MetaFilter posts tagged with bras

finding the right bra size and best fit

flex — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:44:00 -0800

Bratabase is a crowdsourced "bra database" made to help women find the right bra (interview with the creator). According to many studies, over 80% of women aren't wearing the correct bra size: "there's a lot of misinformation about bras out there". For instance, D cups just aren't that big ("Clearly there are a whole lot more D+ cups out there than people assume") and not all D cups are the same size ("from left to right 30D, 32D, 34D, 36D, 38D. Five different band lengths, five different cup volumes. All D Cups"). Most of these links contain photos and therefore may be NSFWish for some. Boosaurus - Me and my mythical bra size: "This is why I do what I do. If I show everyone that a girl with a 28-band isn't just some mythical, twig-like creature, maybe some girls will realize that bands below 32 do exist, and they're not freakish for feeling like bands are always too big for them. If I tell everyone over and over that I wear a GG (or sometimes G, or H, or HH) cup, then maybe a few people will realize that the alphabet doesn't stop at D, that there are lots of options out there, that well-fitting bras do exist, that wearing a D cup or above isn't some strange, shameful thing." Bra Fitting Cicade - G and GG cups - do they always stand for "get a reduction"? "Generally these stereotypes force women to wear bras with D or DD cups (which are considered “normal”) and much too wide bands. Even if any of these women who wear bad sizes happens to enter a store with a real bra-fitting, she’s often shocked to hear that she should wear a 34FF or 34G instead of 38D that she always used to wear, what’s more she may get hysterical saying – I can’t/don’t have such big breasts. And refuse to wear a correct size because of that. This is what we call a “letterphobia” – this fear of wearing DD+ cups." (Why are women afraid to break the D-cup barrier?) *Breakout Bras Fitting Guide *Invest In Your Chest - DIY: Measure Yourself At Home *Butterfly Collection - Don't hate on the tape measure; the 5 fit checks plus a size calculator that suggests brands *Five signs of a poor fit *How to put your bra on correctly: The ‘Scoop and Grab’ or the ‘Scoop and Jiggle’ *The dark side of sister sizes: "So what’s the down side of this cute little phrase? Simply put, if your band size is wrong then the bra DOES NOT FIT. The band is by far the most important part of any bra because it provides 90% of the support." *It's your band size, and your choice: "Only you can decide what feels most comfortable for you. Just be informed about the right and wrong reasons to wear a band size slightly bigger than your measurements... Upsizing just so you can find something in shops, when you wouldn’t do so otherwise, means you are being bullied by the companies and inadvertently voting for the wrong sizes with your wallet." *StackDD+ - When and why to get fitted *Linda's extensive bra problems/solutions guide *Bratabase's troubleshooting section (submitted photos receive members' advice) The Itty Bitty Bra Guide by Amanda of 32aaBra.com Underbust Survey by Braless in Brasil - Part 1: Data Range & Underbusts Part 2: Sample Bias & Methodology Part 3: Bust Sizes Part 4: Bust Variation Part 5: Clothing Sizes *Breast Shapes (with a visual chart) *What Exactly is a "Good" Shape? & How to Figure Out The Shape Of Your Boobs *Soft vs. Firm Breasts Clothing and Bra Sizes for the D Cup and Up: The Fit Factor vs. the Risk Factor: "When manufacturers and stores say there isn’t enough demand for clothing or bras in our size, it’s easy to feel incredulous because we’re connected via the internet to full-busted women all over the world who share our frustrations with fit. Are these businesses blind? Not necessarily. They just want to stay in business. For many companies this means doing what has always worked and avoiding risk. Women have been forcing themselves into their size ranges for years. What’s the big deal now?" Attack of the Killer DDDDDDDs!! "Here are the FOUR big bra problems I encountered: 1. The use of multiple Ds is keeping North American women away from embracing larger cup letters 2. Not enough brands understand the difference between Full Bust and Plus Size bras 3. Sizing for Full Bust women is still wildly inaccurate 4. Online boutiques are massively overlooked by brands and women alike" Why We Need 28 and 30 Bands and GG+ Cups: "As more women in the US market in particular become aware of sub-32 band sizes in their quest for good-fitting bras, those who need to move down in band size will likely have to move up in cup size, and for some of them, that means crossing the GG+ cup line." The Bra Band Project on Flickr: "We first started this project after a few big-name, full-busted (DD+ cups) lingerie companies asserted that there was "no market" for 30 and under bands, and that "30 and under bands are for juniors." We wholeheartedly disagreed! We knew that there were plenty of us out there struggling to find bras in these sizes. To illustrate our point, we've collected photos of women who wear sizes 24-30 band bras in sizes DD-KK (using UK sizing), ranging from ages 18-50+. As the photos show, we are women of a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and ages, and we need and deserve bras that fit." (photo sets) USA Money - HerRoom's universal sizing chart demystifies larger bras; Bratabase responds: "Me and many bra enthusiasts on Twitter worry if adding one more standard will create more confusion... PS: I hate that they're using the letter D, just perpetuates the "D is huge" myth." Jezebel - A new online bra shop helps you figure out your "real" bra size via an algorithm: "The former Microsoft employees who founded True & Co, Aarthi Ramamurthy and Michelle Lam, say they want to make the bra-shopping process entertaining and stress-free: "The whole idea is to wrap some really complicated technology into a very simple online quiz to make it fun for women," Lam told the NY Daily News." (previously on MeFi: Busty Girl Problems)

