My name is Camala and I wear a 36F. If you also have a larger chest then you know that as your cup size increases, it becomes more difficult to find a good-fitting bra that doesn’t break the bank. Bra cup sizes above a size D are especially difficult to find. So, what is a woman on a budget to do?
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After spending years buying cheap bras in sizes that were too small and growing frustrated after getting fitted by inexperienced bra fitters, I sought the help of a professional fitter at a specialty bra shop in NYC. This professional fitting was a life-changing experience. Life-changing. I finally found out what my correct bra size was and I was introduced to several amazing brands like Panache, Natori, Wacoal, and Simone Perele. I left that specialty bra shop with two new bras that cost about $200.00 (ouch!). The information I left with, though, was priceless.
Once I discovered my best fit and my favorite styles, my next move was to build a bra collection by finding equally amazing bras at discounted prices. I turned to online retailers like Her Room and Figleaves, which offer an extensive variety of brands and sizes. More importantly, these online stores frequently host incredible sales. I encourage everyone I know to sign up for email notifications on Her Room, in particular, to receive personalized alerts of new sales on bras in their selected sizes.
I’ve also found some of my preferred brands like Wacoal and Natori in off-price retailers like Loehmann’s, Century 21, and Nordstrom Rack. On rare occasions, I’ve also found attractive bras in larger cup sizes at TJ Maxx, and the prices were especially low there.
Recent purchases:
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| Panache Porcelain bra via Her Room. $42.99 |
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| Wacoal Wildly Flirtatious Contour Bra via TJ Maxx ( a rare find in my size) $17 |
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Camala Greene is a a writer and program manager at an international non-profit in New York City. In addition to working on higher education as it relates to the development of civil society, she writes short stories that are primarily based in the Caribbean, or her adopted city of New York.
Great post. I'm actually wearing a Natori from Nordstrom right now :). I went to there pre-opening Fits America event at the new St. Louis Galleria store and found out I was an entirely different size than I'd been wearing. In my defense, I'd been fitted twice prior and was told my size was correct (but you didn't ask all that LOL). Great post.
Glamazini: thanks for sharing your bra fitting story! It's so easy to have a bad fitting. I had a small back and forth with the woman at VS who insisted I was a C cup although it was quite obvious I wasn't. The fancier the establishment the more correct they usually are! :). Natori makes great bras.
@Glamazini: Oddly enough, I'm wearing my Natori bra from Nordstrom today too! I'm not going call any names (Macy's and Victoria's Secret..ha!), but I got fitted recently and was told that I was a 34B. I was even told something along the lines of, "well, you are kind of an in-between size." Huh? The Nordstrom fitter was very confident that I'm a 32C and 32C bras fit fabulously!
I had a small back and forth with the woman at VS who insisted I was a C cup although it was quite obvious I wasn't. The fancier the establishment the more correct they usually are! :). Natori makes great bras.
Very useful info.Thanks for your post because my wife have a large chest!:)
great post Camala.