Looking at the pages of a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, you’d think that all women in the United States have perfectly symmetrical B-cup breasts. Not true. My friends come in all shapes and sizes, boobs included. And they’re each beautiful in their own unique way.
At times, however, we of the larger boob variety don’t feel represented or included in the pages of lingerie magazines. When I look at a model wearing a skimpy bralette, I often can’t help but think. I don’t think that bra would fit over even one of my nipples!
Searching through the store racks, bras tend to fit into two categories: either those styled to suit a smaller cup size, wildly uncomfortable and unflattering for a larger bust; or full-coverage options that are supportive but markedly unsexy and granny-like.
More than style, wearing a well-fitting bra is vital for health reasons. Colorado College Boettcher Student Health Center Nurse Practitioner Catherine Parris had some wise words to share about bras, bodies and wellbeing. “When women wear bras they feel confident and supported in, they tend to have better posture,” said Parris. “What I typically see in women with larger breasts, especially those that don’t wear well fitting bras, is that they tend to hunch over their backs and shoulders. That might be fine now, but 30 or 40 years down the road you’re going to have a whole series of neck and shoulder issues, and by that point it will be too late!”
So what next? I grabbed a group of my bigger-breasted beautiful girlfriends, all seniors at Colorado College, and we headed to Dillard’s lingerie department in search of bras that made us feel sexy and supported. In store, we were assisted by Nora, who works in the department full time. Nora sees many women who wear a band size that’s too big and a cup size that’s too small. Nora said, “For aesthetic reasons, if you are wearing the right fitting bra you’re pulled up and you will look better in your clothes and feel better.”
This one’s for you, bigger-breasted beauties. Check out the 12 best bras that will actually fit your bust correctly.
The Everyday Bra
1. Chantelle: Merci Sheer Lace Demi Bra
Size Worn: 34DD
Price: $78
Look: 10/10
Comfort: 7/10
Bounce factor: 5/10
Value for money: 3/10
Cute, but understated. The flower pattern and bright colors will give you a boost of energy, while still perfect for everyday wear. The biggest drawback? It’s not very supportive. Katie said, “This bra makes me feel like I want to sit in the grass and laugh, but it is not very comfortable, so maybe not for long!”
2. Natori: Feathers Bra
Size Worn: 34DDD
Price: $68
Look: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10
Bounce factor: 3/10
Value for money: 3/10
For someone that doesn’t like t-shirt bras, I found the Natori Feathers surprisingly flattering and comfortable. The deep V-plunge is a nice feature. It’s one of the first plunge bras I’ve ever tried that doesn’t risk boob-spillage! I loved the muted color-scheme lace features, but it’s on the pricey side if you ask me.
3. Chantelle C: Magnifique Full-Coverage Floral Underwire Bra
Size Worn: 34DD
Price: $68
Look: 4/10
Comfort: 9/10
Bounce factor: 10/10
Value for money: 5/10
Madelene owns this bra and loves it. As a 32DDD, it was the first bra she ever bought that was supportive and fit well. Madelene said, “I love the way it looks under clothes; it makes a really nice shape.” I didn’t feel quite so sexy, but there’s no denying that the Chantelle C Magnifique will give you a full and supportive coverage and last as your everyday go-to bra.
The Sports Bra
4. Wacoal: Underwire Sports Bra
Size Worn: 32DDD
Price: $65
Look: 7/10
Comfort: 10/10
Bounce factor: 10/10
Value for money: 7/10
Madelene swore by this Wacoal sports bra. It has supported her to hike 14,000-feet mountains across Colorado, an endeavor filled with pain without a supporting sports bra. “This bra was the first that allowed me to exercise without pain! It taught me to get outside,” said Madelene.
5. Natori: Yogi Seamless Sports Bra
Size Worn: 34DDD
Price: $68
Look: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10
Bounce factor: 9/10
Value for money: 8/10
Katie’s last sports bra was bought in high school from Target; it barely qualified for a crop top. When she tried on the Natori Yogi, she exclaimed, “I feel like I’m being hugged by my sports bra!” Safe to say, she bought the bra. She considers it a long-term investment, and has happily been working out without having to stop to rearrange ever since.
6. Wacoal Zip Front High Impact Sports Bra
Size Worn: 30DD
Price: $72
Look: 4/10
Comfort: 8/10
Bounce factor: 10/10
Value for money: 6/10
Disclaimer on this one: Supportive it may be, but this bra is so difficult to get zipped up that it might not be worth the purchase. “It was a workout just putting it on,” said Sara. “I broke a sweat! But once I put it on it feels good.” Saying that, if you can get this bra on without a team of friends assisting, you will be set for whatever activity.
