@anon00: Ok. First things first. Go to Nordstroms and have the professionals there measure you.
If you truly are a 28FF... ok. But I suspect you are closer to a DD or DDD with the right band size.
I am a 32DD and those are easier to find than yours but still hard. I love Natori, they fit well. Get over your thinking that you will find a bra for less than $60. At our sizes... that's what you can find. Target doesn't make bras for us.
I highly recommend going with the right band size. You should only be on the 1st or second hook and yes, it should be lower on your back.
GOOD LUCK, tiny sister!
Me! I'm a 30DDD/30E and I can NEVER find that size. I could wear a 28 if I really wanted to but there's even less chance of that happening. I usually end up with a 32DD, which I know is the wrong size but convenience wins out. I have bought some speciality ones but they're always around $150 and don't last any longer than the ones I get from Victorias Secret. The fit is definitely a thousand times better though!
I feel your small band pain. I take a 30 which a little more common than 28/26 but still pretty much impossible for me to find locally. I definitely recommend getting professionally fitted if you can. Nordstroms can be a good option and there may be specialty boutiques in your area that can do it too. A good fitter can also help you understand what sort of bras you should look for which makes buying online easier. Your bra should fit on the loosest hook when you first get it so you can adjust when it starts stretching out.
People have some very set notions of what certain cup sizes should look like. My alterations lady told me that I didn't look like any D cup she's seen before but all you can do is ignore it or give a small explanation about how cup and band size relates. Hopefully as more people start understanding how bras should fit it'll be less shocking and wider size ranges will become more common. They might not have as much volume as DDs on a bigger band but how they look in proportion to the rest of my body is what counts.
Also, bras will not be cheap. It sucks but it pretty much is just how it goes once you fall off the standard range. Once you're familiar with how certain brands/styles fit ebay can actually be a great resource for cheaper bras in odd sizes. Otherwise I recommend using sites like fig leaves or bare necessities to find your bras. With enough patience and trolling the sales/clearence section you can find some deals. It also really helps to read the reviews since certain brands can fit differently.
Yup! size 30D over here! It is really strange and difficult to find small band sizes without going to training bras.
The thing is, that I'm a "D" cup but my boobs really look like "B"s, it's just that the cup is measured by the difference between band and bust, and my ribs are 26". Good luck finding longline bras too! I ended up in a 32C for that and it's oddly loose around the waist and ribcage, so I might keep looking.
I don't know if you have a Dillards, but they sometimes carry 30D-30E bras for reasonable prices. I have also been wearing B'tempted by Wacoal a lot recently - cute, cheap, and carry my size!
Anyone have other brand recommendations?
@anon00: I agree with everything @Ribbit: said. I went and got fitted at a speciality bra store and couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, I have to spend a fortune on bras (like $70-90) because the cheaper stores don't have my size (and believe me, I tried when I was at my lowest weight a couple years ago), but I'm a lot more comfortable in them and not tugging on my girls all the time.
I recommend going to a department store or a specialty store to be fitted. Even if a department store doesn't carry the size you need, they can give you a good idea of what you are looking for.
Have you ever considered altering your bras or finding someone that could? You could buy bras that fit and then take in equal amount from each side, maybe? I don't know how it would work, but maybe if you bought a really cheap clearance bra and tried it on that it could be a valuable experiment. Keeping the straps in a normal spot on the shoulders would probably be trickiest.
I am at the opposite end of the spectrum- I have a wide ribcage and very small breasts. Bras that fit my ribs have enormous cups. Cups that fit my breasts are too close together and too tight overall. Aerie doesn't stock my size in stores, but has all sizes and styles in their fitting room so I figured out what works for me- a single style in one size. But it's better than 0. I don't recommend Aerie for your size; they stock the staple sizes. I'm a 34AA, but would be better suited to a 36AAA if that was a real thing.
OP I don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know that you're not the only one! I have exactly the same measurements as you, and I never talk about bras with my friends because I'm afraid of the reaction you got! Victoria's Secret girls are always really confused when they measure me, and then they give me some crazy size to go try on. Good luck!
I don't think you should use your actual measurement as your band size. That being said, I have a hard time too- I was a 34H prior to my pregnancy and now I am some mystery size that doesn't exist. Lots of bees have been helpful and I have a bra on order (size J) from Nordstrom. I hope it works! You cannot find a good bra for less than $60. That would be nice!
I wear 28DD or 30D, but if you asked any of my friends, they would guess I was an A-cup. I just don't talk about my size, because I know I'd get the reaction you're afraid of!
No one at lingerie specialty shops has questioned it, but I'd be wary about telling the girls at La Senza or Victoria's Secret my size. Their fitting specialists are not qualified.
@MissKebab: Just wanted to say that as someone also with AA breasts, I found that going up in size with padded bras actually helps the bra fit better. I can wear a 30 C with a full pad, this also gives a bit of weight to your cup as thats what fills it and makes it fit properly, boobs are supposed to keep bra down - but of course if have anything in the A family, you have no weight to your boobs at all.
I'm a 28 ribcage too. Posting so I can find this helpful thread again!
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For years I wore a 34C or 34D and I thought it was just common for bras to ride all the way up to your back. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that since my ribcage measures 26", I should be taking a 28 or 30 band, which would make me a 28F, or 30E, sometimes 30DD. I read a blog post that says you should use your actual ribcage measurement, but I don't think I'd have much luck finding a 26FF bra anywhere, and the other sizes fit fine.
However, I run into huge problems with this- as I said, my boobs are kinda medium sized- just like a standard C cup. My chest is only 33", which is the same as some flat chested girls I know (i'm guessing they just have a bigger ribcage or whatever). But whenever I wind up discussing bras with women, they always look at me like I must be lying about my size because they don't look that big! Not to mention I have to order 329430249302 bras online before I find one that fits. Plus, because I'm technically an "E cup", all the bras I have to choose from are full coverage with tons of support that I don't really need, because my boobs aren't big (to be honest, I'd like them to be bigger! If I were a 28H or 30G I'd be soooo happy. I have a big boob fetish, probably.)
Anyone else run into these problems, and if so...A.) how do you feel about other women behaving this way and not believing you, or even making jokes about how small your boobs are and B.) where do you find nice bras for CHEAP? I like figleaves but only their sale items..a bit too pricey.
Oh, and I LOVE curvy kate stuff but it's like $68 for a bra...WTF!