The Bra Band Project: 30 Bands and Under, We Need You!
Recently at the Curve Expos in both New York and Las Vegas, brands that cater to large-busted women suggested that 30 bands and under were either for juniors, or that there was no market for them. (Another example can be found here). However, that is simply not the case: there are many women out there who need 30 bands and under and we are not all juniors. While we come in all different shapes and sizes, we all have a small back size in common.
To prove that we are not all juniors and that we exist as a market we have decided to create the Bra Band Project where we are looking for photos of women who wear 30 bands or under. We will make a flickr album and eventually a collage with our photos to show that we are not just juniors but women of all shapes and sizes that need small bands. We’d love your help so please submit your own photo and band size using the form below or email it to brabandproject@gmail.com. Note we need both your bra size and your photo. We cannot include a submission without both of those. If you are a blogger who would like to help out with this project email us at brabandproject@gmail.com.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This project is near and dear to my heart because I believe every woman deserves a great fitting bra; one that doesn’t move around so much that you get a rash under your breasts, or have back pain, or bounce around or have droopy breasts. But if the bra industry doesn’t think women, in general, wear a 28 or 30, much less a 26, how will those of us who have smaller back sizes get the support we need?
The more we can raise awareness of these sizes in the industry and help bra manufacturers and lingerie buyers see who needs these bras, the better chance we have of
1) seeing more of these sizes incorporated in brands’ collections and
2) seeing these sizes carried in stores and
3) helping women find and stay in sizes that fit excellently.
Also, by posting photos of what we look like, we can help each other. A woman who thinks she’s a 34DD but isn’t happy with her bras might realize her shape looks more like someone who wears a 30FF, even if she didn’t realize that was a size that even existed. As June’s truly illuminating underbust survey and a separate Marine survey demonstrate, a huge chunk of women actually measure 31″ or below for their underbust. By putting together a gallery of photos that shows what sub-32 bands look like, other women might see that they are similarly shaped, measure themselves, and realize that sizing down in the band and up in the cup could be the solution to their bra-fitting woes.
We want you to join our project! Together with fellow full-bust bloggers Braless in Brazil, Bras I Hate, Boosaurus, and By Babys Rules, we hope to gather as many photos of all of you sub-32 bands out there as possible. If you wear a band size 30 or below, you can submit a photo of yourself using the form below. We’ll be cropping out faces to keep you anonymous, so don’t worry about putting it all out there! You can wear use a photo in your bra, swimsuit, or regular clothes; full body or waist up: just be sure to include at least your torso.
Not sure what size you are? I highly recommend this bra calculator.
UPDATE: See the results of our project here!
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
- The 30 and Below Bra Band Project and the Importance of the Right Band Fit « omdoublegcups
- Victoria’s Secret Lack of Bra Knowledge | Voluptuous, but Beautiful
- Getting Smaller Back Bras in DD+ Full Bust Sizes at Nordstrom | StackDD+
- Why We Need 28 and 30 Band Bras and GG+ Cups | StackDD+
- What’s your size? | Voluptuous, but Beautiful
- The Bra Band Project | Busts 4 Justice
- The Bra Band Project Results: All the Lovely 30 Bands and Under | StackDD+
- The Bra Band Project for Band Sizes 30 and Below
- Worry Free Ordering for Ewa Michalak and Other Monday News | StackDD+
- 30 Band and Under Project « questfortheperfectbra
- Claudette Neon Dessous GIVEAWAY!! | StackDD+
Awesome!
Do you want clothed or bra-ed pictures?
Whoops, I fail at reading comprehension.
Email sent.
Hee hee, no worries! But yep, either!
Thank you for doing this! I’m a 26DD/E according to my measurements (31-25-33), and I’m 19, certainly not a junior! I wear 28Ds which are okay for now but I’d love to have bras with tighter bands so they aren’t shifting about all the time.
Thanks for participating, Kirsty! I so feel for you as 26 bands are so hard to find–it would be wonderful for 26s out there to have an easier time getting bras!! Have you ever tried Ewa Michalak (based in Poland)? You can custom order your size; same price, but the downside is that you can’t return it. However, I’ve heard from others that they’ll work with you to make sure the measurements are as accurate as possible. Just to see how the brand fit I tried their 30 band and it was too loose for me, so I think I’d need the true 28 (also a custom order)! It looks like the only non-custom 26 bands they have right now are an F and a GG. You can read a more in-depth review of a custom 26 order from Ewa here: http://www.thinandcurvy.com/2011/05/where-to-find-26-and-24-band-bras-and.html
Just submitted! I am a 28F and that is after having a baby. I am also 33 years old, so no where near a junior
Awesome, Jenn!! Thank you for being a part! Wonderful to have another mama represented
Submitted
I put my real band size rather than the size I actually wear, I think we need to emphasize the need for back sizes smaller than 28.
Submitted =) Although some think I can wear a 26, I have yet to try one. The bra I’m wearing in my photo is a brand new 28FF and I can easily close it on the tightest eyes. (It’s the photo with a right side shot in a Freya Taylor, not sure if you want to put the size I’m wearing or what I should be wearing, haha. Ftr, my measurements are 35-24-37…I’m guessing that would put me somewhere near a 26G? 9″ difference)
Look forward to the progress in your mission!
I’ll be submitting a picture asap!
I’m a 28FF though I usually wear a 30F because the amount of options just increases at the 30 band size.
I’m a fashion design student well aware of the need for a more diverse size range. Don’t worry, ladies, you’ll get a company out of me that will offer small bands…..even if it takes me quite a few more years!
Awesome! Thank you for participating!
