The comfy bra thing again...

M&S and Bravissimo have vests with "Bras"in and adjustable straps, that for the winter have been a complete revelation for me. I am 34 G so plenty of chest (!!) but if I buy a 34 vest they fit brilliantly, give good support and are SO comfortable!!

You need to have a measurement etc by someone who knows what they're doing. And no axe to grind with makes etc.I've got very broad shoulders and am fairly large chestwise so always bought a 38B of various makes.
Then a few years ago I was in Oxford St. John Lewis and decided to ask for a bra fitting. The lady said you are 34DD
She recommended a bra Triumph Doreen and I've been wearing them ever since. You can still buy them online.
So try to get a good person to measure you.

I wear post surgery bras after having a mastectomy years ago (they're usually horrendously ugly or massively expensive for pretty ones ?) and have just found a super comfy one at M&S. Soft stretchy fabric, comes in basic colours. The fitter told me that lots of non surgery ladies are buying it because its so soft. Worth a look?

Having always been big, I've given up wearing normal bras I wear a M & S sports bra most of the time , I'm not bothered about a 'cleavage' so they minimise me and stop wobble. I wear an E cup and they also do a nice bra for special occasions or clothes that don't look good with a sports bra they have a narrow band of silicone in the straps that don't slip at all. The sports bras give me an ok shape but are so much more comfy than struggling with wobble and slipping straps all day long.

I'm with you ana I can't remember how many stores I have been to and spoke with people in bra department about lack of bras in store most of them have told me they are discussing this topic but I won't hold my breath . My last few bras have been from debenhams on line of course

Delimira Women's Front Closure Full Coverage Underwire Non Padded Racerback Bra.
For me this is the perfect bra! (found on Amazon uk)
It fits perfectly, gives great support and because the straps cross over at the back, there is none of that irritating slipping off the shoulder that one gets with so many other bra straps.
The front fastening is easy and great for anyone who has a problem trying to fasten their bra at the back.

Am I alone in having burned my bras in the seventies still prefer not to wear one? Breast fed both children for over a year and have gained a bit of weight in later years but breasts still hold up. I have some soft ones for exercising and under seethrougish tops and a couple of under wired ones for dresses which really don't look good with the natural look but 90% of the time I am unfettered and therefore extremely comfortable. Why not try it OP?

After surgery 10 years ago for breast cancer, I could no longer wear bras because I now have two very different cup sizes! Since then I have bought various 'secret support' camisole tops. They have come from M&S, M&Co, Lands End and Tesco. Sometimes I even find them in colours other than black or white and they are extremely comfy! I would never choose to go back to wearing a bra.

But what I cannot understand is why it is so difficult to track these tops down! I am one of thousands who have had this operation and there are many others like yourselves who suffer with badly fitting and uncomfortable bras. These secret support camisoles are usually only available in summer, sometimes being sold as part of a set of pyjamas! Why are they not more easily available all year round? Surely manufacturers are missing a trick here.

I buy my unwired or wired bras from M&S, but last year when I decided to go for a fitting (got money off the bra if you did), the assistant said I needed a bigger cup than the (DD) I usually wear. It was not comfortable and to me seemed very loose but I gave it a try. It's the first time I've been allowed to return something I've worn.
I like Bravissimo for wired bras, but M&S are closer and more convenient.

I'm a firm fan of Rigby&Peller. Lovely staff who know what they're doing and beautiful bras. Expensive but they last forever. They've kept the Queen suitably fitted!

Go to a small specialist shop. They fit you by eye, and know their stuff!

I have started buying bras from TKMaxx. I have some pretty ones from DKNY and practical Spanx ones which cost around £7 each. I went down a back size and up a cup size from my M&S measurements for a perfect fit.

I hunch over a little, because of wasted muscles in my neck and upper back, and I too have problems with underwired bras which tend to dig in, and with shoulder straps slipping off. I'm a 36D and am pleased to discover a German brand, Anita, whose Jana design fits me perfectly - no wires, no 'collar stiffeners up the side of the cups, and wide, comfortable straps. They are available on Figleaves, and also on Amazon, where they're a bit cheaper (just under £40. They are a bit pricey, but last for ages, and are very comfortable and provide good support.

