Here's a shopping truth: Finding bras that are both supportive and stylish is trickier when your breasts are a DD cup or higher. Seeing that as a challenge rather than a sad fact of life, we went straight to the bra-fit experts at Panache, ThirdLove, Wacoal, and Eveden to find the most comfortable, flattering, and fashion-forward intimates in sizes starting at DD.
A successful search starts with fit. According to Wacoal's national consultant manager Dawn Kenney, "Bras should never be uncomfortable. However, many women — especially full-busted women — associate wearing a bra with pain." If you’re in this group, it's possible you've got the wrong size. Straps that slide, underwires that dig in, and anything else causing you discomfort "are indications that it may be time for a professional bra fitting," explains Kennedy. Be honest, when's the last time you had one of those?
You may be surprised to learn the only real difference between busty chests and A to D cups "is their need for a larger cup capacity," says Kenney — all of the regular fit rules still apply. So, go ahead and take a good, long look in the mirror. If your bra doesn't adhere to the rules below, helpfully outlined for us by Kenney and Freddy Zappe, Eveden's fit specialist — then you're not getting your best possible fit.
1. The center front of your bra (the gore) lies flat against your breastbone.
2. The underwire (if your bra has it) sits behind your breast tissue and not on top of it, ensuring full support.
3. There is no spillage over your cups whatsoever.
4. The bra's band lies level across your chest and back; it doesn't ride up.
Once you've crossed the fit hurdle, bra shopping won't feel nearly as cumbersome, but finding styles and silhouettes that aren't awfully boring or dowdy can still pose a bit of a challenge. Well, we're here to show that it's not an insurmountable one. We've pulled 20 gorgeous, functional bras made by brands that cater specifically to the DD-plus crowd. Keep reading if you're ready to bust a move.
Full-Coverage Bras
The good news is that many brands (like Panache, Le Mystère, Elomi, Triumph, Freya, Fantasie, Wacoal, and Simone Perele) are "committed to designing innovative, fashionable bras for D-plus cup sizes that truly lift and support," says Panache's national sales director Kay-Lin Richardson. ThirdLove's vice president of design Ra’el Cohen adds that, "if done right, full-coverage bras can be made with gorgeous, supportive fabrics that are every bit as dainty as bras with less coverage." Her pro tip? "Straps and elastics don’t always have to be super-wide to work for your bust. When higher quality (and more supportive) elastics and straps are used they can be narrower and more delicate."
Full-Coverage Bras
Even if you have a bra you love, you may not be taking full advantage of its features. Take your constantly slipping straps, for example — it might not be the bra's fault, but, instead, how you're wearing it. Cohen advises tightening the straps. "It seems obvious, but as we wear a bra, the straps start to stretch out. If that doesn't work, it might be time to explore a different bra style."
"Usually, full-coverage, demi, and convertible bras have the narrowest set straps which helps to keep them on your shoulders," the fit expert continues. "Meanwhile, balconette and plunge bras tend to have wider-set straps, so if you have narrow or sloping shoulders, the strap issue can be exaggerated in these styles."
Need a refresher on bra types? We've got you.
Panache, $62.00, available at Bare Necessities
Full-Coverage Bras
"When you buy a bra, the band should be tight on the loosest hook. That way, as it stretches [with wear], you can continue to tighten the band," says Cohen. The Triumph bra shown here is available up to a size 38H online.
Triumph, $66.00, available at Triumph
Full-Coverage Bras
A perfect everyday essential, this full cup balcony bra is available up to a size G.
Freya, $42.70, available at House of Fraser
Full-Coverage Bras
"No one talks about it, but boob sweat is a real problem for women — especially women with large busts," explains Cohen. An easy fix is to "ditch traditional foam cups and try breathable spacer foam." She tells us it’s the latest in foam technology: "It’s silky smooth, thin, and supportive, but the best feature is its natural breathability." Cohen recommends ThirdLove's feather light spacer bra, which is offered in cup sizes A to F. For a little something extra, we're eyeing the lace options.
ThirdLove Lace Full Coverage Bra, $68, available at ThirdLove.
Full-Coverage Bras
Catering not only to bigger busts, but plus sizes, too, Elomi bras offer extended cup sizes and band widths. You can shop the brand at Nordstrom, ASOS, Bare Necessities, and Evans.
Elomi Purple Carmen Bra, $65, available at Evans.
Strapless Bras
It's a common misconception that women with full busts can't wear strapless bras — or won't feel fully supported without straps. The experts we talked to beg to differ. Zappe told us that many of the brands under Eveden (this includes Freya, Elomi, and Fantasie) sell strapless styles in up to a K cup. "Each bra is only available in the sizes that it can support," she adds, so if a strapless doesn't come in a size K, that means it wouldn't do a good enough job supporting women who wear that size. (This is true of any style of bra, not just those sans straps.)
