Before you go - pick a way to stay up-to-date!
The Butterfly Bra – the wrong solution for an ongoing bra-sizing problem
May 21, 2008 by Danae
We’ve got nothing against Ashley Stewart or Jill Scott, but we’ve got to call shenanigans on their much-hyped release of the “The Butterfly Bra,” a bra designed to solve discomfort problems for fuller-figured women. Here’s a video introducing the bra:
We can’t fault the creators’ intentions – fuller-figured women do have an incredibly difficult time finding a well-fitting bra. But we’re concerned that this ‘solution’ is going to cause more problems than it solves, and one of our biggest concerns is about the sizing: The Butterfly Bra, the “must-have bra” for larger women, is only available in sizes 38D to 44DDD.
DDD isn’t a real size!
How in the world did such a well-intentioned project for larger women settle on such a bizarre sizing scheme? Putting aside the issue that D-DDD is nowhere near a large enough size range to cater to larger-sized women, why do manufacturers insist upon using this faux-size DDD? What does DDD even mean?
To understand the DDD, you first have to understand the A-D mentality. We’ve touched on this in the past, and nothing has changed since our last article – countless people, especially in the States, think that bra sizes begin at A, end at D, and anything above that is the realm of monsters and plastic surgery. When considered in that context, “DDD” starts to make more sense — letters like E, F, and G would sound comically huge within an A-D framework, so manufactureres tack a couple extra D’s on a D-cup to make what is really an E or F-cup sound more consumer-friendly.
You might be asking, what’s the harm in calling an F a DDD? Not a lot, until women start needing a G-cup bra, or even H or J. If i’m a 36G, does that mean i should be a 36DDDD for Ashley Stewart? If i gain a few pounds, am i now a 36DDDDD? Beyond a few D’s, this sizing scheme not only gets ridiculous, but pretty embarrassing and impossible for larger-sized women – the very women who Ashley Stewart are trying to help.
Band sizes too big, cup sizes too small
Because The Butterfly Bra doesn’t acknowledge real larger-cup sizes, the rest of the design suffers as well. Notice in the video how they keep focusing on the bra straps digging in, and to solve this problem, they pad the straps with a gel lining. Any good reader of our Top 5 Bra-Sizing Myths knows that digging straps are usually a sign that your band size is too big and forcing the straps to support the breasts. They shouldn’t be padding the straps in their larger-size friendly bras, they should be offering smaller band sizes and teaching women how to properly support their breasts.
Also pay attention when they show the new bra’s underwires (about 56 seconds in). Notice anything funny about the bridge, or center, of that bra? It’s not even touching her chest, and her breasts look flattened into the bra as a result – another key indicator that a cup size is too small.
Perpetuating the Myth
As we said, we’ve got nothing against the very well-intentioned project to create a bra for larger-sized women – this is an issue that we’ve been talking about for ages, and are delighted to see promoted, especially in the States. We’re even intrigued by their double-black clasp design, something that worked really well on the Shock Absorber bra that Danae recently tried out.
What we’re very disappointed to see is that even a well-intended project is continuing to perpetuate incorrect assumptions about bra-sizing, assumptions that lead many, many women to wear ill-fitting and uncomfortable bras. Just like Jill Scott says in the video, a bad bra doesn’t just impact your comfort, it impacts your personality and self-confidence, too. We would love to see someone create a bra that truly addressed the needs of larger-sized women and to finally help liberate them from an industry that refuses to acknowledge the truth about larger-cup bra-sizing.
Share this article:
Filed Under Sizing, Sophisticate
Tagged: Butterfly Bra
I have this bra in a DD, and it is one of the best investments i have made this year. It is truly comfortable, and it does disguise the all so famous “back fat”. Believe it or not a lot of bra companies and bra store’s sell DDD’s, and then go on to E, F and so on. So do u actually have one of these bras? If DDD isn’t a real size forget about and move on, lets just appreciate the fact that someone thought about the actual discomfort that a bra of “normal size” can bring, and move on.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for your comment! No, we don’t have one of these bras — as we noted in our article, we applaud the Butterfly Bra’s efforts to give more attention to bra discomfort, we’re only disagreeing with their methods for solving it. If the designers behind the Butterfly Bra and other labels embraced proper bra sizes without the artificial D+ cut-off, a LOT more women would be comfortable in their bras, and wouldn’t have to buy any special kind of bra to do it either.