I love that you’re looking to develop bras in lots of sizes – there’s so much work and design that goes into bras, and I think it’s fantastic that you’re up for the challenge! Hope to see your bras in a store one day
I submitted the link to my pics and interview with Curvy Kate for their Star in a Bra competition last year, so I hope that’s ok cos they are nice photos! If not (I don’t know about copyright stuff?) I can always provide some other photos instead
I wear a petite 32A – 32B usually, but I have several 30B bras that fit very nicely… and on the advice of Boosaurus, I’m thinking about trying some 30Cs. I’m looking for a photo to submit. Thanks for doing this!
I submitted a photo… I’m 28 years old, reside in the USA, & usually need a 28E. Before I discovered this, I would wear a 32B/C & my boobs would always be falling out the bottom of the cups because the band was so loose. I also had the dreaded “arm pit fat”, which on my thin frame is ridiculous to even say. Those sizes also made my boobs look much smaller, but a correct fitting bra boosts a small bust WITHOUT PADDING!!
My biggest complaint now is that bras in this size are often part of bra lines designed for “big busts”. I have relatively small boobs (a “modest hand-full”) and would like to see bras in this size designed similarly to ones in the 32A-36D range – with thin straps & low cut cups. I generally don’t need 3 part cups & “plunge” bras don’t do much in the way of cleavage for me (they often have too much coverage).
I am SO excited you’ve found great fit now! That feeling of finally being put in a bra that fit as it should for the first time was one I’ll never forget.
I’ve just looked at your blog and am loving it. It’s really interesting to hear from someone whose band-to-cup ratio puts them in the full-bust category but who isn’t “busty.” Have you ever tried Damaris/ Mimi Holliday? Some of their 28E bras seem more like what you’re looking for: http://www.damaris.co.uk/ There’s also Panache’s Atlantis line, but they seem to start at 30 backs
^ Thanks. That’s exactly what my blog is aimed at discussing – the sort of forgotten group of women who need small bands & high cup sizes but who don’t actually have BIG breasts. I am actually thinking these women are a much larger part of the population than people realize (most women currently wearing 32A-C probably should be 28C-30DD), but just mis-sized & not encouraged to do much about it (since we’re not very busty & don’t have extremely obvious signs of ill-fitting bras like bustier women tend to have; ie. painful, digging-in straps).
The blog about the “Bra Matrix” inspired me to find my correct size because she is very diplomatic in discussing bra issues for ALL sizes.: http://www.venusianglow.com/p/bra-matrix.html
Oh, and I drool over Mimi Holliday bras! They’re very expensive though. I hope to buy one in the future when I have more $$$ & can justify it. Right now I’m sticking to bras around $50 or less, and very slowly building a new bra wardrobe (cuz I’m the kind of girl who needs OPTIONS!
).
I can wear some 30 bands on the smallest hook, depending on the bra. That makes life a bit easier, as there are way more 30 band options than 28.
I’m currently wearing a 32F, but wondering if I should go down to a 30FF for a better fit. Thus, I don’t know if I should participate or not, although I do support the cause!
Thanks for commenting!! Let’s get you in the right bra first! For an easy assessment of your size, I recommend starting with Butterfly Collection’s fit calculator here: http://www.butterflycollection.ca/bra-size-calculator/ and looking for the signs of a too big band — it’s riding up in the back, you can pull it more than two fingers’ worth away from your back, or your bra moves when you lift your arms up.
I’d also recommend trying her free fit consultation for more specific guidance on what exactly is going on with your fit: http://www.butterflycollection.ca/free-bra-size-consultation/
Let me know how it goes!!
Kirsty, Amanda, Anna — thank you for your submissions!
Heather — if you’re starting on the tightest hook in a new bra to get enough support, it sounds right that you’d need a band size down/cup size up in that one. The Taylor is based on the Deco, and that is known to run big in the band. I’ve tried several Freyas that all seem to run pretty big in the band, but have had better luck with Panache being true to size more often. Bravissimo brand bras seem either TTS or tight, so you could also try Brav for tighter 28s if you don’t mind the international shipping charges.
Where will the gallery be once it’s finished? It’d be interesting to see how many girls are like me. If I tell people my band size they assume I must be anorexic. Truth be told I’m not even that skinny!
Hi Kirsty, we will definitely be making this public when it’s ready to release! We will keep you all posted with details so check back soon. The gallery so far looks amazing — so much diversity in the small band – big cup sizes!!
I’m a 30B and every time I bring up the fact that us small girls have issues to big band lingerie designers, they look at me as if I were nuts. I am definitely going to submit a picture!
Agreed. We need the smaller band sizes in C cup and under as well.
I’m a 30A here to help represent the small cups
My problem is that I’m wide set, so bras typically made in 30A (the very few available that aren’t made for children) have cups that are too narrow for me. So I have gapping in the middle and an underwire digging into the side of my boobs. Not pleasant! I’ve resorted to wearing sports bras with molded cups whenever I can but that doesn’t always work for my office clothes. Thanks for starting this!
I used to have that problem when I wore 30As, I thought it was just because my boobs are quite wide but as it turned out that wasn’t even my correct size. It was what I was fitted as but it’s way off my real size, a 26DD/E. Of course I still can’t find bras that fit me correctly…argh!
I agree with Kirsty. I used to wear bras from the kids section, and I always wondered why the sides would cut in. And if I went up a cup size, the cups would be too big.
I got a fitting at Intimacy, and they told me I was a 28C! Since they didn’t have actual 28Cs, they were kind enough to alter down some 32A’s for me. The right band size makes a real difference in how the cups fit. I discovered I had more boobage than I thought I had.
You might want to try 30As with wider set cups, or maybe even go down a band size, to a 28B, or up a cup size as well, to 28C.
This is sorely needed. According to common measurement practices, I am a 28 C. I can never find a bra that fits. The band is always too big. If I get the smallest band I can find around, the cup is too small.