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I hate bra shopping any advice to make it easier on the wallet and me?

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bra shopping
6K views 45 replies 35 participants last post by  Dancing Lotus 
#1 ·
I need new bras. I have been wearing nursing bras for the past 12 years. The old ones are so worn out and are the wrong size now (weight loss).

It is so hard. I head out to figure out what I need. One store had the "helper" called the "fit specialist". You walk in and she has the measuring tape around you with in two seconds. Picks out several for you to try on and says "let me see how they fit when you have them on. Okay very over whelming.

One store finds out what cup size I need. They don't carry a cup that big so they send me to the plus ladies store. The plus lady store figures out what band I need and sends me to a regular bra store since they don't carry a band that small.

I'm so frustrated. I just want to find one that fits, is comfortable, keeps the "girls" up where they belong, and doesn't make my wallet scream in pain.

Is that asking to much?

Any tips/advice for me?
 
#2 ·
I hate to say it but try walmart!! They always seem to have a big selection, and a variety of prices...either that or check online, Ebay, Overstock, etc...Good luck in your search....I have the opposite problem of you...I always tell my BF that they just don't make midget sized bras...LOL My band size is too big for my cup size...Oh well...LOL
 
#3 · (Edited)
I already tried there. They don't carry a cup size big enough.

I saw my friend there and she has the same "problem" as you. She was admiring all the $4.50 bras on clearance and wishing they could fit her. I ask her if they made such a thing as nearly A. Apparently they don't.

Thanks for the tips
 
#4 ·
Nope they don't...but tell her to try the teen girls section they have AA there which is smaller than an A....I fit into an A but I guess the band size is too big for that cup size because even places like Victoria's secret don't make them in that size and actually looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for that size!!! I have found my size in other places but I really have to look for it!!!
 
#5 ·
I have had the best luck at Dillards for odd ball sizes. The only way to be frugal about it is to find the size/style that fits best and wait for the sales and clearences. Bra are probably the most expensive clothing I own. For the longest time Warcol and two other brands at Dillards were the only ones I could find ANYWHERE that actually fit. The heavier I get the easier it is to find the right size as the band size increases but for years there was only Dillards that I could find.
 
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#9 ·
I am also one who hates shoping for bras they never make the adult ones with a small enought band and the teen ones are to small in the cup. I am a 31 A and this is sush a hard size to find. I dont have any advice for you but I hope you have some luck in shoping for new ones.
 
#41 ·
I hate bras PERIOD!! It's usually the first thing I whip off after getting home! I have never found one that didn't bind or pinch. I wonder who ever invented those things anyway!!
You got that right, Jilly!!!! My DH laughs at me.

Anyhow, I buy a lot of camisoles with shelf bras in them. They are really comfortable and come in loads of sizes and some are really pretty. I get 3 for $10 of the plain ones. At least, that's what they were a few years ago before the recession stuff started. They hold you together pretty well (read not much bounce). They are versatile as they can be worn under an open shirt without people gawking. They can be worn under a shirt, which is what a lot of girls at the office are wearing. The girls wear a colored one under a white shirt. I prefer to match the colors with the shirt. They wear like iron. I think a woman invented this item as much as I think a man invented bras!
 
#11 ·
I feel your pain. Dont laugh, but in my younger and more stupid days I got a breast augmentation. So, while this gave me more than the skittles I was given by God, it created a problem.

I used to be able to buy a bra anywhere. 34 B is easy to find. My size now is still easy to find (36C or 34D) but----because of the augmentation, my boobs are "heavier" and tend to stray to the armpits. So I need a really good underwire and a strong strap.
Walmart doesnt cut it. I finally found that I have to buy a specific bra at victorias secret.

At a ridiculous price. So I currently own only two bras, having even these is lucky, I got the gift cards last Christmas and bought clearance online. But having only two they wear out super fast, and the ones I have now are falling apart. So, I have to buy a new one very soon.

They key is to find what works properly, and buy more than one. If you cant buy more than one, remember the brand/style/size and look online for sales constantly. Good Luck!!
 
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#12 ·
Try romans.com and womanwithin.com. They do have a wide range of sizes from 12 on up to 6X. They have a linguire section too. I think both will pay for shipping back if you don't like it. You will need a measuring tape and follow the sizing guide.

I would not recommend any of the discount stores. You get what you pay for. The longest a wally world bra ever lasted me was 6 months and the band rolled down and the wires poked me. Lane Bryant (womanwithin) bras last twice as long and are much more comfortable.

Lastly, some of the stores that specialize in post mastectomy bras can custom make you a bra. It is pricy though. Most larger cities have these stores. Check the phone book.
 
#16 ·
Lastly, some of the stores that specialize in post mastectomy bras can custom make you a bra. It is pricy though. Most larger cities have these stores. Check the phone book.
My mom checked with the place she gets her mastectomy bras and it was a no go they only specialize in mastectomy bras and prosthesis.
 
#14 ·
Trial and error is the only way. Frustrating, I know. Once you find a brand and style that you like, stock up. I have friends that have had luck buying odd sizes at JcPenneys and Macys. Online selection is better than in store. Bra extenders can add up to a couple of inches to the band if you find a cup that fits.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Years ago, I worked for a lingerie / bra factory for 6 years doing piecework putting the price tickets on the garments.
Label change could be one busy place at times. Real easy to snip off the label if a bra said Walmart on it, and put a Victoria Secrets label back in place is a order was short somewhere.
The company I worked for had the lilyette brand name. It was sold out to Maidenform, and after a few years shut down this local company that employed almost 1000 people out of the bra business.

