The comfy bra thing....

I too have struggled to find a comfy bra and I've settled on non wired ones. Still too tight round the band (any bigger sizes have buckets for cups!) So I got some extensions from Tesco. They are only in white but make a huge difference to the comfort.
They come in two and three hook widths and they are usually in with the cotton reels and needles and 'useful bits and bobs'.

I wear the Genie bra and love it. (I did try the Sainsburys version but found it wasn't as comfortable and fell apart in the wash). You do have to be careful to get the right size though or the band underneath will roll up (as a rather well endowed friend found!).

I agreeLona bra extenders are brilliant. I bought mine online.

I bought a Genie bra a few years ago and even though I've got an assortment of very expensive bras purchased over the years [I'm pretty flat and don't actually need to wear a bra a lot of the time anyway] I seem to end up wearing that. It is on offer somewhere for £2.99 as well. Great to wear at the gym as well and I do think that, with the 'padding' it's quite flattering as well.

It's the hooks at the back that I find so uncomfortable. They dig in whenever you lean back on a chair and really can be very painful. I am very flat-chested but wouldn't go bra-less

I've just looked up Genie bras - I would guess they do not do much for your figure!

But I might try one as they are so cheap. Any advice on sizing - they seem to go by dress size (I am 14) - are they true to size or is it better to get size up or down?

Bella Wear your bra inside out, then you have the flatter side of the hooks next to you (IYSWIM)

Just wondering if you've tried asking over on Mumsnet? I finally got a properly-fitting bra (32F) when I was convinced I was a 36B. What a difference!

Some people do say go to a Bravissimo and/or Rigby and Pellers[queen uses it apparently] place and get proper advice.
Both places cost more, but some people think it is well worth it.

Never thought of that, Elegran. Thanks for the tip, I will certainly give it a try

Won't the seams be on the outside then, and show through thin tops? And the strap adjusters would be back to front and could be uncomforable....

Bad experiences with both - Bravissimo twice carefully fitted me with much too tight bras. Bra fitter in House of Fraser told me that is not unusual from them. She also told me (correctly) which Triumph Doreen bra size I needed although she didn't have it in stock. I bought it online and I've been happily wearing that size ever since. I was also badly fitted in M&S, they just seemed keen to make the sale.
Years before all that and when I weighed a couple of stone more, I saw Jo Brand on the Trinny & Susannah programme. She was fitted at Rigby & Peller with a gorgeous and effective bra and I thought I would like one for Christmas. A relative who went in intending to get bras for herself was put off by the attitude of the staff so I changed my mind about my present, didn't fancy being patronised!

I have never been able to find a bra that does not slip off my shoulders. I bought some of those comfort bras, and even they slip off. I don't think that I have particularly sloping shoulders! Do you think I should try bras with broad straps? Last time I was properly fitted I measured a 36C. I did try to go braless for a while, but didn't like the sweatiness under my breasts. I don't think anyone noticed the difference, and if they did, no-one commented! I wish I was a bit flatter chested!

Gettingonabit - that's exactly what the House of Fraser fitter did for me. She explained that a lot of women need a much smaller bra size and larger cup than they are wearing having been given faulty advice ignoring the size of their frame. Works for me anyway!

Yes; I went to a posh bra shop to be fiitted and ended up buying some very expensive bras which, whilst fitting well in the boob department were so tight underneath I could hardly breath. I now stick to my Genie bras as, having put on a bit of weight recently can't get into the other bras at all.

I've had several fittings over the years and they always say the bra should be tight! I think it's time someone redesigned them to fit and be comfy!
Can you imagine men wearing something so restricting?

I find that Bravissimo bras are at their comfiest after a few months. Very tight when new, and tend to give me "back boobs". But after the bands have stretched a bit, they are lovely and comfy, and the cup sizes are always just right and flattering (from the front!).

Oh, bras, I hate them and wish I did not need to wear them but I do I have had fittings at John Lewis, M and S and Debenhams over the years and each time I have ended up with bras that are ok in the cup region but cut me in half below the boobs. After having an op on my hip in March this year I could not bear wearing my usual bras (36C) so my lovely daughter got me a Brevia comfort bra in Medium. This was ok for a while (ie about 10 minutes) but then felt much too tight in the midriff area. Recently I have been buying Brevia bras but in a large size. These are better so I would recommend sizing up if you buy a comfort bra. They are not exactly flattering, though, so I would recommend a 'real' bra for anything other than every day wear.

Ana I don't find the adjusters uncomfortable - it depends exactly where the metal bits end up. I started wearing bras inside out after my lumpectomy, as the seam was right over the sensitive skin of my scar. As a bonus I found that the lower edge of the band didn't dig in so much, neither did the underarms. The turnings at the edges and at the seams are what seem to dig when it is right way out.

I don't go in much for very thin materials (its the frozen north up here!) so that aspect doesn't worry me. Try it and see whether they show.

I find M & S hopeless at fitting, they had me in a 40D, I actually took needle and thread and put two seams into the sides to take in the band.
I now wear a 36G as per Bravissimo. Feels tight in the band for a couple of wears and then perfect. Costs around £30.

With regard to straps falling off the shoulders, sometimes changing the style of bra helps. i.e. A proper full cup bra such as Triumph Doreen probably wouldn't slip because the straps come from the centre of each front cup and not from the outer side.

Also, sometimes the straps slip because the band has stretched, it creeps up at the back, and then the straps slide.

For pp who mentioned getting sweaty below the boobs I use corn starch brilliant for this, try Femfresh which is £3 or £4. Also Lanacane do one but it's more expensive at around £5 or £6. Lasts for ages.
I used to have to use cortisone cream etc for sweat rash but since using corn starch it's been brilliant since day 1.

Isn't Femfresh what we used to call Fanny Flit?!

Fanny Flit gave me cystitis recently. Never had it before - never used FF before. Had to get antibios from the doc. Never again.

I am also large busted and always had trouble finding bras to fit, also had the 'slipping off the shoulder' problem forever.
Than I found M & S do non-slip strap bras and they work, never had a slipping strap since I started buying them. I tend to wear M & S sports bras in the Winter finding them really comfortable..
I tried to find the link to the non-slip strap bras but looking through their bras it actually doesn't say the bra has non-slip straps on the website how weird.. I bought two last week in my local store so I know they still sell them.