Bras after Massive Weight Loss
sgriska
Posts: 109 Member
Has anybody whose lost 150+ lbs found a bra that fits well? I went shopping today for the first time and I’m so frustrated. My starting weight was 285 (46 DD), and my current weight is 137. Measurements suggest a size 34 B, which is roughly what I wore the last time I was this small (age 16), but back then my breasts were breast shaped, and now they hang like tube socks, and I have all these sheets of skin hanging down under my arms and off my ribs. If I stuff my boobs into a B cup they hang out the sides and seep out underneath, and when I try a C the cups are way baggy. Plus size bras have plenty of side support, but the few that boast side support in smaller sizes don’t come close to supporting all I’ve got going on there.
Right now, I gave some sports bras that are alright, but the straps always show when I wear most of my usual office clothes.
So, what do you all do? Have you found anything that works?
Right now, I gave some sports bras that are alright, but the straps always show when I wear most of my usual office clothes.
So, what do you all do? Have you found anything that works?
15
Replies
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I would strongly suggest a professional fitting. I was sooooo far off my correct size, I never would have gotten it right. And you have to think they’ve seen it all.20
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I wear sports bra 95% of the time because of the exact same reason.5
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OMG. I had the biggest problem finding bras even when I was 245 lbs! I was a 38H & stores didn't sell my size. Heck, Lane Bryant didn't even sell my size until the last 2-3 yrs before I lost weight. Now, i'm a 28 H.
I didn't even know that size existed. I went to a lingerie store and got measured. I thought that losing weight would allow me to shop at target or walmart for bras. Boy was I wrong. I still have to pay lots of money for bras & I still can't find my size in stores. I have found a few online retailers such as bare essentials but it's still expensive & it's still hard to find my size. The saddest part is that my bust doesn't even look like the size i'm in. 
So my advice is to go to a store to get fitted, note the size & maker of each bra you try on, then go online & try to find similar bras. Good luck!7 -
In theory, going to be fitted is a great idea. In my experience, though, the salespeople have just tried to put me in a bra they sell, even when those bras were all awful for me. Go to bratabase.com and put in your measurements. It will recommend sizes and specific styles that should work for your shape.13
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I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
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I suggest trying different brands, and cup styles - full, balconette, plunge, etc. Mine sit happiest in a plunge and I find they have a bit more space. Finding somewhere to try some is as helpful as accurate measurements. Online stores may be a good option for trying at home. I'd go either side on back size.
I haven't got the weight loss yet, but I wear a lot smaller than my measurements suggest. Accurate would fall down, almost. Definitely not give the support I need.
I know it's not an easy thing always, good luck!1 -
no advice just wanted to say i'm in the same boat. I make do with whatever and totally in the same boat with tube socks :O4
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Try lots of different styles, lots of different stores.
Some bras are just cut differently and will work best with different shaped breasts. Breast shape is not uniform over women and that why we'll find different bra styles comfortable.1 -
I wear mostly sports bras, and I've found some that have thin cute straps, so it works with different style clothes.3
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heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.1 -
heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
Do you do the 'bend and sweep' to get all that tissue into the cups? Full coverage vs demi or balconette? Even getting measured, every brand and even bras within the same brand fit differently. Good luck! I hate bra shopping
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I hear you. I’ve gone from a 46F to a 32? 30? C? D? and nothing fits right. My breasts just aren’t the expected shape anymore.
Mostly I just wear padded cups of an approximate size, which shape the floppies into a good enough silhouette under clothes that I call it good.5 -
heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?0 -
heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?
Yes, as I said above, it’s suggesting a 34 DD. That said, when trying on bras yesterday I did not try bending over to get all the tissue in the cup, I was standing up and trying to arrange it “by hand”. Will try the bending over today when I go.0 -
I'm still buying Cacique bras from Lane Bryant, even though nothing else in their store fits me (168 lb, size 10 in most things). I wear a 36DD and sometimes think "what will I do!?" if I go much smaller in the future. I know this won't help you, OP, since you're way smaller, but it may help some other ladies. Lots more supportive fabric on their bras to hold in loose skin/fat folds.3
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heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?
