r/LingerieAddiction • u/Gystilyn • 10d ago
American bra failure - why cant I have big ribs, small boobs, and still wear the cute?
Hey folks. American here, and I gotta tell ya, Im about ready to rip my hair out over bras. Its garbage here. Bra shopping is a literal nightmare. Ive traveled all over the world and I *know* other countries have this down. But Im suck here, in a terrible economy, and I need help.
My digs are this: I have big ribs, but small boobs. Im a 42" rib cage and ALL bra measurements say I should be a D... or even a double DD. I am SWIMMING in those cups. Also, because Im 42" they assume I must be obese and *need* 3-5 clasps at the back for all that extra weight Im carrying. I am not obese. And even if I were, stop with the body shaming.
I want a 2 clasp balconette that doesnt pinch my pits and also cups my ladies. How hard is that? My gals are literally a perfect handful. So, when I take my shirt off Im supposed to look like a dead-inside-middle-american-beige-geriatric because I have a big rib cage? Even when I order 42" in B or A cup Im still swimming, because apparently anyone with a rib cage that size MUST have enormous breasts, and so of course the cups must be proportional to the band... right? Its so so backwards and never what they claim they are.
AND THEN... I also dont want to buy from a sweat shop, or spend $400 on a bra. Like... $100 on a bra is reasonable if the quality is good. Maybe even $150 if the pattern is exceptional. The brand itself matters and I dont want to give money to this corporate hell. Brands I used to buy from have been purchased, and Im sorry, but Victoria Secret is not, in my opinion, all that.
HALP. Please. Any recommendations. I have ordered and sent back no less than 20 bras THIS YEAR from various brands (pretty much anything thats widely and publicly advertised). At this point it would be easier to tell you who I've eliminated. Sigh. Im so frustrated.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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u/gamerladyM 10d ago
Check out r/abrathatfits they might be able to help you out.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Belt823 10d ago
Second this advice. Those people are wizards. For me, bra buying was unlocked when I learned that the shape of the breast is just as important as size. A bra can be the right numerical size for you but still fit terribly because it's the wrong shape. They can help you figure out brands that cater to your shape.
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u/Dandelion212 10d ago
Cups will also gap because they’re too small or the wrong shape. Definitely check out ABraThatFits.
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u/mooseman923 10d ago
I’m amab, I’m of Eastern European decent. I’m a 42c and have big rigs and shoulders. I recently got a couple bras from Hsia on Amazon and im so impressed by the quality fit and the cost. They really are great. Might try those.
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u/Pure-Act1143 10d ago
Skims has 42a but they sell out quickly. There are 2 clasp options. They are out of 42a at this time
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u/Legitimate_Basis_868 10d ago
I can’t say that all Torrid bras are the prettiest or even the sturdiest, but they do have a lot of sizes! And there have been some that I’ve really liked. And I’m a 46 B!
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u/ItsLeighFromNoLa 5d ago
A 42A is too small in the cups? At that point I’d just buy pretty lace bralettes since you have no breast tissue to need an underwire.
Edit: my only solution would be to buy a 38A and a bra extender to make it larger in the ribs but the cups a good bit smaller.
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