almost fit around, but was just too snug down in the tummy region. The cups were perfect. Its a Valmont bra. I think I just got it in my regular bra size — 44D. The lesson I learned from this is to size up in the band size when ordering a full length longline bra. I got it from BraExperience.com. They were a little slow to ship but they have a lot of different strapless bras and longlines in plus sizes and petite sizes for you smaller chested gals. It's not the prettiest page, but they are a good place to go to find more obscure sizes.
So I ordered this Elila longline from HerRoom.com thinking that because it didn't go down to my hips and cover the entire tummy that it would work:
No Dice. I could barely get it latched closed and the cups are HUGE — like, you'd need to triple the size of my boobs to fill it out. I ordered it one band size up and one cup size down, having learned from my previous experience with the Valmont bra. Also there is wire wire everywhere. So I sent that one back to Her Room. But I think for a girl with a serious rack, this bra will keep everything locked and loaded.
So, I've decided to go back to a molded cup, because they usually fit me better, and run a little smaller (in the cup). I found this one, thinking since it's even shorter than the Elila I posted above (but longer than regular strapless), it might do the trick:
This is a Valmont bra. To be safe, I ordered it two sizes bigger in the band and two sizes smaller in the cup, and it fits perfectly! I wore a tube top with it just to see how it would work with normal every day moving about and its all good — no ride up or slip down. Also, it looks like it will cover to around the bellybutton (which is where the Spanx will take over).
Also, not a lot of places carry this style, or longlines than go up to 46, 48 or 50. I had to really scour the internet looking for "plus size strapless longlines." I am not going braless for my wedding, I don't care how well constructed my dress is! I ordered this from LaurenSilva.com.
One thing I have learned from this experience is that you need to be flexible with your size. Your bra size is only your bra size for normal bras. We all go to the store and pick out our favorite brand or style and don't even question our sizes. In specialty bras your bra size is just a starting point. I do recommend having a professional fitting if you haven't had one done recently — you might be surprised (I know I was when I had it done). Don't be afraid to size up and size down in both the cups and the bands. Every brand sizes differently! And if you are buying online make sure to double check the return policy!
About Andrea D
Andrea D has Master's degree in Marketing and her beau is in a heavy metal band. She's plus size and freakin fabulous and she don't think she needs to lose weight, damnit. And she's currently planning a retro, old skool hip hop, dance party for their April wedding in Chicago.
Darlyngirl said
Awesome job Andrea! I bought a long-line bra on ebay and my streastress said it did nothing for me- so I am going braless myself- I'm a 34D so I was afraid of the idea-but with my dress it seems to work.
Great info and tips:)
Sara B said
I'm not planning a wedding anytime soon, but as an odd bra size (32dd) I jumped right on this write up. I love the Her Room site the author mentions for their great pictures of all angles of the bra's and showing with different style of shirts over them.
I also love Orchard Corset, a mom and pop run by an older Jewish couple, that I orig. heard about through Bust magazine. I've been to their store in nyc and they have a website, though neither is super pretty. Go in if you are in the nyc area, the wife takes you in the big communal back room/dressing room, sizes you up and starts handing you bras that are the best for you. The prices are great and my bra's have really held up, despite machine washing. They aren't open on Saturday.
Offbeat Megan said
Yay! 32dd's unite!
Thanks for the tip on where to find good places to get hard-to-find sizes!
Brenna said
Thank you SO much, 32DD represent. (You two are the ONLY OTHERS I'VE HEARD OF.)
Ariel said
I'm chiming in as a fourth 32DD.
Sara B said
Woot! They put me in a Dominique 3500 in 32d and it is one of my fav bra's ever. (yup 32d in that one, 32dd/e in everything else I own)
Ariel said
To be clear, while that Ariel may be a 32DD, I'm not. I'm normally a 34C, but am up to a D thanks to nursing. Not that anyone asked, but just getting into the spirit of things.
Amanda said
Fifth! I think there are more and more lately as bra size calculators get adjusted to not tell you to buy some giant band size.
Jo said
32F. It's awesome but shopping is a nightmare.
Andrea D said
I have an update, I got the final bra (the Valmont 3/4 length molded cup) the other day – and it fits perfectly. I wore a tube top on Sunday just to see how it would work with normal every day moving about and its all good – no ride up or slip down.
Offbeat Megan said
awesome! I added that update to the post so it has a happy ending now.
Sara Paints Hair said
Oh Andrea, how I loved this post. I'm glad to hear you finally found one! I've bookmarked the Valmont bra for when I'm ready to go undergarment shopping. That + Spanx should do the trick!
Elisabeth said
This subject has been the bane of my wedding planning for a month. I was starting to think I was the only woman sized woman with this issue.