Yes, as I said above, it’s suggesting a 34 DD. That said, when trying on bras yesterday I did not try bending over to get all the tissue in the cup, I was standing up and trying to arrange it “by hand”. Will try the bending over today when I go.
Yes, if you have tissue spill out the armpits and the bottom of the cups, your cup is too small.
If it's spilling out the bottom of the cups, your band is too big if it allows this. Try at 32 DD or DDD.
I'd also suggest https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/. They have a good calculator on there.7 -
Cutemesoon wrote: »OMG. I had the biggest problem finding bras even when I was 245 lbs! I was a 38H & stores didn't sell my size. Heck, Lane Bryant didn't even sell my size until the last 2-3 yrs before I lost weight. Now, i'm a 28 H. I didn't even know that size existed. I went to a lingerie store and got measured. I thought that losing weight would allow me to shop at target or walmart for bras. Boy was I wrong. I still have to pay lots of money for bras & I still can't find my size in stores. I have found a few online retailers such as bare essentials but it's still expensive & it's still hard to find my size. The saddest part is that my bust doesn't even look like the size i'm in.
So my advice is to go to a store to get fitted, note the size & maker of each bra you try on, then go online & try to find similar bras. Good luck!
I was a 32JJ (UK sizing, 32N US sizing!) when I was overweight. I thought losing weight would allow me to shop at regular stores.
Nope, I'm down to a 28 band. Can't shop at regular stores either. I'm a 28FF/G (UK sizing), which is so much closer to "normal"...but still can't find it anywhere!1 -
ExistingFish wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?
Yes, as I said above, it’s suggesting a 34 DD. That said, when trying on bras yesterday I did not try bending over to get all the tissue in the cup, I was standing up and trying to arrange it “by hand”. Will try the bending over today when I go.
Yes, if you have tissue spill out the armpits and the bottom of the cups, your cup is too small.
If it's spilling out the bottom of the cups, your band is too big if it allows this. Try at 32 DD or DDD.
I'd also suggest https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/. They have a good calculator on there.
But C cups are HUGE on me. I don’t see how Ds much less DDs are going to be an improvement.0 -
ExistingFish wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?
Yes, as I said above, it’s suggesting a 34 DD. That said, when trying on bras yesterday I did not try bending over to get all the tissue in the cup, I was standing up and trying to arrange it “by hand”. Will try the bending over today when I go.
Yes, if you have tissue spill out the armpits and the bottom of the cups, your cup is too small.
If it's spilling out the bottom of the cups, your band is too big if it allows this. Try at 32 DD or DDD.
I'd also suggest https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/. They have a good calculator on there.
But C cups are HUGE on me. I don’t see how Ds much less DDs are going to be an improvement.
You'd be surprised how much of that 'armpit fat' or in your case skin will settle into a properly sized bra if you let gravity assist. Downsizing in band also shrinks the cups. So a 34D has bigger cups than a 32D or a 30D.9 -
Try lots of different styles, lots of different stores.
Some bras are just cut differently and will work best with different shaped breasts. Breast shape is not uniform over women and that why we'll find different bra styles comfortable.
I second this. I cannot, cannot wear a plunge. My soft breasts just swim out into the center, but a previous poster said how much they love them! IT is balconette or full coverage for me. I've tried out different levels of padding, different cup construction, etc.
I also have significant asymmetry, I wear a large water pad in my left cup because it's 1.5 (large) cup sizes different than the right.
For support, I really recommend cut and sew cups. The ones with seams. Not molded cups. Just for large, heavy breasts. Molded cups are good if you don't need a lot of support. They tend to stretch with wear, IMO, and offer less and less support.
With cut and sew cups, the construction of the non-stretch fabric in the cups provides the shape and support, and they hold up a lot longer. The bra maker can also control the shape of the breast in the cup the way they cut the pieces.