The Sexy Bra
7. b.tempt’d by Wacoal: Ciao Bella Lace Balconette Bra
Size Worn: 34DD
Price: $34
Look: 9/10
Comfort: 7/10
Bounce factor: 7/10
Value for money: 9/10
I could not resist buying this bra… or the matching underwear. At only $34, the b.tempt’d range comes at a much more affordable price than the rest of the Wacoal range (although the underwear was a little pricey at $18). For a delicate, feminine-style balconette, the bra offered a ton of support.
8. Chantelle: Lace Bra
Size Worn: 30D
Price: $78
Look: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Bounce factor: 10/10
Value for money: 2/10
When Sara tried this on, she found herself pleasantly surprised; “I normally wear bras with an underwire but I would make an exception with this!… if it was cheaper.” At $78, this bralette lover didn’t buy the Chantelle lace, but she loved the sheer design and color.
9. b.tempt’d by Wacoal: b.sultry Lace Balconette Bra
Size Worn: 32D (left) 32DDD (right)
Price: $44
Look: 10/10
Comfort: 7/10
Bounce factor: 6/10
Value for money: 9/10
Both of these ladies picked the same bra off the rack to try on, and loved it. Sara said, “Definitely a sexy bra. I probably wouldn’t wear this under clothes, but I would definitely wear this to have sex in.” Like the Ciao Bella Lace Bra, this balconette gives support without capsuling your boobs in full coverage. The hot red color makes this a wow-factor bra.
The Bralette
10. b.tempt’d by Wacoal: b.inspired Bralette
Size Worn: medium
Price: $34
Look: 7/10
Comfort: 9/10
Bounce factor: 8/10
Value for money: 9/10
Meet the sisterhood of the traveling bras. This bralette fit ladies from size 30D to 34DD, and provided a surprising level of coverage and support. The lilac color is pretty, but beware—depending on your skin tone, it might wash you out.
11. Moons and Junes: Kachi Bra
Size Worn: large
Price: $65 (455 Danish Kroner)
Look: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Bounce factor: 4/10
Value for money: 9/10
Based in Denmark, Moons and Junes originated from the desire to design a comfortable, non-underwired bralette-style bra that could be worn by women of all sizes. Their advertising campaigns deliberately feature ladies from all walks of life. Each bra size has its own specific sizing, rather than simply being scaled from small (as bralettes are typically sized), and you can even send the designer your personal measurements to have a bra made just for you.
12. Free People: Galloon Lace Halter Bra
Size Worn: Large
Price: $20
Look: 8/10
Comfort: 10/10
Bounce factor: 3/10
Value for money: 9/10
For Sara, the Free People bralette represents the discovery of her favorite bra style. “I used to think that I couldn’t wear these kinds of bras, because they’re made for people with really small boobs. But then one day I thought – why not try one on? So I did, I loved it, and now I wear it nearly every day!” Sara loves showing off the halter-neck with Brandy Melville-style dresses.
The “Special” Bra
13. Modern Movement: Lace Front-Closure Racerback Bra
Size Worn: 34DD
Price: $31
Look: 9/10
Comfort: 8/10
Bounce factor: 8/10
Value for money: 9/10
The Modern Movement bra nearly made it onto the top three sexy bras, but the front clasp and the racer-back details earned it a category all of its own. Katie tried pulling it over her head before she discovered the opening mechanism. “Don’t forget it’s a front clasp when you put it on! Fun for you and your partner to try on.” Now reduced to $31, this bra is much more affordable that many of the other ranges we tried, while maintaining the same level of look, comfort and support.
14. Wacoal Red Carpet Full-Busted Strapless Bra
Size Worn: 32DDD
Price: $65
Look: 6/10
Comfort: 8/10
Bounce factor: 7/10
Value for money: 6/10
No best bra guide could be complete without a strapless feature. In the past. Madelene has experienced terrible difficulty finding strapless bras that fit well, and was therefore pleasantly surprised by Wacoal Red Carpet. “For looks, I don’t really like the look of the bra but I like the way it supports me and makes my boobs look,” said Madelene.
15. b.tempt’d by Wacoal: Push Up Bra
Size Worn: 34DD
Price: $44
Look: 8/10
Comfort: 10/10
Bounce factor: 7/10
Value for money: 9/10
As ladies with fuller breasts in a small-breast-obsessed society, we tend to avoid push-up bras for fear of drawing even more attention to our chests. As we loved the b.tempt’d by Wacoal range so much, however, Katie decided to give this number the benefit of the doubt, and was distinctly impressed. “I feel like I could wear this every day and to bed. It’s perfect.”