THANK YOU.
Andrea D said
I think a lot of people still adhere to thinking that brides are some "perfect" size. And those of us who are bigger or smaller or petite have just been left out on the fringes. And within in that, petite girls obviously have smaller breasts and plus size girls must have big breasts. We all know that's not true because so many girls here don't fit the traditional mold.
V said
Can I just say "hell yeah!"? I'm a petite plus-size (yes, it's possible to be both) with a 34HH rack. Bras=bane of my existence. Wedding bras = mental breakdown.
violarulz/ducksandbooks said
I'm super petite (5' tall) and curvy too (34DD), I found the most expensive bra possible (IMHO) but it keeps everything locked and loaded: Marie Jo strappless with the stick on lifts by Bring It Up, to keep from feeling like you have to yoink everything up all night. Spanx that go all the way up to the bra line smooth out the rest of the look.
Andie Ratcliff said
To further confuse the issue, petite-sized clothes are designed for women with proportionally short torsos and arms, and any short woman with average or long torsos are left out in the cold. Personally, I'm in the frustrating position of being a plus-sized lady with an hourglass figure. Clothes that fit my shoulders, bust and hips are way too big around my waist. It's pretty tempting to just say, "screw it, I'm wearing corsets over everything from now on!" XD
Logan Mitchell said
Yeah, when I buckled down and got properly sized I clocked in a 34H. Totally wanted to cry because no only had I never heard of that size, I had no idea where to find it that wouldn't look like armor or cost $200 each. I found a great site with super affordable lingerie (and bra-sized bathing suits-a revelation!!) and I'll never go back! Try bravissimo.com. Shipping isn't cheap to the US but it evens out in savings, I swear. (34H, WTF??)
Boxer said
I'm right there with ya sister… 30HH. Seriously I blame that sh!t on all the chicken I ate as a child….
Aine said
my sis has similar problems- 17 year olds are not fans of what she calls "old lady bras". Harumph. Check out figleaves.com and www.panache-lingerie.com -almost all "odd" sizes (they don't carry 36C, so I can't shop there at all) and really supportive.
Aine said
need to correct that the panache site doesn't have 36C, but figleaves does.
Renae said
I am a 12G (I think it is around a 34?) and I buy my swimmers at panache. They are awesome pretty and I have quite a few bras for after the wedding. They are seriously pretty and you can uy matching sets (this was a first for me).
My sister is a 14H and loves panache.
Emily Ryan said
YES! I am a 34H too, and I echo your WTF. I did end up getting my wedding lingerie from Bravissimo, but I never did find a longline that fit despite ordering several. I ended up doing a weird spanx/girdle/bra-sewn-into-dress combo. Not the sexiest option, but, eh, it held everything in…
(oh and p.s. it totally had straps. If someone finds/invents an honest-to-goodness strapless bra that holds up a set of H cups, you will be my personal hero in life. Though I highly doubt it will ever happen…)
Renae said
I am a G and had a strapless buy I got seriously torpedo boob. I seriously rivaled madonna in the 80's.
It held them up tight but were a little too high.
Also the longer fitting ones gave me the hugest muffin top. If you are a little hippy or flabby (like me) something tight and slimming that ends on your hips is not the best option. I had to wear those suck tuck and hide bloomer shorts (down to the knees and everything).
Kasandra said
I'm a 42DD struggling to find a steel-boned contraption to wear UNDER my retro dress! Who wants to do a write-up on that conundrum?!
Jen said
Word UP, Kasandra! I can barely find a bra for every day use with my 42DD's – how the heck can I expect to find something flattering and comfortable for the wedding? Most of the damn strapless bras fit well between the belly and the bottom of the boob, then the support just stops and your boobs are just sitting out there, like they're on a shelf, with absolutely no support. Altho, I'm impressed you were able to find a retro dress that would encompass your rack. I haven't been that lucky yet.
Kasandra said
Jen, actually, I'm having a retro-styled dress made for me. I had so much trouble finding something that fit my chest, I gave in and hired a seamstress!
Angel said
I'm not sure what your dress is like, but a longline strapless, Goddess 689, can works wonders for women who need a lot of lift from a strapless. As someone who used to fit bras, this bra was often the only strapless that worked for women with larger breasts and/or a larger bandsize.
Pros: It gives you tons of lift, it flattens your torso, and it's very retro looking, if you're into that thing. You're IN that bra and you're not going anywhere!
Cons – it's not smooth, they don't make it in very small bandsizes, the cups make some women look pointy.
I highly recommend to anyone to try on bras in a store, if there is such a store in your area. Ordering bras online is a nightmare, especially if you're an "odd" size. With longline strapless, it seems like most women have to go down in the band and up in the cup. Few women wore the same size as their regular bra(you're taking into account your torso size, too)
Good luck!
