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When shopping online for the ideal bra, no matter what our gender, age, culture, or body type, we all need to know what makes us feel comfortable in ourselves. I go beyond the basics and offer extra tips on size, shape, material, and support. Let's talk about what we all really want: a bra that actually feels good to wear. Something we put on and think: "ahhh, yes. This makes me want to start my day." Okay, it actually does exist (I promise, it's out there!), but what this looks like for each of us can be completely different depending on our bodies, our preferences, and our sense of personal style. So you need to know what this means for you and your body. Start with your measurements . Measure around your ribs just underneath your breasts to get your underbust measurement. Then, measure around the fullest part of your breasts to get your your bust measurement. Subtract the underbust from the fullest bust to get your cup size. Usually, a difference of less than one inch = AA cup, one inch = A, two inches = B, three inches = C, four inches = D, five inches = DD/E, and up from there in brands that carry larger sizes. However, it's important to note that individual brands can size differently. So if you're shopping at a large department store that carries many different labels, find a sizing chart for the brand of the bra that you want to purchase. Know where and how to shop for your bra size range. Many online stores specialize in small or large cup sizes. This is because breasts that are outside the average size range need a bra that is scaled correctly and shaped to complement and support them. Often you can find information about how a bra fits and what body type it is ideal for in its description where it is listed for sale online. If this is not available, contact a customer service representative and ask. Some stores specialize in smaller or larger cup sizes, which may be helpful if you fall outside the standard range. But keep in mind that you will have a more limited choice in brands at these specialty shops, and the product lines will be more expensive, although often higher in quality. Go to a department store and try on some bras in person. This is a reasonable thing to do, even if you hate real-life shopping and don't plan on buying anything. If nothing else, you'll get familiar with some of the major brands and how they fit. Pick whatever looks like something you might possibly wear, in the size you measured at or the one you are currently wearing, and put your boobs in it. Then do that again with another bra, in a different brand. And so forth. Choose several different sizes and styles in each brand if you aren't certain which will work best. If never setting foot in a dressing room is the hill you will die on, you can always contact me. I love talking to readers, and I'll do my best to help you out.

I am partnered with Cosabella and this post contains affiliate links. Cosabella is a stylish Italian lingerie brand that carries bras and bralettes in a wide variety of sizes, but in particular it does well for a particular body type: those with large breasts and a small rib cage. This fit tends to be true across all of their collections, with some exceptions for individual styles. What Cosabella fans especially like about this brand: Their lingerie is sophisticated, sexy, and on-trend. It offers a good variety of styles, detailing, and colors. There are options available in band sizes 28 and 30. The fabrics are high-quality. A couple of common complaints I've heard about Cosabella: Their bra sizing can be inconsistent across different styles. Some people find it overpriced. View a list of recommended Cosabella bras and similar styles at lower prices here. Bras and bralettes in the Cosabella Curvy collection are designed for DD-I cup sizes, with only one bra going up to I. It's usually quite difficult to find bralettes made to fit breasts in this size range, so if you've had the experience of trying to squeeze yourself into one from another brand that's much too small, you're not alone. Being curvy doesn't mean you can't wear whisper-thin, barely-there lingerie, especially with this company. Their lace pieces are like a spider's web: silky but strong. Even I, a mere B cup, have a few of their bralettes. Unfortunately they aren't the best fit on me personally, because I'm not built right for the brand. But they make me wish I was. So for those of you who do have the body type for Cosabella, go on with your bad self and consider picking up one of these beauties (or asking for one from your significant other). You can explore the collection here. If you're shaped like me and you're feeling disappointed right now, I have something to show you. It's my favorite cami, and it's how I discovered Cosabella in the first place. The Talco Long Camisole, at left. There's a racerback version of it in the Curvy collection too, but this is the one I own three of. The fabric is incredibly, stupidly soft. It's lightweight and thin but not flimsy, with just the right amount of stretch and cling. It for sure isn't cheap, but if there's anyone in your life who likes to spend a lot of money on you, definitely hit them up. Shamelessly.