I like Ewa Michalak bras, they are handmade in Poland. They fit my breasts well, I have large pendulous breasts, that are full on top, with center fullness and a lot of projection (and the aforementioned asymmetry). My center fullness combined with full on top is what leads to plunges being bad for me and balconettes being good.5 -
def. recommend a professional bra fitting and to be honest i would avoid JCPenney's/Macy's - they only carry a limited range of sizes and you may need beyond that - i use a place in DC called troussaeu that carries everythign from 28-46 bands and AA to KK cups - so you can legitimately find a bra that fits - plan on a good fitting taking upwards of an hour and be ok with being in just a bra in front of the sales person/lady0
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I used to be a 54DD. Last time I got a fitting I was a 38dd. Depending on my weight I am a 36-38DD. I really refuse to buy expensive bras. I am not really impressed with the fit of any of them. Luckily my sister is in the same size range and buys nice bras. She donates to me and I just use what she gives me. I like the padded bras, but I don't much care most times.0
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why refuse to buy a good bra - good bras aren't cheap but they are worth their weight in gold - once I finally got into a bra that fit properly - my back and neck issues went away (i went from a 36C - because that is what victoria secret told me i wore; to a 32FF/G)5
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Professional bra fitting. Seriously life-changing.6
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Go to google and search for a professional bra fitter in your area. There is a specialty store near my house that I used when I first started looking as I had no idea about sizing, fit, or brands. Evidently it was started by women who had breast cancer and were now lopsided or left with scars and had very unusual fitting needs. When I went there, it was super helpful. Now that I know what size I need, I order from the sales on Amazon.
There is help online. Search up https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/ and read their beginner's guide (on the right side on a PC). You can also post there; the nice ladies have tons of helpful suggestions. The beginner's guide also has a tutorial on how to take your own measurements and a little calculator that spits out a size. If you do not have a professional bra fitting store near you, Nordstrom trains their fitters and they have a good selection of unusual sizes in store (and more online) but beware that oddly sized bras get expensive quickly.2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »def. recommend a professional bra fitting and to be honest i would avoid JCPenney's/Macy's - they only carry a limited range of sizes and you may need beyond that - i use a place in DC called troussaeu that carries everythign from 28-46 bands and AA to KK cups - so you can legitimately find a bra that fits - plan on a good fitting taking upwards of an hour and be ok with being in just a bra in front of the sales person/lady
I’m in Georgia, looked up “bra fitting near me” and it’s what I found. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on this.0 -
ExistingFish wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »heikeeberwein9208 wrote: »I was a 34H at my heaviest and now down to 30FF
Check out the Facebook group Boob or Bust for best bra fitting. They also have an online calculator: https://booborbust.com/
Unfortunately, it’s suggesting a DD, and I’ve already seen by trying things on that even a C cup is massively too big. I seem to be in some weird twilight zone where Bs are too tiny and Cs are as vast as the sea.
Apparently JC Penney does bra fitting. I’ll give them a try and see what they say.
The trick to a good fitting bra is really to find your band size first and it might be smaller than you’d think. Have you tried Boob or bust measuring? What size does it suggest?
Yes, as I said above, it’s suggesting a 34 DD. That said, when trying on bras yesterday I did not try bending over to get all the tissue in the cup, I was standing up and trying to arrange it “by hand”. Will try the bending over today when I go.
Yes, if you have tissue spill out the armpits and the bottom of the cups, your cup is too small.
If it's spilling out the bottom of the cups, your band is too big if it allows this. Try at 32 DD or DDD.
I'd also suggest https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/. They have a good calculator on there.
I just wanted to second this. I just re-measured myself for bra shopping this weekend. Before I lost some weight I was a 36 D or 34DD.
With all the breast tissue I lost I thought for sure I dropped both a cup and a band size. Some of my existing D bras were way too big in the cups. But, I foolishley bought some 36 C's without trying them on. (Kmart was going out of business, and fitting rooms weren't available). And I have that armpit flab in almost all of them.
This weekend, I actually measured myself to find I should be a 34 D or 32DD. Lo and behold I tried on bra's and D cups eliminated the armpit flab. Anyhoo, What I'm trying to say, is you'd be suprised at what might fit. But the size is just a general guide. Unfortunatly, even if they are all the same size, no two bra's will fit the same. Even if they are the same cut. My suggestion would be to grab the size you think you are after measurements. Then, grab one up a band size, and down a cup size and, grab one down a band size, and up a cup size. SO you would if you measured out at 34DD grab that, a 36D, and a 32DDD. I was told at my last professional measurement (at a Victoria's Secret FWIW) that those are your "sister sizes".
