I LOVED Glamour Magazine's feature on plus size fashion. However, their picks for the best plus size fashion skewed a bit... young. Nothing wrong with that, Glamour is a magazine catered to younger Millenials. But what about us grown women? Those of us over 35, and maybe over 65? We have different fashion needs and different economic means. I wanted to see what plus-size grown women wear and love so I created my own survey where over 500 women shared their thoughts, their style desires, and the best places to find plus size fashion for grown women. What are the best plus size brands? Which brands are creating the best plus size fashion, intimates, outerwear, and more? For each category of the survey, I will share the top ten answers. For this post, I am focusing on the results for plus size bras, panties, shapewear, and other intimates. Future posts will focus on other categories from the survey.
Shop the Top 10 Brands:Lane Bryant's in-house brand Cacique was by far the most popular and many commented that their bras have improved in the past year in regard to fit, style, and comfort. Soma was the second most favorite bra brand, but some commented that their band size selection was too limited. Wacoal was in third place, many sharing they first heard about the brand from Oprah and have been wearing it for decades. Those who need larger cup and/or band sizes raved about Prima Donna and Glamorise for their selection.
"It is so difficult for me to find bras where the straps don't slip off. The best style I have found is Wacoal 855192 Basic Beauty Full Figure Bra because the straps are attached closer to the center in the back. It is a very comfortable style unless one of the underwires escapes and starts poking me." "The Matilda bra from Elomi is the best bra I've ever worn. It is comfortable, has great lift, and creates nice cleavage. They're pricey but so worth it." "Third Love 24/7 Full Coverage is the ONLY bra that doesn't gap, make the girls conical, or just serve as a glorified shelf. The online chat was my lifesaver to find my best fit. Took some time but free exchanges made all the difference." "Prima Donna has the most beautiful and luxurious bras for large busts. They aren't cheap but they make me feel beautiful and womanly." "Elomi. Other brands claiming to be plus-size don't have nearly large enough cup sizes." "I think Torrid is great for bras! The Torrid Back Smoothing Plunge Bra is the best!" "After reading the A Bra That Fits Reddit, the bra that works for each woman will be different based on her shape. But Panache and Chantelle have been game-changers for me personally." "I am a recent convert to Soma bras. They are the first in years I can comfortably wear all day."
The top answer isn't in the graph above. Most entries were from women saying they haven't found a decent plus sized sports bra. Knowing from my previous posts and reviews about sports bras, there is nothing more personal than the fit and support of a sports bra for large busts. One person's Holy Grail is another's fail. The most popular entry was for Brooks and their Moving Comfort Bras. Several specifically called out the Juno bra as their favorite. In second place was Cacique by Lane Bryant and Lane Bryant in general, with several specifically mentioning their High-Impact Max Support Wicking Sport Bra. Many raved about the price and fit of Champion's line for Target called c9.
"The Enell bra is sold as the last resort bra on the Title Nine website. My girls don't move a centimeter." "The Brooks Juno is the only sports bra I have ever bought that doesn't hurt and gives the support I need." "I really like C9, it is the Target version of Champion. They are just as good as fancy ones I bought at department stores." "If you have boobs, you need at least three hooks on the back of your sports bra. Lane Bryant makes these and they WORK!" "Panache has a sports bra with underwire and it is AMAZING! I ran a 10K no problem, I wear it to CrossFit, I wear it to dance class. My breasts don't go ANYWHERE." "Glamorise has a wire-free sports bra that looks great and comes in a 48 H (my size)"
There were as many passionate votes for a specific style of underwear from a brand as there were votes where women stated they don't care and just buy what is on sale or they can pick up at Target or Walmart. It's clear that underwear isn't as important to many plus size women as their bras. That being said, there were some clear leaders. Jockey had the most votes, with specific mentions for their No Panty Line Promise and Elance collections. The second most popular brand was Lane Bryant and their Cacique brand, but few replies about a specific style. Soma was the third most popular, but several commented that they felt bad even mentioning the brand since they only go up to XXL. Soma's Vanishing Edge collection was by far the most popular style mentioned. Duluth Trading was the brand with the most passionate responses for fit, quality, and comfort.
"Duluth - no really! I am slowly converting all my friends they are the BEST!" "For underwear, to be specific: Aerie - the high-waisted lace undies, in black. SWOON." Soma [vanishing] edge panties"I don't know if Ex Officio makes plus size. I am a 14/16 pants and wear an L. Love their Give N Go Bikini Brief for day to day and working out." (FYI Ex Officio goes up to 2XL) "Jockey #61683 [Elance] are perfect under dresses for summer." "I swear by Soma Vanishing Edge though I feel bad mentioning since they only go up to XXL. I am a 22 and wear their XXL." ", after trying them I won't wear any other kind."
I gotta say, I love that the #1 answer for this question was that women don't wear shapewear! For those who desire shapewear for specific situations or because it makes them more comfortable, the top answer was Spanx, though many said they wear it because they don't know of any other brand. Several shared that in place of traditional shapewear they like slipshorts or slips to smooth without compression; their favorites were Thigh Society and Jockey.
Shop the Top Ten Brands:
I must say I was looking forward to these results. I used Jockey Skimmies for years, in recent years I was introduced to Thigh Society which is a small Canadian woman-owned business with an extensive size range and variety of lengths and types (my favorite are the cooling slipshorts which are thin and silky and don't give muffin top). I have tried a few topical products like Megababe and was curious if there were any great products on the market I was unfamiliar with.
The two I hadn't heard of were the two that received the most passionate responses:
This was not a question on the survey, but many shared their thoughts on where to buy plus size bras and tips on successful bra shopping:
All Rights Reserved © 2024
