The Best Bras For Big Boobs

By Ellen Hoffman

Here’s a shopping truth: Finding bras that are both supportive and stylish is trickier when your breasts are a DD cup or higher. Seeing that as a challenge rather than a sad fact of life, we went straight to the bra-fit experts at Panache, ThirdLove, Wacoal, and Eveden to find the most comfortable, flattering, and fashion-forward intimates in sizes starting at DD.

A successful search starts with fit. According to Wacoal’s national consultant manager Dawn Kenney, “Bras should never be uncomfortable. However, many women — especially full-busted women — associate wearing a bra with pain.” If you’re in this group, it’s possible you’ve got the wrong size. Straps that slide, underwires that dig in, and anything else causing you discomfort “are indications that it may be time for a professional bra fitting,” explains Kennedy. Be honest, when’s the last time you had one of those?

You may be surprised to learn the only real difference between busty chests and A to D cups “is their need for a larger cup capacity,” says Kenney — all of the regular fit rules still apply. So, go ahead and take a good, long look in the mirror. If your bra doesn’t adhere to the rules below, helpfully outlined for us by Kenney and Freddy Zappe, Eveden’s fit specialist — then you’re not getting your best possible fit.

1. The center front of your bra (the gore) lies flat against your breastbone.
2. The underwire (if your bra has it) sits behind your breast tissue and not on top of it, ensuring full support.
3. There is no spillage over your cups whatsoever.
4. The bra’s band lies level across your chest and back; it doesn’t ride up.

Once you’ve crossed the fit hurdle, bra shopping won’t feel nearly as cumbersome, but finding styles and silhouettes that aren’t awfully boring or dowdy can still pose a bit of a challenge. Well, we’re here to show that it’s not an insurmountable one. We’ve pulled 20 gorgeous, functional bras made by brands that cater specifically to the DD-plus crowd. Keep reading if you’re ready to bust a move.

Related: 25 Real Photos Of Women’s Breasts (NSFW)

Full-Coverage Bras
The good news is that many brands (like Panache, Le Mystère, Elomi, Triumph, Freya, Fantasie, Wacoal, and Simone Perele) are “committed to designing innovative, fashionable bras for D-plus cup sizes that truly lift and support,” says Panache’s national sales director Kay-Lin Richardson. ThirdLove’s vice president of design Ra’el Cohen adds that, “if done right, full-coverage bras can be made with gorgeous, supportive fabrics that are every bit as dainty as bras with less coverage.” Her pro tip? “Straps and elastics don’t always have to be super-wide to work for your bust. When higher quality (and more supportive) elastics and straps are used they can be narrower and more delicate.”

Full-Coverage Bras
Even if you have a bra you love, you may not be taking full advantage of its features. Take your constantly slipping straps, for example — it might not be the bra’s fault, but, instead, how you’re wearing it. Cohen advises tightening the straps. “It seems obvious, but as we wear a bra, the straps start to stretch out. If that doesn’t work, it might be time to explore a different bra style.”

“Usually, full-coverage, demi, and convertible bras have the narrowest set straps which helps to keep them on your shoulders,” the fit expert continues. “Meanwhile, balconette and plunge bras tend to have wider-set straps, so if you have narrow or sloping shoulders, the strap issue can be exaggerated in these styles.”

Need a refresher on bra types? We’ve got you.

Panache Andorra Bra, $62, available at Bare Necessities.

Full-Coverage Bras
“When you buy a bra, the band should be tight on the loosest hook. That way, as it stretches [with wear], you can continue to tighten the band,” says Cohen. The Triumph bra shown here is available up to a size 38H online.

Triumph Beauty-Full Icon Padded Bra, $48.50, available at Triumph.

Related: 5 Easy Ways To #FreeTheNipple When It’s Freezing Outside

Full-Coverage Bras
A perfect everyday essential, this full cup balcony bra is available up to a size G.

Freya Rio UW Balcony Bra, $42.70, available at House of Fraser.

Full-Coverage Bras
“No one talks about it, but boob sweat is a real problem for women — especially women with large busts,” explains Cohen. An easy fix is to “ditch traditional foam cups and try breathable spacer foam.” She tells us it’s the latest in foam technology: “It’s silky smooth, thin, and supportive, but the best feature is its natural breathability.” Cohen recommends ThirdLove’s feather light spacer bra, which is offered in cup sizes A to G (DDDD). For a little something extra, we’re eyeing the lace options.

ThirdLove Lace Full Coverage, $68, available at ThirdLove.

Full-Coverage Bras
Catering not only to bigger busts, but plus sizes, too, Elomi bras offer extended cup sizes and band widths. You can shop the brand at Nordstrom, ASOS, Bare Necessities, and Evans.

Elomi Blush Pink Betty Bra, $75, available at Evans.

Related: An Exhaustive, Comprehensive, Conclusive Review Of Boob Tape

Strapless Bras
It’s a common misconception that women with full busts can’t wear strapless bras — or won’t feel fully supported without straps. The experts we talked to beg to differ. Zappe told us that many of the brands under Eveden (this includes Freya, Elomi, and Fantasie) sell strapless styles in up to a K cup. “Each bra is only available in the sizes that it can support,” she adds, so if a strapless doesn’t come in a size K, that means it wouldn’t do a good enough job supporting women who wear that size. (This is true of any style of bra, not just those sans straps.)

Cohen also explained that, “a bra’s straps should not be doing the heavy lifting. The bra band should be doing most of the work.” If you have issues with straps digging in, then “chances are, your band is too big or has stretched out to the point that you’re not getting the support you deserve.” She suggests buying one band size smaller.

Strapless Bras
Strapless outfits can be daunting for full cups, but this Fantasie bra may just be the answer. Offered up to a G cup, it has a wide band (with boning), convertible straps, and smooth molding for the best possible support.

Fantasie of England Smoothing Seamless Strapless Bra, $69, available at Journelle.

Strapless Bras
Silicone strips in the back give this plunging strapless extra hold — making tricky dress silhouettes a stressor of the past.

Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Lace Bra, $54.89, available at House of Fraser.

Related: How To Dress When You’ve Got Big Boobs

Strapless Bras
According to Kenney, “Wacoal’s Red Carpet Strapless Bra shown here (it comes with detachable straps) is a customer favorite, sized up to an H cup.” The proof is in its glowing customer reviews.

Wacoal Red Carpet Strapless Full Busted Underwire Bra, $60, available at Wacoal.

Strapless Bras
Le Mystere’s strapless bra goes up to a 40-inch band and G cup. It also includes decorative straps for convertible wear: strapless, criss-cross, halter, wide back, or single strap.

Le Mystere Soiree Strapless Bra, $74, available at Le Mystere.

Strapless Bras
Ringing in at just about $15, New Look’s affordable strapless design (shown here with detachable straps) starts at a size 30E.

New Look Black DD-G Strapless Bra, $15.06, available at New Look.

Fashion-Girl Bras
Busty girls aren’t limited to boring bras with thick straps and wide bands — the strapless bras we just saw are a testament to that. While it’s important to invest in everyday styles, there are also tons of pretty, lacy, and sexy options out there, too. “The underwire and bra band provides the majority of your support,” says Kenney. “So long as your breast tissue is fully contained in the underwire and the band fits snug, whether the bra is a plunge, racer-back, or something else, it should fit and support you perfectly.” That means: license to wow in whatever pretty design you want.

Want to see the rest? Check out the full roundup on Refinery29!