Where do you get bras from?

Ok, sorry for bumping this old thread but I was hoping someone could recommend a good bra with no underwire because they always dig into my sternum. Not a bralette - memory foam or whatever it is.

My measurements are roughly 26 under bust and 29 bust and I wear whatever even remotely fits that I can find in the store - usually a 32A or 32B padded bra which is still too big in both the cup and band, however, underwires will still dig painfully into my sternum when something is tight (but still not tight enough to actually fit).

I tape the the bras so they are not as painful, but am looking for advice on brands etc. I do not want to order online something that I cannot try on in store first (bought 4 previously that didn't fit). I'm not looking to spend a gazillion $$$ either. I want a padded bra because I am usually on the colder side and don't want anything poking out, but I'm not looking for something unnatural.

Sorry for being difficult but I figured people here will hopefully have been in the same boat and hopefully found a solution.
 
I'm ridiculously into lingerie - when I have spare money the first place I look to splurge is my favourite lingerie brands, and I've seriously considered starting a lingerie blog, although the amount of cookie-cutter lingerie bloggers that have influxed instagram in the last year has put me off.
But alas, being a petite (somewhat) skinny girl has greatly reduced the places I can spend my money, unless I want to go for indie designers who charge $$$. My bra size should be a 26C, but of course that's just not really made anywhere, so I search desperately for the odd 28C/30B, which usually fits fine. Over the last few years though I've still managed to amass quite the collection, so I thought I'd share my favourite places to buy increasingly-rare small bra's, expensive and cheaper, with the assumption this may well help a few people on here - considering the average bust size is likely very small. Some of these have been mentioned before.

Cheaper/Everyday:

Boux Avenue - Pretty cheap for the cute designs, so is my go-to for everyday lingerie. They start at a tiny 28A, and every bra has couple matching underwear set to go with it, and often a suspender belt too. They have a large range of cute bra's even for small busts which is increasingly uncommon, and their stores are becoming really common in the UK - really cute, helpful layout in-store and much nicer and better priced than somewhere like VS. Ships internationally too, and has 10% student discount.

The Little Bra Company - Obviously, they sell little bra's, also starting at a 28A. All the bra's have matching underwear. They're a little pricey for the design, imo, but great fit and quality. I have found, and others seem to agree, that their bands run snug though, so if you're a 26 underbust, The Little Bra Company's 28's should fit great! All their physical stores are in the US though, and although they ship internationally, it's very expensive. 10% student and military discount.

Bluebella - Well priced and cute, interesting designs. They do everything from functional stuff to extravagant looking, for-your-partners-eyes-only, lingerie, and start at a 30A/B. Some of their stuff is reminiscent of Agent Provocateur, but at a fraction of the cost. They regularly have sales and great customer service, ship internationally, and have 20% off student discount.

ASOS - Asos have (fairly) recently started making bra's that start from a 28A, along with supplying everything else under the sun. They have copious amounts of bra's, especially the strappy kind if you're keen on that. Most of the designs are knock-off's of high end designers, so you can find a more reasonably priced underwear set here. As it's ASOS though, quality is somewhat low to reflect the price, but still perfectly nice. International shipping and 10% student discount.

Topshop - Topshop normally start at a 32A, but sometimes do a 30B, although some styles in 32A can fit a 30A/B pretty well. Copious amounts of bra's in different styles, and really cheap underwear deals too. Topshop is just everywhere and most stores seem to have a fairly sizeable underwear section, and a 10% student discount.

Love Claudette - Really fun, bright, and cheap bra's that start at a 30A, or 28D in some styles. I find the fit great and the colour combinations of some of the bra's are pretty interesting. Probably some of the cheapest small bra's you can get for good quality, and ships internationally!

Pricey/Luxury:

Mimi Holliday - I have a massive love/hate relationship with Mimi Holliday: their lingerie is some of my favourite in the world, but I'm still mad about them slowly sizing out smaller bra sizes. They used to start at a teeny 28AA, but recently a 28D/30C/32A is pretty the smallest size you're going to find. If you're below these sizes though, ebay is a brilliant place to still source older Mimi Holliday bra's, as long as you don't mind second hand (sometimes they're unworn though!). I've bought four 28C/30B Mimi Holliday bra's from ebay and definitely recommend going that route. Their quality and designs are exceptional, and they ship worldwide.

Lonely Lingerie - Some of the most beautiful and delicate bra's/bralette's ever; I'm desperate to get my hands on more of this stuff, and I think the price is reasonable for the design and quality. They start at a 30A and ship internationally.

