Unicorn bras needed
March 1, 2015 4:17 PM Subscribe
I am in my sister’s wedding this summer, and need a bra recommendation.
I am in my sister’s wedding this summer - hooray! We found a dress at David’s that doesn’t look terrible on me - hooray! And I need a unicorn of bras for it.
This is the dress. This is me in the front of the dress. As you can see, I am a fairly chesty person, so going without or just getting cups sewn in is not an option; I need support. I don’t need a strapless bra necessarily, but I do need a longline backless bra to fit a large person (I wear a 40 to 42 C or D normally, depending on the bra, and have 50 inch hips).
I am skeptical of those stick on bra things, but am ready to be convinced by other people with large chests if they’ve worked for you.
I think I’m going to need an actual bra store where I can take in the dress and try it on over bras until I find something that works, so I come to you all seeking recommendations. I’m in Greensboro, NC and willing to drive anywhere between Winston, Raleigh, and Charlotte. I will also be in the Dallas area this summer before the wedding, as well as in Indianapolis in May and Baltimore in April. Does anyone have recommendations for real bra stores in any of these places that is likely to carry something that will work for me?
Thanks!
(My wife has, mostly jokingly, suggested duct tape. I have suggested that if she wants to get anywhere that weekend, that we not speak of the duct tape suggestion again. :) )
I am in my sister’s wedding this summer - hooray! We found a dress at David’s that doesn’t look terrible on me - hooray! And I need a unicorn of bras for it.
This is the dress. This is me in the front of the dress. As you can see, I am a fairly chesty person, so going without or just getting cups sewn in is not an option; I need support. I don’t need a strapless bra necessarily, but I do need a longline backless bra to fit a large person (I wear a 40 to 42 C or D normally, depending on the bra, and have 50 inch hips).
I am skeptical of those stick on bra things, but am ready to be convinced by other people with large chests if they’ve worked for you.
I think I’m going to need an actual bra store where I can take in the dress and try it on over bras until I find something that works, so I come to you all seeking recommendations. I’m in Greensboro, NC and willing to drive anywhere between Winston, Raleigh, and Charlotte. I will also be in the Dallas area this summer before the wedding, as well as in Indianapolis in May and Baltimore in April. Does anyone have recommendations for real bra stores in any of these places that is likely to carry something that will work for me?
Thanks!
(My wife has, mostly jokingly, suggested duct tape. I have suggested that if she wants to get anywhere that weekend, that we not speak of the duct tape suggestion again. :) )
(Male.) My busty wife and busty daughter have had luck at Soma. (The Shops at Friendly Center appears to be your closest store.)
You might also look at the "Goddess Women's Lace Bustier Bra" which was recommended here.
posted by blob at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might also look at the "Goddess Women's Lace Bustier Bra" which was recommended here.
posted by blob at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have given up on finding a low-back bra that fits properly and I use cheap bra strap converters instead for the occasional bridesmaid or other dress that needs a bit of help. It's neither as comfortable (tends to dig in to the belly fat) nor as secure as a proper bra, but it is available as a solution of last resort. As is tape.
posted by mskyle at 4:55 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 4:55 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
That dress is very nice and the blue looks great with your coloring!
I'm busty, too, and I'm thinking you don't want to be distracted by thoughts of whether your undergarments are doing what they should, whether they need to be adjusted, etc. I suggest that whatever solution you choose, you wear it for several hours ahead of time.
When I first looked at the back of the dress, I thought of having a dressmaker add fabric, either draping it along the existing scoop, or as a flat panel with a straight or curved upper edge. (You could use a contrasting color -- it doesn't have to match.) You could then wear a supportive bra and not have to worry about it showing. Also, she/he can sow a loop of ribbon under each shoulder area to make the bra straps line up under the fabric of the dress. Usually these loops will have snaps or Velcro to keep them closed.
If the front of the dress is too low, a small triangle of lace or other fabric will hide your bra.
posted by wryly at 5:19 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm busty, too, and I'm thinking you don't want to be distracted by thoughts of whether your undergarments are doing what they should, whether they need to be adjusted, etc. I suggest that whatever solution you choose, you wear it for several hours ahead of time.
When I first looked at the back of the dress, I thought of having a dressmaker add fabric, either draping it along the existing scoop, or as a flat panel with a straight or curved upper edge. (You could use a contrasting color -- it doesn't have to match.) You could then wear a supportive bra and not have to worry about it showing. Also, she/he can sow a loop of ribbon under each shoulder area to make the bra straps line up under the fabric of the dress. Usually these loops will have snaps or Velcro to keep them closed.
If the front of the dress is too low, a small triangle of lace or other fabric will hide your bra.
posted by wryly at 5:19 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nordstrom, Nordstrom, Nordstrom. There's one in Durham at Southpoint; there might be one closer somewhere in Greensboro. They have some lower backed longlines/bustiers that might work.
posted by damayanti at 5:26 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by damayanti at 5:26 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I went to a bridal shop (in NY, I think?) when I needed a specific bra to wear under my wedding dress (strapless and kind of backless). Honest to God, the lady LOOKED at me and pulled something out of a drawer that worked perfectly. I'd suggest taking the dress to a shop like that - I bought my dress at David's too, and they might have even suggested a "full service bridal shop", now that I think of it.
posted by ersatzkat at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ersatzkat at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
I love, love, love my local bra store. I'm a 42J/53" hips and they found things - pretty things! - that fit me. They also deal in all the stuff you don't normally see in department stores - bras for every type of dress, maternity for larger women, masectomy, etc. The one I go to is a very body-positive place, too, regardless of your size. My 28AAA friend is just in love with it as I am. I'm in the Detroit area, though, so it's going to be about 4 hours one way from Indianapolis :(
I wouldn't go with the stick on cups - I wouldn't have felt secure in them, even back when I was a 40D.