Cohen also explained that, "a bra's straps should not be doing the heavy lifting. The bra band should be doing most of the work." If you have issues with straps digging in, then "chances are, your band is too big or has stretched out to the point that you're not getting the support you deserve." She suggests buying one band size smaller.
Strapless Bras
Strapless outfits can be daunting for full cups, but this Fantasie bra may just be the answer. Offered up to a G cup, it has a wide band (with boning), convertible straps, and smooth molding for the best possible support.
Fantasie of England, $69.00, available at Bare Necessities
Strapless Bras
Silicone strips in the back give this plunging strapless extra hold — making tricky dress silhouettes a stressor of the past.
Similar style available here.
Wonderbra, $54.89, available at House of Fraser
Strapless Bras
According to Kenney, "Wacoal’s Red Carpet Strapless Bra shown here (it comes with detachable straps) is a customer favorite, sized up to an H cup." The proof is in its glowing customer reviews.
Wacoal, $60.00, available at Wacoal
Strapless Bras
Le Mystere's strapless bra goes up to a 40-inch band and G cup. It also includes decorative straps for convertible wear: strapless, criss-cross, halter, wide back, or single strap.
Le Mystere, $74.00, available at Le Mystere
Fashion-Girl Bras
Busty girls aren't limited to boring bras with thick straps and wide bands — the strapless bras we just saw are a testament to that. While it's important to invest in everyday styles, there are also tons of pretty, lacy, and sexy options out there, too. "The underwire and bra band provides the majority of your support," says Kenney. "So long as your breast tissue is fully contained in the underwire and the band fits snug, whether the bra is a plunge, racer-back, or something else, it should fit and support you perfectly." That means: license to wow in whatever pretty design you want.
Fashion-Girl Bras
There's nothing basic about City Chic's sultry underwire bra.
City Chic, $59.50, available at Evans
Fashion-Girl Bras
Mimi Holliday's unlined V-shoulder bra is a dream with its sheer ice-blue polka-dots and electric-fuchsia lace. And, good news: Women with bigger than a C cup can totally wear it. We love the style so much we'll probably be springing for the matching bottoms, too.
Mimi Holliday Starry Eyed Shoulder Bra, $91.43, available at Mimi Holliday.
Fashion-Girl Bras
Simone Perele's sheer-embroidered bra offers all the support of a full cup, with the sensuality of a classic demi, and it's made up to an H cup.
Simone Perele, $95.00, available at Simone Perele
Fashion-Girl Bras
Fashionable options, like longline bras, needn't be out of reach, either. Harlow & Fox intimates, for example, come in band sizes from 30 to 38 and DD up to G cups. The style here has full underwire cups and a lightly boned longline band. The brand also has made-to-order options if you're up for a bigger spend.
Harlow & Fox, $288.17, available at Harlow & Fox
Fashion-Girl Bras
The low-cut, unlined demi bra has wider-set straps that create a more open décolletage. This is a particularly appealing option if you're wearing a lower-cut top — creating great shape without overdoing it on cleavage.
Chantelle, $68.60, available at Journelle
Wireless Bras
"Non-underwire solutions do exist, but — and, this is a big but — you’re not going to get the same shape or lift that an underwire offers, which is why there are fewer wireless options for larger cups," explains Richardson. "Many women who say they don’t like underwire really are not wearing the proper size. It’s important to get a bra fitting every year or if you go through any life change, from something major like a pregnancy, or even if you gain or lose five pounds."
Though you might not have the maximum support in wireless bras, they're not off-limits. They're perfect for lounging around or sleeping in. Certain wireless bras may feel comparable to your underwire ones. Decide what feels right to you and don't settle for any discomfort from your intimates whatsoever.
Wireless Bras
Royce's non-wired and non-padded bra is available up to a 40K.
Royce, $36.15, available at John Lewis
Wireless Bras
Fortnight products don't have the most inclusive sizing of any on this list, but they are available in a DD, E, and F.
Fortnight Lingerie Vega Long Line Bra, $110, available at Journelle.
Wireless Bras
Lane Bryant's no-wire cups have double-layer fabric that offers natural shaping, smoothness, and support in up to a 50DDD.
Lane Bryant, $38.00, available at Lane Bryant
Wireless Bras
Triumph's lightweight wireless bra has a reliable fit and a retro-inspired silhouette. Win-win.
Triumph, $58.00, available at Triumph
Wireless Bras
If you're not into this Goddess bra's playful snake print, you can shop its basic black version here.
Goddess Black Kayla Storm Eden Bra, $65, available at Evans.
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