DDD or E?

Azeeza · 10-04-2007, 12:40 PM

Someone here posted a question regarding American bra sizes a long time ago.

The question was is there such a thing as a DDD cup or is it an E cup? The dancer who posted was not American.

In my local newspaper I found an add for a DDD bra. I don't recall there being a DDD a few years back. Is this a new size or have I not paid much attention because I didn't want to be a DDD or an E ?

Azeeza

PS I took the bra measuring test on line and it said I was a 36 E, but that was about four or five years ago. I don't remember a DDD option back then.

theesfield · 10-04-2007, 12:42 PM

I am a DDD or an E depending on the make, model and ribcage measurement of the bra. Celebrate the curves Azeeza!

Nilaja

mahsati · 10-04-2007, 12:46 PM

The usual measurement charts list:
DD = E
DDD = F

They just use Ds for psychological purposes as far as I can see LOL

Azeeza · 10-04-2007, 12:49 PM

I am in denial because I can't go to my local store and buy a larger cupped bra. I want to be at least semi normal.

A while back I wanted to purchase a costume from a dancer in another country. I told her my cup measurments and her reaction was "that's really big!" I felt so ashamed and I'll never forget that comment, although since she was from another country there could have been a language barrier. Or she was just plain mean.

Azeeza

Michelle75 · 10-04-2007, 01:05 PM

Awww honey, it's not to be ashamed of. So what we have bigger breasts than someone else. You know there are many women who want bigger breasts and go get those fake implants to have a DD or DDD.
I wouldn't suggest letting your girls present themselves to the public but I sure wouldn't be ashamed and cover them either. The only way to live a happy life is to embrace what you have or consult a dr. and have a breast reduction.

artemisia_danst · 10-04-2007, 01:12 PM

"that's really big" is not nec meant to be mean i think (not knowing context/how she said it). i have a student with something in between an E and an F, and i think she's dropdead gorgeous... one of my dance friends (a professional) is very well endowed too, and well, i've seen men and even women not able to keep their eyes of her top department. she's just wauw!

so i would think and maybe even say out loud (i dotn have any social skills my boyfriend says) "that's really big". but i wouldnbt mean anything mean about it... i'd mean it as a good thing!!!

not sure i'd say that in an email to someone i dont know though...

dont feel bad about it! so many have operations to get that look... be proud!! and dont hide them..;-) ;-). wrap em in some gorgeous sparklies!

angelique2 · 10-04-2007, 01:14 PM

I have had a hard time with bras myself. I used to be a DDD now going to a KKK. I have been thinking about reduction for many years, just not sure about it yet. In the past I had bought bras that ranged from $89.00 to $126.00 per bra. After a few months my weight changed so they didn't fit any longer.
Here is a helpful website for us bigger cup ladies.
http://www.biggerbras.com/?AID=10471504&PID=2078021

Here another good link.
http://www.jeunique.com/EN/pages/bodyfashions.html

flimflamgirl · 10-04-2007, 01:40 PM

If you're in NYC ever, check out Town Shop, the Upper West Side institution:

http://townshop.com/

I grew up in this area, and remember being taken here by my mom at 15, horrified and embarrassed by my already-growing rack. I was forcing them into a crappy training bra, and the matriarch of the place, the now-deceased Selma Koch, said to me, "Oh, no, you can't wear that - you'll bust your tissue!" I wanted to die. But years later I went back and got the best fit of my life. I still schlep up there from Brooklyn a couple of times a year. They do mail order.

- Leela

Souzan · 10-04-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flimflamgirl

If you're in NYC ever, check out Town Shop, the Upper West Side institution:

http://townshop.com/

I grew up in this area, and remember being taken here by my mom at 15, horrified and embarrassed by my already-growing rack. I was forcing them into a crappy training bra, and the matriarch of the place, the now-deceased Selma Koch, said to me, "Oh, no, you can't wear that - you'll bust your tissue!" I wanted to die. But years later I went back and got the best fit of my life. I still schlep up there from Brooklyn a couple of times a year. They do mail order.

- Leela

Leela,

I know the feeling. My mother took me to a specialty bra shop when I was 15. The onlly bras I could wear were Bali because they made small chest and big cups.

About 20 years ago I had a breast reduction and it was like a miracle. Unfortunately, I've put on quite a bit of weight since then and the girls have grown again.

But when I lose weight, I also go down cup sizes. I was wearing 36 DDD but they are hard as heck to find, so I got smart and bought larger chest sizes and can wear a 40 DD or a 42 D (and take in the chest band a bit). Have noticed that since I have lost a little weight (about 12 lbs) my bras as looser.

Souzan

akashablue · 10-04-2007, 03:36 PM

Hi Azeeza and All,

Thank you for starting this thread. I really appreciate it

I too am a very, very busty gal and have a love/hate relationship with the girls. Especially since I LOVE to dance!!! (I DO NOT do Turkish jumps if you know what I mean). Because of the way I'm built, I've had to have costumes made. I am really blessed to have a wonderful dance coach, costumer designer and friend who makes all my costumes. Her name is Shadia and she's from the Boston area if anyone wants more information on her.

I haven't had a costume made in a while but what run into with having a new costume made is finding a hard cup bra suitable for a costume. There are are not a lot of bra lines that make hard cup bras for costumes. So it's like a treasure hunt everytime.

I understand when angelique2 talks about the cost of bras.

I also understand what artemisia_danst said about her dance friend having men and women not able to look beyond the bust area.

Do you ladies feel that when you're performing, audience members are looking at your chest?

Azeeza · 10-04-2007, 03:48 PM

When I got my Oriental Original I was told I probably should use the choker to line the tops of the cups to hide my clevage. This was a custom ordered costume in a 36 DD. Personally, I'm used to more coverage, but I didn't think I was showing too much skin in the bra.