I tried the bra on today for the first time and at first I was like something is wrong. What was “wrong” was that the bra wasn’t digging into my shoulders! For some reason, that struck me as odd for the first 5 minutes, then I realized this is how it should feel.
Additionally Danae, there are numerous bra makers that use the triple D (DDD) size. I don’t really care what they call the size, I just need the bra to fit and be comfortable and the Butterfly bra has accomplished that for me. By the way, I am a 44DDD and I have used several different bras, been sized many times, and tried different bra sizes over the past 8 years, none of which feel nearly as comfortable as the Butterfly bra.
From the information I have found on the bra on the Ashley Stewart website and elsewhere, they are starting out with these select sizes and colors to see how the bra does and to also get feedback from customers. They are looking into having additional sizes, colors, and even other items like lingerie, swimsuits, etc. and I can’t wait!
I suggest you actually try the bra. Your article and the issue you raised have little, if anything, to really do with the Butterfly bra itself, and I thought it was very strange to find an article about bra sizing that focuses on 1 particular bra when most bra manufacturers use the same sizing.
I could not wait until these bras came out after seeing Jill Scott on Oprah. When they did, I ordered 2, and to be sure I had a correct fit, one was 42DD and the other 42DDD. I knew I could exchange for the one that was the best fit. $100 and a few days later, I had my long awaited relief from the shoulder and back pain caused by heavy breasts….OR SO I THOUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so dissapointed I literally cried. After months of anticipating relief from the pain, these bras did everything but.
The center, as noted above, did NOT lay against my chest, but stuck out like a pointed arrow. I found it impossible to put on myself because of the double back, and the underwires were uncomfortable. Although the bra did hold my breasts up without pulling on my shoulders, there was no support because my breast were just up and out there. If I bent over they would probably fall out the top.
After the initial dissappointed and trying each bra just one time each, I pulled one out of the closet to try again. Within 1 hour of wear, while holding my 5mo old grandson, I felt a very pointed wire sticking out of the front of my shirt. The wire had actully cut through the material of the bra and made a hold in my shirt. I could have easily caused serious pain and injury to my grandson if I hadn’t noticed right away. So, like I said, $100 later, I have these bras hanging in my closet and am no closer to pain relief and a true good fitting and comfortable bra then I was a year ago. Ladies, don’t fall for it I did. They were a waste of my money and they do not help as claimed in their advertisement!!!
did u get the right size?
hopefully ashley stewart will expand on their concept…
the bra is probably 4 women like me…38 D-44 DD…we have so many more sisters who are outside this range…
i luv luv luv the bra!!!! 1st time since i was 16 that i cant wait to put on a bra!!!!! i actually look forward 2 wearing it!!!!
everyone thinks that i have lost weight…i havent but i have…ive lost the weight of feeling uncomfortable and overburdened by ill fitting foolishness!!! a big fat juicy MMMMWAHH!!!!! 2 JILLY FROM PHILLY!!!!
I cannot wait to try this bra. I to don’t care what they call the sizes. Those of us who have long suffered have been looking for liberation for so long, I could cry. Body types are so odd, my sister who is a smaller frame than I am wears the f size, and I know some girls who wear the so called G size,however they don’t fit me. My daughter is always trying to pull up my ill fitted bra to cover that extra something. I could just just screamed when I saw the Jill Scott bra. I said to my daughter , “how did they know? What ever glitches that this product have…. if any, is worth working on. instead of shooting it down go head offer suggestions. The lot of us plus size gals can only benefit from it.
@ Candice: RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!
Hello,
I just received the Butterfly Bra in the mail and I tried it on. I must say that this is the best investment that I have made. I am a full size woman and I have large breast. I have tried on other bras and paid a lot of money for them and they never own up to what they say. The Butterfly Bra is very comfortable and it looks great on. It makes my clothes look extra nice and blouses that I did not wear before because they looked funny, look great. I was so pleased with it that I threw out all my other bras and just placed an order for some more. I would have definately paid full price for them but since they are having a sale on them it made it all the more wonderful.
