Underneath Your Clothes by Georgina Horne

15 3 / 2012

Underneath Your Clothes by Georgina Horne

I wore the wrong sized bras for years. I did ok, my boobs remained in vaguely the right place, my shoulders didn’t ache all the time and I had several dresses and tops that I could wear, although most did tend to show my ugly bras off – the only ones I could find in my supposed size. I considered my bust size to be a blessing and a curse in equal measures. Having a larger chest is fab up until a point, but the misery of finding clothes, lingerie and swimwear that fits and suits is sometimes a little unbearable.

I remember when a fellow busty buddy pointed out that I was in the wrong sized bra. She started prodding and poking me, telling me off for my double boob look showing so plainly under my top. I really didn’t take the news well and felt slightly angry at her uncalled for judgment. My 40FF bras were the best I could do – it wasn’t my fault that my body was so freakish and refused to play nice in bras. However, the more I listened to my lovely friend, the more I realised that I really did need to take some action and give the lingerie stores one more chance. And so I trotted off to Bravissimo in the search of some titty slings that could stop my aches, pains and bulges.

I emerged a little dazed clutching my brand spanking new 36H bras. 36H?! It seemed like a crazy combination, but boy oh boy did it work on me! That snug back band meant that my breasts were perky as the bra didn’t droop at the front due to it riding up at the back; it remained at the same level all the way round my torso. The bra cups fully encased my breasts instead of causing them to spill over. The central gore of the bra sat firmly against my chest, separating my boobies and giving me the most magnificent shape – was this some sorcery?! Sure it took me some time to get used to the firmer band but just like a new pair of shoes, I wore my gorgeous new bras in.

Now that I had the foundations sorted I started to explore the world of – shock! - dresses! I had never really gotten on well with them before as I had never really had a waist to speak of and my poorly supported breasts did not want to be seen. Yet I felt like I had been given a whole new body and I was keen to explore a few new looks. It took me a few years of experimentation, but I finally managed to nail my style – and lo and behold Pinup Girl Clothing was a huge part of that journey. The dresses gave me enough room to pour my chest into them, and with the right bras it looked pretty damn good! The myth that large breasted girls cannot wear plunge bras was quashed my by sassy combinations of Freya Deco bras and Erin dresses. My Masquerade Rhea bras gave me the perfect wench like cleavage in my sexy Jessica dress. And my Maidenform shapewear gave me a clean cut smooth silhouette. I felt so insanely feminine and – dare I say it – curvy, voluptuous, bodacious, and womanly. Smaller busted girls no longer had one up on me, I too could work in it beautiful dresses that hugged my shape and showed me off. And if it wasn’t for that underwear epiphany, I would never have felt that way.

I now understand how bras work, that D cup is not such a huge size, that H cups breasts are not some huge monstrous unlivable orbs, but manageable mounds that can be found in the most delicious of dresses. Back sizes start at a 24 and a 28 band is needed by more women than you would think. Snug bands will stop your shoulders from aching and your breasts sagging, and usually means you may need a bigger cup. Cup size cannot be judged unless you know the corresponding back size and even then you cannot make assumptions about the owner of such a size. Breast shape and fullness plays such an important role when it comes to choosing what you can and cannot wear – for example, I have a very perky breasted friend who has boobies that are quite bottom heavy – she cannot get that “orb” look going on in plunge bras. She also cannot get bullet bras to work for her and her boobs will just not mold to the pointed cups. Yet I have many friends who swear by them – and the best brand for them seems to be “What Katie Did” - although at present they only go up to an F cup. Owning breasts and bras sometimes seems as complicated as owning a car but when you have it sussed, you feel like you can do anything. So never feel miserable about your body and underwear collection - know that it is the garments that need changing and not you. Once you have that sorted the world is your oyster!