Agent Provocateur - Overpriced, inconsistent sizing, and often substandard construction for what they charge, but it's AP, so you've got to buy it! Catch a sale or buy from ebay (there is just tons of AP lingerie, new and used, on ebay or The Outnet), and Agent Provocateur can become totally worth it, and although they don't make a lot of them, their bra's start at a 30B/32A. Their bands run extremely small usually though, so a 32 band is great for a 30 or even 28 girl, and usually people have to size up in AP. Almost all my AP is sourced via ebay, and I've ended up with some of my favourite and nicest fitting bra's.

Ohhh Lulu - An independent etsy store designer that makes some of the cutest bra's ever! General sizing starts at a 26" band, and everything can be custom made for you, so it doesn't matter what your size is. Her stuff isn't cheap, but reasonable and worth it for a custom fit, and you can get cheap bra's and undies in sample sales. Ships Internationally.

Lascivious - They haven't got a huge amount of choice, but their sets are to die for. Starts at a 30B. Expensive but if you love lingerie these bra's are worth it and they're great for small busts. Plus their models (at the time of writing) and very slim compared to other brands. :luv: Ships internationally.



That should plenty of brands, but I have more if anyone wants, though these are my general favourites/most purchased from. Sorry for such a looong post but hopefully it's helpful to the girls on here who struggle finding a bra in anything other than a plain beige or too large! :sorry:
 
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I'm ridiculously into lingerie - when I have spare money the first place I look to splurge is my favourite lingerie brands, and I've seriously considered starting a lingerie blog, although the amount of cookie-cutter lingerie bloggers that have influxed instagram in the last year has put me off.
But alas, being a petite (somewhat) skinny girl has greatly reduced the places I can spend my money, unless I want to go for indie designers who charge $$$. My bra size should be a 26C, but of course that's just not really made anywhere, so I search desperately for the odd 28C/30B, which usually fits fine. Over the last few years though I've still managed to amass quite the collection, so I thought I'd share my favourite places to buy increasingly-rare small bra's, expensive and cheaper, with the assumption this may well help a few people on here - considering the average bust size is likely very small. Some of these have been mentioned before.

Cheaper/Everyday:

Boux Avenue - Pretty cheap for the cute designs, so is my go-to for everyday lingerie. They start at a tiny 28A, and every bra has couple matching underwear set to go with it, and often a suspender belt too. They have a large range of cute bra's even for small busts which is increasingly uncommon, and their stores are becoming really common in the UK - really cute, helpful layout in-store and much nicer and better priced than somewhere like VS. Ships internationally too, and has 10% student discount.

The Little Bra Company - Obviously, they sell little bra's, also starting at a 28A. All the bra's have matching underwear. They're a little pricey for the design, imo, but great fit and quality. I have found, and others seem to agree, that their bands run snug though, so if you're a 26 underbust, The Little Bra Company's 28's should fit great! All their physical stores are in the US though, and although they ship internationally, it's very expensive. 10% student and military discount.

Bluebella - Well priced and cute, interesting designs. They do everything from functional stuff to extravagant looking, for-your-partners-eyes-only, lingerie, and start at a 30A/B. Some of their stuff is reminiscent of Agent Provocateur, but at a fraction of the cost. They regularly have sales and great customer service, ship internationally, and have 20% off student discount.

ASOS - Asos have (fairly) recently started making bra's that start from a 28A, along with supplying everything else under the sun. They have copious amounts of bra's, especially the strappy kind if you're keen on that. Most of the designs are knock-off's of high end designers, so you can find a more reasonably priced underwear set here. As it's ASOS though, quality is somewhat low to reflect the price, but still perfectly nice. International shipping and 10% student discount.

Topshop - Topshop normally start at a 32A, but sometimes do a 30B, although some styles in 32A can fit a 30A/B pretty well. Copious amounts of bra's in different styles, and really cheap underwear deals too. Topshop is just everywhere and most stores seem to have a fairly sizeable underwear section, and a 10% student discount.

Love Claudette - Really fun, bright, and cheap bra's that start at a 30A, or 28D in some styles. I find the fit great and the colour combinations of some of the bra's are pretty interesting. Probably some of the cheapest small bra's you can get for good quality, and ships internationally!

Pricey/Luxury:

Mimi Holliday - I have a massive love/hate relationship with Mimi Holliday: their lingerie is some of my favourite in the world, but I'm still mad about them slowly sizing out smaller bra sizes. They used to start at a teeny 28AA, but recently a 28D/30C/32A is pretty the smallest size you're going to find. If you're below these sizes though, ebay is a brilliant place to still source older Mimi Holliday bra's, as long as you don't mind second hand (sometimes they're unworn though!). I've bought four 28C/30B Mimi Holliday bra's from ebay and definitely recommend going that route. Their quality and designs are exceptional, and they ship worldwide.