The idea of adding more and more Ds instead of just going up to the next letter is an indicator of a much greater underlying problem. Women are so conditioned to be embarrassed of their breasts (unless they happen to be the “perfect” size, whatever that is) that manufacturers are reluctant to use letters bigger than D on their labels, because nobody wants to have freakishly huge breasts bigger than DD, right? Somehow, “DDD” doesn’t sound much bigger than “DD” wheras to a lot of people, “E” sounds huge, so much so that they would rather continue to wear an ill-fitting bra that rides up their back and gives them four boobs than face up to the fact that they could actually be an E, F, or G cup. The idea of a bra designed for larger cup sizes, but only available up to a “DDD” is just ridiculous anyway. “DDD” is not even a large size, it’s barely above average! If I see a bra aimed at larger cup sizes, I expect it to go up to at least a UK G cup/US I cup.
When I first saw the advertising campaign for the Butterfly bra, I wanted to scream at the computer screen: “There is nothing wrong with the design of your old bras – they just don’t fit you!!!” If the band of your bra is riding up your back, the shoulder straps dig in and the cups sag, it is not because your bras are poorly designed or that pain is somehow just a fact of life for the large breasted, it’s far, far simpler than that – you just need a smaller band size!
It actually makes me quite angry that the bra fitting issues faced by women who are outside of the “normal” size range have just been totally swept under the carpet by this supposedly revolutionary new bra. The women who have tried this bra and been pleased with the results are still none the wiser about what was wrong with their old bras! The real issue has not only been ignored, but actually made worse because they are just reinforcing the myth that bras are not supposed to be comfortable. If your shoulder straps dig in the solution is NOT to pad them, it’s to find a more supportive bra that won’t weigh down on the straps! If the back rides up, it’s nothing to do with the design, it’s just too big! Women should be educated about proper bra fitting and sizing, so that they are informed enough to demand a wider range of sizes from manufacturers. This bra is the opposite of progress for women.
Zoe, I’m sorry to have to say this but, most of the women complaining about the butterfly bra and the sizing are white. Not that white women don’t have the same breast issues that we as women of color have… but your sizing and bodyshapes ARE a little different. Such as the whole correct size issue. According to most lingerie companies your cup size is determined by how many inches your bust size is over your band size. If you go to victoria secret and get there official tape measurer ,which I have, a normal full figured women would be a 50? DD. So it is not just about the size. I don’t care who you are, if you put a watermelon in a bra, wether it fits correctly or not, by the end of the day who do you think will give first?
With that being said… the Butterfly Bra is the best invention ever!!!! This clearly makes up for the corset, stillettos, and girdle panties all together. If you don’t shop at Ashley Stewart, than you need to. If you don’t fit Ashley Stewart cloths than you WON’T fit this bra. There sizing is trully for big girls and you really need to goto the store and try the bra on. I feel really bad for the women who were disappointed. All I can say is goto the store and try the bra on in the store. The women there showed me how to put it on and everything. Without there help at first I would have been lost too. After you visit the store and get the correct size. Send the bras back with a letter and tell them to give you the correct size or give you back your money.
Before I had my kids I never had big boobs. I wore a halter tops with no bra until I was 29 years old. Now I am 35 with three kids a huge set of jugs. At first I thought my back hurt because my bra was the wrong size. So I went and got measured and was still uncomfortable. After the butterfly bra, I can finally enjoy having big boobs because they look and feel absolutely grand in my bran new leopard print butterfly bra!!!!
I definitely could not buy a butterfly bra because I need a 34 band, not a 38. *sighs* If only people would realize that women with smaller bands and larger cups are worthy of acknowledgement, too.
“Zoe, I’m sorry to have to say this but, most of the women complaining about the butterfly bra and the sizing are white. Not that white women don’t have the same breast issues that we as women of color have… but your sizing and bodyshapes ARE a little different.”
I don’t see how this is relevant to any of the points I was making…
Charlie Brown PLEEEEEASE goto the store and try a size 38. This bra has 3 seperate rows of clasps that are spaced pretty far. You’d be surprised.
