32AA Bra

Amanda

Amanda is an experienced fashion writer, editor and consultant. She is the author of The Itty Bitty Bra Guide and administrator of 32aabra.com, a blog for petite small-busted women.

Lula Lu Petites Racerback Bra Review

Size AA No Responses »

Feb 012012

Wear the straps classic or cross-back.

When I first saw the convertible racerback by petite lingerie label Lula Lu, I had no idea what a miracle it would turn out to be. It’s a practical, no-frills bra that is designed for everyday wear, not as a beautiful boudoir piece.

The magic happened when I put it on, glanced at myself in the mirror and nearly gasped in surprise: it fit… perfectly. Like Cinderella’s glass slipper, but on my very own barely-there boobs. OMFG, hell YES (this is what Cinderella says in some version of the story, I’m sure).

I spent the next ten minutes posing in various model-like positions, feeling gorgeous and sexy. The whole time, no matter how I twisted and turned and stretched my arms in every possible direction, the bra did not shift or gap. It stayed right where it was supposed to be, like a loyal friend.

Aerie Bras: 2012 Update

AE Aerie, Bralettes, Everyday Bras, Size AA 11 Responses »

Jan 292012

Editor’s note: I am pleased to bring you this update on American Eagle Aerie bras, written by guest author Mallory K. She found our page on Facebook, and it only took one conversation with Mallory for me to recognize how well she was going to fit in (literally; she’s a 30A) with our itty bitty tribe here at 32aa Bra. Aerie fans, this one’s for you; enjoy. –Amanda

I work for American Eagle Aerie, and I wanted to update you guys on some of the new Aerie bras that have been released over the past year. Finding bras online that fit just right is tough, and sometimes bras even vary in size within the same brand — so we’d love to have you stop by an Aerie store for a personalized fitting. Check our website to find one in your area.

Drew: “The Party Girl”

Double Whoa!
Coming in as a Double Whoa, Drew is the most push up that Aerie offers in a bra. She adds two cup sizes! Drew is very similar to the VS Miraculous bra, but in my experience it’s a lot softer and more comfortable to wear.

Drew does start at a 32AA; however, like the Aerie Emma bra, this one can be an awkward fit in the smaller cup sizes. There is so much padding that even on full A-cup breasts, it tends to gap at the tops of the cups.

Continue reading »

Felina Victoria Bra Review - On Sale in 32A, 32B

Savings No Responses »

Jan 162012

I got the Felina Victoria balconette contour bra from my boyfriend for Christmas, and it’s a winner. Unfortunately, it also seems to have been discontinued… that figures. Why must this happen with so many of the bras I love? Can’t a curve-challenged chick get a break? The good news: I did find this bra still available and on sale in sizes 32A and 32B.

It’s a lovely, elegant demi-cup style with lightweight underwires that don’t come up too far at the sides — perfect if you’ve got a short torso and perky, high-set breasts. (Yes, that would be me). The balcony cut means the cups are set a bit farther apart than they are on other Felina bras, which I like; it makes for a much more comfortable fit.

Find out where to buy this style after the jump.
Continue reading »

Itty Bitty Convertible Strap Wire-Free Bra Review

Itty Bitty Bra, Lingerie, Size AA 2 Responses »

Jan 132012

One of the top brands for petite lingerie in the United States, Itty Bitty Bra, has come out with a new convertible model. This is great news for those of us who struggle with slipping straps.

The IBB convertible strap bra is a wire-free style with triangle-shaped contoured cups and a narrow band. It closes in back with a single row of hooks (like the classic Itty Bitty Signature Bra). The straps are detachable and can be worn cross-back, halter-style or classic.

The description of this bra on the IBB website does not mention the fact that it is a wire-free style. I would have preferred an underwire, because with the narrow band and only one row of hooks in back, there isn’t much support.

If you’re between band sizes, definitely order the smaller size — otherwise it will ride up (a common problem with wire-free bras). Sizes come in Extra Small (32), Small (34), Medium (36), and Large (38). Cup sizes are all AA/A; I would not recommend this bra for B cups.

