You might not have the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra (um because it's a cool $2 million) or even the fantasy bust line, but who cares? Not us! The important thing is to work with what you've got. To help you do so, I reached out to some of the lingerie industry's top designers—Negative Underwear co-founders Lauren Schwab and Marissa Vosper, Cosabella lead designer Elise Granjot, Michi creative director Michelle Watson, and Daisy & Elizabeth co-designers Daisy Hartmann and Elizabeth NeSmith—to get expert opinions on how to best outfit boobs of any size.
For a small bust (AA-B):
Team Negative says, "For a smaller chested frame, there's less of a support function needed, so you can choose an underwire bra or forgo the wire. No matter your cup size, a wire still serves a role—to create a nicely rounded shape—but from a pure gravity perspective, AA-B cup ladies are well suited for some of the non-wire triangle style bras in the market today. When it comes to underwire bras for smaller cup sizes, demi cup shapes with ruching at the base of the cup are especially nice to flatter a more petite figure. The ruching provides a bit of adaptivity depending on how your chest lies and where you're more or less full."
For the sporty girls with small boobies, Michelle Watson recommends "the Siren Bra." The cups have a very flattering shape for a small bust with removable pads. The wrap around chest band adds volume for a bustier look while maintaining comfort and support. [Also the] Feline Bra, a very comfortable bra with straps that are meant to be exposed and layer very well with tank tops and shirts with wide necklines. The cups are very flattering with great shaping for a small bust, with removable pads."
From camp Cosabella, Elise Granjot says, "What each lady with a small bust should look for in a bra and a Cosabella bra to match: A women with a small bust have the freedom to wear a soft bra and be comfortable. She can also wear a push up bra for a boost of confidence and sexiness."
Last but not least, Daisy & Elizabeth Designers Daisy and Elizabeth advise, "For a smaller bust we recommend a triangle bralette; give our Rodeo Queen Triangle bra a try! The stretch silk gives you just enough lift and coverage that it can be worn under most anything from a T-shirt to a silk blouse or even a sundress. Plus the lack of metal hardware is a nice feature."
Negative Underwear Black Boa Demi Bra, $75; negativeunderwear.com
Michi Siren Bra, $150; michiny.com
Cosabella Trenta Soft Bra $73.50; cosabella.com
Cosabella Never Say Never "Pushie" Push Up Bra, $104.50; cosabella.com
Michi Feline Bra, $130; michiny.com
Daisy and Elizabeth Rodeo Queen Triangle Bra, $110; daisyandelizabeth.com
For a medium bust (B-C):
Daisy and Elizabeth say,"For a medium bust we like to recommend a soft bra with lining and underwire, like our Babetown Balconette bra. It gives you the support that someone with a B or C cup would need but it's still soft enough to be comfy and sexy!"
From Cosabella, Elise Granjot advises,"The medium cup-sized girl can wear a fashion bra with an underwire for a nice natural silhouette or wear a push up for a fun night out."
Michelle Watson of Michi suggests her "bionic" bra for the women with medium-sized breasts. "The bionic bra is an extremely comfortable bra that is sporty but with mesh detailing. It provides good coverage and great ventilation with a high neck silhouette. The antigravity bra will also do the same."
The Negative duo says, "For mid-sized cups, your specific shape, age, and personal history play a greater part. If you're a bit older and have had three kids, you're probably looking at bras with support and shape in mind. If you're younger with less gravity at play, you can still make it work with less structured cups and sometimes without wires too. 34B is one of the most common cup sizes to find, so the variety is more plentiful. Again, the decision to go molded or unlined, push-up or unpadded, demi or full coverage all comes down to personal preference and what makes you feel the most confident. In our minds, you might as well show off your assets and pick something you're as proud to wear with clothes as without."
Daisy& Elizabeth Babetown Balconette Bra, $98; daisyandelizabeth.com
Cosabella Never Say Never "Prettie" Underwire Bra $82.50; cosabella.com
Cosabella Italia Push Up Bra $104.50, cosabella.com
Michi Bionic Bra, $95; michiny.com
Michi Antigravity Bra; $90; michiny.com
Negative Underwear Black Sieve Demi Bra, $70; negativeunderwear.com
Negative Underwear Black Essaouira Demi Bra, $80; negativeunderwear.com
For a large bust (D-DD or bigger):
For a bust on the large side Elise Granjot says, " A woman with a large bust looks for support. Cosabella offers beautiful fashion colors and support so she can feel sexy."
Team Negative advises, "For more well-endowed ladies, the support functionality of a bra is more crucial—not necessarily to create extreme lift or cleavage, but to provide a nice level of hold and comfort throughout the day. Especially as you get into D/DD/DDD+ cup sizes, having a snug, well-fitting underband is key. The band provides the majority of the support function in a bra, so picking a style with a wider band or sturdier materials around the ribcage is helpful. The cup material also plays a role in larger bra sizes; it needs to have enough hold and stretch to support more volume and shape variation. Molding can be helpful here, but unlined bras also work, so long as you have a powerful fabric (like a power mesh) with good elasticity. In terms of coverage, both demi and fuller cups work for larger cup sizes so long as the construction is solid. With that decision, it's often more about preference in terms of how much you want to put out on display versus keep under wraps (so to speak!)."
Michi's Michelle Watson says, "The Avalon Bra with a wide chest band will help with a large bust. This bra has a supportive wide chest band and a lot of coverage at the front while having interesting mesh detailing and being comfortable. [Also] the Helix bra is a comfortable bra with multiple straps to adjust and support. It makes you feel comfortably strapped in without it feeling too tight and allows the heavier busted customer to still look sexy in a high coverage bra."
Daisy and Elizabeth suggest, "For a large bust we like a wireless, full coverage option, like our Pretty Little Mama Bralette. It's lightweight but lined in a power mesh which helps with smoothing and the thick adjustable elastic straps are supportive. The back has an adjustable strap that hooks closed, actually making this a great bra for all bust sizes!"
Cosabella Never Say Never "Demie" Demi Cup Bra $106.00, cosabella.com
Negative Underwear White v1 Sieve Balconette Bra, $85; negativeunderwear.com
Daisy & Elizabeth Pretty Little Mama Bralette, $115; daisyandelizabeth.com
Michi Avalon Bra, $115; michiny.com
Michi Helix Bra, $150; michiny.com