So don't be loyal to just one name brand..... I'm sure other factories play the label change game.

I have a website that I built to sell bras on. The big sizes are gone, but I still have a lot of inventory in the 32 to 36 sizes, and a few 38's left. Basically now I am selling what stock I have left at my purchase costs. This user id I use here is also my ebay selling name. If I can help anyone please PM me here to get a faster response.
www.ladytoysdream.com use the table of contents page 2 link bottom of page please
 
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#19 ·
what size are you exactly?

have tried "just my size" website? the "playtex 18 hour original bra" comes in every size known to mankind.

i second walmart and the playtex bras.
 
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#21 ·
Muse, if a 32E is a 32DD, which I believe it is, then I have at least 4 or more here of that size. Front closure, 2 white, 2 beige.
 
#24 ·
I'm one of those gals who wore nursing bras forever too. When I got new bras, I waited until I went with MIL to the mall. They were Buy One, Get One 50% off at La Senza. La Senza also carries both the Victoria's Secret collections and the Pussycat Dolls lingerie collection as well. My advice is to grab a few bras that are your cup size and pick up a couple that sit on either side of that size. If you're a 44D, get a 42D and a 44D and a 46D. See which one fits. If you're a 44D, get a 44C and 44D and 44E (if they have them in that size). If you haven't bought bras in a while, chances are that you're going to spend a few hours just trying them on until they fit. Make sure that you get a bra that fits around the ribcage but doesn't put too much strain on it. The straps on the bra aren't there to hold the girls up, they're simply there for added comfort and to take the strain off your shoulders and back.

You could also try something that attaches between your shoulderblades that pulls the straps up and back to help the girls sit up higher. I saw something like that on TV and I think they were called Strap Perfect. They're amazing.

Good luck! :)
 
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#25 ·
I have had breast augmentation(no regrets) and it is nearly impossible to find a bra that fits well. I order mine by catalog. Wish I could find a cheaper solution as well.(My DH says that he could buy a bra for a car cheaper than a bra for me-not a car person and his point is really lost on me.)
 
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#26 ·
I was fitted at a specialty shop and I'm a 38DDD, but at over $50 a bra I just can't afford it. So I went to Walmart and found that the fruit of the loom fit for me bras fit perfectly in a size 42DD and they are only $13 each. I find them really comfortable and they last about 8 months if I only have 1. So the last time I had money I bought 3 more in different colours.
 
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#28 ·
Many stores clearance their bras at the end of a season. I watch for those deep clearance sales and then go and try on anything that looks interesting in my size. A couple times the prices have been so good and the place so crowded, that I haven't tried them on. For the most part since I usually buy the same brands, I end up with great bras at a fraction of the cost.I like JC Penney and Kohls the best.
 
#29 ·
Sigh...I think you've hit every woman's nemesis. I don't have much advice I'm afraid. Maybe try Zeller's. Honestly though, if there's that big a difference between cup and band size, you're going to have a problem no matter where you go. And you'll probably have to pay through the nose to get something that fits properly.

I hear you about the specialty stores. I went to one and had a lady 'fit' me...got suckered into buying an expensive bra...only to have it constantly dig into the armpit area. Drove me crazy!

The only bra I've ever found that fit was a specific style of Warner's...thankfully sold at Wal-mart for $20CAD! And forget underwire on me...they just dig into my rib cage something fierce. I am not shaped like normal women apparently.

I think the bra manufacturers must all be men...trying to fit some gorgeous, lithe body of a 20 something female who hasn't nursed yet...
 
#30 · (Edited)
I go to the local Hanes Outlet and have had been "fitted" by their specialists each time. The first time I left with a bra that was what I was looking for but didn't fit. :( This was on a Saturday when the staff were part time college students who really didn't know the merchandise.

The last time I went it happened to be on a weekday when a lovely woman who had been there for years happened to help me. She took my measurements, asked me what I was looking for and then took me to several racks and helped me pull out different bras of DIFFERENT cup and sizes. !!! I was between sizes. :)

As she handed them to me she would tell me that these tend to fit tight, these loose, these are designed more like a sports bra and these are.... etc. ALL GOOD INFORMATION for me. I then tried each one on until I found the ones that fitted me the best.

I'm thinking that finding a bra is an ever changing process, that each time you go you can expect to try on LOTS of different styles and that each style WILL fit you differently. It takes some work but it is worth the effort. I've been loving the style bra I currently wear and look forward to getting some more of this style in a smaller size. (I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that they will fit me just as well.)
 
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#31 ·
I know here in my hometown there is a few wedding shops that offer speciality bras. I know it's probably not "wallet-friendly" at first but these bras are usually custom made and last much longer than big box bras. Could you possibly try one of those stores??
 
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#32 ·
Thanks everyone for letting me know I'm not the only one to hate bra shopping or having a hard time finding one that fits and doesn't break the wallet.

I think I'm going to try JC Penney I found one brand in their catalog that had at least one in my size/ Three if I'm the size I think I am. I also have a store in my town so shipping to the store should be free and returns would be easier.

As for the wallet they are $40 something before tax so I told me mom that I knew what I wanted for my birthday but I needed it now.

I so hope I find one that fits well and is comfortable.
 
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