Zoe I hope that you were not offened by my comments. I was just stating that fuller figured women do not fit the normal supposedly “correct” bra sizes. I understand where you are coming from. But that whole wrong size bra thing does not apply to me or any (that’s white, black, latina) of my big breasted friends. That whole wrong size thing is a myth when it comes to big boobs. Most regular bras do not have enough support to fight everyday gravity. The band in the back either puffs up your back fat or by the end of the day it has stretched to the point where the straps are holding on for dear life.
Zoe if you have big boobs, please goto Ashley Stewart and try the bra on. You will see how wonderful it trully is.
No, I wasn’t offended, just confused!
I still think you have misunderstood what I was trying to say. I am not suggesting for a moment that women should go out and get measured by somewhere like Victoria’s Secret, because their method of measuring doesn’t work for anyone, let alone DD+ or 38+ women! What I am suggesting is that women should be taught about proper bra fitting, (which is totally different from measuring) and for most people (even women who have been measured and think they are wearing the right size) this means dropping about 2 band sizes and increasing the cup size accordingly. Most of the bra problems that women experience and put down to either their own bodies or poorly designed bras, are in fact simply poorly *fitted* bras. Most models you see in VS bra ads are probably wearing 32-34 A-B-C, but should actually be wearing 28-30 D-DD-E.
My main gripe with the butterfly bra is that the conventional bras it is compared to in the ads are all *very* poorly fitting, and thus it is the bad fit, not so much the design, that is the cause of virtually all the problems they mention. Yes, fuller figured women have greater support needs, and most bras would still be unsatisfactory even if they were made in a wider range of sizes, but this is because they are only designed for A-D cups.
Zoe I have to agree with you on that one. Those other bras were pitiful. I believe that every girl should be taught proper size and bra fitting as soon as they start to develop. It would be a boost to self esteem and pride in there own body shape.
What the butterfly has done for me is give me the extra support that I need as a full figured and well endowed women. Not to mention its sooooo comfortable.
I’m American but have lived in England for the last 7 years. About a year ago I went to my first bra fitting at a store called Bravissimo which is for the bigger-breasted woman. I walked in wearing a 48DDD (Lane Bryant Cacique) and came out wearing a 38JJ or 40JJ (depending on the bra). I was shocked at the size difference but I’m THRILLED to have bras that actually fit me now! (And now nice to not knock my boobs with my knees! LOL)
That being said, I’m still looking for the ‘super bra’ and thought this might be the winner… but maybe not just yet. I hope in the future they take all the (helpful) criticism and redesign/resize. I think in theory this bra could be absolutely brilliant! (Or certainly for my figure!)
Thanks for publishing this article to save me wasting loads of money!!
P.S. At Bravissimo they don’t measure you… they teach you how a bra SHOULD fit (underwire to the chest, tight around the back, etc…)
Wow; I have a friend in Lisa- I’ve been fittted (at Intimacy in Chicago) as a 38/40 JJ as well. So will the Butterfly bra work for me? What other brands has anyone found in retail stores or online?
With out a bra under my breasts I am 44″ around. Above my breasts with out a bra I am 47″ around.
In my best fighting bra the one I can almost breath in. I am 52″ around at breast level. Above my breasts in the same plase I was 47″ with out a bar I am 51″.
So I figure I have about 56″ around. Why is there no bra out there for me?
I knit so I thought I would make my own but there is no pattern so no….
If a star is big and needs a bra the hire some one to make one. But what dose a real person to it the just want a bra and to be able to breath.
hi every one i am from England and would like to give some advice:- i feel a bit of an expert now as i recently bought a new bra.
90% of women are actually wearing the WRONG SIZE BRA so in the first instance this needs to be corrected BEFORE buying any new bras no matter how good the claims are.
Go to a few stores and get them to measure you, they wont all get it right, personally i went to Intimas purely because they had a nice range in there and straight away she knew i was wearing the wrong size without even touching me, what she said was and its the GOLDEN RULE that
“if you go BIGGER IN THE CUP, YOU GO SMALLER IN THE BACK!” – by one size at a time.
Also you should do up the bra on the looser fastner that is comfortable and as it stretches with general use/washes, use the tighter fastner til of course you get to the one further in. – i started on the middle fastner!
It WORKS i was orignally wearing 38D so i tried a couple of different back and cup size combinations, but i found that i was actually 36E. so i went BIGGER IN THE CUP AND SMALLER IN THE BAND as i stated above.