Lonely Lingerie - Some of the most beautiful and delicate bra's/bralette's ever; I'm desperate to get my hands on more of this stuff, and I think the price is reasonable for the design and quality. They start at a 30A and ship internationally.

Agent Provocateur - Overpriced, inconsistent sizing, and often substandard construction for what they charge, but it's AP, so you've got to buy it! Catch a sale or buy from ebay (there is just tons of AP lingerie, new and used, on ebay or The Outnet), and Agent Provocateur can become totally worth it, and although they don't make a lot of them, their bra's start at a 30B/32A. Their bands run extremely small usually though, so a 32 band is great for a 30 or even 28 girl, and usually people have to size up in AP. Almost all my AP is sourced via ebay, and I've ended up with some of my favourite and nicest fitting bra's.

Ohhh Lulu - An independent etsy store designer that makes some of the cutest bra's ever! General sizing starts at a 26" band, and everything can be custom made for you, so it doesn't matter what your size is. Her stuff isn't cheap, but reasonable and worth it for a custom fit, and you can get cheap bra's and undies in sample sales. Ships Internationally.

Lascivious - They haven't got a huge amount of choice, but their sets are to die for. Starts at a 30B. Expensive but if you love lingerie these bra's are worth it and they're great for small busts. Plus their models (at the time of writing) and very slim compared to other brands. :luv: Ships internationally.



That should plenty of brands, but I have more if anyone wants, though these are my general favourites/most purchased from. Sorry for such a looong post but hopefully it's helpful to the girls on here who struggle finding a bra in anything other than a plain beige or too large! :sorry:
As a fellow lingerie lover, I love you for these links. :inluv:

I for one would be very interested in more shops! At the moment half of my lingerie is from Bradelis, which I love, but I'm looking for more variety.
 
I'm ridiculously into lingerie - when I have spare money the first place I look to splurge is my favourite lingerie brands, and I've seriously considered starting a lingerie blog, although the amount of cookie-cutter lingerie bloggers that have influxed instagram in the last year has put me off.
But alas, being a petite (somewhat) skinny girl has greatly reduced the places I can spend my money, unless I want to go for indie designers who charge $$$. My bra size should be a 26C, but of course that's just not really made anywhere, so I search desperately for the odd 28C/30B, which usually fits fine. Over the last few years though I've still managed to amass quite the collection, so I thought I'd share my favourite places to buy increasingly-rare small bra's, expensive and cheaper, with the assumption this may well help a few people on here - considering the average bust size is likely very small. Some of these have been mentioned before.

Cheaper/Everyday:

Boux Avenue - Pretty cheap for the cute designs, so is my go-to for everyday lingerie. They start at a tiny 28A, and every bra has couple matching underwear set to go with it, and often a suspender belt too. They have a large range of cute bra's even for small busts which is increasingly uncommon, and their stores are becoming really common in the UK - really cute, helpful layout in-store and much nicer and better priced than somewhere like VS. Ships internationally too, and has 10% student discount.

The Little Bra Company - Obviously, they sell little bra's, also starting at a 28A. All the bra's have matching underwear. They're a little pricey for the design, imo, but great fit and quality. I have found, and others seem to agree, that their bands run snug though, so if you're a 26 underbust, The Little Bra Company's 28's should fit great! All their physical stores are in the US though, and although they ship internationally, it's very expensive. 10% student and military discount.

Bluebella - Well priced and cute, interesting designs. They do everything from functional stuff to extravagant looking, for-your-partners-eyes-only, lingerie, and start at a 30A/B. Some of their stuff is reminiscent of Agent Provocateur, but at a fraction of the cost. They regularly have sales and great customer service, ship internationally, and have 20% off student discount.

ASOS - Asos have (fairly) recently started making bra's that start from a 28A, along with supplying everything else under the sun. They have copious amounts of bra's, especially the strappy kind if you're keen on that. Most of the designs are knock-off's of high end designers, so you can find a more reasonably priced underwear set here. As it's ASOS though, quality is somewhat low to reflect the price, but still perfectly nice. International shipping and 10% student discount.

Topshop - Topshop normally start at a 32A, but sometimes do a 30B, although some styles in 32A can fit a 30A/B pretty well. Copious amounts of bra's in different styles, and really cheap underwear deals too. Topshop is just everywhere and most stores seem to have a fairly sizeable underwear section, and a 10% student discount.