I was mostly just curious about the Jessica Simpson brand because I had heard good things, but never got around to trying these bras yet. So I found one discounted, and decided to give it a shot. This fit is okay on me. I don't hate it. The cups are a little bit deeper than others I have tried in this size (34B), especially in a balconette bra like this. But it does stretch and I do fill them out, without gaps. I like the fact that there is quite a bit of separation between the cups. This is what I tend to like best about the balconette style, no matter what the brand: it has a center panel between the cups that manages to separate them, supported by a band that can maintain this separation. I tend to prefer more shallow cups, and these are a bit too tall for me under the arms as well. But I think it would work great for women with wide-set breasts and a longer torso, i.e. probably not petites. If I let the straps out more so that the edges of the cups aren't coming up too high, then I do get a gap in the top of the bra. But I think this is more because of my lack of height, than it is because I'm not filling it out. In bras like this I tend to end up with my breasts stuck at the bottom, while the top of it is just hanging out not really doing anything. I have this for sale on Poshmark if anyone is interested. I would recommend it if you are on the fuller side of a size 34B. The band size does seem accurate to me. https://poshmark.com/listing/Jessica-Simpson-Bra-34B-622915fc284e994901618922

This is a really cute bra by Affinitas Intimates in size 32C. One of the reasons I like Affinitas is that their bras often fit well on petites. This one is very close to fitting me but it doesn't quite get there, because the lace at the top of the cups sits on top of my breasts and isn't stretched enough to prevent it wrinkling. Not surprising, since this often happens for me with bras that are designed this way. If I'm going to wear any bra with an unstructured top, it usually needs to be just a very small amount of trim, otherwise I end up filling out the bottom of it while the top is just chilling, doing nothing in particular. I would recommend this for anyone who wears 32C and has breasts that are either fuller or taller than mine. It's so adorable and comfy. Check out my Poshmark if you're interested in buying it.

I happen to have several of these, new with tags on Poshmark because some lady was just desperate to get rid of them. Turns out size 32AA doesn't sell very fast, who would have thought huh? But I wanted to make them available to my readers here, because this size is so hard to find. So, here is the review: What I have in this size is a push-up style, in black with brown floral embroidery on the wings. The cups are smooth with just a little bit of lace trim at the tops. I did try one of these on, with an extender knowing full well that it would not fit me and what I think is that, although it does not fit as tiny as a petite bra in this size, it also has cups that are farther apart than many petite or teen bras tend to have, which is a good thing if you have wide-set breasts. On me, it turned out I didn't need the extender for the band and it was not uncomfortable around my ribs. So I would say that since I usually prefer to wear a 34 band and find that more comfortable, this may run a little larger in the band than many size 32s might. This is probably also true for the cups. I don't know this from personal experience because I did not even try to get this over my breasts. But I heard from one girl that I sold one of this size and brand to, that the cups were a little large on her. Her size is between 32AA and 34AA, and I sold her several bras in 32AA and 32A. The petite bras that I sold her fit better than this one. So if you are between an AA and A cup, and can wear a 32 or 34 band, this may well be worth a try for you. The push-up padding is not a lot; I would say, medium level. And they are quite pretty, plus decent quality for the price. I'm selling two of them for $12. https://poshmark.com/listing/2-NWT-Bras-32AA-Auden-PushUp-61ddbcbb3a0db9008e9bacc6

Perhaps the one good thing about COVID is that we now have an excuse to wear pajamas all day and call it an outfit. I used to sleep in not much of anything, and I barely thought about it. Now, though, since I'm leaving the house less often anyway, I'm having some fun with trying new pajama sets like this one. Bare Necessities (http://barenecessities.com/ ) is a well-established online favorite for lingerie, bras, underwear, and sleepwear. This set is from their own brand, called Reveal. I had never tried anything from this brand before but I decided to treat myself, as the blush pink color was on sale and I liked the idea of hanging around in something pretty and satin, rather than just wearing my same old ripped up jeans or sweats at home. I'm very glad I made this decision. The pajama set is a very soft satin with traditional piping at the hems, collar, and down the front of the top. It's quite thin material, which I enjoy as I don't tend to get very cold when sleeping; and, in the morning I can always throw a sweatshirt over it. I ordered it in the size Medium because although I measure as a Small, I like pajamas to fit loose, and it was exactly as I expected: loose-fitting elastic waist on the pants, with the arm and leg length fitting only slightly longer than what I would normally wear as clothing. What it looks like on the model is accurate, and I would guess she is about 5'7" tall. So for me, at about 5'4", it isn't too much different. Now, let's get to what happens when you spill food on it. Yes, I have already done this. I was cooking marinara sauce while wearing these and they ended up spattered with little dots of it... lovely. I put stain remover on it, put them in the wash, and the spots came out with no trouble. They also did not shrink noticeably in the wash even though I used the Warm setting, which you are not supposed to do for satin. So I think it's safe to conclude that, while these do look delicate and perhaps the fabric appears fragile at first, the set holds up quite well to challenges like spaghetti sauce and my washing machine. Probably yours too, although if you really want to make sure they don't shrink, wash them on the cold setting. You can purchase this set here: https://www.barenecessities.com/reveal-washed-satin-long-pajama-set-rees33_product.htm The return policy is quite easy and has multiple options: exchange, return for cash, or get a store voucher. Return shipping is free. Bare Necessities is also a great place to pick up more of your favorite bras and panties.