Living With Breasts That Can Be Seen From Orbit

roger ackroyd — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:10:33 -0800

I was the first girl I knew to get breasts. I remember being in sixth grade and this horrible girl named Erica coming up to me before social studies and saying, “You don't have to stick out your chest like that,” and I almost cried. (I cried very easily as a child, and by “as a child” I mean “up until this morning.”) Because I wasn't actually sticking my chest out at all, it was just like that.

The Secret Life Of Syrian Lingerie

artof.mulata — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:43:10 -0800

"The more religious an area is, the more risqué the underwear becomes. I think that Muslim women have less freedom on the outside so to compensate they have more freedom on the inside." Journalist Malu Halasa and designer Rana Salam have produced a tome on "the most outrageous lingerie in the world."

in case of emergency: remove bra

Potomac Avenue — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:39:57 -0800

The Emergency Bra: "We can save not only our own lives, but also a man of our choice next to us."

The Artfull Bras Project.

gman — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:17:31 -0800

"Members of Quilters of South Carolina have created one-of-a-kind bras for Breast Cancer Awareness. The exhibit consists of fifty original works of art which are unique, entertaining, humorous, and beautiful to make the public aware of breast cancer, to memorialize those lost to the disease, and to honor survivors." via

Because bra burning is so passé

orange swan — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:38:47 -0800

Got a stack of bras you don't know what to do with? Charities will accept secondhand bras in good condition, but if you're in the mood to be creative there are bra crafting ideas on the net. You could make a bra wristlet, and then make a sleep mask out of the rest of the bra fabric, earrings out of the hardware, and a toy out of inserts. You could make a lavender sachet out of a bra and use it to perfume your lingerie drawer. One seemingly popular idea is to make a cute and feminine evening bag or, as one woman who wears a 36F quipped in a comment, luggage. If you're an especially sassy member of the Red Hat Society, you could make a purse that matches your hat. Some people even make hats out of the bras, though perhaps not every woman would care to so obviously wear a bra on her head. If you're a breast cancer survivor and want to avoid buying expensive and uncomfortably heavy prosthetics, you could knit yourself a pair of tits and go right on wearing your favourite bras. You could also make an art installation: a 5' bra ball. Here's a list of 28 things to do with old bras. And yes, I realize this post will make many of the men of MeFi want to get a lot of puns/juvenile comments off their chests, but titter away. You're probably just jealous you can't make such cool crafts out of your jock straps.

