Bra buying advice please

[Martina]

I bought myself a floral chiffon dress for Xmas and it really needs boobs to hang properly. I have never bought a bra for myself except for some which came as a bra and panty sets where I really only wanted the panties. I also have some which were given to me by a male friend who I used to dress up for so that he could spank the panties off me and the bra was not important. So even though crossdressing has been an important part of my life for over 20 years I don't know much about bra's. I have no loose breast tissue to work with and I was thinking of buying an AA gel bra in the hope that it would give me some shape without wearing forms. Would that work?

[Jean Marie]

wearing just agel bra with no existing breast tissue will not look right you will have empty flat cups that will not look right, I would highloy suggest you look on Ebay for a nice set of silicone breast fors in an A cup, these you can wear even when not fully dressed and will not create too much aattention

[DonnaT]

An AA gel bra won't leave "flat cups", however, it won't do much for the appearance of the chiffon dress either.

You need to go up to at least a B.

Just measure your chest and Buy a B cup bra. Fill it with cotton batting, or any number of soft things. Heck, I've even tried the soft bath/shower scrubbies.

[Susan]

I agree with Donna

dried lentils in pantihose feet (cut out) work well to fill a bra when you are starting out. Inexpensive too.

Half the fun is in experimenting - enjoy.

[Anne]

There are a few threads on bra measuring and purchasing - one recent one is at

http://crossdressers-haven.com/forums/v ... hp?t=13072

[Davita]

Not having seen the dress, my first thought is that it is low cut. You can have the perfect bra with the proper boobs, but the first time you lean over and everyone gets to see how your chest is made, the illusion is over.

You will need to learn to hold your chest to protect that open view. This is something you should be getting in the habit of doing even if the cut of the dress isn't that daring.

The other trick is the double stick tape. It's no solution for your hand in the proper position, the tape is a helper. You can buy that fashion tape or you can be a nut like me and buy any double stick tape you want. I got double stick tape that's sold to hold carpet in place. The price of the roll for yards and yards is less than a roll of the fashion tape. You may still want the fashion tape as it may work better -- I don't know. Okay now if you decide to get tape, the best placement is where it holds things where you want them and it's better to be on the bra rather than stuck on you.

Hope this helps.

[Absaroka]

Rather than lentils or rice or birdseed in pantihose, I found the knee highs worked well. You need the weight for proper drape, for me foam or similar things did not hang right. I used this for several years before I got my forms, and it's an inexpensive way to experiment.

[Vivian]

Martina
Good looking breasts start with a great bra. measure under your nipples around your back. That is your bra size. I cut two inches off so the bra is tight and when I put breast forms in it, they are held firmly against my chest with little slippage. Sticky tape is good but it is hard to get off the breast forms. I have a large chest and can wear nightgowns and dresses that have tight chests and no breast forms. It is hard to fill the dress with Lentls and such and make it look good. Breast form bras look really good but you have to make sure they fit your forms. They limit the movement and make them look good.
Breast forms arent really that expensive if you want to look good. Good luck darlin.

Hugs Vivian

[Ralitsa]

Since you're needing the bra to help fill out the dress properly, you also really need to take into account the dress. Most women will buy a dress that fits their bust correctly, but in this case you need a bust that fits the dress correctly. So I would suggest you don't just buy any cup size, it might fit you OK but the dress still wouldn't hang properly. Most dresses are made to fit most women, as are most bras, so if you buy the "normal" bra for your band size it will probably work. I can wear a 36B OK, even though I should really have a 38A. But the 38A is impossible to find and the 36B is pretty common so I wear a 36B. If you're a 40 or 42 then you'll almost certainly need a C or D, and something to "fill them up". And don't overdo it either, if you want that bustin out look, you have to have the cleavage to get away with it.
So just go with something normal, and unless the dress has a high enough neckline, wear a cami so you don't get found out.

[Kittie]

The more I dress with different items the more I realise that my lingerie needs to match it as well. eg. cleavage, some vests or camis just don't fit in etc

[April Rose]

Kittie, I think that's right. I don't tend to wear "dressy" clothing, but I have a lot of different lingerie, just to be sure I have the right underpinnings for various looks. I didn't set out to do this; it just happened.

[Martina]

Thanks for all your replies but I am still not certain about sizing. I am a 36 but one advice is to add 2 inches to that and another says to subtract 2 inches. The dress has a high neckline. I think I will get a 36B gel bra and inexpensive chicken fillets. I wore a 36b all day last week both under drab and dressed and after a few hours I forgot I had it on.

[Ralitsa]

Unfortunately you will not be sure until after you've tried a few different things to see what works for you and what doesn't. A 36B is a pretty common, normal size, and if you've worn that bra for a day and forgot you had it on, then it must fit pretty well. So I'm guessing you will be fine. Have fun with your new dress, and don't forget to take some pics.