Affinitas Intimates Giveaway

Lingerie 9 Responses »

Jan 062012

Our friend Jennifer at Magnifique has generously offered us this gorgeous Affinitas Jasmin chemise and hipster lingerie set to give away to one lucky reader of 32AA Bra.

To enter:

Follow Magnifique and 32AA Bra on Facebook.
Contact Amanda to let us know you are following us and Magnifique. Please include a link to your Facebook profile so we can confirm this.

That’s it! Entries will be accepted until January 31, 2012. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on February 1, 2012.

More about the Jasmin set: Affinitas is a stylish, fun brand that makes bras starting at a size 30A and lingerie from size extra small. The Jasmin lace chemise and hipster set is available in sizes XS (0-2; underbust = 32), S (4-6; underbust = 34), M (8-10; underbust = 36), L (12-14; underbust = 38) and XL (16-18; underbust = 40). If you need one size in the chemise and a different size in the hipster, this is fine; just be sure to let us know which size you want in each if you win. Color: silver only (as shown).

Good luck!

Zee Bra! Contest Winner

Size AA 7 Responses »

Dec 312011

I’m pleased to announce our Zee Bra giveaway contest winner, Col! She will receive a brand new Zee Bra by Lynn Saussy. Col’s honest, body-positive and unapologetically feminist entry essay and illustration are featured below. I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. -Amanda

32AA is beautiful!

I hate bras. Okay, well I don’t HATE bras. But I hate that I have to feel required to wear one. It’s like no one has ever seen a breast before. Yes, my nipples stick out when I don’t wear one, that doesn’t mean you have to stare at them, or judge me. Pretty sure you have nipples too!

Yea, okay, once in a while it feels nice to give my boobies some shape so they can fill out a dress a bit better (and by fill out, I mean as much as a 32AA breast can “fill out”). But in my perfect world, women would be walking around topless, free of restrictions, free of groping and ogling and unnecessary judgment.

My entire childhood was plagued by the fact that I was flat-chested. I didn’t grow my tiny little bumps until I was well into high school. Middle school was miserable! I would hide my chest by wearing oversized sweaters, even in the summer.

While other girls were talking about their time of the month, I was still waiting for my period. While other girls were talking about which bras they wore, I was just starting to wear little-kid training bras that were really just tiny sports bras – a flat piece of fabric across my chest. Then when I finally grew some, I couldn’t even be happy about it! I still couldn’t wear real bras; I still had to somehow hide my nipples with baggy clothes.

Busted! by Ali Cudby

Getting Intimate No Responses »

Dec 272011

Ali Cudby

Ali Cudby, a well-known authority in the lingerie industry, has just published a groundbreaking new book on bras and bra sizing: Busted! The Fab Foundations Guide To Bras That Fit, Flatter and Feel Fantastic. Cudby refers to herself as a “bra coach,” because she believes in a cooperative fitting process that empowers her clients to learn for themselves which brands, sizes and styles work best for their bodies.

In Busted!, Ali Cudby debunks the common bra fitting method of adding four inches to the underbust (ribcage) measurement in order to determine band size. In fact, she says, this antiquated technique is the reason why most women end up wearing bras that are too loose in the band and too small in the cup. The “add four” strategy is almost completely obsolete — and yet, many lingerie companies still train their salespeople to follow it.

Review: The Little Bra Company Mercedes

Lingerie 6 Responses »

Dec 132011

Wendy and I each tried on a different size in The Little Bra Company’s Mercedes bra, so we decided to review it together.

Wendy: I really love the overall style and color of the bra, even before I put it on. I got size 30B in the gorgeous dusty pink. It’s a great color! But I’m partial to pink.

Amanda: I got a 32A in the slate gray, and it’s really beautiful. And I feel the same way about the style… elegant, well-made, high-quality fabrics.

Wendy: How did you do size-wise?