Love Claudette - Really fun, bright, and cheap bra's that start at a 30A, or 28D in some styles. I find the fit great and the colour combinations of some of the bra's are pretty interesting. Probably some of the cheapest small bra's you can get for good quality, and ships internationally!

Pricey/Luxury:

Mimi Holliday - I have a massive love/hate relationship with Mimi Holliday: their lingerie is some of my favourite in the world, but I'm still mad about them slowly sizing out smaller bra sizes. They used to start at a teeny 28AA, but recently a 28D/30C/32A is pretty the smallest size you're going to find. If you're below these sizes though, ebay is a brilliant place to still source older Mimi Holliday bra's, as long as you don't mind second hand (sometimes they're unworn though!). I've bought four 28C/30B Mimi Holliday bra's from ebay and definitely recommend going that route. Their quality and designs are exceptional, and they ship worldwide.

Lonely Lingerie - Some of the most beautiful and delicate bra's/bralette's ever; I'm desperate to get my hands on more of this stuff, and I think the price is reasonable for the design and quality. They start at a 30A and ship internationally.

Agent Provocateur - Overpriced, inconsistent sizing, and often substandard construction for what they charge, but it's AP, so you've got to buy it! Catch a sale or buy from ebay (there is just tons of AP lingerie, new and used, on ebay or The Outnet), and Agent Provocateur can become totally worth it, and although they don't make a lot of them, their bra's start at a 30B/32A. Their bands run extremely small usually though, so a 32 band is great for a 30 or even 28 girl, and usually people have to size up in AP. Almost all my AP is sourced via ebay, and I've ended up with some of my favourite and nicest fitting bra's.

Ohhh Lulu - An independent etsy store designer that makes some of the cutest bra's ever! General sizing starts at a 26" band, and everything can be custom made for you, so it doesn't matter what your size is. Her stuff isn't cheap, but reasonable and worth it for a custom fit, and you can get cheap bra's and undies in sample sales. Ships Internationally.

Lascivious - They haven't got a huge amount of choice, but their sets are to die for. Starts at a 30B. Expensive but if you love lingerie these bra's are worth it and they're great for small busts. Plus their models (at the time of writing) and very slim compared to other brands. :luv: Ships internationally.



That should plenty of brands, but I have more if anyone wants, though these are my general favourites/most purchased from. Sorry for such a looong post but hopefully it's helpful to the girls on here who struggle finding a bra in anything other than a plain beige or too large! :sorry:


Wow thanks! I really like Lonely Lingerie :) Except... those photos of Lena are such a huge turn off....

My favorite is Only Hearts. They mostly have thin lacy bras with no padding. Also, their sizing is S. M. L which makes it so much easier for me.
 
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Lonely Lingerie just gave me cancer.
It be one thing if they just choose "normal" girls [who all happen to be sneering] but boasting their 'body positive' as well. Right.
TIL body positivity is not doing yoga or going for a jog but getting tattoos and having naked (or mostly) pictures of yourself :mclap::slutboobs:.

No La Perla mention? :shy:
 
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Lonely Lingerie just gave me cancer.
It be one thing if they just choose "normal" girls [who all happen to be sneering] but boasting their 'body positive' as well. Right.
TIL body positivity is not doing yoga or going for a jog but getting tattoos and having naked (or mostly) pictures of yourself :mclap::slutboobs:.

No La Perla mention? :shy:

Fat chicks are taking over the lingerie community atm in the name of body positivity and 'being inclusive'. So many brands are using fat-ass models now so plus-size womenz will buy their stuff. :( It's one of the reasons I haven't bothered making a lingerie based blog; they don't wanna see 'skinny bitches' as much anymore. :eyeroll:


(As for La Perla, I have only 1 La Perla bra that I grabbed because it was a sweet deal - so beautiful but their overall style is probably a little older and mature than my generally uber-girly frilly taste, hence why I stick with AP. Fifi is a dream to me:luv:)
 
Speaking of La Perla, Sasha Luss is in the FW campaign :luvluv:
large-1464251784-a7a4ba55ae87f34f6b6d787fd1c06940.jpg

Slightly OT there, but anyway, I'm glad my post might have helped some of you guys!
 
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I loved reading this thread. I've been looking for some nice lingerie lately but I didn't know where to start :shame: Lately I've been wearing nipple covers from Pinky Petals! They're adhesive and reusable. I like them a lot because they're so easy to put on, you never get bra lines in your shirts, and you get the feeling of not wearing a bra :grin:
 
I love Pinky Petals! They make wearing strappy singlets so much less of a hassle :luv: I am also in love with Intimo Lingerie. My mum had an Intimo party at our house a few years ago and made me go but I'm so glad I did. I still have the two crazy expensive bras I bought that day and even though my boobs will always look small, they definitely perk them up a little. http://www.intimo.com.au/
 
This is a small tangent but I didn't want to make a new thread.

