If you're the proud owner of large boobs, it's costing you.
In an interview with Mic, Lingerie Addict blogger Cora Harrington claims that the larger your breasts are, the more you pay for a new bra.
Unfair? Kind of. However, the reasoning behind the price difference sort of makes sense.
"It can take three years to make a new bra in a larger cup size, and companies have no way of knowing if that bra will be a success until it’s actually available in the market,” Harrington explained. “Bras in higher cup sizes, because they have to do more ‘work’ (that is, support a heavier weight), also have to be made with stronger and higher quality materials. A flimsy wire or mesh that’s suitable for a smaller cup size is simply inadequate for a larger one.”
Basically, the reason larger bras cost more is because they're made out of more durable materials. That's because they have that much more to support.
Chantelle Crabb, the communications manager for Curvy Kate, agreed.
"They are specifically designed to support larger sizes and therefore require an extensive design process and rigorous testing to make sure do their job properly," she told Mic. "Also, these larger sizes need stronger hardware such as wires, hooks and eyes and strap adjusters, as the breast weight is more. Larger sizes require more fabric to make each bra. All of these factors are reasons why larger [or] specialist bras cost more. You’re paying for quality.”
If it makes you feel any better, you're not getting ripped off – even if it feels like you are.
Instead of hitting up the nearest department store or lingerie store, your best bet is to go online and search for bras in larger sizes there. May we suggest ASOS or HerRoom?
If you want to do your part in bringing down the average cost of bras, get measured. According to a Curvy Kate survey, most women that get professionally fitted are a 34G, which means that if all of those women banded together and showed that there was a demand in the market for "larger" bras, they would be produced more and that would drive the cost down. Supply and demand, ladies!
