Behind the curve: Bra makers need to design for today's bustier woman

The average bra size is now 34DD, but some designers haven’t got the memo, says Deirdre Reynolds.

Sat, 14 Nov, 2015 - 00:00

The average bra size is now 34DD, but designers aren't taking notice, says Deirdre Reynolds.

IT TOOK make-up artists almost 10 hours to transform supermodel Heidi Klum into Jessica Rabbit this Halloween.

Channelling the iconic cartoon character in a figure-hugging red frock at the recent Irish Film and Television Awards, however, Elaine Crowley needed little help.

Chatting to Feelgood about the show-stopping gown, which she designed herself, the TV3 star says: “I’ve wanted a long-sleeved red dress for ages but couldn’t find anything in the shops so I decided to get one made.

“Catherine Zeta-Jones wore one to the Tony Awards a few years ago and that was the kind of look I was going for.

“Unfortunately, the bra I bought for it peeked out over the top so I had to wear a different one at the last minute — and ended up looking more like Jessica Rabbit.

“There’s not much I can do,” adds the Midday presenter. “At 34H, it’s hard to hide them. Still, at least I didn’t have to put on fake ones like Heidi Klum!”

From pneumatic pop star Katy Perry to ample-bosomed actress Joséphine de La Baume, being buxom has never been more en vogue.

Between eye-popping polo necks and blouses that threaten to burst open at any moment though, it seems some designers didn’t get the memo this season.

“It’s so true that today’s fashion doesn’t cater for women with big busts,” says Dublin-based stylist Natalie Svikle. “I’ve definitely noticed that a lot of shops don’t cater for hourglasses, which quite a lot of girls with big busts would be.

“Unfortunately it seems fashion hasn’t come too far from catering for toothpick-like skinny girls.”

As the country went from boom to bust in recent years, the average bra size here has gone in the opposite direction, ballooning from 34B to 34DD since 2010, according to Debenhams.

Vanity sizing to boost the ego as much as the cleavage and wearing the wrong size to begin with are just two suspected reasons behind Ireland’s boom in busts.

Big boobs can cause big problems for fashionistas if one of the year’s top-trending Twitter hashtags is anything to go by. After jiggling into one expert bra fitters wearing a 36C and striding out in a 32F, I certainly relate to such #bigboobproblems as “wearing something with only a vaguely low neckline and having people comment on how you’ve ‘got the girls on show’” and “having to buy swimsuits which have built in bras to avoid looking saggy”.

Not even the US brand Reformation’s ‘I’m Up Here’ collection for women with “larger busts” — which only goes up to DD — can help well-endowed women.

“Going back ten years, C and D were very much our key [cup] sizes,” says Catherine Arrowsmith of Ophelia Lingerie, which has stores in Dundalk, Drogheda, and Sligo, as well as online at OpheliaLingerie.ie.

“Our biggest-selling sizes at the moment would be DD, E, and FF — but we also sell an awful lot of bras in larger cup sizes such as H and HH and stock up to 48K in some brands.

“Irish women are definitely not looking to minimise their assets. While our biggest-selling style would be a full cup bra with good coverage, there is strong demand for push-up bras that create nice cleavage too. Plunge bras are actually more popular in the bigger sizes.

“Every woman, regardless of her size, is looking for a good everyday bra that offers comfort and support.”

Despite being the proud owner of the world’s most famous 32F’s, Modern Family star Sophia Vergara admits dressing her curves can be a nightmare. “A normal girl will just put the dress on and leave,” she told Vogue in 2013. “I need them to be like an armoury.

“My dresses are like a work of art inside because, you know, I am 40 years old, I had a baby, and I am a 32F boob.”

Bodycon dresses and buttoned blazers are some of the styles that prove a challenge for 34DD student Hannah Cunningham from Dublin. “Finding dresses that fit well on top as well as on the bottom can be difficult,” she says.

“Often I have to go up a size and get it altered.

“By now, I know which styles suit me and which don’t — but I try not to rule anything out because of my bust either. For instance, I love blazers, but always go up a size for comfort and always wear dark polo necks rather than patterned ones for winter.

“I think women should show off their curves,” says the marketing student and model. “Whether you’re an A cup or a D cup though, it’s important not to show off too much either.”

Regardless of your cup size or the contents of your wardrobe, a full-length mirror is key to making the most of your assets, stylist Natalie Svikle explains: “It’s impossible to give out one single piece of advice because a big bust doesn’t come on its own, it comes on top of a specific shape — and everyone’s shape is quite different. A girl who is 5ft 10in, her E cup might not look half as big as a C cup on a 5ft 1in girl.

“The key to making the most of the bust lies not only in choosing the right fit for the torso, but also taking the overall silhouette into consideration.

“Always make sure that you view yourself in a full-length from a few feet away as it’s the only way to evaluate how the proportions are working.”

The Kildare Village personal shopper adds: “There are certain rules that are worth breaking if you can get away with it. If you are a slim girl with a big bust, a polo neck isn’t going to do much damage, but if you’re a plus-size lady with a big bust, it’s just not going to look flattering.

“It’s really about embracing what you have and experimenting with different styles to see what works. Once you know the styles that work well for you, a big bust can be an absolute asset.”

Just ask Christina Hendricks, who despite confessing to struggling to find frocks to flatter her hourglass figure, is routinely crowned best-dressed woman on the red carpet.

“I have to be careful about my proportions and keep it simple,” says the Mad Men star, who reportedly dons 38DD. “What works for me is structure and something that shows my waist.”

After years of squeezing into the wrong bra size, TV3 presenter Elaine Crowley says she’s now happy to embrace her Rubenesque curves — even if it means having to splash out on custom-made clothes. “Lots of women wear dresses slashed to the navel on the red carpet, but because they’re not particularly well endowed, no one bats an eyelid,” she argues. “I don’t pay any attention to the fashion rules.

“I wear polo necks, blouses, and blazers — I just have to wear the right cut. Meanwhile, I avoid anything that drapes because it just looks like I’m wearing a tent.

“The most important thing to get right is your underwear,” she adds. “I was wearing the wrong size for years until a bra expert happened to be on Ireland AM one morning.

“Your boobs aren’t supposed to be down around your ankles — even if you have big ones.”

BEST BRAS FOR BIG BOOBS

* Best for the office: When it comes to finding the perfect everyday bra, wide straps, fuller cups and a firm underband are the secret to giving Dolly Parton a run for her money 9 to 5.

Try: Triumph Doreen Soft Cup Bra, 39, available up to a 46J from www.ophelialingerie.ie

* Best for girls’ night out: Who says busty girls can’t wear strapless bras? Just watch for a wide band with some sneaky silicone to keep your own girls in check as you dance the night away.

Try: Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra, 45, available up to a 38G from Debenhams nationwide.

* Best for date night: Double divas are no longer limited to granny bras in the bedroom — so long as the band is snug and the breast tissue is fully contained within the underwire.

Try: Chantelle C Chic Sexy Plunge Bra, 62, available up to a 36H from Brown Thomas nationwide.