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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.

This is perfect. My boobs hold themselves okay enough, but I can use his hands to cover the nipples too. https://reductress.com/post/why-i-stopped-wearing-a-bra-and-started-hiring-a-boob-boy/ Thank you Reductress. My bra problems are officially solved! It was my husband who showed me this, and he did in fact offer to be my Boob Boy. It's like getting married all over again.

I'm kind of frustrated right now. A certain company (who shall remain nameless because I'm not a bitch who wants them to lose business over this) has a chat feature where you can ask advice on their fit and what you should get. My experience was not a positive one. I was told they don't have a cup size for me. She (I'm assuming I spoke to a woman, although I don't know for sure) said that because I've had trouble finding a comfortable fit in an underwire bra, the only thing she could recommend was to try their wire-free style. I explained that I like what underwires do for me when they fit correctly and started talking about the Timpa bra and she was like, okay we'll pass that along to the team. I mean, maybe I'm just sensitive but the whole conversation made me feel like she thought I was wasting her time. I told her I felt like I was being a pain, and she said "please don't think of it that way." Like, okay... but I don't think I would feel that way if you weren't shutting me down and asking zero questions and basically trying to get rid of me. I'm not angry at her, but I think her communication sucked. And I can't imagine it's helping their sales much, because the last thing I want to do now is buy anything from them. I think selling bras is like counseling, especially when you're dealing with people who have particular insecurities about their size or shape. I'm flat-chested and my chest bones are shaped weird. I kind of just want someone to say "it's okay you're not hopeless, your perfect fit is out there somewhere and there is nothing wrong with your body." So, here's my advice to anyone who sells bras for a living: talk to her like she's your sister. Tell her you get where she's coming from. If you don't understand her, ask questions until you do. If you still don't understand her after that, maybe you're in the wrong line of work or maybe you're just tired and you hate your job or maybe your cat died, I don't know. But you're not going to be able to sell her anything if she doesn't like you.

Fans of The Little Bra Company, an iconic mainstay brand of petite lingerie, will be pleased to hear that a selection of their bras are now available in cup size AA. Previously a common complaint of women requiring an AA cup was that, while TLBC's full A cup size may be smaller than it is in a standard bra, that doesn't really make it equivalent to an AA. Bra bands from this company do tend to run smaller than its cups. I have more often seen complaints about the bands being too tight, than I have about the cup size being off. So it's fortunate that they have chosen to provide sizes 32AA, 34AA, and 36AA in the following styles: Elsie, Erika, Jamie, Lea, Lenna, Sascha, and Yvonne. Among these, there are options for a good fit whether your breasts are set close together or more than three fingers apart from each other (I, like many other women who are not true petites, fall into the second category). https://www.thelittlebracompany.com/collections/aa-d-cups The Yvonne bra, TLBC's award-winning bestseller designed for wide-set breasts, has been consistently popular in all other sizes and will no doubt continue to top the list of sales for them in AA cups as well. As they are making room for new inventory at the moment, TLBC has a number of styles on final sale. I also have been selling a few of them on Poshmark, so check my closet to see what I might have available at the moment: https://poshmark.com/closet/amanda_sage1979

This is a six-pack of bralettes by Alyce Intimates. Do you really need six bralettes? Well, maybe. I plan to keep one or two and sell the rest, but I like these more than I expected to, given the price for six of them. I purchased them in a size medium, which turns out to be quite comfortable, but I also could have gone with the small. The sizing guidelines are interesting because when you click on "size chart," you see two charts. Ignore the first one which doesn't really make any sense, and go with the second, which does. They are available for purchase on Amazon, at https://amzn.to/3qHezLt (this is an affiliate link, and I may earn a commission from sales). With all the bralettes out there, why do I think these are special? First of all, they are well-made and look exactly like the images. Second, they are low-cut in front which is nice if you don't dress like a spinster. Third, the band is substantial in height, which gives them a good stable base for support. And finally, the sides are fairly low under the arms, so that they don't cut in at that awkward place where you may have some breast tissue if you are built with wide-set breasts that start high up on your chest. Or if you are just very petite and need minimal coverage pretty much everywhere, including at the sides. Another thing I love is the fabric. Soft, stretchy, and thin. This is a bralette that allows your skin to breathe. Some may like a more substantial fabric for support and to make sure it doesn't stretch out too much over time, but I personally prefer this because it's not holding me in too hard or making me sweat. I guess I like my bralettes like I like my men: smooth and cool, with possible commitment issues. A word about these if you have a small band and large cup size: because of the low cut in front and at the sides, you may end up with half your breasts falling out of it. The second sizing chart (the accurate one) does include D cups, but only for sizes L and XL, meaning that if you wear a smaller band and larger than a D cup, the fit could be problematic. What I like to do is take out the pads that come with the bralette and either wear it with no padding, or put in some of my own like the Double Scoop inserts if I want to add size. This is one reason I appreciate the removable pads, because, well... you can remove them. I tend not to like the pads that come in bralettes because they are just useless triangles which serve the sole purpose of nipple concealment. Why do we need to pretend we don't have nipples, anyway? Everyone knows they are there.

