Suddenly there are all these developments in D-cup-and-up dressing! We can’t wait to try the clothing from these new bust-friendly companies.
Alice Fawke
Has Alice been eavesdropping on all our fruitless full-bust searches for a blazer that will button over our big boobs? Her site offers not one, but TWO options: the Amanda tuxedo jacket in black and the tailored Ale jacket in blue. The sophistication of these pieces is representative of the rest of her collection.
I asked Alice what motivated her to create a full-bust fashion label in the birthplace of Bravissimo. She told me, “I have a great deal of respect for Bravissimo and think they are an inspiration in terms of what they have achieved and how they have pioneered the full-bust clothing market here. I think they have a particular customer base in the UK and I am targeting a different one whose needs are not met by Bravissimo. I believe there is room and demand for both! Our styles, cuts, fabrics and price points are very different. I have asked my customers about other brands they like and none really wear Bravissimo clothes (lingerie is a different story). My intention is to offer sophisticated, high quality clothes, perhaps even to women that don’t want to predominantly identify as ‘busty’ or curvy, but want to feel comfortable, elegant, powerful and free.”
She’s taken a very practical approach to fit. Because “most women go up 1 or 2 dress sizes to fit their bust”, she provides “an additional 1.5 size capacity on the bust area”. Women who wear DD-H cup sizes have been giving her great feedback on the fit. Her use of “fabrics with good drape and either elastane or mechanical stretch” give flexibility for different body shapes.
TaiDeux
When you visit the Taideux website, it immediately gives off a younger vibe and energy. That’s because three years ago its 25-year-old founder Ade went through a sudden growth spurt from 32E to 32GG and “increasingly struggled to find wedding guest dresses and clothes in general that were made for my new figure. When I did find options, they were too mature and didn’t suit my style so I often had to tailor my clothes.”
Given this, she decided to start Taideux “using all of my savings from working for 3 years as a Technology Consultant since graduating from university. It’s been very hard work trying to do this with a full time and intense job but I work with some amazing freelancers who have years of experience in the fashion industry.”
Her first 10-piece collection launches this summer and will be a mix of casual and formal tops and dresses. Barely over a week ago she began accepting pre-orders for two dresses and a blouse that will ship on June 21. I know I’m not her target demographic, but I can totally envision myself in her white Giselle maxi dress this summer!
Like Alice Fawke, TaiDeux sizing includes extra room in the bust area. For example, a Taideux garment measures 102cm around the bust, while a standard UK size 12 measures 93cm around. The current range is UK sizes 8-14 and will expand to more sizes (including more bust sizes) as the company grows.
Velvet Architect
This brand new company launched just last week, carrying everything from nightwear and lingerie to dresses, blouses, jumpsuits and bottoms. What sets it apart is the fully integrated bras in their clothing. According to a company spokeswoman, the model in this wrap dress is only depending on the integral bra. No more flashing or pinning.
With summer heating up, the idea of the lace interior support in this silk cami is way more appealing that a strapless bra.
You can read all about founder Louise Palmer’s inspiration for her company on their about page. Sizing appears to be EU, so it looks like it only goes up to a UK E cup at this time. Although sizing appears to be EU, the company spokeswoman has confirmed that Velvet Architect tops and dresses fit women who wear an F cup in British sizing. Hooray!
Nume
I have no idea how I discovered this Russian company with a DDAtelier aesthetic, and no one has replied to my email asking for more information, but they seem be right on track with the right fit for slim women with a high bust-to-waist ratio. They also have some fresh styles that we haven’t seen offered to women with fuller busts before.
The website states: “Our store delivers in Moscow, as well as other cities of Russia and the world. The exact cost and delivery times are calculated individually, depending on the point of departure and delivery method.”
If you have time to sit down with Google Translate to do some sleuthing, it could well be worth the effort. If only there were an equivalent way to translate their fascinating YouTube videos!
LAUNCHING SOON
Bustite
When a size 2 woman asked for clothing ideas for busty petites on Big Boob Problems recently, she only got three replies, and none of them very helpful. Finally, there’s someone ready to tackle the very specific proportions of the petite woman (under 5’4″) who has a large bust.
While studying Fashion Marketing and Management and Fashion Merchandising, founder Ashley Nicole “struggled finding clothing that fit my petite and busty frame and knew that I wanted to start my line after graduation. I started designing key pieces that I loved but found difficulty wearing or finding in my size. Originally my intentions were just on a petite line but one of the biggest issues I found in petite clothing was the restricting chest. The petite market was already very scarce and now I was struggling [with] a whole new fit issue. Fast forward two years after graduating and Bustite was born!”
Current plans are to launch in the fall with a price point of $45-$95. There will be two lines. Bustite Exclusive is designed in the United States and will be produced here in small quantities. Sized from XS-XL, the tops will have more room at the bust to allow for larger cup sizes. .
The second line will consist of pieces from select vendors or made under Bustite private label. “While not designed in house with an expanded chest, these style have carefully been selected to flatter a petite and busty frame” and will generally come in sizes S-L.
Finally, Ashley told me that Bustite will offer “contemporary clothing that is simple, sexy, and versatile. Cuts are very clean and simple, and we are very inspired by nature so we will have a fairly neutral color palette. Our pieces could be described as youthful and sophisticated.”
Sungown
I’ve had my eye on this South Carolina startup for a while now, so when founder Kimberley Walton reached out to me ahead of her iFundwomen launch, I was excited to talk to her over the phone. It now looks like she has decided to end her campaign early, but she’s worth keeping on your radar.
