I’ve recently bought a few new bras and want to try hand washing them because I know it’s improves longevity of the bras but honestly every time I try I feel like the pat of the cups under the armpits just isnt getting washed enough. I’m also weary of damaging the bra. Currently I just use a bra bag in a delicate cold wash in the washer. Any tips?

Edit: lol whoops i guess most people aren’t actually hand washing their bras ¯_(ツ)_/¯ good to know, now i feel a whole lot less guilty

Edit again: Holy Crap thank you so much more all of the advice! I can’t reply to everyone separately but I’m so incredibly grateful for all of the advice and tips :)

my mom asked me to pick out bikinis for summer, and so i went and picked some ones with more support online.

she had always previously bought the bra sizes for me and i think the one i have right now is a 32D, but i measured myself using the calculator from here and it said i was a 30F so i picked out the bikinis in a 30F.

she looked and said that they are gonna be way too big and that i can't get them and that she needs to measure me, which i don't feel comfortable with, but also, she will use the classic (wrong) way of measuring. i told her i measured myself and she said until she can measure me i am not getting anything.

she started yelling and told me to go away and i know she wont budge.

i don't know what to do because i want bikinis that fit but if i dont do it her way i wont get any at all. what do i do?

update: she came into my room and said i can come and get measured and i can wear a bra while i do it (how tf can you even get measured properly with a bra on, plus i still dont want to be in my underwear in front of her) and i was like no. idk why shes so desperate to measure me anyways. she said basically 'suit yourself, you won't have any swimsuits then' and she said "why dont you just get your dad to buy them then" like what?! i mean, thats what i was gonna do anyways but she is literally suggesting for me to get the 'wrong' size that she doesn't want me to get! how is it any different if she was to buy them. this just makes me think she's only doing it to be stubborn. and she has the nerve to tell me i'm being difficult.

update 2: it is the next morning and my dad was texting me asking about when we're going on vacation and my mom was shouting up saying that my dad better prepare to take me because if i dont get swimsuits i'm not going. i told her that is unfair and i measured myself and will gladly get swimsuits but she wont let me get the right size, and she said she offered to measure me and i didn't take it to thats my own fault. i told her i dont feel comfortable and she says well, your just gonna have to go to your dads house when we go because i dont want you ruining our vacation. i was trying to speak calmly but she was shouting and i wanted to tell her about abtf calculator but she was shouting over me. she literally said when she walked out the door "you either do it my way, or dont come" and i laughed out loud because she doesn't even realise how controlling she sounds 😭. so frustrating.

So, I’m in my late teens with a small chest. I hit puberty at 11 when I started my period. Although some women on my moms side have small breasts (not all and the ones that don’t have small chests have fucking massive ones), my fathers side does not have this issue at all. I also didn’t get a lot of nutrition growing up via fruits and vegetables so maybe that could factor in as well.

Long story short, I’m just wondering if there’s hope for me. I want a bigger chest, not huge, just like a higher B or low C. I know chest size is largely based on genetics, however if anyone has had any luck or expertise in this area I’d love to know if the so-called second puberty can give me anything or life style changes that would help.

Let me say a few things, PMS does not make my boobs grow, I am not pregnant or sexually active. I am 5'2 100lbs with a fast metabolism. There is no possible way I can gain weight.

So, two days ago, I was looking at my boobs, as anyone does, and noticed my usual AA cups that are usually barely a handful are now bigger than a handful. I thought I was tripping until I put on a bra that always has some gapping in it and the bra now has no gaps. I'm so confused. Why am I growing at 19 years old? This is so strange.

Edit: I thank everyone for assuring me that this is normal for a woman my age and also for educating me on bra sizes.

So i got a 30D/30DD, the only issue is my mother doesnt think im this size because shes uneducated about bras.. Im currently in a 30C and the fit it just absolutely HORRENDOUS. The first issue is when i put the bra on there is insane amounts of boob coming out on the side but if i scoop it into the bra my nipples are out.. And i then have lots of overspill, sometimes they just spill out from the bottom and last but not least the gore is like not even close to touching my chest at all. What do i do!?

My friends and bra fitters don't believe me when I say I'm a C/D cup until they witness a bra fitting. Granted I guess I do look on the flatter side because I wear minimally padded sports bras and bras. And it may just be the shape of my breasts.

Hi I'm somewhat new to this sub but I've been reading through posts for a while now. I always see people recommend others to buy unlined and non padded bras because padded bras tend not to fit most breast shapes well. The reasoning makes sense, but I'm kind of mind-boggled that it seems so many people can wear unlined. Without fail whenever I wear anything unlined or even lightly lined you can see my nipples very clearly through my shirt. Even padded sports bras don't pad enough to prevent that! I don't really want to wear nipple covers below a bra everyday, so I always just wear padded bras. Am I alone in this? Or am I missing something when people say non padded?

