Thread: Help with larger top sizes ...

Where can a ... um.... busty girl find a good costume?

I have just started taking classes again, and have been looking at costumes. I really like the structure of the bra-type tops, but most of the ones I have found are only for A - C cups, or plus size tops with larger bands. Is there any place that I can find ones with small band / large cup sizes?

A lot of the bra tops have a wide range of adjustability on the band, because you can remove and re-sew the hook(s) on it!

I am a 32F in UK sizes, and managed to find a great bra and skirt set at bellydancestore.biz that fits me very well. They base their cup sizes on what they'd be on a 36 band, so keep that in mind. I bought a DD/DDD with a band range something like 30"-38", and just put the hooks on the band and the halter where I wanted them to be. You can search by cup size and band size on that site. Granted, there's not MUCH stuff that actually comes in my size there, but it's more than most places! You could also look into getting a costume custom-made instead of buying off the rack, as it were. ;)

I haven't found anything in my odd size. I buy from Bravissimo's site and go from there.

I feel ya on this one. I'm a D/DD and I hate shopping for costumes. BellydanceStore is a great place to start. Many of their costumes can be adjusted. But your main concern will be the actual cup sizes. Some of their C/D costumes fit me fine though.

Shoot them an email. They may be able to get you the costume you want in a larger cup size.
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BDF/KJ

Have you looked into L. Rose's dance bra tops? I just got one a couple of weeks ago and I'm in LOVE with them. I had it made in a cotton fabric since it was for classes and have decided I now need one in every color she has...lol. Honestly they are comfy and I can wear them over any of my regular bras so they are perfect for classes. She has lots of fancy velvets and other fabrics for a dressier costume look.
(edidited because I can't read and was thinking you were looking for class wear not costume wear...lol)

I have this one for sale
http://www.bhuz.com/forum/bellydance...ded-price.html

I really like L Rose half tops with varying sleeve styles and a trumpet skirt with a fancy belt of some sort like this. I like a half top with cold shoulders and I always make sure it's banded. I tuck the banded part under my bra which keeps the top from popping up at all when I'm dancing. I hope the photo works below. It's an L Rose banded half top with cold shoulders, sweetheart half pinch (full pinch shows too much of the girls) neckline and circular drape sleeves. The skirt is a deluxe trumpet with a slit in twilight burgundy velvet.

Argh! Photo won't show for me...look at my gallery and you can find the L Rose cossie with a silver belt for bling.

I have a neckelmann's style black irridescent pearl number that fits a 36DD. If interested, I can send you some pictures.

How much can the band sizes on tops be adjusted? From reading in the forums and on store sites, it seems that a lot of the tops are made pretty stiffly for better support - which is a good thing! - but my band size is only a 32 - 34... and sometimes the DDs are a bit tight

But, I know in some styles, the cup on a 36DD might work for a 34DDD ... I'm just not sure what the logistics would be to adjust the top.

And lylagus, that purple outfit is gorgeous! And I think I found the picture you were talking about ... I really like the way that top looks, too, and that seems like it would work good with a regular bra. Is that all you do, tuck it under a regular bra?

I've got a DD for sale too! They are out there, but sometimes tricky to find.

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/bellydance...dd-44-hip.html

Originally Posted by RavenStar

How much can the band sizes on tops be adjusted? From reading in the forums and on store sites, it seems that a lot of the tops are made pretty stiffly for better support - which is a good thing! - but my band size is only a 32 - 34... and sometimes the DDs are a bit tight

But, I know in some styles, the cup on a 36DD might work for a 34DDD ... I'm just not sure what the logistics would be to adjust the top.

The costume I bought from bellydancestore.com was a DD/DDD cup bra with a band size of 30"-37" listed. The hook was set at the large end of that range. I moved the hook to set it at 32". To make sure that the long end of the strap didn't dangle down, I bought some stick-on velcro squares and used them to stick that end to the inside of the piece of the band that overlapped it, since the material was too thick to be pinned into place.

And FWIW: I think the cups on this bra ran big. See, in a regular lingerie bra, the cups on a 36DD are definitely too small for me, but in this costume bra, the DD/DDD was slightly too big. Not by a full cup size, not so much that it looked bad without padding, but just a little. I could probably deal with a DD cup in this style. This also happened to a friend of mine. So be warned that the bellydancestore.com cup size estimations might run *slightly* big.

For bigger bosoms in general, and especially for a smaller ribcage, a measurement that's going to be key for you is the measurement across the front of the bra from the outside edge of one cup to the outside edge of the other cup. You'll have to ask for since it's usually not provided. If you're thinking about buying a larger band size bra for its larger cups, this is the measurement that tells you whether the bra will look too wide for you across the front, leave the center of your chest uncovered, or have cups that end up in your armpits. :)

The Belly Dance Store has some beautiful costumes for larger cup sizes, and I've found good stuff there. But in some cases the designers don't quite understand how to adjust the proportions, so the cups themselves will be a nice size but there will be *miles* of unbridgeable space between them, even on me (38DD/E). It's a bummer because then they get the message that the larger sizes don't sell, when really it's the proportions that are off.

Good luck with your search!

Originally Posted by RavenStar

How much can the band sizes on tops be adjusted? From reading in the forums and on store sites, it seems that a lot of the tops are made pretty stiffly for better support - which is a good thing! - but my band size is only a 32 - 34... and sometimes the DDs are a bit tight

But, I know in some styles, the cup on a 36DD might work for a 34DDD ... I'm just not sure what the logistics would be to adjust the top.

And lylagus, that purple outfit is gorgeous! And I think I found the picture you were talking about ... I really like the way that top looks, too, and that seems like it would work good with a regular bra. Is that all you do, tuck it under a regular bra?

Yes I just tuck it under my regular bra. Sometimes I have to use safety pins to keep the straps from showing under the "cold shoulder". Amity introduced me to the beauty of L Rose. You can see her in a red set here
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I do have this if you are interested. The belt isn't part of the set. This might be to big in the ribcage for you though...i'm not sure.

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/bellydance...kirt-navy.html

I have the exact same problem with a 29" ribcage and DDD cups. And small hips. Other than my relentless trolling of the swap meet, I have had great luck with Dahab Designs custom costumes. They advertise in the retail section. I was so tired of altering costumes that I ordered three and they fit perfectly, other than having to move hooks on one bra. And they are very reasonably priced, easy to deal with and the quality was surprisingly great. I still though can't resist a good deal and will probably always be altering costumes.

I saw this post and was going to suggest Dahab as well. I just discovered them and all the reviews for their costumes just RAVE. Been searching for something that'll make the girls happy and me too, and think Dahab may be the solution for the A-C cup beautiful-would-be-perfect-cossie-if torture.