Heather said
I plan on hitting up the underthing store 'Change' for a decent strapless bra. I don't know if it's in the States yet, but it's in Toronto and Vancouver (and strangely, my little suburb Oakville) here in Canada. Super-reasonable prices and they're very committed to good service and great fit.
laceyj said
For aussie brides, the other great place to get bras and especially corsetry, long lines etc) for all shapes and sizes (i'm a 46HH and a good friend is a 32A – and we both shop there)is www.brastogo.com.au
Got myself a lovely fully boned torsolette to go under my retro, polkadot dress – as my dress is boned…but not with enough staying power to hold the girls up!!
Fate said
Oh thanks for this!! I've been ordering from figleaves, but the post from the UK gets expensive and I've not had great success with sizing. I'm a 10F – I think that's equivilent to 32F…
Mink said
I've spoken to the woman that runs Bra Experience (though she may have more staff now), and she's a sweetheart. Very happy to solve any customer service issue.
I've become a huge fan of Figleaves.com, which has a lot of unusually sized bras both large AND SMALL. Ideally, I'd be a 33DD but that doesn't exist so I don't really have any bras that fit quite right, but Figleaves has helped me find the 34DD that run small and the 32DD that run big.
Emily MB said
great article!! Finding bras has become a ridiculous chore, and it's nice to see some good options. I went up to a 36 DDD/E (who knows anymore, every bra seems different) with baby and breastfeeding and it seems to be an impossible size to find where I live. I will have to remember this.
Sasha said
I'm a 32F/ 34G and I use barenecessites.com all the time. To find affordable bras for the small ribs/ big boob girls try Whimsy by Lunaire. My other favorite brand is Freya.
I'm passing on the strapless bra 'cause I'm allergic to the latex grip strips on the tops of most of them, and am making sure that my dress has enough of a corseted structure to hold my boobs up.
Helena said
this is a great article. its soemthing i hadnt even thought about yet. but im going dress shopping this weekend so it will definately bee in the front of my mind then.
Natashja said
Bra sizes run cup: AA-K+, back/band: 28-50+. Mall stores like La Senza, Victoria's Secret etc only carry 5 of those sizes, A-E, 32-38. Thats like going shoe shopping and there only being 3 sizes available to fit into! A handy thing to know is that bra size is determined by the size of your back/band and the cup will change according to this. For example a 36C is the same CUP size as a 40A, 38B, 34D, 32DD, 30E, 28F the only thing changing is the width of the band. Generally speaking the Brits have the best quality and size selection for busty ladies so companies like Freya, Fantasie, Panache, Prima Donna are great options. Smaller busts do well with French companies such as Chantelle, Princess Tam Tam, Wacoal, Simone Perele. These companies have amazing strapless bras and bustier's in a majority of their size ranges, I love my Fantasie strapless. I'm a 34G/GG (Busty), in La Senza I'm 42DD, which is not my size as I have a small ribcage!!. I recommend having a professional bra fitting it will change your life. The bra's may be more expensive but they fit and are so well made, they'll last so much longer than those La Senza pieces of crap. Seriously, I would never go back! Online try: Figleaves.com and Bravissimo.com Best Bra fitters: Secrets From Your Sister in Toronto.
Erica said
A professional bra fitting is a must have for ALL women! Find a good bra shop (I do not recomend that certain bra shop in most malls either) and get fitted. All bras are made differently. So it is very likely that you may have several different sized bras in your collection. My cup size ranges anywhere from a D to an E depending on the bra! Yes you are probably going to spend a bit more money by going to bra store than if you are used to just picking up whatever bra is on sale but I will tell you now IT IS WORTH IT!
Miss Salacious D said
Here in LA, there's Jenette Bras: their motto is: "For busty gals exclusively: The Overdeveloped and Underserved.
&
"We are the gals who skipped the training bra and went straight to the major leagues."
I'm NOT one of those grrls, but every time I walk past their windows, I'm green with envy and utterly in awe..they're really big (only D-K)..and SEXY! I think they've got a web site too..
Offbeat Megan said
Are you kidding me!? Thanks for that info! *Goes to google that shit asap.*
thecheshirekatt said
Holy moly! I hadn't heard of them! being a size 34F will be a ton easier using this store
Thanks much for the comment about them!
Stephanie said
DUDE. I had no idea that place existed, I'll have to check it out. I myself am rocking a 42J and buying bras is a pain to start, I'm not excited about finding a wedding bra.
Also for LA area girls of all shapes and sizes: Wizard of Bra's in Monrovia is also totally awesome.