Okay so, in the interest of really just profiting off of Victoria's Secret's ridiculously priced Bombshell push-up bra, I recently bought one in size 34A at a discount and plan to resell it. I paid $14 and this is gently used. It isn't going to fit me anyway as I am no longer a 34A, and it's too much padding for me, but if you want the appearance of two added cup sizes, I suppose this bra does do that. But let's take a look at what this is really about. VS, in marketing these bras, is contributing to small-breasted women feeling like their bodies are not enough the way they are. I'm very torn between wanting to make these available at a lower price, and trying to convince you that you really don't need it. Another thing, is that if the bra has gaps in the top of the cups on you (which styles like this often do for A cups), you're just going to have to wear something tight on top of it in order to squish it down against your breasts. What this means is that you're turning the add-2-cups bra into, effectively, a sports bra in appearance. Just something to think about. If you want to buy this from me once it's listed, go right ahead. I'm not judging you. I remember what it was like to be so thin that I could only wear a 32AA and really did want something that would give me curves. So I do understand, but I would really encourage you to first make sure 34A really is your size, and second, check out alternatives to Victoria's Secret that will probably fit you much better. Photo credit Amanda Lombardi.

Lamilano makes Brazilian-style cheeky tanga panties that don't ride up your butt, and this is no small accomplishment. I discovered the brand on Amazon, where they were offering a 3 pack for less than $6. In this pack: two neutral colors (beige and a lighter cream), and a very pretty magenta. The only catch: when you order these, they send you one size larger than you are expecting to get. I can only assume this is because they run small, which they do seem to. I tried out the size small (actually labeled as medium, inside the panties) and medium (labeled as large). The medium does, in fact, fit like a small. The large fits very close to the same way, but with a little more coverage. So, while this is somewhat confusing, it ultimately doesn't bother me. That's because these truly are seamless and invisible, even under thin leggings. They have a way of sitting on top of your cheeks without creating double-butt, and also without sliding up. I appreciate this because, while I do like the minimal coverage of tangas, it's hard to get a good fit like this. They often end up either being too loose at the edges, meaning you get strange bunching, or else they simply migrate into your crack which makes them the same thing as a thong. Previously I would only wear lace tangas, because the lace can be trusted to lie flat. It's nice to have a sleeker, more minimalist alternative. And finally, the 100% cotton crotch provides a breathable and vagina-friendly experience. Yes, I did just say "vagina-friendly." Shop for them here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3Iv5DQk

I snagged two of these brand new, on sale. This style, the Duet Lace Daisies, is discontinued by Timpa. I find that the 34B fits me well, but I already have a ton of Timpa bras (several in the original Duet Lace unlined style), so I figured I could offer them to other people reading this who have not yet discovered this fantastic brand. This bra, unlike the unlined Timpa Duet Lace, has contoured cups which are lined enough to provide nipple coverage. Timpa makes bras especially for petite women. They are scaled down in cup size, band size, and overall coverage. I in fact find that the cups are fairly true to size, but that the coverage level is definitely less than what you normally get. This is perfect for women with short torsos, as you will find the cups do not come up to your armpits and the bra is sized correctly for your dimensions. What I recommend for these bras, is that if you are between band or cup sizes you should order up. The 32 band is very tight on me, while 34 works well. Their B cup is very flattering but I feel I could have gone up to a C if I wanted more coverage. As it is, the cups just barely cover my nipples which is a sexy look that I like just fine. I probably wouldn't wear this bra in any situation where I wanted to be absolutely certain that my nipples wouldn't show. If you'd like to try one of these bras, I have them listed for sale on Poshmark. One is 34B, and the other is 32A. Both are black with embroidered daisies on the cups. 34B: https://poshmark.com/listing/Timpa-Bra-34B-Petite-61d606fea4de41b027cd5323 32A: https://poshmark.com/listing/Timpa-Bra-32A-Petite-61d85fdf2b46b5e3e080f78e