Flatter Me is a line of plus-size bras for small-busted women. As I'm sure you know if you wear one of these sizes, plus-size bras in AA, A and B cups are even harder to find than they are in petite sizes. Itty Bitty Bra Company realized this, and they designed the Flatter Me bra especially for this population. I have given Flatter Me bras to several readers, with rave reviews. My friend Ali called hers "super comfortable," and another reader (who prefers to remain anonymous) said "this is the only bra I have that doesn't gap on me." Yay! So how do you know if these bras will fit you? Bra fit in all Itty Bitty Bra Company products is measured as follows: take your underbust measurement in inches and add 4. If you get an odd number, add 5. This is your band size. Next, measure across your breasts at their fullest point and around your back at the height of your bra band. If you get an odd number, add one. If you get an even number, this is your fullest bust. Then subtract your band size from your fullest bust (you may get a negative number). So for example, my underbust measures 27. It's an odd number so I add 5 to this and get 32, which is my band size. My fullest bust measures 33, so I add one to this and get 34. I subtract 32 from 34 and get two inches, meaning I am a B cup. So, for Itty Bitty Bra Company I am sized at a 32B (however, I find the fit a little tight in IBB bras this size so I go up to a 34B or its sister size, 36A). Another way to measure is to take your underbust and fullest bust measurements as they are, rounding up only to the nearest whole number. Some women find that this method provides a more accurate size for them, particularly if they are full-busted (D cup or above) with a small ribcage. And if you get a negative number from the first method, this is not at all uncommon for women who measure at an A cup or less; all it means is that the +4-5 method will not give you an accurate cup size, so this second technique for measuring makes more sense for you. It gives me a quite different result than the first, sizing me at a 28D or 30C. In fact, I have tried on bras in these sizes and can wear a 30C, but I find it uncomfortably tight (28 I can barely fasten even on the loosest hook), and the cups come up too high on my chest. Flatter Me by IBB is available in AA, A and B cups. Band sizes range from 40 to 46, and they come in black or beige. Shop for them here: https://ittybittybra.com/collections/flatter-me-bra You can also find a couple of these for sale for less on Poshmark. https://poshmark.com/brand/itty%20bitty%20bra If you buy one, please comment to let us know if you like it and how it fits! Also, please tell us what size you got and what led you to search for Flatter Me bras.

