Boobs, I mean, Bras, and the eternal frustration

it would appear so

I had kinda thought they would be on top of their bra game but I guess I thought wrong

The only game Lane Bryant's on top of is the "let's exploit the fact that we're the only brick and mortar store with plus sizes in this mall and charge insane prices for crap clothes" game or maybe the "putting plastic rhinestones on shirts" game.

Sorry. Feeling bitter about LB today it seems!

no that's basically otm

my positive LB anecdote: i got a pair of jeans there once that were flattering and well-made with no plastic rhinestones.

I buy underwear there, the fuckers.

their boy short underpants cover my badonk in a flattering manner

omg
if you thought shopping for bras was super-fun-times just try shopping for maternity bras!!!
the frustration! the bewilderment! the 'room to grow'!

O!T!M!

It's equally boggling when you're nursing. I though I had it figured out then my boobs got a cup size bigger and ruined my plans.

Anyway, I don't know your boobs but here's what worked for me ("worked" - for almost all of these I had to go up a band size to get the biggest available cup size, which is still one smaller than I really need but that is the dire state of "plus size nursing bras" so one makes due.)

I stayed in my Elomi Hermione bra for as long as I could because the cups have a little stretch. Then when the underwire started driving me crazy I bought two cheap grandma bras that were actually too big but I figured I looked pregnant enough to get away with a dumpy bra. Then I bought a couple of Bravado nursing tanks - http://www.bravadodesigns.com/mobile/the-essential-nursing-tank - which I highly recommend. I still wear them even though with my now bigger boobs they are a little risqué.

Although it's a little small for me, this is the first bra I bought after Ivy was born because I needed a nursing bra ASAP and this was the closest my size available in the store (that proudly advertised nursing bras up to a J cup but whatever I'm over it). It's so soft and lovely for sleeping or if you just can't deal with a more structured bra: http://www.bravadodesigns.com/mobile/the-body-silk-seamless-nursing-bra

After that initial emergency purchase, I bought three of these and have pretty much lived in them - http://www.bravadodesigns.com/mobile/the-original-nursing-bra-double-plus-style. I also put those bitches right in the dryer because especially at first, I was leaking like a sprinkler and didn't have time to let them air dry, and they've held up really well. Supportive, comfortable, tough. Just wish they came in my actual size. Sigh.

This is my "work bra" - http://m.barenecessities.com/goddess-keira-nursing-3-part-cup-wire-free-bra-gd6092_product.htm?pf_id=GoddessGD6092. It actually makes me look like I'm wearing a proper bra and is very comfortable. My only beef is the clips are hard as fuck to open. And it doesn't come in black. But it's a great non-underwire, socially acceptable bra.

I just bought this one in a bigger size to deal with my surprise cup increase and I like it a lot. Still comfortable but a little more supportive than the others. If definitely doesn't give me a lifted and separated silhouette but I can't quite bring myself to care - http://www.bravadodesigns.com/mobile/the-essential-embrace-nursing-bra

If your bra size is compatible, I would buy a couple of those heavenly soft Bravado bras for sleeping/lounging now and to use for nursing (if that's your plan) in the early days until your breasts settle into a size. For work etc, I would buy the cheapest bra that is comfortable/meets your aesthetic needs in your current size knowing you'll probably have to buy a bigger one in a couple of months.

Thanks so much! I hadn't heard of the Bravado ones but they look brilliant and they even have stockists near me.
I have always been small of frame but despite below-to-now-average-sized boobs I got measured yesterday at a usually 'trusted' good old English institution and I am too big for their range of regular non-wired ones, leaving just a couple of awful maternity ones, which I don't need yet so will look at later on. So far I need to go up one band size and one cup size (or down at least one or two depending on the brand, argh) but no idea how much that will change...

Those bravado bras come with a back extender, too!

Josie Natori bras are a favorite. The more expensive brands offer underwire-free minimizers - important if you're endowed and want a smooth line for office blouses. I live in a large city, perhaps it is much more difficult to get the right bra if you don't. I take this stuff for granted. Online I'd order from a major department store.

For active and leisure wear I'd stick with the cheaper knock-offs. Even Target has a nice selection for 10-12 USD a pop.

i take back my recommendation of true&co. i never wear any of the goddamn 4 bras i have wasted money on from them that are their inhouse brand (the only one i wear is panache's andorra bra, but it's lacy and only looks good under bulky sweaters - it's comfy but gives that kind of pointy fifties shape). all the straps are too long, or rather too short - you can't shorten them very far, they stretch out and the claspy thing to shorten them doens't stay in place for more than an hour.

i've been wearing this ugly nude bra from fantasie, that is greying and hideous but at least fits completely properly and hasn't stretched out in the 2 years or so i think i've had it. i finally caved and bought another one - same utilitarian lightly lightly lined style but in TEAL and also a wacoal bra in red which is super comfy. altho the model looks weird in it, like it's too small - it definitely is more separating than on her.