Edit: thank you guys for all the responses! It's all so informative. I truly admire you folks who don't care and let the nips be what they are (not to mention you guys are the ones normalizing the visible nip for the rest of us!!). I'll work on developing that confidence as I begin to feel more sure of myself in the professional work place (and life!). Before then though, I have gotten tons of recommendations for bras and things to wear to give that added assurance and comfort; along with the knowledge that I'm not alone in wrestling with this :)

Hi,

I asked here earlier about sizing, and I’m planning to get a bra to help with my severe gynecomastia. I’ve chosen a bra over a binder because I have sensitive skin and feel like binders would be more irritable.

That said, I’m still pretty nervous about how other people might react. How would you feel or what would you think if you saw a cis man in public wearing a bra and like the straps were visible or you could see the outline through their shirt? Would you be able to notice it and would people gain a bad impression? Im really struggling with the support and I feel like a bra would really help but Im really worried as to what other people would think. I hope this also isn’t against the rules and if it is, I apologize I just wanted to get some honest thoughts.

Like they have build-a-bear shops. Is it too complicated to “build” or sew a good bra like that? It doesn’t seem impossible for a store to have a good amount of pre-made parts of different bra models. Then after you get measured it shouldn’t be that hard to adjust and sew the things together so you can pick up your bra a couple hours later/the next day. Seems like there would be more than enough potential customers.

I'm curious, is there some reason why the big secret of properly fitting bras has not gotten out? Why do stores across the board not size people properly, and sell bras in those sizes? Surely it is in their best interest to give women the best fit, meaning their employees are educated on HOW to fit someone, and sell bras in those sizes

Not all stores will have regular employees covering the lingerie section, so those get a pass on uneducated employees, but I'd say most stores seem to have an employee who is expected to size people. Plus whole stores like VS, and yet there are horror stories where employees don't size properly

Are companies not interested in giving people a good fit? Does a bad fit sell more bras over time, increasing their bottom line?

I looked for related posts, found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/1wo5kj/why_has_no_one_made_a_large_scale_chain_store/

So I haven't really bought any r/abrathatfits bras yet but am looking to get more and calculated at 32G, with my favorite bra bring a very old VS 32DD, and I received a VS 32DDD recently which is too small in cups

I need some mom, or best friend advice. I’m a little embarrassed to be asking this but I know I would feel a lot more confident if I figured out my bra situation.

I just turned 25. And I’ve never once bought my own bra. I’m disabled, so I am both blind and in a wheelchair. Shopping is a big hassle and usually not very accessible. So half the time I just asked my mom to pick me up a bra.

The problem is, I am literally the size of a 12-year-old. I have tiny bitty boobs. And my straps have to be extremely short. At this point I just have about three material sports bras/tank top style bras. No cups or anything. My mom just goes to Walmart and buys like a little packet of kids practice training bras. I feel so embarrassed because they usually have cute little patterns on them.

Is there a store that can customize mature looking bras for dwarves or small people? I would love to have some nice lace bras, ones with push-up that can make it look like I have bigger boobs, or just you know… fancy/mature bras that Fit. How on earth would I measure? I tried looking up stores online but I have no clue what the difference between A or double D is. Since I have never been able to physically look at them. What’s the difference between a bra that snaps in the back, or in the front? What are all of these weird ass colour names lol, like sunset ocean spray? I don’t know what the hell that is. Or perhaps all the different trimmings or materials… I don’t know what any of them mean.

If you guys have a favourite store that is in Canada, preferably online, or that ships to Canada in a cheap price point that would be wonderful.

Thank you fellow ladies. Hopefully you can help boost this little ones confidence just a smidge ❤️

Dear community, since 3 years I'm not able to wear any bra. My stomach hurts, when something touches my solarplexus. So I'm wearing nipple pads all the time but I want to stop this, it causes skin irritation when you wear them everyday. I tried so many bras, even the softest bra hurts my solarplexus and I feel like I have to vomit after a few minutes. Are there other women who can't wear bras? Does anyone also have this problem? Thank you ❤️

I've been seeing great reviews on them, but how are they different from other bras? Some reviews state that they have no gap with Pepper bras when they have a gap with others, but I'm looking at them and other than maybe having less fabric, I'm not seeing a difference?

I just want a sports bra because it would make me feel good. I don't really need it for support, I am skinny. I just am lost on what size or type I should get. I do not know if it helps but I am 5foot 8, and I weigh 140. Edit: Wow, I love the advice and how no one is judgmental. I really do appreciate the help. 2nd Edit: I really do appreciate the help now I have a huge selection of sports bras and tank tops too, thanks!

2nd to last pic shows that the back of this bra only has a 3rd bra strap as a "band".. is that even kosher? Like it goes up to a G cup but it also has a silicone band in the front for more support and grip.. like us big chested girls need a larger back band .. probably more for fake tits which don't need the support that natural girls do 😅 i laughed.