The dress is lovely and I love the blue.
posted by RogueTech at 12:52 AM on March 2, 2015
I wouldn't go with the stick on cups - I wouldn't have felt secure in them, even back when I was a 40D.
The dress is lovely and I love the blue.
posted by RogueTech at 12:52 AM on March 2, 2015
Can't help with the bra (wrong continent) but I can confirm that you are correct, stick on bras do absolutely nothing, so don't waste time or money trying them out.
Those bra-strap extenders work surprisingly well, or those 1950s longline bras are often pretty low-cut in the back. You need a decent bra shop with lots of choices to actually try on though.
posted by tinkletown at 1:19 AM on March 2, 2015
Those bra-strap extenders work surprisingly well, or those 1950s longline bras are often pretty low-cut in the back. You need a decent bra shop with lots of choices to actually try on though.
posted by tinkletown at 1:19 AM on March 2, 2015
Nordstrom.
And yeah those sticky things don't work if you are larger than a B (and even then it's dicey).
posted by radioamy at 7:37 AM on March 2, 2015
And yeah those sticky things don't work if you are larger than a B (and even then it's dicey).
posted by radioamy at 7:37 AM on March 2, 2015
If you're up for a jaunt from Baltimore, the Dor-Ne Corset Shoppe in Silver Spring, MD (just barely north of the DC border) is the place to go in these parts (if you have those parts, which I don't).
posted by fedward at 9:40 AM on March 2, 2015
posted by fedward at 9:40 AM on March 2, 2015
Whatever specialty bra store you go to, take the dress with you; this will help the fitter a lot. At the one I go to in LA, there's always at least two women in there with dresses they need unicorn bras to get into. That kind of shop fits everyone from AAAA cups to JJ, mastectomy bras… they will totally be able to handle this.
Re: stick-on-bra-things: laughably bad.
Re: duct tape — duct tape is for amateurs. Gaffers tape is the way to go for those last minute sartorial mishaps like poking bra wires, slipping straps, and sticking fabric to your skin without ripping it off.
posted by culfinglin at 1:52 PM on March 2, 2015
Re: stick-on-bra-things: laughably bad.
Re: duct tape — duct tape is for amateurs. Gaffers tape is the way to go for those last minute sartorial mishaps like poking bra wires, slipping straps, and sticking fabric to your skin without ripping it off.
posted by culfinglin at 1:52 PM on March 2, 2015
Are you sure that you're in the right bra size? Have you been professionally fitted at a small bra shop or Nordstrom? (Victoria's Secret doesn't count.) My first thought looking at your photos was that the back of your bra is riding up, because the dress itself doesn't seem TOO low-cut in the back when compared to your armpits. Of course you might still need some special unicorn attachments/bra styles, but I'd first try getting a bra in the correct band size that will. not. budge. from perfectly horizontal with the bottom of your breasts.
posted by serelliya at 5:43 PM on March 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by serelliya at 5:43 PM on March 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Beautiful dress and color! I am of similar build and slightly larger booby-ness than you, and I actually found that the only place that sold longline bras in anything approaching my size was David's Bridal (which looks like where you were anyway, going by the decor). I tried Soma, I tried Nordstrom, and the answer in both places was a politely-phrased "what size? wait, longline? lolno." Even places like Lane Bryant/Cacique just started shaking their heads when I got to the "longline" part. David's Bridal, on the other hand, didn't so much as blink before whipping out three choices. They're not fantastically luxurious or sexy, but they fit.
Longline bras ain't fun, though, and before I went for one of those with a dress of your style (it's so close to wearable-with-normal-bra!), I'd try wrly's suggestion first: find a seamstress, present the dress and a comfortable bra, and say "I want to be able to wear this under this without messing up the style too much. Can we tweak something to make that possible?" At my totally-not-a-seamstress glance, it looks like that back drape could be pulled together slightly higher (if you need extra material to pull it off, David's Bridal is usually happy to sell you some of those swatch squares they give out) or the non-drape zipper part built up slightly higher. You might even be able to just safety pin the drape to the back of a normal bra without altering the dress, if there's enough material there that it still hangs drapily.
posted by Hold your seahorses at 6:51 PM on March 4, 2015
Longline bras ain't fun, though, and before I went for one of those with a dress of your style (it's so close to wearable-with-normal-bra!), I'd try wrly's suggestion first: find a seamstress, present the dress and a comfortable bra, and say "I want to be able to wear this under this without messing up the style too much. Can we tweak something to make that possible?" At my totally-not-a-seamstress glance, it looks like that back drape could be pulled together slightly higher (if you need extra material to pull it off, David's Bridal is usually happy to sell you some of those swatch squares they give out) or the non-drape zipper part built up slightly higher. You might even be able to just safety pin the drape to the back of a normal bra without altering the dress, if there's enough material there that it still hangs drapily.
posted by Hold your seahorses at 6:51 PM on March 4, 2015
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posted by belau at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2015