Just for fun, here are some typical (okay, maybe extra ridiculous but only slightly) conversations that women can have with sales clerks when shopping locally for bras. #1 (small band, large cup): Staff member (or "bra consultant" or whatever it is they're called these days) says, "Hi I'm soooo sorry we don't carry your size. You should be wearing a 28X which does not exist. Thanks so much for shopping with us! Here, try on a 32DD." Result: it doesn't fit but she buys it anyway, out of discouragement and shame. She gives it to a friend who actually does wear that size. #2 (plus-sized): Staff member says, "Oh gosh I'm sure you have a rough time finding bras huh sweetie. Well.... let's see, we have this one (pulls out a hideous matronly contraption in puke beige) but we really don't have many sizes of it in stock soooo.... have you tried Lane Bryant?" Result: she rolls her eyes and leaves empty-handed, not wanting to go anywhere near the vomit-colored monstrosity. #3 (petite, small-breasted): "Awww hi honey let me show you our best-selling 32A bra, it has bunnies on it. So cute!" Result: she wistfully eyes the racks of sophisticated grown-up bras in bigger sizes, and then goes to buy a bralette in a store that doesn't specialize in lingerie. #4 (non-white, looking for a bra to match her skin): "So you want... nude? You're in luck, we have two different nude colors available! One of them should be close enough, right?" Result: she gives up on that mission and ends up with yet another purple bra, which is pretty but under a white top it just looks... well, purple. #6 (trans-feminine): "Um. Sir are you sure you're in the right store?" Result: she says she is there shopping for her daughter. Then she leaves and when she gets home, looks up "bras after implants" because she has the surgery scheduled and isn't sure what to expect. So, let's address each of these concerns briefly. #1 needs a size that is only carried by certain brands, many of which are not available in local stores. She can search online for the following brands which are known for making bras that successfully fit small band/large cup sizes: Panache, Freya, Ewa Michalak, Curvy Kate, Elomi, Affinitas Parfait, and more. #2 will often have trouble finding her size in mainstream lingerie stores (ahem Victoria's Secret, guess what: many women are larger than a 38 band and/or DD cup). However, if she visits a boutique with knowledge and experience regarding plus-size bras and lingerie, she will usually be able to find a size that works. All lingerie stores should be familiar with all sizes, and stock a respectably wide variety of them... but unfortunately this is not always the case. Some online stores will allow you to order, try on, and return as many times as you need to -- with free shipping both ways. When shopping online, make sure to choose one of the stores that provides this. #3 has a similar predicament to #2, except that instead of being directed to a plus-size-only store, she is often told to try on bras for teenagers. If both her cup and band size are small (28-30, A-C), then she can find stylish and flattering adult bras at stores like Lula Lu, The Little Bra Company, Itty Bitty Bra, and Pepper. #4 constantly sees bras labeled "nude" that look nothing like the color of her skin. Lingerie brand Nubian Skin is taking on this problem by providing a line of bras and underwear in a range of non-Caucasian skin tones, so she should definitely check them out. Makeup for a wide variety of skin colors exists, and so should bras. And finally, #5. If she is pre-op or electing not to have surgery, the trans woman can find solutions among brands made for breast cancer survivors. She can also seek out breast forms online, which are often available for purchase in combination with pocket bras to wear them in. Amazon actually has a decent selection of choices available. If she is looking for bras to wear post-surgery, there is a line of bras made specifically for women who have recently had breast augmentation (implants): the Rosa Faia line, by Anita Care.

Well, I'm never saying it isn't sexy, but I must say this bra is not my favorite from Cosabella. It's a front-closure style with removable pads-- so far so good, as I tend to like both of these features very much. And it's quite beautiful, with black lace contour cups and an elegant silver clasp. However, the band runs very very tight. I got a size 34B and had to really pull on it to get the clasp to fasten, and once I had it closed it dug into my breastbone in front. I could barely fit two fingers between me and the band, which is a definite sign that it's too small. That, and the fact that I could hardly breathe. The cups do run true to size, so this seems more like a 32C to me, or even a 30D. This is not something I usually experience with 34 bands at all. In fact I can't think of a single time that a 34 was this tight on me, not even other front-closure bras with bands that can't be adjusted. I had seen reviews on Amazon indicating that Cosabella seems to be having sizing issues. Their smallest bras start at a 28 band, which this quite honestly felt like to me (or close to it, anyway). I can't imagine what must have happened for this to be labeled as a 34, but it simply isn't. I got it from Rue La La (join with link https://www.ruelala.com/invite/amandasage to get $10 in store credit), and it was on final sale so I can't return it. My advice if you order a Cosabella bra from anywhere, is before you check out message the seller and ask the following: do you know if this bra runs true to size? Have you tried it on, or do you know someone who has? If it doesn't fit and I have to return it, do I still need to pay for return shipping? Do I have the option to exchange it for a different item? This goes for Poshmark too, as I have listed this bra there with the caveat that the band does not seem to run true to size. I recommended it for a 32C. https://poshmark.com/listing/Cosabella-Never-Say-Never-Sexie-PushUp-Bra-34B-32C-61b64a34941f179c8f224a61 It's a shame, because I do like the bra otherwise, and Cosabella lingerie is always well-made. What sort of luck have you had with this brand? Please feel free to share your experience in a comment. I think perhaps next time I will stick with their bralettes and other non-cup-sized items.

