I tried all the bralettes on the high street for girls with big boobs, and some of them were a joke

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I tried all the bralettes on the high street for girls with big boobs, and some of them were a joke

Let’s be honest – they weren’t made for us

At the moment, everyone loves bralettes . They’re the happy in-between of wearing the boob prison that is an uncomfortable, underwired bra, and going braless. But realistically, they’re aimed for girls with smaller breasts. You lucky- AA-C cups must never worry about finding one that accommodates your boobage, you know they’re going to look good and that you’ll never have an issue with finding the right size.

However for us ladies with slightly larger mammary glands, finding the right bralette can pose quite a challenge. They typically aren’t labeled in cup sizes, but rather in dress size. Being a size 8-10 in clothes, but with 36E boobs, you can see how this may be an issue. I frequently have to buy sizes that are too big for the rest of me just so my boobs have space.

It’s not a case of picking a size that you think will fit you – there are so many areas to cover. Is the cup big enough? Is the back wide enough? Do the straps adjust? Is it comfortable? Is it (somewhat) supportive? And last but not least, IS IT PRETTY? I took to the high street to try on way too many bralettes to find out where you can find some decent ones.

Bralettes

Victoria’s Secret

£35, size L

VS were very helpful when I explained what I was after. I was helped by Katie, who got me a handful of different choices. This was the first. As pretty as this is, it really did not do my poor boobs any justice. Considering this is a size large I was hoping it would at least cover my boobs properly, but no. They were hanging out the side. 6/10

£20, size L

Getting better. This one was surprisingly supportive. It had a pretty design and was fairly cheap, but wasn’t my favourite, but is a good contender. It held everything in place, and also had adjustable straps (yay). 8/10

£28, size L

THIS IS SO PRETTY but it looks awful on me. It’s my favourite design, but it’s not supportive at all, my boobs were hanging out the side and it wasn’t adjustable.5/10

£20, size L

Finally, we have progress. This one was a lot more supportive, covered me pretty well and was a cute little thing. Only downside to it is that it had no adjustable straps, so wasn’t as supportive as it could’ve been because it was a little loose. I knew if I’d have gone down a size it wouldn’t have covered me properly though.8/10

River Island

£16, size 14

The first thing I did when I saw RI’s collection was laugh at how tiny the sizes were. I looked at a size 8, and then a 10 and I wanted to cry; they would barely cover my nipples! I opted for a size 14, and hoped for the best. This first one was great, all I could think was “YAAAS”. It was supportive, looked fit, was flattering, covered me, was adjustable and was also cheap. (I actually ended up buying this one) 10/10

£16, size 14

I think my face says a lot about this one. I thought I’d give this one a whirl as it looked quite sporty, and in my mind sporty = comfy. Not in this case. It barely fit over me, didn’t cover my boobs and had this weird padding that bunched up and made my boobs a weird shape. It’s a no from me. 2/10

£18, size 14

Once again the face says it all. This bra was even harder to get on than the last one, I had to use all my energy to get it over my lovely lady lumps. As you can see, my tit is actually hanging out, not the best look. Not the most supportive when they’re flying free. 1/10

Hollister

£14, size M £14, size M

I went for a size M in Hollister because I’ve always found their sizes to be quite big, in tops especially. This bralette surprised me with how supportive it was, considering that Hollister’s typical gal isn’t really my kinda body type. The back on this bralette was so pretty and it came it loads of colours too. It didn’t have adjustable straps but was really stretchy and covered me pretty well. Kinda gutted I didn’t buy this one now 9/10

£17, size M £17. size M

It upset me that this bra literally did not fit me in any way, shape or form because it’s so nice, especially the back. This style is clearly not made for anyone with tits, so it’ll have to be a no from me. 4/10

Urban Outfitters

£28, size M

Everyone’s gotta love a good old CK bra. They’re probably the comfiest things ever, and although they’re not exactly delicate and pretty: they are fit. Or so I’ve been told. 8/10

£20, size M

Tbf I only tried this on because it looked pretty and had cats on. It fit surprisingly well, and although it wasn’t supportive I could see myself wearing it on a night out under a plunge body and not being scared of them falling out. 7/10 (because of the cats)

£26, size M

Nah, nah and nah. This would again,be nice for smaller boobs but this style just definitely isn’t one that suits at all, there’s no pretending. I think the black bit covered about half of my boobs, and this was quite an uncomfortable one. Give it a miss. 2/10

Out of all the bralettes I tried on, the first one from River Island was probably the best all rounder, closely followed by the burgundy one from VS and the grey Hollister one. It’s really hard to find a bralette that combines support, with looking pretty enough to be able to wear under a mesh top; but it is possible.

@maredemlynparry