Trust me my original bra was digging in the shoulders and my boobs just slouched down inside the cup and were dropping out of the bottom.
Before you buy any bra find your size as its 90% likely you got the wrong size to begin with, if you gain or lose even a small amount of weight you need to check your bra size too.
Also you have to remember some manufaturers are not great with sizing some are smaller than others and the style is also important to remmeber, always go for full cup to really see how it should fit as that is where the full support is.
As for the video i noticed STRAIGHT away that the model wasn’t in the right cup it isn’t BIG enough and squashes the boobs against the chest rather than allow them to fill the cup. I was shocked she made this CRUCIAL mistake, and quite frankly its CRINGEWORTHLING EMBARRASING that she has made it.
ALL bras should sit next to the skin NOT HOVER as it is in the video 56secs as indicated on this article. braS should seperate the breasts not squash them next to each other. The butterfly fasten at the back looks a nightmare to do up on your own as one set is higher up i dont know if anyone else manages it.
Why is she using an obviously slim model to show off the back on her bra its not the same model as the one with the traditional bra with the fat showing??? to me this is suspicious i want to see how the “back fat” would look in this bra if i was going to buy it. on ashley stewart website it doesn’t even offer you a picture of what it looks like on their STRAPLESS VERSION which seams very odd to me?
Gel Straps – RUBBISH not necessary the point is, the CUP AND THE BAND is what supporting the breasts the straps are just extra.
It reminds me of my mums old style LONGLINE bras from 50′s which also pulls you in, but she always had to fasten it from the front and pull it around as its impossible to do it from the back with so many fastners, it straightens your posture a bit as well, but all in all its just an upgrade of this other than this i have no further comment on the new back fasten styling.
The other thing is the stupid extra DDDDD’s cup sizing lets keep this simple people and keep it to the way it is that way it is impossible to confuse yourself. I have never heard of this crazy sizing extention in UK so why this starts up is ridiculous and i couldn’t begin to imagine what size it looks like.
My advice to Jill Scott is to keep the simple sizing system already in place and i can tell you the people are DEFINATELY wearing the wrong size and possibly the wrong style. You must first understand about bras and breasts before you start thinking about designing a bra. correct the cup your model was wearing and use a maniquin that is obviously fat not a slim one.
Hello Janet,
You are exactly right!! I am so frustrated, I have been attempting to educate my sales person when assisting me with my bras. I have yet to find a bra that properly fits me. I have been telling the people in the store that I do not need a bra that is larger in the band. For instance, in the Goddess brand, I would wear a 48DDD or 48F, however, what I really need is a 46, possibly 44 G H or I. I have very very large breasts and they are heavy!! I have sought to get a breast reduction, however, the doctors say that I need to loose weight. I agree however, it is a suffering to wear bras that are so uncomfortable. Many of you know how it feels to wear bras that do not compliment you. When I saw Jill Scott designed a bra, the Butterfly, I was so excited. Then I became frustrated because they did not have a bra that went up to my band size or bra size. What is a girl to do. I know there are so many others who are in my shoes. However, I am encouraged because I know a change is going to come!
I absolutely love the butterfly bra! It is very comfortable and lifts and supports me. I don’t have problems with strp marks being left in my shoulders. This bra is wonderful, people should actually give this bra a chance before it is put down.
well about the bra situation – i really don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with bigger breasts than me I am a 44 M and I can’t find them anywhere!!! I have to order then off of ebay from the united kingdom! I wanted a butterfly but it’s NOT available in my size — disappointed in North Carolina — I really wish there was some kinda store that SOLD MY SIZE !!!
Okay, so a lot of people are saying that G cups don’t fit them and regular bigger cups sizes just don’t work…it’s because you guys actually need bigger than that. My mom wears a 40 H(she gets bigger or smaller if there’s a sell). She tried a 38M cup (and a prefessoinal bra fitter-no measuring tape)and it fit her great, BUT she thought it was too tight though. I think most women are so comfortable with how their ill fitting bras currently are, that they refuse to admit that a bigger cup and smaller band actually supports them better. Personally, I can never find a bra that really fits me right, no matter the size, so I know how easy it is to just give up and go with what fits best, BUT i’m not going to praise a bra that doesn’t exactly fit the way a bra should just because it fits best out of all the ill fitting bras I’ve tried. I give props to this article, I was going to buy this bra until I read this, for letting me know that this probably won’t fit me the way I thought it would.
actually DDD is a bra size!!!!! it is just not carried in victoria's secret or any other store like it. they usually have to be ordered. lane bryant sells DDD bras
so before you make statements that are not true do some more research!!!!!