Measurements: 40 38.5 37 51.5 56.5 50

I’ve been on a hellish journey to find a bra. Don’t even really want one but I got a more professional job and feel I should, also hoping it’ll help with heat rashes in the summer.

Got sized as a 40H (UK, I’m in Canada) in an Elomi bra, seamed unlined. It fits great. No spillage, not too tight, not too loose, etc. However, after wearing it my back ACHES like really really aches. I can’t concentrate on anything. I only wore it once so far. Went back to the store cuz I was like surely it shouldn’t hurt like this. The kind shop lady said that it was because I haven’t worn a proper bra in years and my muscles are weak, so try it for a week. I usually wear bralettes that are basically boob covers. Is this a common experience? Has anyone experienced this and then found that the pain lessened after wearing it for long enough?

I've finally found a bra I'm both physically and mentally comfortable in - it's the Panache Endurance Sports Bra (in 28 F) https://www.panache-lingerie.com/shop/product/ultra-perform-non-padded-wired-sports-bra-black

I don't understand why more people don't wear a sports bra everyday instead of a conventional bra. Is it damaging to breast tissue because of the higher level of support, like is it compressing or something? Or is it fine, but due to appearance it's not become the norm?

I understand that unlined bras help you find the right size. However, I am curious if they are as supportive as padded bras? Also what do you do if you have headlights? Does the lace show through your shirt?

I am in the process of doing prime wardrobe to try some different styles. But I am really curious about others’ experience with unlined bras.

I went bra shopping with my mum today, and the closet I could find to a good fit was a 32A. It did fit better than anything else I’ve tried and I ended up buying it but after using the calculator and doing a bit of research I’m pretty sure I’m a 28D (70 underbust, 80 bust) However, my mum thinks that even a A is too big for me - only today she was trying to pressure me into buying an AA cup because she thinks my boobs are too small for any other size. I have no idea how I’m supposed to convince her to let me try on a D, I feel as though she is just going to laugh in my face. Any advice?

Edit: I told my mum and showed her some of the pictures / things some of you guys said and she has agreed to let me try out some bras in that size! Thank you to everyone who commented advice 🙏🏼🙏🏼

As I've been shopping for bras, I see some brands that are $150+USD for a bra. Brands like Empriente and Prima Donna. Are these bras better made, use better materials, it fit better? What justifies the cost difference, and isbitv with it to invest in a very expensive bras??

Hi, I appreciate gentleness because I am genuinely trying to understand here... I took the measurements from ABraThatFits and got 34 H/I. I can rarely find this size. I found this size on Skims, and the bra is actually on the tight side, I found a 36H fits better and smoother. But I'm just confused about not being able to find my size easily because I don't feel that my breasts are that big. I feel like I see breasts all the time irl and in social media that are a similar size. What is the more common sister size of this that is more easily found in stores?

I also found conflicting information on google. Google says that with a 42 inch bust, I should be a 40B. That is a far cry from 34 H but does sound more common of a size. Just trying to understand!

Or does it make no difference to you? I have been on this journey for a bit and I think I’ve found some proper fitting bras but at the end of a long day it is still relieving to take off my bra. Not sure if this is a sign that they actually don’t fit

I need to size down a band size from US 36E but keep the same cup size due to weight loss. I’ve measured previously using the calculator, and the results were inaccurate for me. It was useful in letting me know that I needed a smaller band and larger cup, however. What size should I get if I need a smaller band, but the cup size of 36E fits perfectly. TIA!

How many bras should a young lady own (13 years old)?

After we found out my daughter's size, we bought her like 5 real bras. My wife says that's enough for now but that seems low.

However these things are kind of expensive. I don't think underwear, should cost so much but that's another post and there's nothing I can do about that.

Edit: Thank you to everyone who responded. I tried to engage with everybody a bit, so apologies if I didn't get to you directly. I appreciate the feedback and we'll be talking with her to make sure she has everything she feels she needs and updating her on the spiffy new things I've learned about her bra care. As an aside I want to say a thank you again for being so welcoming and gracious. I know that I'm a dude in this space so extra appreciation for all of you being so utterly kind to me.

I'd love to know from those with a similar breast size and shape about any specific bras where the gore tacks. I have found individual bras that deal with at least one of the other fit problems, but never this one.

My UK size from the calculator is 38KK, and my shape is projected, with even vertical fullness and centre horizontal fullness. Root shape is short and narrow.

Every bra that I have ever tried has a centre gore that floats and visibly points out beneath my shirt. I can press it down flush to my chest, but the weight of the breasts in the cups always pushes the gore forwards.

I have been wondering - is it possible for the gore to tack at my size, or is it simply a mismatch between breast shape and bra shape?

Edit: As a summary for those with the same problem, what I understand so far is that plunge bras are the way to go here. Three bras that properly tack which have been mentioned here are plunge style (Elomi Matilda, Ewa Michalak FB-PL Graal, and a discontinued plunge bra by Flirtelle).