For types of bras to look for? Try Demi's and Balconetts, or tshirt bras. They seem to gather the girls up without having as much space in the top and front as full coverage bras. This is a problem I run into as well. They're either spilling over the sides, or they settle into the bottom with a bunch of room on top. I do not have much mass "on top" to fill up the whole bra. They are mostly on the bottom and sides. Edit- Oh yeah, and pushup bra's! They tend to have less fabric up top, and the padding on the bottom. One of my go to's as well.
Also, I have had good luck with the Haine's wire-free bra's. They don't have cup sizes, but come in small, med, large, etc. They seem to have a bit of stretch to them, and seem to corral the side boob for me without having to deal with jabbing underwires.Sometimes there's a tiny pit of puckering on the top, but nothing that is noticible under a shirt. Good luck! I hope you find some good fitting bra's soon! Bra shopping sucks!5 -
deannalfisher wrote: »def. recommend a professional bra fitting and to be honest i would avoid JCPenney's/Macy's - they only carry a limited range of sizes and you may need beyond that - i use a place in DC called troussaeu that carries everythign from 28-46 bands and AA to KK cups - so you can legitimately find a bra that fits - plan on a good fitting taking upwards of an hour and be ok with being in just a bra in front of the sales person/lady
I’m in Georgia, looked up “bra fitting near me” and it’s what I found. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on this.
i found this place that may be near you- i used lingerie fitting and then the location in your profile - Necessities By Sherrie
you don't need to spend a lot of money but one or two REALLY good bras will last a while (I normally go in once a year for new years - only buy 1-2 but wear them for everything) - they cost me between $50 and $75 each1 -
I get the feeling that very few people posting really get what you're talking about. I'm 50 and down 125 lbs and yes, it's a problem, and no, bra fitting will not help because zero bras are made for people with loose skin from weight loss. There is no magic size which will work and no bras are made - balconette, plunge, or otherwise - which are made to support armpits and droopy tube socks and make them look good. There are simply not enough people with this problem to support products being made to fix it.
BUT! you may be able to find individual bras which sort of work. Weirdly enough my favorite at the moment is a convertible strapless. Since the band is broad and tight in order to hold from the bottom, my boobs don't slip down in it, and it has fairly high sides which cover my armpits. I think it's something inexpensive like a Maidenform but since I cut the tags off I can't give specifics. There are also some Bali and Maidenforms which are made with high sides for loose skin coverage. A full coverage molded cup will give your breast the right shape.
The right technique putting on a bra helps. I actually put on the bra, then pull down on my armpit skin and slide it downwards out from the bra, then lift my breasts into place. That eliminates most of the armpit issues.6 -
ExistingFish wrote: »Cutemesoon wrote: »OMG. I had the biggest problem finding bras even when I was 245 lbs! I was a 38H & stores didn't sell my size. Heck, Lane Bryant didn't even sell my size until the last 2-3 yrs before I lost weight. Now, i'm a 28 H. I didn't even know that size existed. I went to a lingerie store and got measured. I thought that losing weight would allow me to shop at target or walmart for bras. Boy was I wrong. I still have to pay lots of money for bras & I still can't find my size in stores. I have found a few online retailers such as bare essentials but it's still expensive & it's still hard to find my size. The saddest part is that my bust doesn't even look like the size i'm in.
So my advice is to go to a store to get fitted, note the size & maker of each bra you try on, then go online & try to find similar bras. Good luck!
I was a 32JJ (UK sizing, 32N US sizing!) when I was overweight. I thought losing weight would allow me to shop at regular stores.
Nope, I'm down to a 28 band. Can't shop at regular stores either. I'm a 28FF/G (UK sizing), which is so much closer to "normal"...but still can't find it anywhere!
That’s because regular stores don’t cater for regular sizes. Their band/cup ratio is way off1
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