Stiletto said
Jenette Bras is awesome – I'm a 36F or FF and have spent more on underwear in the past year than ever before in my life. It's worth every cent to have bras that actually fit properly.
BTW, tip from Jenette: buy your undergarments before buying the dress. (I agree with her on this – bra options for busty brides are in much shorter supply than dress styles that'll accommodate major curvature.)
Little Red Lupine said
Great post!
I have given up on cheap bras. I would rather spend $150 on a bra that will last me 3 years and still be holding everything where it belongs at the end of that than spend $50 every year. I'm just sticking with my local lingerie shop where they check my bra EVERY time I come in, have a file on me (including a bra I wanted but couldn't get), bring me bras, check the fit, even adjust the placement of the bra. Nothing like utterly personalized service.
Sabrina said
It is so reassuring and comforting to read that I am not the only one out there with a big boob issues. I am Petite 5'2" and 40DDD.
I am getting married in two months and I haven't even gone dress shopping yet. I am just so worried that everything I like will NOT fit my boobs. Don't even get me started on bras! Thanks for the tips on the great places to get bras! There is hope yet!
Some other girl named Meg said
This sounds like my bra search for a longline strapless to be a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding. I wear a 48G and I unfortunately did not find anything that would work. I ordered every bra in every size I could think of and none of them had the… uhh… structural integrity to hold my ladies in place. I ended up just duct taping myself into the last one I ordered because, despite starting my bra shopping 6 months ahead of time, I was still left peeling duct tape residue out of my armpits for 2 weeks after the ceremony.
I'm glad you were able to find a bra for your special day. Me? I've got a seamstress sewing my dream dress (short sleeves and all) because I resolved to never wear a strapless bra again. Women should never be forced to utilize the handyman's secret weapon on someone's special day.
Laura said
Thanks for this article. I love strapless dresses, but being short, short waisted and a 36ddd, I think this will come in handy when I get my dress. The previous strapless I had was awful, I had to keep pulling it up, and it made my boobs look like they were perched up there- being served up on a platter. Awful.
I find that being short waisted with a belly, the best thing to do is get a longline bra and spanx or something similar that come up a few inches under the bra-contraption.
Barbara said
Just went through this. I did go to Victoria's Secret and they have well-trained staff at my local branch. My regular size is 38C but every make is different now. They gamely handed me bra after bra in varying sizes (38DD, 38DDD) and models until we finally found a 40D that is by far the most comfortable bra I've ever had in my life, and fits beautifully under my dress.
Karen said
Now we need an article for those of us girls with the total opposite problem. 34A is having a hard time finding a good strapless bra that is comfy and can ënhance"things a bit.
Offbeat Intern said
As a 34B myself, maybe I can look into that!
Anastasia said
There's a store in Europe called Women's Secret that is pretty much made for the 34B crowd. They have excellent strapless bras and other intimates. I highly recommend them, but they don't ship outside of the EU. You'll have to find a friend abroad who will be able to ship it to you
Julia said
Ah, bras. The eternally enigmatic undergarment. Thanks for so candidly and openly sharing your experience here. I have to ask, have you had a fitting? They're really eye-opening. You think you know yourself, and then… wow! I learned that I was a full rib measurement too high and a cup size too low when I had mine done, and suddenly, I don't have issues finding the right bra anymore! No more wasted $$.
Do keep us posted on your old-skool hip hop dance party wedding! I want pix!
anais said
fitting, lol. I've been to be fitted in a good half dozen supposedly reputable places and none have sized the same! Why? Because I'm a 42" strap but still to find a cup that will fit as I seem off scale, have tried going up back size but that doesnt help its the cup that causes bulging and poking wires that pierce the skin! I've started writing to manufacturers etc, its only by everyone emailing and boycotting that us women shall ever become comfortable!
Mag said
I'm 28F myself and just visited your site while looking for the store in Chicago area where they sell my size… So, Hi Girls! I'm so desperated, everywhere there are bras but they sell it for $60 + shipping. In Bravissimo or UK Figleaves it would be like 52 with shipping already.
The worst thing is that everyone laughs when I'm saying that, No, I don't wear neither 32A nor 32B:( Hey, my boobs aren't that small but if you think that a D cup is gigantic and you constantly keep squeezing your boobs in some 36D, then you think that I wear B cup. But that's not fear, I'd never say someone that she needs to lose weight or something like this so why the heck they are saying that I have small boobs?! I just have tiny, skinny ribcage and fortunately found a way to not wear 34B again (I was never fitting in 32B and push-up as some suggest, brr, I hate push-ups). But 34B was to small too (ouch, underwires on the sides of the breasts, hurts) and the band was like three times too big for me. Maybe in 100 years my grand grand daughters won't have problems with buying a band 28 in any lingerie store haha