You say that your swimming costume is comfy, OP, except for lavatorial problems - this makes me wonder if a 'tankini' would be suitable? It's a bit like a long-line bra/vest with a matching pair of pants and therefore might be helpful if you can find one that's just as comfy and supportive. You can probably pull them on over your head without the bother of hooks and eyes. Just a thought.

I am a 38H and tried the soft bra tops, some of them quite expensive for what they were. Sadly I'm spilling out of the biggest size available so I wear it of an evening when I'm into nightwear but just lounging about - stops me swinging as described by jacig Then take it off before getting into bed.

My well fitting bras are from Bravissimo. And yes, their sizing is quite tight in the band for the first few wears.

The assistant asked me to trust her and I could take it back if it didn't work. Sure enough, before long it was perfect in the back and has now eventually stretched to be tightened to the middle hooks.

I am down to one bra, there are no good fittings bras anymore. A big problem

Soft bra tops are perfect for me, I first bought one in B&M Bargains then found them in ASDA, a bit difficult to put on as I have problems with my hands & weak wrists. I'm a 44C & they give good support & nice shape. I've tried to find sports bras but they don't seem to do them for larger ladies

I have started wearing the soft bra tops from Sainsbury and they are really comfortable. I am 44 DD and didn't expectations support but there is enough so I don't sag or swing

Ana I discovered Nocola Jane (nicolajane.com) when looking for a swimsuit and have found their bras and swim wear excellent. They do not charge VAT on mastectomy related products (bra, swim wear, pocketed tops). You do pay postage on the initial order but returns and postage for replacement size/style is free.

Having been measured several times in the past, I have given up on the measuring thing ( they always insist on a smaller size, which is like wearing an angry python gripping you.)
I just try on, but the only comfy bras are the Genie ones.....bliss.

jellybeanjean

I would not trust M&S to do measuring, the only place I trust is John Lewis, to measure and get it right.

I am a lady with a large bust size cup wise, so it needs to be right. I buy some from JL and then buy others using the right size from elsewhere if they are nice.

recommend an annual fitting at John Lewis

I've also given up on M&S and gone over to Debenhams. Their own brand is really good, not expensive and they often have offers in any case. Their underwired t-shirt bras are perfect for me. They have an extra supportive 'thing' at the side of the cups to prevent the dreaded 'sideways flop', and a double back fastening to help prevent 'back flop' which are new considerations for me since I entered the world of post-menopause. (Other Gransnetters - it's not just me, is it?)
You mentioned you had a Sainsbury's cossie, what about trying their bras? I bought a couple in their sale + 20% off promotion last year and they're really comfortable. Also really cheap i.e. not much more than a cup of posh coffee, so if they're not good, you haven't wasted too much.
I've been measured a couple of times, post-baby and weight-loss and been distinctly underwhelmed, but that was at M&S. It astonished me that, despite making me a 36B, the assistant then brought everything from a 34A to 40C!

Good luck.

I'm like you, Ramblingrose22. I have a smallish bust (c cup) but am fairly wide across the ribs. I also suffer with fibromyalgia, and anything which is tight enough to be supportive is very uncomfortable. I sometimes feel as though I have a tight band of sandpaper around my chest! I have given up trying to find a comfy bra, tho' a cheap non-wired one from Matalan is about as close as I can get.
I'm so glad I'm not heavy breasted - I really don't know how I would cope. My sympathies to those of you who are well-endowed and suffering discomfort!

I have been fitted at Bravissimo twice, with a couple of years in between, and they insisted I wore a size smaller than I have always bought but with larger cups. The result was so tight that I could hardly breathe. My lungs wouldn't expand! They wouldn't have it though and insisted it was the correct size. This happened both times and the second time I developed a sore under the band going round to my back as it rubbed. I couldn't wear that bra again for weeks and when I did, I only wore if for shorter periods of time. I would have abandoned it if it hadn't cost so much.