Running for well endowed women

[Kathi]

I struggle to find bras small enough when I'm at my ideal weight. At my current weight--15-20#s over ideal--I fit a 34D. If I lose much I will be in a 32D. I could potentially see 30D. That is damned near impossible to find (which is stupid, IMO -- it's no more likely that a woman would be a 38D than it is that she'd be a 28D...it's all proportionate). I love my current bra, but I think 34 is the smallest band size it comes in.

Cup and band size is relative. If you go down a band size you normally increase a cup size to maintain the same volume. For example, 34D-32E-30F-28FF-26G. If you go up band sizes you decrease the cup size. I measure 25" underbust. My nearest band size without adding inches is 26. With my bust measurement I'm a 26GG. 26 bands are non existent except for special order so I have to go to a 28 band. Going up band size I'm 28G, 30FF, 32F 34E, etc. I used UK sizing (American bra sizing is so screwed up). It took me a long time to understand this.

Band sizing also has to do with the amount of "squish" you have. I have no squish, there is a 1/2" difference between my break the tape measurement and my snug measurement. Yesterday I sat next to a woman at the theatre who probably "thought" she was a 38-40 band. She had lots of squish and her band was riding up between her shoulder blades. Classic sign of a too large band. On the subreddit /A Bra That Fits there isn't a day that goes buy where some poster is saying "OMG I just measured myself and I came up with a 26, 28, 30 band. Is this possible?"

I don't know how weight loss affects this, I'm guessing it depends on where you lose the weight from.

I'm finding my bras on Amazon.com. Other online companies carry the odd sizes too.

[zoom-zoom]

Cup and band size is relative. If you go down a band size you normally increase a cup size to maintain the same volume. For example, 34D-32E-30F-28FF-26G. If you go up band sizes you decrease the cup size.

I don't know how weight loss affects this, I'm guessing it depends on where you lose the weight from.

Right. I tend to lose pretty evenly...pre-breast reduction I went from a 38DDD to a 34DDD when I lost ~40#s. Even after reduction I still lose evenly. But it's a lot easier to find a 36D than it is a 32D or 30D -- at least in the US. I know in the UK there's a lot more selection for small bands and relatively large cup sizes...but at a cost. Some women are unfortunate that they lose around, but not in the cups.

[Kathi]

Right. I tend to lose pretty evenly...pre-breast reduction I went from a 38DDD to a 34DDD when I lost ~40#s. Even after reduction I still lose evenly. But it's a lot easier to find a 36D than it is a 32D or 30D -- at least in the US. I know in the UK there's a lot more selection for small bands and relatively large cup sizes...but at a cost. Some women are unfortunate that they lose around, but not in the cups.

I know buying bras online is a PITA but Amazon.com has free shipping and free returns on many bras and good prices. I haven't looked at other brands but I wear 28G Panache Cleo bras and got the Autumn/Winter models at 35-40% off. Be sure the seller is Amazon.com. Other online stores sell on Amazon too and their prices aren't so good. I've also bought older models from EBAY-UK but shipping drives the cost up to comparable to Amazon. I know how the Panache Cleo bras fit my shape which is why I'm more confident in ordering online. Besides, stores don't stock my size.

You also have to watch pricing. I don't understand how they do it but a bra that I bought a week ago was 38% off, today that bra, same size is 18% off? Another bra I bought was 50% off and a couple of days later back up to original price.

[zoom-zoom]

Yup, I've bought on Amazon for a while...but pricing is goofy. I've had best luck with Lunaire/Whimsy bras. Cute, come in small bands and larger cups, don't give me quadra boobs, and they are generally a lot cheaper than everything comparable.

[Kathi]

Yup, I've bought on Amazon for a while...but pricing is goofy. I've had best luck with Lunaire/Whimsy bras. Cute, come in small bands and larger cups, don't give me quadra boobs, and they are generally a lot cheaper than everything comparable.

Pretty bras but shame on the company for displaying such poor fit on their models. The bras are clearly too small. Center gores don't tack, under wires rest on tissue, some side photos show tissue spilling out of the cups. Yikes, I guess it's hard to disquise these things with photoshop.

[zoom-zoom]

Pretty bras but shame on the company for displaying such poor fit on their models. The bras are clearly too small. Center gores don't tack, under wires rest on tissue, some side photos show tissue spilling out of the cups. Yikes, I guess it's hard to disquise these things with photoshop.

Yeah. Fortunately their bras do run really true to size and fit very full cups. Dumb that they don't put the appropriate size bras on the available models. That doesn't take rocket science!

[soprano]

As I'm looking for good every day bras in a smaller band size, I'm finding something similar. My usual size is 34E (or DDD, depending on the convention used), but I can only find one bra that gives me the support I want - most of the others feel like they're falling on me. When I go down to a 32, finding the sister cup size gets really tough.

The Moving Comfort Fiona is available in a wide side range and quite popular with runners. I wear a 30F in lingerie bras and the Fiona in 32D is my go-to running bra.

If you have a women's-only sporting goods store near you, such as the Title 9 chain, or a good all-around lingerie shop that carries sports bras, go ask for a fitting.

[Trek420]

I've had good service from these gals. There's a LBS (local bra shop) near me. But you can buy online. They rate the bras by "barbells". More barbells less bounce for the gals

http://www.titlenine.com/category/sp...ras.do?nType=2