100 years of breast obsession

madamjujujive — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:36:23 -0800

In loving mammary - celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the invention of the brassiere. (may be risque for work) [more]

Pot, boobies and panties in the Alabama Govenors Race

nyxxxx — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:24:09 -0800

Pot, boobies and panties in the Alabama Govenors Race Loretta Nall is running for govenor of Alabama on the Marijuana Party ticket and also trying to the the nomination from the Libertarian Party. Her cleavage recently became an issue when a columnist for an Alabama newspaper got huffy because his newspaper ran a picture of her showing cleavage. But that's not all. Ms. Nall was also denied permission to see her brother in jail because she wasn't wearing panties. She tells all about it in her blog.

You'll Poke Somebody's Eye Out!

LarryC — Wed, 02 Feb 2005 18:40:07 -0800

Bullet Bras: "Sagging breasts, caused by the effects of age and breaks in the mammary fold due to ill-fitted, underwire brassieres have nearly flattened women's shapes over time. Enhance your profile and enjoy comfort with one of our specially designed bras." With a helpful guide to distinguish bullet bras from cone bras. [Taken from, of all places, Fatwallet.]

Spiky Bras! Wheee!

E_B_A — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:35:12 -0800

Do you like boobs? Do you like spikes? How about boobs that look like blowfish? Spiky Bras is an innovative concept, to say the least. Bras (and other, related underthings) covered with spikes. Why not? Give people the impression you have 300, 400 nipples! But why stop there? They have feathery bras and flowery bras and men's underpants that talk (ie. "I'm a horny 'lil devil!"). This may seem crass and juvenile but nothing is as cool as the glowing cactus that now tops my Christmas list. The site is relatively SWF, that is, if you think looking at pictures of boobs stuffed in bras covered with what looks like white, plastic Hershey's kisses is safe for your workplace.

Bra specialist

Oriole Adams — Thu, 12 Jun 2003 10:16:40 -0800

He can tell you a woman's bra size from 10 feet away. "When I first came into the business, cup sizes came in A, B, C and D." These days he stocks up to J, and says he could use a K.

"...padded bras in my size did nothing for my chest but protect it from flying objects."

BGM — Sat, 31 Aug 2002 10:51:32 -0800

"...padded bras in my size did nothing for my chest but protect it from flying objects." One woman's humorous and touching story of her decision to get breast implants. For the record, I like boobs, but the idea of having pieces of plastic stuck under one's skin creeps me out no end. To implant or not to implant, that is the question....

A man has been forced to flee his Canadian home after having sex with two dogs he dressed in women's underwear.

swell — Fri, 19 Jul 2002 13:16:45 -0800

A man has been forced to flee his Canadian home after having sex with two dogs he dressed in women's underwear. best. ananova. story. ever.

Ladies beware!

CRS — Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:52:33 -0800

Ladies beware! It appears that foul contraption, the brassiere, is not only constricting, but holds up women's natural defenses against toxins. Surely, this article will give feminists of the bra-buring ilk the support they need to lift and separate their message from the din.

A real miracle bra!?

igloo — Tue, 22 May 2001 13:08:17 -0800

A real miracle bra!? The device consists of two plastic domes, a microprocessor-controlled vacuum pump, and a sports bra to hold it all in place. The pump applies gentle suction, no more than the difference in atmospheric pressure between street level and the top of a tall building. Worn for ten hours a day for ten weeks, it increased the size of women's breasts by an average of 100 cubic centimeters, or approximately one cup size. The bra that keeps on giving.

Vacuum bra: give your bust line a boost

timothompson — Wed, 09 May 2001 10:25:27 -0800

Vacuum bra: give your bust line a boost "If you suffer from cleavage envy but are averse to scalpels and sacks of saline or silicone, there’s a new option: Hoover-ing your way to a bigger bust with a battery-powered wearable vacuum bra. Physicians are lining up for the chance to offer the Brava Breast Enhancement and Shaping System to their less-endowed female patients." (see also Brava, the creator of the device)

Worried about those horny teenage boys going out with your daughter?

baylink — Sun, 04 Jun 2000 16:19:46 -0800

Worried about those horny teenage boys going out with your daughter? [ Courtesy of Flowerhead, though I suppose it really *should* have been courtesy of Charlotte... ]