this looks like some kind of strange above clothing rope-based boob hoisting apparatus
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Dagestan_Mounatain_Jew_1870-1880._Alexandre_Roinashvili._Tbilisi_History_Museum_Collection.jpg

seems to be working for her.

have you ever seen anything like that? i never had. that's why i posted it. i was GISing Dagestani people and enjoying their traditional costumes when i saw this unusual boob hoist.

boob pulley

Modern version here - https://breastnest.com/

I own one of those. It's pretty dang comfortable, although I wouldn't wear it out of the house.

i think you should totally wear it out of the house! if men can walk around with their shirts totally off, we can enjoy the comfort of a breast nest on a casual weekend morning.

I feel you, and I agree, but I'm not there yet. Give me a few more years.

lol ok
i feel like walking around with no shirt on is the ultimate male privilege
equality now!

I think many men would not have a problem seeing topless ladies in public for free tbh

yeah that's true but i just get envious sometimes
then i feel disgusted when i think about anyone seeing me and it pisses me off because i have to see topless men all the time in the summer

It would certainly do a lot to normalize women's bodies if god's great diversity of boobage was regularly on display.

That Breastnest looks like an awesome alternative to Decent Exposures.

It would certainly do a lot to normalize women's bodies if god's great diversity of boobage was regularly on display.
yes! that's how i feel whenever i go to a women's-only spa/sauna

i need to buy a pretty nursing bra asap. the two i have are fine but so plain. i miss my pretty bras.

I went looking for nursing bras today, to no avail. Living in 'sleep bras' atm WHICH IS IRONIC, RIGHT GUYS

I'm finally done pumping and wore a regular underwire for the first time in a loooong time on Thursday and it was weird.

bought and wore my first strapless bra to a semi-formal thingy & it worked super awesome! stayed up & i didn't have to hitch one time the whole night.
it comes with removable straps and I was travelling so I ended up having to wear the same bra the next day.

for 'traction' I guess, it has rubber stripping inside it, around the band top and bottom.
I felt the bra starting to dig just behind the underwire by mid afternoon, and by the time I took it off that night it was def hurting but I was too tired to investigate

today after showering I noticed red marks in those spots where the bra had started hurting...part of the rubber had rubbed the skin completely raw :(

soooo the moral of the story is that this is a super awesome bra to wear for maybe 5 hours at a time. great job everybody.

i feel like i have so many 5 hour bras

I need new bras but I'm not sure whether my size is going to change now that I'm down to nursing once/day. My nursing bras are all shot to shit, my regular underwire bras are too small in the cup (they cause the dreaded quad boob!). I don't know man. I really just want two or three work-at-home bras but I can't even find those in my size (most "leisure bras" top out at a G cup, if that, and I'm something closer to an I).

Sigh. The eternal frustration indeed.

it all just sucks
even at the plus size stores they seem to display tons of "average" C cup sizes but once you're looking for anything bigger than D there's hardly anything idgi

bras are the worst

I kept thinking and thinking about the breastnest and finally got one. It is totally great, so comfortable. Better than any leisure bra I've ever owned.

Oh great! I love it for sleeping/extreme lounging.

It is perfect for a lazing around weekend day - kitchen puttering etc.

Vasquez fron Aliens has a pair (lol) of bra boutiques in the Los Angeles area.

http://www.jenettebras.com/about

^ learned this via her interview on the I Was There Too podcast.

omg after searching for too long for new bras for my post-baby boobs, and continuing to wear a couple of my too-small bras (i quit with the nursing bras a while ago), i finally found two great ones yesterday - Walcoal, not ugly but not gorgeous either, not ultra-stupid-padded, and on super sale at a department store.
It's basically a miracle.

Wacoal i mean obv

i love wacoal

i really can't stand wearing underwire bras this summer. it's too fucking hot. anyone recommend bralettes or softcup bras that have a enough coverage for big boobs? i don't really care about having a lot of support, just something to wear under a top so they're not flopping round willy-nilly.

there are ads in the subway for strapless backless bras

is that feasible

Not with my boobs, that's for sure

they generally don't make those bras in big sizes - they rely on adhesive, mookie! the more boob-weight you have sitting in them, the less likely they are to hold up.

i wore one with my wedding dress, and it was a terrifying experience

There's also something this:

http://s3.weddbook.com/t4/2/3/3/2334267/1980s-valmont-white-lace-bustier-strapless-long-line-bra-underwire-backless-demi-cup-34b.jpg

But I'm guessing that's not what's being advertised on the subway.

There's the panties equivalent of the strapless backless bra and NO THANK YOU

http://d.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/slideshow_large/slideshow/2014/02/3026255-slide-shibue-strapless-panties-4.jpg

was hoping magnets were involved, but thanks for the wisdom

omg those panties!

"here's a fabric spatula. go ahead"