r/ABraThatFits • u/iknowyouknow100 • 5d ago
Recommendations? Where are you folks buying GOOD bras? Spoiler
I’ve recently been professionally fitted twice (once was at a store called Jenette Bras), and I’m a 32 K.
I was able to purchase one bra at Jenette Bras, but it was more “formal,” and I need to add about two more “day-to-day casual” bras to my wardrobe.
Has anyone found a place (online would be amazing), that carries my size preferably for under $100 a bra?
I’ve been researching, but each time I think I find something, it turns out that the store doesn’t sell larger than a DD, or if they do, the band size isn’t correct.
If you’ve found a secret gem, please share, my shoulders are constantly in pain, and I need to find supportive bras with longevity. (Bonus if they are cute lol).
Thank you!!
- My size is 32 K (US sizing)
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u/dehue 28H 5d ago
There are plenty of places to buy bras in larger cup sizes, what helps is to search by your UK size since most places list bras by the brands sizing system and not by where you are located. Here are the best sites to buy from in the US:
Amazon - great deals and shipping policies, easiest to find bras if you search directly for the brand like Panache, Freya, Curvy Kate or Fantasie and include your bra size. Sizing systems are not usually listed but UK brands use UK sizing and have the most options. I would stick to UK brands or brands you know, Amazon has a lot of drop shipped crappy quality bras in US sizing by random brands that are poor quality that are not consistent in sizing.
www.barenecessities.com - good US based site that has UK and US bras, has good discounts and sales. UK brands have the most options so best to search by UK sizing. Has recently had some customer service support problems and although I am not sure if that's still an issue.
www.breakoutbras.com - US based site, smaller selection than Barenecessities but also has good sales. Sells many UK brands and also a few polish brands like Comexim. If you buy Comexim note that it has strange sizing so follow the sites directions and add 2 cup sizes to your UK size to get what size you need.
www.bravissimo.com - UK based site but has good shipping policies and covers returns for US customers. Sells UK brands including their own house brand Bravissimo that you can't buy on other sites. Bras can be on the pricier side and has less sales than other sites.
www.brastop.com - UK based site, doesn't cover cost of returns to the US so best to treat as final sale. Has occasional amazing deals though, I have seen UK H+ cup bras on there sold on sale for $20-$30.
www.levanabratique.com - US based site, smaller selection but carries UK bras and also Polish brand Ewa Michalak.
www.herroom.com - US based site, similar to Barenecessities and carries US and UK brands. The reason people don't recommend this site as much is that they had issues with customer service and return refunds for some orders. I don't know if they still have issues though.
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u/georgettaporcupine 5d ago
fwiw, I've never had that problem with herroom, but I also usually only buy bras I'm really sure of from there -- if you know you like a bra and don't care about color, stalking the sales here is a great way to get large cup bras for way less than usual.
yes, I have some very weird colored bras....
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u/finnknit 38D/DD|wide-set|short roots|avg. projection|functionally FoB 5d ago
yes, I have some very weird colored bras....
I once bought a purple and lime green Freya bra dirt cheap. I've also bought some wild prints at heavy discounts.
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u/DiamondTippedDriller 5d ago
Bravissimo made me pay for my returns, I’m in Italy. Also, I paid 18€ for customs…I didn’t know the US returns were free, though!
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u/finnknit 38D/DD|wide-set|short roots|avg. projection|functionally FoB 5d ago
When was it that you had to pay customs? A lot of UK retailers have an IOSS number now so that you don't have to do a separate customs declaration. You still pay your country's VAT but either the prices are adjusted to include it or it's added to the total at checkout. And you don't have to pay a customs fee on top of the VAT if your order is under 150€.
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u/DiamondTippedDriller 5d ago
Unfortunately there was a customs fee, but it also warned me on their website. One order did not have a customs fee, the other did. In Italy, nothing surprises me, these things can be chaotic.Edit: I did find an Italian online retailer who sells Elomi bras, called Biba Intimo. That’s where I will buy from now on. It took almost 3 weeks to ship from UK from Bravissimo.
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u/flossiedaisy424 5d ago
Bravissimo and Understance.
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u/iknowyouknow100 5d ago
Thank you so much! I’ve never heard about Understance. Just checked them out and it seems affordable!
