Sarah writes about living with big boobs at StackDD+. Although she was previously fitted at a 32G/H, she’s in the middle of wrapping her brain around her size from her latest fitting: a likely 28J. She writes to help spread the word that sizes beyond a Double D exist (and they don’t look ridiculously comic, either), to help DD+ women find great resources, and to showcase that being big-busted doesn’t mean you can’t be fashionable, find adorable lingerie, or rock a fabulous bikini. She looks forward to the day when bra manufacturers decide to make a strapless bra in her new size.

Dear D+ Goddaughter,

You don’t know who I am, and you may be thinking I’m a little bit crazy for talking to you about something this personal. But I saw you walking down the street in your oversized T-shirt, head down, arms crossed while walking past the construction workers hollering at you and saying ridiculous things about your chest, and I just want to say: been there.

It’s not easy having large breasts. For some reason people feel compelled to comment on them: jocks, girlfriends, moms, coaches, dance instructors. I’ve had complete strangers ask me if they were real. Each time someone says something about them I’m always surprised, because I don’t think of myself as “the girl with the big boobs.” And neither are you! Not to get all Hallmark moment on you here, but we are whole, complete, amazing, talented women who have so much to offer. But you know what? I didn’t feel that way until I got the right support, in more ways than one.

What am I talking about? Bras. I know, I know, you can NEVER find a bra that fits. You hate bra shopping. And the last place you want to step foot in with your friends shopping is Victoria’s Secret, because the fitters always seem so baffled when none of their bras fit you. Guess what? It’s THEIR problem! That’s right. You’re not a freak of nature. There’s actually tons of fabulous stores with lots of pretty bras that will fit you exactly right, and they come in all sorts of fun patterns, like a black bra with funky pink and teal birds, or a hot pink bra with a cute little bow.

The best part is when you put one of these bras on for the first time. All that weight you feel on your shoulders? Gone. Your bra kind of creeping up over your boobs when you run? No more. And that feeling that you’re bounce-bounce-bouncing all over the place? Not going to happen. So what’s the real secret?

The truth is bras come in a lot more sizes than most people know. You might hear people talking about Double Ds being the biggest size possible, and that’s probably the bra size you’re wearing. But that’s really just the beginning. Bras can go all the way up to a size O. They can start at a band size of 28 and sometimes even 26, because those numbers actually represent how many inches around your ribcage is. Those gorgeous bras I described? Lots of cool companies make bras like that in sizes like 28FF, or 32J, or 36E. I know it sounds huge. The first time I walked into one of those fabulous stores, they put me in a 32FF, and I felt giant at first. But then I looked at myself in the mirror. My boobs actually looked smaller somehow. My shirt fit better. I kind of felt awesome. And suddenly it didn’t matter what the tag said. What mattered was that I felt more in control of my body, and when I walked out of that store I didn’t hate my big boobs anymore.

I was just a bit older than you when someone let me in on this secret and sent me to her bra fitter, and I’ll always think of her as my very own Fairy Bramother. And now it’s my turn to pass on this knowledge to you. The numbers and letters on your bra tag? Eh, don’t worry – there’s a lot of us D+ girls out there! The way you feel with your amazing, fun, well-fitting bra? That’s what I want you to experience: confidence, self-esteem, and general all-around fabulousness. The right bra gives you that and more. It’s magic. And trust me, it’s totally worth it.

Love,

Your Fairy Bra Mother