Hi NLP,
Just because you can buy a DDD at Lane Bryant doesn't mean it's a proper bra size – a DDD should really be something like a EE or an F, but you can see how adding more D's on to the size stops making sense — what if someone wears an H cup, does that mean that they are a DDDDDD? The point that we're trying to make is that sizes like EE, F, G, H, I, and J are all sizes that women wear, but the Butterfly Bra doesn't acknowledge them, despite being designed especially for these sizes. It's a disappointing opportunity missed.
Thanks,
Danae
I bought two of these bras and I must say that I was sorely disappointed. The cup sizes were all wrong for me. I was recently sized and told that I am a 36G. The DDD cup size in the butterfly was way too large and the DD and D are too small. Plus the band size is wrong. The 38 is too big! So, even though I wear the bra, my boobs are constantly spilling out of the cups. I have to adjust every time I stand up. I think the concept was great (I love the back fat feature), but as Danae said, the sizing is all wrong. I say, just keep refining the bra. In time, maybe it will get better.
I’ve recently had 2 kids. And my goodness my breast are huge! I’ve always had big boobs but after having my babies and breastfeeding i’ve packed on a lot more. For years i’ve dealt with bras digging into my shoulders, 4 boobs, saggy uneven breast, and back fat. A week ago I went to visit my sister who I have not seen in over a year and she could not believe how terrible I looked. Having a bad bra gave me bad posture and low self esteem. I dressed poorly because nothing ever seemed to fit or look right. I’m 25 years old and my sister said I aged my self Into a 45 year old. That really stung. So the first thing we did to remedy all that was to buy a new bra. I went to Catherines and got sized (for the first time ever). Come to find out I was a 46DDD. The whole time I was wearing a 44DD and some of my bras were even smaller than that. When I tried on the bra, I cried. My boobs have been drooping for so long that I didn’t know that they could sit that high up or even that they were supposed to. The straps didn’t dig into my shoulders, my back meat was gone, and my posture was corrected. I honestly looked like I lost a lot of weight. I brought new clothes and look awesome in them. I threw away all of my oversized T-shirts and old grandma clothes. I’m 25 again with a renewed confidence!!! I can’t wait to get back home so that my husband can see the new and improved me. The bras I purchased were not the butterfly bras and they did exactly what they were supposed to do. My problem was the fact that I didn’t know my true bra size. Now all bras aren’t made to support big breast so I suggest that you purchase your bras from places that specializes in pleasing full figure women. Catherines goes up to about a 52H. I haven’t gotten around to wearing a butterfly bra but my sister has and she loves it. She says its the best invention since slice bread. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of them and take it for a spin. But the point of my story is that there are other bras out there that does work and getting proper fitting, preferably from a full figure store, is a must.
Well here’s an update. I finally ask my sister in detail why she loves her butterfly bra so much. When she first purchased it, she was so in love with it because it won the battle of the back fat. Later upon further examination, she began to notice how terrible it was. It did nothing it promised aside from concealing back fat. She said the gel packs were pointless, the band cut into her and left marks, and the bra was so unflattering. It gave her no cleavage and not enough lift. Her breast also seemed flattened.
Now that I think about, that’s probably why they are cheaper than what they were back then. So I’m not even going to waste my money on one of those. Besides I’m completely satisfied with the 2 bras I purchased from Catherines. They’ve change my life for the better.
Danae, I understand the point you were making about the whole DD and DDD thing. I mean why not just continuously go down the alphabet instead adding D’s to I guess pretty it up and to make us feel ashame to go up any further. I don’t mind saying I’m an F. Its my rightful size and I’m comfortable with it. If you are really trying to represent full figure woman then barriers need to be broken. The strings need to be cut. No more hiding behind D’s trying to make it sound smaller or more presentable.