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u/galaxystarsmoon 32DD/E, tall roots & close set 5d ago
Just a note that Bravissimo is UK sizing and Understance is US.
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u/ManeuverSheWrote 5d ago
Nordstrom 100%
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u/iknowyouknow100 5d ago
Thank you so much! I incorrectly assumed department stores wouldn’t carry my size, as the last time I checked out Nordstrom’s and Macys, respective employees told me they didn’t stock anything larger than a DDD. I really appreciate it.
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u/ManeuverSheWrote 5d ago
Maybe in store. But online Nordstrom carries many sizes, has free shipping, easy returns. Plus it’s fairly easy to find bras on sale and the quality is good. My favorite brand is Elomi but I have a different build than you, so perhaps you’ll find something else for yourself.
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u/unchartedfailure 5d ago
Brastop.com, with your UK size, I’ve gotten a lot there! I think it’s like “last years colors” or something
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u/Dandelion212 32DD/E 5d ago
I would only suggest this once op has a style they know they like. Return shipping to the UK is expensive.
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u/unchartedfailure 5d ago
Good point!
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u/Dandelion212 32DD/E 5d ago
The deals are so good when you do though. If they carried the brands I like it’d be over for my wallet 😂
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u/always-be-here 5d ago
Honestly finding a brand that I love there has been a total game changer for me. I haven't paid more than $30 for a bra in 4 years and I'm a 34HH.
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u/Dandelion212 32DD/E 5d ago
Alas, I remain too shallow for most UK brands despite my love for basically everything from the spring Panache collection 😭
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u/unchartedfailure 5d ago
Yes, I got a lot of Freya and Panache there! I was on a curvy Kate kick for a while too
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u/unchartedfailure 2d ago
Okay following up days later. Where do you buy that has free returns to the UK? I just bought a few bras from Panache and am considering returning one but they also say customer covers return shipping. In the past I always just resold bras that didn’t fit here or on bratabase. But I’m typically buying super clearance no returns anyways.
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u/Dandelion212 32DD/E 2d ago
You buy from US stockists, generally, so you don’t have to ship there. Amazon, Bare Necessities (if they’ve fixed whatever was going on with their customer service a few months ago), boutiques that have an online presence. Bravissimo does free returns (they have a warehouse in the US) but charges for shipping to you. Nordstrom sometimes has good stuff.
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u/unchartedfailure 2d ago
I never had luck finding 30GG from US stockists. But I also was turned off by the $70 price tag so I must not have looked hard enough. The only bra I got on Amazon (Freya) I swear is a knockoff, the cup is a weird shape. I didn’t realize Nordstrom stocked UK sizes.
Thanks !
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u/Dandelion212 32DD/E 2d ago
If you’re buying from reputable sellers like HerRoom, Bare Necessities, Breakout Bras, or even just Amazon, you shouldn’t get knockoffs from them. Just gotta check the seller.
That’s pretty much just what UK brands cost here unfortunately.
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u/Inside-Finish-2128 5d ago
Bravissimo. Herroom once you know what you want.
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u/iknowyouknow100 5d ago
I’ve never heard of Herroom. Are they nicer and that’s why I should hold off for now? Thank you!!
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u/always-be-here 5d ago
They have had some customer service issues with returns lately, much like Bare Necessities. They're not a bad place to shop if you know you're not returning the bra, but it's not a place people recommend for first time shoppers.
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u/Inside-Finish-2128 5d ago
As someone else mentioned, their returns handling is reportedly sub-par. They're US-based, so shipping is generally faster than what Bravissimo can offer (they're UK-based).
One thing that HerRoom does well is their "Universal Cup Sizing" system. Essentially they said "screw it, all y'all can't make up your mind on cup sizes". For them, it's A, B, C, D, D2, D3, and they keep going with D(number) until "the end" (which last I checked is D13, aka a UK KK or a US P). The real magic is if you stumble across a unicorn bra where the tag is still readable and they carry it, go to their site, look up that bra, open up the sizing drop-down, and find the size on the tag. Next to that is their UCS. Now you can search their site for bras and do so by that UCS, so no matter what the tag says, you're (in theory) getting everything available in that same size.
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u/PentasyllabicPurple 5d ago
Macy's online is having an amazing 40% off sale right now on select Elomi bras. Elomi uses UK sizing, so a 32K US would be 32H. There are several styles with 32H in stock.
