My perky little B cups seemed to reach maturity at some point during my freshman year of high school, and—until around the time I turned 24—that was my bra size. I loved that my smaller boobs looked great in a pushup, but most days, I could get away with going braless or just wearing a skimpy bralette.
On a fateful day last June, I walked into a lingerie store in search of a pair of pasties and one of the sales associates stopped me to ask if I needed to grab a bra, too. She checked me out (I was wearing a jumpsuit and was braless, of course), and said, “You’re what, a 36D?” I looked back at her in shock and told her, “Absolutely not, I’m a B cup!” She shook her head and ushered me into a fitting room for a proper sizing. She wrapped her tape measure around my bust, and to my disdain, held up the proof: I was, in fact, a 36D.
Gone were the days of being able to go braless; I had officially become a big-boobed girl—on the smaller side of the scale, for sure, but nevertheless, here I was. Maybe my girls had grown overnight, or more likely they had become bigger over time and I was in denial. So began my search for the best bralette for my new D’s. It seemed like a fair compromise for someone who hates bras but was in need of a little extra support. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wear real bras (with molded cups and underwire) a lot more than I used to, but when a flowy top or forgiving tee gives me the opportunity to rock a bralette instead, that’s the route I’ll choose.
Below are some of my favorite bralettes that I’ve come across on my hunt, as well as some recommendations from my well-endowed friends.