April, I'm glad to hear that you've found a size that works for you, and i loved loved loved your final paragraph! Beautifully put!
continued…
I have had doctors put me on major heavy pain pills and muscle relaxers because of the pain and muscle spasms in my back. At 17 yrs old I was only a size 6, very physically fit (played nearly every sport, weight lifted, power walked/jogged 3-15 miles a day, etc.), into modeling and yet even then at times I felt like my boobs were controling me. Though I doubt the markers of the Butterfly Bra read these I hope they do (yeah I know…keep wishing) because I would love to see them come out with something useful for me and people close to me whom I care about very deeply and could use this too. I must say though I don't think the entire problem rests on lack of options for us bigger chested women. The other problem is that too many women don't understand how the right bra should fit. I didn't understand it till I was nearly 30. I refused to believe I was any bigger then a 36-38DD till about 2-3 years ago (I never knew about being sized till then). I was looking around on Lane Bryant's website one night and sized myself a few times. Because I refused to believe the size I was getting measuring myself through instructions on the site I went into the store.
I was nearly bouncing off the walls and hanging from the ceiling when I head about this bra. It really does seem to be a novel idea. Then I found out where the sizes stopped…DDD. Are you kidding me? Do they really think all women's boobs stop at DDD. They need to go back to the drawing board and figure something out for the rest of us. I have seen some people comment by saying "Why not just loose some weight?" For some of us that's not what it's about. All the women on my mom's side of the family are big in the chest. I have joked for years that my aunt has made up her own bra size. She has had to have them custom made since I was a kid and yes she is all natural. My mom is a tiny little thing (she looks like she has never had a kid even though she had 3) and has delt with problems in her back for many many years due to her frame and the size of her chest. She has had doctors telling her she needs back surgery since about her 40's. I was diagnosed with issues in my back due to my chest when I was only 13…I started developing when I was only a few years old which of course freaked my mom out.
continued round 3…
They sized me at about a 40 or 42 G…can't remember the band size for sure. I ordered 4 bras though them (they didn't have the sizes in stock) and when they arried they still were too small. They said I was hard to size and sent me to a specialty shop. The shop sized me at a 40 H and for the first time in my life I walked out feeling more supported then ever. I am now at a 38 K. My bestfriend and I joke they are stealing food. She is in the same boat as me.
the end…
appprove
I love the back of the bra. It looks very comfortable. But I am like many of the women here, I am in a size 50f. I measured myself, and ordered an Elila floral jaquard soft cup bra from Herroom.com, about $40.00. I think it is the best bra I have ever put on, and I highly recommend it. But I will probably try this butterfly bra if it comes our in the truley larger sizes. I know we all spend a lot of money trying every new bra out there. We have to let each other know what works, and what dose not. I applaud Jill Scott for going out there and doing this, and I hope the size range will increase.
Ok so I didn't read every single comment so forgive me if I touch on a subject that was addresses already. I was so excited about the butterfly bra's release and hounded my local Ashley Stewart until they came in (about a year ago). I bought 2. I ave to say that once you get it on it's awesome! I wore it for about three days and then said forget this and hung them in the closet for a year. I have it on now for the first time since then and I have to say that it is a fight to get this thing on!. I have the correct size but with TWO sets of hooks in the back my arms and fingers almost got numb trying to fasten this bra. Of course I tried to fasten it in the front and then pull it around but the freakin rubber strips inside makes that impossible. I have to set aside like ten mins just to get into this thing. Mabey it should fasten in the front instead.
I got a butterfly bra this week and love it!!! I am a 44 DDD, and wish they had it in colors to go under lighter colored shirts–they are currenlty not available on the Ashley Stewart site–and I don’t leave close to any of their stores–is there any other way to get one?? I love it feel like my breast are where they are supposse to be for the first time in years –I want more!!
I LOVE this bra. Like others I saw Jill Scott talking about it on TV and could not wait to try it since I have not been able to find a bra that was really truly comfortable. The width of the underarms and the double-bands in the back really make me feel thinner and I cannot tell you how many compliments I have received since day one of wearing this bra. I tell EVERYONE about this bra and I mean EVERYONE. A number of co-workers have also purchased this bra and are extremely happy with it. I can only speak from my own experience and I am thrilled with this product..
hello i love this bra but the straps come lose like my back is to small for this bra to cost so much it should fit like its should