Amanda: It seems to run smaller in the cup than I expected. The fit in the band is great. In the cups, it almost works but I notice a slight quad-boob thing going on. Also, I am spilling out the sides a little. Not sure if I’ll find the B cup too large, though. I may be between cup sizes in this brand.

Blush Dreamgirl Push-Up Bra Review

Size AA No Responses »

Dec 032011

Blush Lingerie - Dreamgirl push-up bra set

Pure romance.

This is a review of the Dreamgirl push-up bra, by Blush Lingerie. I learned about this company from Avec L’amour, an online intimates boutique with a special category for bras that fit well on small-breasted women. The owner, Lisa, is one of my best resources for information about size and fit — especially for AA and nearly A bras.

She’s the one who recommended I try the Natori Feathers, to which I am now completely addicted. An elegant, sophisticated piece, the Feathers bra fits me perfectly in a 32A — with no gaps in the cups. The Dreamgirl push-up, another of Lisa’s favorites (available for purchase at aveclamour.com), has a similar fit: perfect for the nearly A or fuller AA woman who tends to have trouble filling out standard A-cup bras.

In fact, I would even say this style runs a bit smaller in the cups than the Natori Feathers — but perhaps this is because I’m not used to push-ups. It certainly does its job, as far as providing lift and a bit of a boost in size.

The padding is substantial, but when I’m wearing the bra it does not look fake and does not create a significant change in the lines of my natural silhouette. I think that’s because the cups are spaced fairly wide, so you don’t look or feel squeezed (the all-too-common phenomenon I like to call “boob-smash”).

Erica of SophisticatedPair.com: "No Comparisons Needed"

Getting Intimate 9 Responses »

Nov 152011

In her lingerie store for curvy ladies, online at SophisticatedPair.com

Do we think the 32AA woman has it any easier?

A gust of chilly fall air whipped through my lingerie store as the familiar sound of the doorbell announced the arrival of a customer. Smoothing her hair quickly, a tall and curvy brunette around thirty walked briskly toward me with a slender woman in her late fifties close behind. Before I could introduce myself, the curvy brunette proclaimed, “I have big boobs, and I need to be fitted into the right size.”

“Perfect!” I answered cheerfully. One of the many lessons I have learned since opening my business four months ago is that a proper fitting session at the start alleviates the guesswork of pulling bra after bra from the rack in search of a good fit.

As I escorted her into the fitting room, the brunette casually passed off her bag to the woman I soon learned was her mother. ”Were you interested in being fitted too?” I asked.

“Her?” the brunette scoffed. ”She doesn’t have any boobs! What does she need a bra for?”

Regretfully, this wasn’t the first or last time I’ve heard such questioning if not outright disdain toward the mere mention of fitting a small-busted woman. At some point, the reigning opinion became that only bigger-busted women deserve a properly fitting bra. The rest, it seems, can make do without. But from where does this belief—this marginalization and assignment of significance to cup size—originate?

Itty Bitty Bra Review, by Charis (size 34 AA/AAA)

Size AA 2 Responses »

Oct 282011

Not Charis.

Editor’s note: Charis contacted me for advice on sizing. According to her measurements she needs a 34AA, but is on the smaller end of an AA cup; as a result, she’d had trouble finding bras in this size that did not gap. I suggested Itty Bitty Bra in a 34A, because this brand runs very shallow in the cup and relatively true to size in the band compared to more exclusively petite labels like The Little Bra Company. Here’s what Charis has to say about the Itty Bitty Signature Bra and its sister style, which features removable inserts for optional enhancement.
–Amanda

I could hug Jane Hodgdon. Hodgdon is the creator and lead designer of the Itty Bitty Bra – which has changed my life. That might sound hyperbolic, but it’s coming from roughly 15 years of frustrated bra shopping. Before I tried the IBB, I settled on ill-fitting bras (ranging from not quite fitting properly to really not fitting at all) as I didn’t think there was any alternative. And shopping for specialty bras (like strapless, etc.)? Forget about it. As I’m sure Hodgdon (and her IBB customers) will tell you, the market is not a kind place for us small girls. Even with my better-fitting bras (and I’ve tried on many), I’m tugging and adjusting throughout the day.