I tried another bra insert which I had read a good recommendation of. These are Double Scoops, and they come in a pair for $19.99. They are available for purchase on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3y7Smt5. You should purchase these in the cup size of the bra that you want to wear them in, rather than the size that you are looking to achieve. All sizes have a similar thickness, but they vary in the total amount of coverage, and this is to make sure they will fit well inside the corresponding cup size of your bra. Too small and they might not stay in place inside the bra; too big, and your bra cups will be too small to contain them horizontally and/or vertically. Double Scoops are similar to the Femagique inserts: foam, and graduated with most of the volume at the bottom. However, these add significantly more size, probably at least one cup and on me it looks more like 1.5. I'm impressed, as usually inserts that promise to add a cup size don't really deliver and their purpose is more to help you fill out bras you already have that are a little too big or have gaps at the top. Another thing I like about them is that the tops of the Double Scoops close entirely over my breasts, so there isn't a problem with what I call "whoops sudden nipple reveal," or with the inserts sliding up to an awkward place inside the bra. They stay put just fine in my lightly lined 34C bra, which I had been looking for something to help me fill out. In fact I think I could even go up a cup to a D with them in, but my 34C has enough stretch in it that they work fine. Keep in mind I am really not a C cup and I only own this bra for using with inserts in the first place, so I'm not sure you could use these with your usual bra size unless all of your bras are already way too big in the cup for you. It's worth trying them with a bra in a cup size larger than you normally wear. The 34C bra I put them in (shown at left) is a plunge style with flexible fabric cups that have an overlaid layer of mesh lace. I recommend this type for inserts, rather than trying them with a rigid contour-cup bra or with anything else that already has foam inside. The foam will not adjust to the inserts as well and you may end up with gaps, or with the insert moving around a lot inside the bra cups. With these inserts in this particular bra, I don't have either of these issues. It's all about getting the right match between your inserts and the bra you wear them in, which I realize sounds very complicated, and it really sort of is. I've had to try many combinations to find something that works this well. If you are looking for a full-cup enhancement solution and do not have much natural breast tissue, it's possible you could get away with these; however, they are not full breast forms and it's best if you have at least a little to help fill the tops of them. Many trans women may have enough volume to pull this off, but I am not sure that they would work if you are a breast cancer survivor and have had a non-augmented double mastectomy. So to be on the safe side, I am recommending them only for assigned females at birth who are looking to add more size to what they already have, and to trans women who have some amount of natural breast tissue that they can work with. If you have had a double mastectomy and want to try these, make sure you use them inside a non-padded bra that is relatively full-coverage so that it closes completely over the top of your chest. I would not advise trying to wear them inside a balconette or push-up style.

All bras on the Maidenform website are $14.99 today, including packs of two. You can get an additional 20% off your order by subscribing to their email list. Check it out at https://yazing.com/deals/maidenform/AmandaSageBarnum. That's some pretty decent savings, and Maidenform bras are already quite affordable. Aesthetically they are perhaps a bit basic, and the patterns they offer are nothing special. But you can usually find something you like enough to wear, as long as you are in their size range. I purchased a two-pack of bras, and it's hard not to feel good about that, especially since I do like these colors. One thing to look out for with Maidenform push-up bras (pictured at left) is that they can feel overly packed full of foam. Even those which are described as "lightly lined" tend to have significant padding, whereas in other brands the same term means simply two-ply fabric or a very thin contour layer. The push-up options in Maidenform range from light graduated padding (which focuses mainly on lifting the breasts) to major couch stuffing that adds more than one cup size in appearance. If you like the type of bra that does this, Maidenform's are cheaper than Victoria Secret's Miraculous or Bombshell bras. But they are not available in AA cups, which is a little odd because you would think they would recognize -- as VS clearly has -- that women with AA-cup breasts are an ideal market for bras that add size. Perhaps there simply aren't enough adult women who truly measure at a size AA to make it worthwhile for them to offer it, even in mega-push-up bras. So then we're back to AA being relegated to specialty brands that cater specifically to the small-busted. How is Maidenform doing with larger cup sizes? They do offer a decent selection of plus-size bras up to cup size M, but not much in the way of small-band/large-cup options. They don't carry any 30 band bras, and even size 32 is excluded from their overall bra fitting chart which starts at a 34. If you need a 30 band with a large cup size, Panache and Freya are two brands that offer them.