Kimberley has created a supportive nightgown that can be worn as a sundress without having to stop and put on a bra after you roll out of bed. The wireless cups are created from a spacer fabric that allows for cooling ventilation, and it continues around the back, aiding in support. The outer fabric is scuba-like, and the prints she’s chosen remind me of Bolero. Here she’s modeling her 2X sample (the final version will be tea-length).
Bust Boutique / Alisha Maraki
Bust Boutique launched in Australia in 2018 and follows the Saint Bustier model of sourcing bust-friendly clothing from other labels. Founder Alisha Yates helps customers figure out what will fit by sharing her own sizing experiences on Instagram, and she measures each garment by hand in her studio to “take the guess work out of choosing your size. “
On August 28, she’ll debut her own bust-friendly label called Alisha Maraki at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival in Brisbane. She offers dual sizing: 8-18 in regular sizes and B8-B18 with more bust room. Here’s a preview of one of her dresses in size B8 on @confessions_of_a_gcup at their recent Big Boobie Bash.
Which one of these newcomers are YOU most excited about??
Several of these brands interest me. I love the Nume star dress, but unfortunately I really have quite enough fancy clothing and look for more everyday stuff. With DD-Atelier I only ever bought 2 pieces. I am hopeful about TaiDeux, although none of the three styles available for preorder really suit me. I would like to hear more about Bustite, and wish there was a way to subscribe to a newsletter. Finally, I like the look of Alice Fawke’s Ale jacket but I just had some suits custom made.
As for the others, well, Velvet Architect isn’t really a full bust company in my opinion. UK E is pretty much average bust if you’re correctly sized. I never was interested in Saint Bustier because it was all expensive designer outfits that were never directly made for big busts, and I’m someone who cares about fit and doesn’t care at all about labels. So I will give Bust Boutique a miss. Finally, Sungown is aimed at a situation I never experience, so I’m clearly not the target audience.
But I’m glad you did this round-up. The loss of BiuBiu is tough for me as they and Urkye have been my regular brands for years.
Your responses are super interesting. You make me want to put together a survey of our readers to find out what everyone needs not just from clothing companies but from us as a blog. Regarding Bust Boutique’s model, they do seem to offer a lower price point than Saint Bustier. Also, who did you find to make your custom suits and how was the process? I’d love to hear more. Finally, we were shocked last week when we tried to click the BiuBiu link and the website ahd disappeared. There were rumors of things getting disorganized over there, but we thought they were still around.
I think a survey like this would be interesting, it could help companies with their market research. I’d certainly contribute what I could if it meant getting more options!
For me, fit is the most important issue. I buy exclusively from big bust companies when I’m buying tops/dresses. By contrast, when I’m looking for skirts/pants/leggings, I buy exclusively from non-busty companies, because I don’t think I get any value out of buying them from somewhere like Pepperberry. The only situation where I would buy both from the same company is if a busty company offered it as part of a matching formal suit, but I have yet to see that on offer.
I had my suits made during a recent vacation in Thailand. I’ve also had clothing made in India and Poland, so the process was pretty similar to my previous experiences.
I have to admit that I’m frustrated by the lack of easily accessible in the US bust friendly brands. I like to be able to try something on before purchasing- especially with a brand that’s new to me – or at least be able to return an item easily if needed.
Isn’t it crazy how few bust-friendly brands are starting in the United States? I’m exactly like you when it comes to trying a new brand–or even an established one like Bravissimo, which is why I can’t wait to have their store in our backyard. Where possible, we try to review the actual garments from new companies so that we can help readers out. I remember when BiuBiu was just starting out and Thin & Curvy went through all the trouble of trying and reviewing them. Her experience gave me the confidence to try them when I otherwise never would have.
I’m excited for Bustite. I want to like Alice Fawke but long jackets are a no-go when my torso is so short and even full bust lines tend to have such a long shoulder to apex measurement that reasonable Vs and similar necklines are too deep on me. Fingers crossed one or both lines for Bustite will have some that aren’t too “sexy”. I did a massive closet clean out when I moved and I’m trying to be more conscious of what I replace things with, especially keeping in mind my new field is a bit stodgier than my old one (not *quite* Big Law stodgy but no longer “creative casual”).
Those are exactly my issues, and I’m hoping exactly the same thing about Bustite as you. I visited Petite Studio in NYC recently-since you’re close, you might want to try it. We could even make a date of it! I’ll be writing a review soon.
Yes! Believe it or not I’ve only been in the city three times since we moved here.
And I wonder how Petite Studio’s Lydia dress looks with a shorter blazer – if the dress itself is too short to be professional, or if the sleeves are too full – but I really like the idea of the ruching insert under a blazer. Not sure how office-professional the Juniper dress is either but it looks like a nice summer afternoon wedding guest dress for sure.
I know you ladies have almost entirely stopped updating this blog, but I would love a post-pandemic version of this. So many companies have gone out of business…
I’m going to need to do a major wardrobe refresh in a few months — a major health issue (that I’ll recover from) caused me to lose 25 pounds in the last year. I had them to lose, but none of my clothes fit well any more … even my GG cups seem to have gone down a bit. So I need nice bust friendly clothing.
I’d love to see an update on this, now that we’ve had a few years and a pandemic I imagine things have changed a lot. BiuBiu, DD-Atelier, and Pepperberry are all missed, and Urkye is still loved, but what else is available now? I’m particularly looking for something with that aesthetic like the starry dress from DD-Atelier, which I can’t even find pictures of nowadays (it was a party dress).