But no more! I feel like the Itty Bitty Bra was custom-made for me. It fits. The most amazing part is the cup fit: the cups lay flat against my chest (yay!). There is absolutely no gapping and no weird puckering (yay again!). The 2-hook back closure secures the fit, and the shoulder straps are sturdy, adjustable, and very comfortable.

Continue reading »

Zee Bra! Giveaway Contest

Size AA 4 Responses »

Sep 172011

Yes, it’s true! Lynn Saussy has graciously agreed to give away two brand new Zee Bras… one to each winner of this contest. Please see my previous post for more information about this amazing bra.

How to Enter:

Pick one of the two options below.

Write an autobiographical essay about the role that bras and lingerie have played in your life over the years.
Use some form of visual art (comic strip, photo montage, drawing, painting, graphic design… whatever!) to explore and express your feelings about bras, lingerie and body image.

Submit the text of your entry via the contact form below. All fields in the contact form must be filled out, whether you choose option #1 or #2.

The New Zee Bra! Updated Review

Size AA 6 Responses »

Sep 102011

The new Zee Bra in nude.

Lynn Saussy, the fabulous designer behind the Zee Bra, recently contacted me with great news: her incredibly comfortable and flattering wire-free bra has been updated!

It now comes in nude as well as black and white, and Lynn has made several key improvements to the design. Specifically, she and her team have changed the following details:

Lengthened the straps by two inches, and changed the adjusters so they lay flatter against the back.
Made the pockets inside the cups wider so it’s easier to insert your own breast forms/pads if you want.
Doubled up the front panel in the white and nude Zee Bras! so you can’t see the pads through it.
Changed the design of the outside pad — it now has tapered edges.
Moved the tag inside the pocket.

Check out my review of the new Zee Bra after the jump.

Free Shipping on Lilly Wiggler Lingerie, sizes AA/A/B

Lingerie, Savings, Size AA 4 Responses »

Sep 032011

Get free shipping on Lilly Wiggler!

Lingerie brand Lilly Wiggler features old-school sensuality in the full range of sizes, including petite AA & A cups.

The Lilly Wiggler collections of bras, knickers, and corsets embody a unique vintage aesthetic — one that could not possibly have come from any other label. The look is not easily classified and seems to flirt with contradiction (deliberately? Perhaps…).

10% Off A-Cup Nursing Bras

Size AA No Responses »

Aug 142011

Front-snap breastfeeding bra, by Melinda G

Melinda G bra: cups run small.

Dawn of Mommy Gear has offered us an exclusive discount code in response to my post highlighting the need for more nursing bras that fit small breasts. Mommy Gear carries several nursing and maternity bras in petite and small-cup sizes, starting at 32A.

To save 10%, use discount coupon code 32aaBra at checkout. The coupon is good through September 30, 2011 on any nursing bra you order online at MommyGear, including bras on sale and clearance.

Below, you’ll find more information from Dawn about what her site has in stock for small-busted women who are pregnant or currently breastfeeding.

Older Entries

Amanda

Lula Lu Petites Racerback Bra Review

Aerie Bras: 2012 Update

Drew: “The Party Girl”

Felina Victoria Bra Review - On Sale in 32A, 32B

Itty Bitty Convertible Strap Wire-Free Bra Review

Affinitas Intimates Giveaway

Zee Bra! Contest Winner

Busted! by Ali Cudby

Review: The Little Bra Company Mercedes

Blush Dreamgirl Push-Up Bra Review

Erica of SophisticatedPair.com: "No Comparisons Needed"

Itty Bitty Bra Review, by Charis (size 34 AA/AAA)

Zee Bra! Giveaway Contest

The New Zee Bra! Updated Review

Free Shipping on Lilly Wiggler Lingerie, sizes AA/A/B

Lingerie brand Lilly Wiggler features old-school sensuality in the full range of sizes, including petite AA & A cups.

10% Off A-Cup Nursing Bras

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