Lots of women will say they know their bra size but can never find a bra that fits. Two things are usually going on here; either they really don't know their size (most commonly their band is too big and causing the bra to move around) or they keep trying on the same style of bra. The shape of your bust and the density of your breast tissue means that some bra styles simply will never fit you. Don't despair though, knowing which styles work for your breasts and give you the look you're after the easier it will be to find the right bras.
Related Article: How age affects your bra fit.
Lots of women have only ever tried on bras at big lingerie retailers like La Senza and Victoria's Secret. They try their correct size (rare for the full bust women in these places but not impossible) and find that the bras don't fit them. The problem here is that the majority of bras in these stores are molded styles and despite all the colours and trims, they are all based on just a few design patterns. If this pattern of molded cup doesn't fit your shape then it doesn't matter which size you try on, it will never feel quite right.
Molded Bras Aren't Your Only Option
It's important to break out of a one style trap and try several different styles of bra in your size so you can figure out which ones feels the best and gives you the shape you're after. I know that molded cups are so popular because they offer a smooth look under t-shirts and disguise your nipples but you can get these benefits from other styles too.
 |
| Delphi is a seamed bra with the discretion of a molded cup |
Related Video: How Seams Affect Your Bra Shape
Which Bra Styles are Available for Full Busts?
It's a good idea to try out bras in lots of different styles (make sure you know your size range first). Here are the most common full bust styles:
Full Cup Bras have full coverage so they come up higher on your breasts and tend not to emphasize your cleavage. This style gives a lot of stability and many women choose to wear this style during the day when they are busiest as the support is comfortable and reliable.
 |
| Serenade is a full cup bra because it encases the whole breast |
Molded Bras have either a rigid or soft cup (they both seamless, the rigid cups are usually a little thicker). Molded bras can be very supportive and give a lovely shape. Just be aware that rigid cups can't bend to your shape, your breasts have to form to the shape of the cups rather than vice versa.
 |
| Profile Perfect is a soft molded cup so the cup can form to your body more easily |
 |
| A vertically seamed bra like Medina gives you lift and accentuated cleavage |
 |
| A balconette bra like Lucy gives you the support of seams with a less full cup and wider neckline |
If you have a particular question about which styles are right for your body you can email your details to support@butterflycollection.ca or use our Free Size Consultation. xx
Great article! I wore t-shirt bras (aka molded cup) for years and they just never fit right. I figured I just had "weird" boobs, turns out I was wearing the wrong style. I had a knowledgeable fitter have me try on a balconette and the difference is night and day.
ReplyDeleteI want to add that I had at least 6 "professional fit consultations" over the years and not one ever mentioned trying other styles of bras or the shape of my breast (bottom heavy btw) until this last fitter
I'm so glad you found this useful. Style is as important to fit as size. It's great that you finally found a fitter who understood this. Despite how prolific they are, molded cups work on fewer breast and body shapes than balconette bras. xx
DeleteGreat article. I am short, with sloping shoulders, but I prefer the vertical seams (but not half cups). I wish I could find something like the Lucy or Fantasie (like the Elodie) with closer-set straps.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Claudette yet? Their straps are definitely closer together. The Dessous range is more teardrop than balconette but the fit is lovely! xx
DeleteBefore kids, I could wear a balconette. Now a days molded suits best.
ReplyDeleteStunning bras by the way. :-)
That's totally how it goes Jes. As your body changes you find different bras suit your body and life better. Glad you like the bras :) xx
DeleteGood news is that women have more choice in bra styles, fabrics, shapes, sizes, etc., and wonderful bloggers who are spreading the word. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteI think we'll see even more choices in the next decade as bra awareness increases. Thanks for commenting Elisabeth xx
DeleteThis is so right! It's so hard to describe what I'm looking for when I bra shop, but this definitely helps, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThe right style is as important as the right size for many women. Hope it helps with your bra shopping xx
DeleteThat's all great in theory, but what about how some sizes of "balconnete" are actually full cups? Panache/Cleo is especially terrible for this. Above an E or F all bras are automatically full cup bras, but they choose not to disclose this little fact, so if a full cup doesn't suit you, you're out of luck.
ReplyDeleteYou're right than a true balconette style is rarely seen over a D cup (Medina, Delphi and Rhea by Masquerade were the exception). The term has come to mean a pared down full cup. For example, Cleo bras have less cup coverage than Tango or Andorra by Superbra which are very full cup coverage.
DeleteI agree about coverage, I wish that someone made real halfcups, shelf bras and push ups on bigger cups. I know that a lot of women are self conscious about their size and want a lot of coverage, but there are women like me that low very low necklines, I would appreciate not tp have to choose between a well fitted bra that shows in mi outfit, or a ill fitting bra that wont show because is low enogh. I also hate haering some women trying to speak for all full busted women saying things like: we dont need more padding. As a shallow breasts women I do want an extra lift of a push op sometimes, but is nearly impossible getting the look, the closest that any bra on my size has giving me somewhat of that effect is charlotte from parfait which I totally love, still wish it had a lower gore in G cups
DeleteThese are such good points Sonia. Padding can add lift as well as shape to a shallow bust so that you fill out the whole cup. Have you tried the new Deco Vibe plunge from Freya? The gore is really low and the shape is more flexible than the original Deco. xx
DeleteFor me, I have found I have to buy 3-piece plunge styles as these provide the correct balance of low gore and forward shaping. I've never, even when a smaller size, been able to wear balcony or full cup styles. It wasn't until I gained bust volume that I truly realised why - I'm not very full at the top and have very close set boobs. BUT on top of this, my bust is quite high set on my chest. So full cups come up too high in between my bust and too high everywhere else and balcony bras are too high in the middle even when they are low enough elsewhere but they have too much top volume which I just don't fill out.
DeleteIt is incredibly frustrating to have places mislabel their products. Recently I bought 2 bras from Debenham's Gorgeous range which looked from the product photos to be plunge bras with that 3-piece cup shape I require. I was over the moon because they were VERY sexy styles and I wanted something nice to wear for a change instead of boring beige. However, when they arrived, despite the packaging stating that they are plunge bras, they have a high gore in between the breast which comes up to nipple height. The wire shape in the usual U shape used in balcony/full cup styles which just do not fit on me. Having the wires sit 2" away from my sternum because of how close set my forward projecting breasts are was not a good look and was not comfortable. On top of that, the wire itself twisted on my body. The wire was too straight and didn't conform well to wrapping around the body. Something I've only had happen with full cup styles before.
The only bit "plunge" about the style is that the fabric was angled a bit more like a plunge cup in the middle.
So I'm having to return them as they just are not plunge bras! I will be leaving a review on the site as I'm very disappointed that they were sold as something they are not. As it is, they are gorgeous bras. The construction quality is great, all the seams internally are covered with a soft almost fuzzy fabric (which is super comfy against the nipples) and the fabric/style of the bra is beautiful. For someone who can wear balcony bras/full cups, the bra would be ideal. I'm super disappointed mainly because the bras are so nice! If they had been hideous and itchy it wouldn't have been so hard to return them. But they just weren't named correctly.