And one time I used DD hard cups from Sugar Petals to enlarge a bra for performance. One of my classmates had the audacity to comment on my clevage. I didn't think I was over exposed.

I think I know where I'm getting the complex about my bra size from now.

Azeeza

PS It wasn't like my nipples were showing or anything. I had most of my breasts covered, but you could see a lot of cleavage. I'm pretty modest by nature and I wasn't offended by the costumes I wore.

nightyv · 10-04-2007, 05:20 PM

Oh my gosh Azeeza don't feel ashamed! I was a D by the time I was 13 and wound up having reduction at 17 just to get back down to a D. Of course now after years of gaining and losing weight I'm a DD again. I wish I'd never felt ashamed about any part of my body. Of course the surgery wasn't just for self esteem but for the major back pain. It was the best thing I ever did, but my surgeon asked me even back then if I realized how many women paid him to have the size I did. (not in a creepy way, he was just trying to make me feel better about myself). I say all boobs are good boobs!

Azeeza · 10-05-2007, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahsati

The usual measurement charts list:
DD = E
DDD = F

They just use Ds for psychological purposes as far as I can see LOL

The bra ad goes up to a G. Why are they confusing us? If a DDD = F, is a G = DDDD or D squared?

Azeeza

Bellydancingcaroline · 10-05-2007, 02:07 PM

I can't buy bras in shops either. My problem is my small back, which seems to nip in just where the bra strap goes. I speak to sooo many people who have to order off the internet nowadays, that I am beginning to think it is the exception rather than the rule who can buy in the shops.

shimmycelia · 10-09-2007, 05:13 PM

this is great - to talk to people who have bra problems- I was (totally) flat chested until age 17 but developed overnight to a D cup!! am now a 32E - which is a crazy size - Also have (very) narrow hips - so as you can imagine buying ANY clothes is difficult- the worst thing about this shape is that it accentuates all you DON'T want in bellydance- unless I am very careful, a small shoulder shimmy can turn into a "tits in your face" waggle, and my centre of gravity is very high - however it reassures my students to see I am not the "best" (whatever that is) shape for this dance.
Don't actually object to my bust - but it is heavy, and can attract the wrong sort of attention, and I do have problems wondering why neater women want bigger ones - try running with these!!!!!

zumarrad · 10-09-2007, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azeeza

When I got my Oriental Original I was told I probably should use the choker to line the tops of the cups to hide my clevage. This was a custom ordered costume in a 36 DD. Personally, I'm used to more coverage, but I didn't think I was showing too much skin in the bra.

And one time I used DD hard cups from Sugar Petals to enlarge a bra for performance. One of my classmates had the audacity to comment on my clevage. I didn't think I was over exposed.

I think I know where I'm getting the complex about my bra size from now.

Azeeza

PS It wasn't like my nipples were showing or anything. I had most of my breasts covered, but you could see a lot of cleavage. I'm pretty modest by nature and I wasn't offended by the costumes I wore.

I once had the "pleasure" of a person in a fairly high up position in a national belly dance organisation commenting directly to me about my tits while I was dancing. (Same people got the dancers up to improv to "The Stripper" later on.)

I have big breasts. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. They're not going to fall out, I have seen to that. And yes, same as you - I was showing a fair bit of cleavage, but the bulk of each breast was well covered.

akashablue · 10-10-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shimmycelia

this is great - to talk to people who have bra problems- I was (totally) flat chested until age 17 but developed overnight to a D cup!! am now a 32E - which is a crazy size - Also have (very) narrow hips - so as you can imagine buying ANY clothes is difficult- the worst thing about this shape is that it accentuates all you DON'T want in bellydance- unless I am very careful, a small shoulder shimmy can turn into a "tits in your face" waggle, and my centre of gravity is very high - however it reassures my students to see I am not the "best" (whatever that is) shape for this dance.
Don't actually object to my bust - but it is heavy, and can attract the wrong sort of attention, and I do have problems wondering why neater women want bigger ones - try running with these!!!!!

I totally agree with you, shimmycelia!!!

Last time I performed for a belly dancing crowd and did a little should shimmy, all I could think of was 'They're probably staring at me'. My should shimmies are demure and I keep them to a minimum!!!

It's hard for me to find clothes too because I have a little waist but you can't tell if you can't look past my chest. I get attention from both men and women.

shimmycelia · 10-11-2007, 05:47 AM

[quote=zumarrad;66802]I once had the "pleasure" of a person in a fairly high up position in a national belly dance organisation commenting directly to me about my tits while I was dancing. (Same people got the dancers up to improv to "The Stripper" later on.)

Scuse me - but playing "the Stripper" at a National Belly dance competition-
I would have expected uproar and demolition of the PA system - or have I no sense of humour????????

angelique2 · 10-15-2007, 09:39 PM

Does any one have some links to share for buying bras ?

theesfield · 10-15-2007, 11:43 PM

I'm so disappointed, I just bought a full costume from Shahrzad. It was listed as a DD/E cup. I really do like the costume. But the cup actually measures 8 inches across. Which to me, means a sorta D cup. My Cup is 12 inches across (yikes!). And sadly, the decorations are sewed into the hard cup. Do costumers even know what a DD/E really looks like?!?!
Nilaja

Azeeza · 10-16-2007, 01:48 AM

I think the Egyptian cups come in sizes one through about 20.

My new bra was ordered in a six, which was a tad too small for me. The whole set is being remade in a size seven, which I hope will fit me better.

Unfortunately, my hips are a smaller size than my bra, which will make reselling my costumes very difficult.

Azeeza