Where to Buy Bras in Unusual Sizes

Which group are you in?

Small band, fuller cup

This is the group the UK serves best. Freya, Panache, Cleo, Curvy Kate and Bravissimo's own label all make bands from 28 or 30 with cups from D upward. Buy from Bravissimo, independent boutiques or online lingerie retailers. Full detail is in small band, large cup bras in the UK and 28 band bras in the UK.

Very large cups

High-street ranges usually stop somewhere between a G and an H. Above that, the full-bust brands carry on to K, and a few go further. See UK brands that make J cups and above.

Small band, small cup

A 28A or 30B is harder to find than a 30F, because the brands that make small bands mostly begin at a D cup. Places to look:

• Retailers whose main range starts at a 28 or 30 band with an A cup. Boux Avenue's range starts at 28A, and Primark has extended popular ranges down to 28AA.
• Teen and first-bra ranges, which are made in small bands with small cups. Many are plain and well made.
• Specialist small-bust brands, mostly sold online.
• Cup-sized bralettes and non-wired bras, which are more forgiving of a slightly loose band.

More on fit for this group in best bras for small busts.

Large bands

Most chains now go to a 42 or 44 in their main ranges. Beyond that:

• Fuller-figure lingerie brands. Elomi is designed for larger bands with fuller cups, and Curvy Kate makes bands to 44.
• Plus-size fashion retailers with their own lingerie lines, which often run to band 50 and above.
• Online lingerie retailers with size filters.

Fit advice for these bands is in the 38, 40 and 42 band guide.

Large band, small cup

Sizes like 40A and 42B are probably the least well served of all. Fuller-figure brands start at a D or DD cup, and mainstream ranges often stop making A and B cups at a 38 band.

• Check the big chains' main ranges first. Some run A and B cups up to a 40 or 42 band in their best-selling styles.
• Consider non-wired, crop-top and bralette styles sold by dress size, which fit a broad back with a small bust well.
• Mastectomy and post-surgery ranges often include larger bands in small cups, and anyone can buy them.
• Before settling on this size, re-measure. A loose band on a 38C, say, can be mistaken for needing a 42A.

General tips for hard-to-find sizes

1. Be sure of the size first. Measure, and confirm it by trying on.
2. Shop online with filters, band first, then cup.
3. Check returns policies. You will be ordering more than you keep.
4. Record what fits: brand, style name, size. Reorder the same one.
5. Buy a spare when you find a good one. Less common sizes are produced in small quantities.
6. Use a sister size only one step away, and only as a stopgap.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an unusual bra size?

Nothing about the body is unusual. The term describes sizes that mainstream shops stock thinly: bands under 32 or over 40, cups above about G, and combinations such as a small band with a large cup or a large band with a small cup.

Where can I get fitted for a hard-to-find size?

At a retailer whose range includes it. For D cups and above, full-bust specialists and independent lingerie shops. For other combinations, a well-stocked independent is usually the best choice, and it is worth phoning ahead to ask what they carry.

Can a bra be altered to fit?

Bands can be shortened fairly easily by moving the hook-and-eye tape, and straps can be shortened. Cups cannot realistically be altered. Extenders lengthen a band by an inch or two.