babe •
I tried on every 32C bra on the high street and realised the sizing system is complete bullshit
Verdict: there’s basically no system
Why is it so impossible to find two shops that sell the same size bras? They’re completely different, depending on where you go. You can never buy them online, because you have no idea if it’ll be ten sizes too big or pinching at your spine. And it’s not even like they’re just a tiny bit different, sometimes it can be a few cup sizes. And I’m sick of it.
I wanted to test this theory, so I went to the high street and try on bras in the same size in each one, to determine whether this was all in the mind or written in the underwiring.
Debenhams
Cup: 9/10
Bust: 8/10
Debenhams prides itself on its lingerie section – on average a bra will cost you around £30, and there are hundreds to chose from. They’ve even got people who will do a fitting in store (though they apparently only fit you for their bras) and the shop floor is huge. So you’d expect them to be close to perfect, right? Not quite. Despite being fitted, the cup for this one was a little tight around the back.
Verdict: Nearly perfect.
H&M
Cup: 4/10
Bust: 4/10
Although it’s cheap, H&M is reputed to sell good quality underwear. You can get a bra for as little as £7.99, they’re fairly good quality and have some really nice designs.
I went for one of the cheaper ones and sadly my size came up way too small, giving me double-boob. It wasn’t that stretchy either which made it really uncomfortable.
Verdict: Too small.
M&S
Cup: 10/10
Bust: 10/10
The queen of high street lingerie, M&S has an outstanding reputation when it comes to bras. They’ve got a whole floor dedicated to lingerie that caters to all sizes, and the average cost of a bra is about £25.
Unsurprisingly, M&S was the best of them all. This bra was from the Rosie Huntington-Whiteley range and was almost as comfy as going bra-less.
Verdict: Practically perfect.
Ann Summers
Cup: 4/10
Bust: 8/10
Another high street favourite, Ann Summers bras will cost around £28. They’re known more for their sexy designs rather than their fit or quality, which become very clear when I tried one on.
This one came up bigger than the rest, mainly around the cup.
Verdict: Too big.
Primark
Cup: 8/10
Bust: 8/10
The cheapest of them all, you can get a bra in Primark for as little as £2.50. They’ve got plenty of shapes, sizes and colours that could pass as something more expensive on the rail – so I was optimistic when trying this one on.
But this one was the worst quality by far. The sizing wasn’t awful, but the material had no stretch in it at all so was really stiff and felt very uncomfortable. It kind of sucked my boobs in, making them appear flat and gave me no proper cleavage at all.
Verdict: Size alright but really stiff.
Topshop
Cup: 4/10
Bust: 4/10
Topshop’s more reputed for its clothes, but it also boasts a pretty impressive lingerie section. They’ve got some beautiful designs that look really expensive, and cost around £20.
This one was ridiculously small, it honestly felt about three sizes smaller than the M&S one. It looked ridiculous.
Verdict: Too tiny.