It is, extreme. Probably the most heavy padding that I have ever seen, in any bra. It adds at least one cup size in appearance, probably more like two. But in spite of that, what I really like about these is that the fit is more like a petite bra even though it's not labeled as such. What makes it a good fit for petites: it has side stays that are closer to the front than they are on most bras, so they actually work to support your breasts rather than getting lost somewhere halfway around your back. They also have a very nice amount of coverage, with the outer sides of the underwires not coming up too high. I unfortunately found their 34B bra to be too loose in the band for me, but it was SO CLOSE to fitting exactly the way I want. They do not carry 32s but, I'm going to be keeping this one because I think it will be fine as long as I'm not raising my arms causing it to ride up. It's also quite inexpensive, which may mean that it won't last as long as other bras that you spend more on. So what I would recommend, if you love the style and fit of these, is to take good care of them. Wash them by hand in the sink, or if you absolutely have to put them in the washing machine, use a protective mesh wash bag. I currently have a 34A listed on Poshmark, and you can also find these on Amazon in a multi-pack. https://amzn.to/4dTSMtz Here's what the padding looks like on the inside:

I'm so excited about my new bra that fits perfectly. I love the colors too. This is the TLBC (The Little Bra Company) Mercedes. Please ignore my hair, I know it's frizzy but I had to shove it out of my face to take this photo. I took off the little circular pearl thing at the center because I didn't like it, but otherwise this is exactly what I wanted. It's pretty, sexy, and as always with TLBC the fit is incredible for a flat-chested woman like me. It has modest push-up padding, but not so much that I feel squished or that it looks unnatural. What the padding does in this bra is gently coax your breasts inward, more than upward. I don't do well with a shelf of padding on the bottom that is meant to lift only upwards, because well, I just don't have that much to lift. But the push inwards is helpful for getting the girls out from under my armpits. I earlier loved this same bra in one cup size smaller, but since then I have gone up one cup. It's still amazing in my new cup size of 34B, which in standard sizes, for this one may be more like 34C. I have the band on the tightest hook here, but this makes sense because I actually do measure as a 32 band or even a 30 depending on where I am shopping for bras. 30 band usually feels too tight on me so I go with 32 or 34. I know some people like a super-tight band though, and if you prefer that, go ahead and get your usual band size in TLBC. The tight band will stretch out a bit with enough wear. And if I had the patience to break in my bras, which I don't, I would go with their 32C. I believe having wide-set breasts may be what is making smaller bands uncomfortable for me. As you can see here, even a bra like this which does its best to create cleavage... well, for me that just doesn't really happen. Thank you, TLBC for this bra. FYI the Mercedes is discontinued, but I was informed that their current Faye bra is similar, and I plan to try that one next.

Grab your tape measure! Here is a somewhat helpful guide for trans women to find the right bra fit: https://bustyresources.fandom.com/wiki/How-to_determine_bra_size_for_transgender_women But what this doesn't say is that because trans women tend to have an inverted-triangle shape, the overbust (upper chest underneath your arms and across your back) can sometimes measure the same or greater than your fullest bust. It is particularly likely for very thin or athletic trans women. If this is the case for you, and you are not using breast forms, it makes more sense to take your overbust as your band size. You will get a more comfortable fit in the upper chest this way. The only problem may be that the bra gaps in the cup. But you can solve this problem by choosing bras in a smaller cup size, and/or padding the cups with inserts. I'm a fan of the IBB Flatter Me plus-size bras for trans women because they are unlikely to gap and are available in large band/small cup sizes: https://www.brasoutsidethebox.com/single-post/flatter-me-sizes-40aa-and-up As I've said, for trans women the sizing of these will be different. Follow the guide as indicated, but take your overbust measurement as your band size. If you get an odd number, round up. Next, measure your fullest bust (across your breasts and around your back) and compare this to the rounded-up overbust measurement. If they are the same, or your overbust measurement is greater, your cup size is AA or less. Some brands in addition to IBB, such as The Little Bra Company, Lula Lu, Dobreva, and Marks & Spencer, do sell AA cups --and Lula Lu also sells AAA. If your fullest bust measures one inch larger, you are an A cup. Two inches larger, B cup; and so forth.