Where do you guys go to get your bra fitted? I went to Nordstrom(and some small boutique Zoyo?) and they measured me at 30 DD. However when I wear bras I feel super uncomfortable and have back pains.
During the summer time I just go bra-less and or wear nippies, but it's getting cold.

Help? :sorry:
 
This is a small tangent but I didn't want to make a new thread.

Where do you guys go to get your bra fitted? I went to Nordstrom(and some small boutique Zoyo?) and they measured me at 30 DD. However when I wear bras I feel super uncomfortable and have back pains.
During the summer time I just go bra-less and or wear nippies, but it's getting cold.

Help? :sorry:
Hm, possibly try finding a bra alterations place near you. There's one not too far from where I am and the woman there measures you, then she will either custom order a bra for you, or "fix" one of yours or one she sells, to perfectly fit you.
 
Hm, possibly try finding a bra alterations place near you. There's one not too far from where I am and the woman there measures you, then she will either custom order a bra for you, or "fix" one of yours or one she sells, to perfectly fit you.

Thanks, that's a good idea. I'll have to look into it. I wonder if the regular alternation places have this option. :)
 
Intimissimi's bras are so comfortable and cute, they fit very well and are pretty too. Still, La Perla is a serious favorite of mine, it's the kind of lingerie that makes you feel like a princess :)
 
This might sound funny but I swear by Aerie bralettes via American Eagle Outfitters: https://www.ae.com/aerie/aerie/s-cms/4840006?cm=sCA-cCAD&navdetail=mega:cat6610030

This summer, I stopped wearing bras with wires except for special occasions/work demands, and thought I would just resort to never wearing bras again, as there were no beautiful feminine bras without wires. And then I discovered Aerie.

I always read the reviews before ordering as sometimes the x-smalls aren't small enough, depending on the style (aka any halter bras!).

But they are incredible!! So feminine, can make my breasts look bigger or smaller depending on the style I choose, and I have received SO many compliments on my bras when wearing them underneath tank tops.
 
Ok, sorry for bumping this old thread but I was hoping someone could recommend a good bra with no underwire because they always dig into my sternum. Not a bralette - memory foam or whatever it is.

My measurements are roughly 26 under bust and 29 bust and I wear whatever even remotely fits that I can find in the store - usually a 32A or 32B padded bra which is still too big in both the cup and band, however, underwires will still dig painfully into my sternum when something is tight (but still not tight enough to actually fit).

I tape the the bras so they are not as painful, but am looking for advice on brands etc. I do not want to order online something that I cannot try on in store first (bought 4 previously that didn't fit). I'm not looking to spend a gazillion $$$ either. I want a padded bra because I am usually on the colder side and don't want anything poking out, but I'm not looking for something unnatural.

Sorry for being difficult but I figured people here will hopefully have been in the same boat and hopefully found a solution.
Whoops, I just saw that you said "not a bralette" - Just did a bit of a generous rave on Aerie bralettes below. Sorry if not helpful. Know they also have created some more "bra-like" unwired bras as well. Hope you find a perfect fit :)
 
Ok, sorry for bumping this old thread but I was hoping someone could recommend a good bra with no underwire because they always dig into my sternum. Not a bralette - memory foam or whatever it is.

My measurements are roughly 26 under bust and 29 bust and I wear whatever even remotely fits that I can find in the store - usually a 32A or 32B padded bra which is still too big in both the cup and band, however, underwires will still dig painfully into my sternum when something is tight (but still not tight enough to actually fit).

I tape the the bras so they are not as painful, but am looking for advice on brands etc. I do not want to order online something that I cannot try on in store first (bought 4 previously that didn't fit). I'm not looking to spend a gazillion $$$ either. I want a padded bra because I am usually on the colder side and don't want anything poking out, but I'm not looking for something unnatural.

Sorry for being difficult but I figured people here will hopefully have been in the same boat and hopefully found a solution.

I usually hate VS bras, but their original Lounge Bra is perfect. Lightly Lined so not a bralette and it has soft wiring so it gives some shape. I find it really comfy for college. I'm slightly pigeon chested so balcony bras are awful to me. I'm usually ok with plunge bras though, even with wiring! Because the wire sits under the breast bone! Hope this helps x
 
This thread is so great with all of your recommendations. I am so close to just using those X tapes on my boobs because all bras I am trying on make my boobs look worse than they naturally are.