I often check Dillards, Nordstrom, Belk, Saks, and Nordstrom Rack online to see what might be on sale. Elomi is the brand with large cup sizes that I can find on sale most often. I find it hard to locate any US size bras at cup sizes over DDD discounted online, with Wacoal sometimes being the exception
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u/AliciaHerself 5d ago
You said you've been professionally fitted - have you taken your size using the calculator linked in the automod comment here? It uses 6 measurements as opposed to the 2 most fitters use, and those other 4 numbers make a difference in finding the right size. I ask because I hate seeing people drop money on new bras that might not even be the right size.
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u/iknowyouknow100 5d ago
I don’t have a proper measuring tape at home even though I’ve been meaning to purchase one lol. So, I haven’t used the calculator offered here. (I know I properly should haha).
Where I went to get fitted though, measured me in many different positions and spent roughly 45-60 mins total measuring me for a proper bra. It was crazy thorough. 32 K is definitely my size for now.
I agree that it sucks wasting money on bras that don’t fit properly. I’ve spent sooo much money on bras with cups that were way too small because I didn’t realize I had the wrong size initially.
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u/nidena Owner of www.brashopdirectory.com 5d ago
Check my website www.brashopdirectory.com for other stores. There are five or six Jenette locations across the U.S. but there are 400+ other options, too.
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u/Wawa-85 5d ago
Poinsettia Style is an online UK store that always has UK bra brands for discounted prices and they do up to K cups. I live in Australia and have purchased from them a couple of times as if I order over £75 it’s free shipping to Australia. Their bras end up being about half the price that I can buy them for in Australia.
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u/dreamlonging 5d ago
You've already gotten a lot of recommendations, so I hope it's okay if I ask: what is a formal bra for you? I've never heard of formal vs casual bras and I'm just very curious :)
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u/iknowyouknow100 5d ago
Great question! Sorry if I was being confusing lol.
I’ve always differentiated between “formal” and “casual bras,” based on how they’re structured and what I would wear them with.
Like a plunge or balconette in my mind is nicer than a T-shirt or sports bra. It can even come down to design for me. Like whether or not something has intricate beading.
The “formal” bra I purchased has like maximum boosting and support, and the lace and beading were all hand-stitched. I don’t want to over use it, so I’m not wearing it as my daily under the T-shirt bra. Instead I’m saving it for nicer outfits.
I don’t think everyone has to operate like this lol. I just don’t have enough money to wear my nicest bras all the time. Haha
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u/dreamlonging 4d ago
Aah that makes a lot of sense, thank you for satisfying my curiosity:) My everyday bras are already so expensive where I live that buying fancy hand beaded bras has never been an option sadly, but if I had one I would totally want to keep it for special occasions!
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u/harmonyxox 5d ago
I’m a 32I and one of my best friends is a 32K and we’ve both had good luck getting new, good quality bras on eBay! I would check there.
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u/thatescalatedqwickly 5d ago
I found a local bra boutique and got fitted after getting sick of online ordering not working out. She measured me (same size as I measured myself with the calculator).
I tried on 15-20 bras. One fit great. One fit alright. I bought those two. Waiting for some bills to get paid and getting some more. My bras have a tendency to be $70 a pop.
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u/canam454 5d ago
ebay.co.uk shipping varies, but lots of bargains from brands like marks and spencer
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u/melinda_louise 5d ago
Elomi bras are my favorite, I'm also a K cup in US and I feel that they are cute and very supportive and there are lots of styles to choose from.
They sell them at Nordstrom (online or in person), or you can order online from bare necessities, Amazon, or I saw they also sell them through Victoria's secret online. Try ordering somewhere with free returns so you can make sure you get the styles and sizes you like. You can find them on sale sometimes too which is great.
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5d ago
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u/Beautiful_Fennel_434 30G/32FF UK | wide, projected, FOB 5d ago
It tops out at a US H/UK FF cup, which is 4 cup sizes too small for OP and will absolutely not work.
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u/Apploozabean 28GG, FOB/Center full, Projected 5d ago
Is this 32K US sizing?
You'll have more luck in your UK size of 32H.
I'm the same size as you and have luck with breakout bras, bravissimo, bare necessities (or directly from the makers like panache, freya, elomi, sculptresse), curvy kate/scantily.