Busting for your perfect fit?

After the unpredictability of the last two years our lives, routines and bodies have changed. We caught up with the founders of Brava Lingerie to talk about the importance of bra fitting if you’re over a D cup.

What inspired you to create Brava?
Before Brava, we shared a dream of being able to walk into a lingerie store and not be treated like a problem because they didn’t cater to our cup size. We’ve both been blessed with a fuller bust and had a basic desire to wear beautiful, uplifting, well-fitted bras and sought to provide a solution where once there was none.

Since opening Brava 15 years ago we have curated the best of the best: lingerie and swimwear brands who design specifically (and not just as an afterthought) for women with fuller busts. Even now, we are the only exclusively D cup & up lingerie chain in Australia with stores in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane

Our very experienced and compassionate D Cup & Up bra fitters fit by eye, that’s right, no tape measures - ever.  Brava bra fitters have a superpower, they know your size by sight.

We believe that if our lingerie fits (and doesn’t dig, cut, bite or name-call), it has the power to make us feel confident and more accepting of our bodies, which already do so much for us with so little thanks.  Our speciality is bra fitting for D cup and up, the major stores can help with the A-DD cup woman but there are an addition 9 cup sizes beyond the DD which they are not well prepared for. Curvier women need to feel supported and to know there is a wide range of beautiful bras created for her.

Our brands are mostly from Europe, where there is a strong lingerie history, they are thoroughly tested by us and released after wear testing by our enthusiastic team. The wide size range is vital and whether the customer wants wirefree, moulded, plunge or smooth or perhaps maternity or sports bras, we are in the best position to help them. The right bra correctly fitted can be lifechanging, we hear this from customers constantly.

Our customers are diverse with one thing in common, they are D cup or above:

Our customer may be a 13 year old girl who is anxious about her body changes, shes not playing sport because she is uncomfortable about her developing breasts.

Shopping for nursing bras can be overwhelming because every pregnancy is different. Our team have extensive training to ensure the health and comfort issues are covered during this amazing life changing time.
Our GG – KK cup customers cannot find their size at other lingerie boutiques or department stores. Wearing the wrong size can set them up for neck, should and back pain.

Fuller busted women need support in swimwear the same as they have in a bra. Swimwear in bra sizes is crucial to feeling supported, uplifted and stylish.

How often should women get a bra fitting?
We suggest on average women get a bra fitting every 12 months, or if you’ve had any body changes such as pregnancy, weight gain or loss, or going through menopause. Therefore, we suggest if your bras are not feeling comfortable it may be time to get a fitting as we venture back into our everyday lives.

An ill-fitting bra is not only a nuisance, but it can actually be harmful to your health. Leading physicians at the National Institute of Health made the correlation between ill-fitting bras and increased back, neck and shoulder pain. And at Brava, one of the most common problems our bra fitters hear is women with back pain and headaches. In fact 57% of women experiencing back pain often have relief when they start wearing the right fitted bra!

How can I tell if I’m wearing the wrong size or style?
We can not stress this enough; a bra should not be uncomfortable! Women who have a larger bust have become accustomed to ill fitting bras as so many stores simply don’t cater to sizes larger than a D Cup. Here are our quick tips to determine if you’re in the wrong size or style:

1. Your back band is riding up
2. Your breasts are either spilling out of the cup or there is gaping in the fabric
3. You’re continually adjusting yourself
4. You want to rip it off at the end of the day
5. You don’t feel secure
6. Your shoulder straps are digging in

Our message to women over a D cup! Get fitted by a specialty fuller bust fitter like Brava.