peek-a-boob

Strapless dresses give me whoopie cushion boobs. Deflated and flat, we’ve been searching for a proper strapless bra that doesn’t just lift but pushes them together in holy matrimony. "A pushup strapless bra" Frederick’s of Hollywood claimed. Look, if anyone is going to offer you  over-the-top cleavage, it’s that whore of a store. I’m still on the hunt because their bra did not offer the push-together I needed. When it comes down to it, I think the best bra might just be duct tape, but even that takes quite a bit of manpower to apply just so. I don’t need a push-up, as all that does is make me look fat. I need a push-together strapless bra. Why is this too much to ask for? The nu-bra, from a certain angle makes my breasts look like caterpillar larvae, so it will not do either. I’m on the hunt and taking suggestions.

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COMMENTS:

  1. Have you been to Petticoat Fair in Austin?

    They are a full service bra shop. Every now and then I get a bra somewhere else, but I always end up back at PF. The ladies there have seen me through weddings, weight loss (and gain), pregnancy and nursing.

  2. Is the nu-bra one of those sticky invisible bras? Cause that's what I was going to suggest because you can put each one on separately and then use the little clip in the middle to pull them together. Although, I don't find it to be quite as sticky as I would have hoped. I think I spent half of my wedding grabbing my own boobs trying to keep it attached to me.

  3. Victoria's Secret has them! I totally went looking for one of those not long ago. Its the Very Sexy Infinity Edge Strapless Push-Up. The other ones they have lift and separate you right into your own armpits, but this one is cut really low in the front so you get good cleavage.

  4. Doll, stay away from duct tape. How would you get that off without loss of DNA? The Wonderbra tends to create cleavage where I have none, but you can get that torpedo, tit top shelf.

  5. while there is a captive audience of women discussing strapless bras…maybe someone out there in this community can help me?

    i recently went shopping for a quality low-cut strapless bra only to discover that I have somehow gone from a DD cup to an F cup and am now in the unfortunate position of needing to find a low-cut strapless bra in a 30F! even the woman at the bra shop threw her hands up in defeat.

    can anyone out there point me in the direction of a shop in NYC that might carry such an oddity? i'd really like to be able to try it on first, but if not…a manufacturer that makes such a bra would also be incredibly helpful…

    thanks!

  6. per my girlfriends, i agree with the VS bra referenced above.
    sadly, after breastfeeding my little dear, my boobs deflated…they were never big, but my gawd, they were never this small (and smushy) either! so, sorry to say, i can be of no hands (boobs) on assistance.
    and not to digress, but….to add insult to injury, i have to buy all new bras ASAP, since not only did my cup shrink, but my body has "spread" and not in a good way. I'm 7 months post-birth, and i guess the way i am is the way i'm gonna stay (since i have no time/inclination to exercise. sad.). lastly…wondering: i was one of those who, during the pregancy, developed the mask and its still with me, on forehead and checks. when does THAT depart? i'm one scary looking mommy. sob.

  7. The problem I had for years was trying to find a strapless bra that wouldn't slip. I did that but now I have the same problem that Stephanie is having. My girls look smooshed and flattened. LOL

  8. I was going to suggest the same as someone above. Wonder Bra.
    Those things are fantastic but I dont know if they make a strapless Wonder Bra. What about the kind with the clear straps?

  9. @Carignane-Try one of the old-school lingerie places on the Lower East Side (there are a few on Orchard street), Levi's Corsets on 82nd and Third, or Gemini II in Harlem.

  10. According to the Nordstrom bra fitter who helped me in November, strapless bras will do a lot of things but they will not provide any lift. I think she was trying to make me feel better after seeing how horrified I looked trying on those bras. But I do think she's right when I think about the mechanics at play.

    I know you're looking for smushed together rather than lifted high, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

  11. I feel your pain girl!

    I wish I could offer some help here but alas I have my own challenges in the bra world. After my mastectomy and transplant of my belly fat to make the new boob I am now lopsided and have a dam hard time finding a wireless bra that will fit. All I used to wear was underwire but now I can't and am finding it hard to find anything wire-free that doesn't resemble a granny bra! What's up with that?!

    So I have yet dared to tread into the strapless world! LOL

    Man sometimes it is hard to be a girl! lol

    Good luck with your search!

  12. I just received an email from Victoria Secret and the Victoria Secret Very Sexy Infinity Edge Strapless Push-Up bra is on sale. They usually cost between $50 and $53 depending on your size and now are on sale for $37.50 to $39.50.

  13. heres a suggestion from a double dd gal – if you are not finding a strapless bra that works, you probably should not be wearing the outfit that requires one.

  14. OK, as a fairly small chested gal, I've done this hunt. Over and over and over and over. I've done nu-bra by itself, I've done nu-bra with a stapless, with underwire, padded bra. Just the padded underwire strapless bra, and one similar to nu bra, except they are two seperate silicone bra inserts. I've used the water-filled strapless. And if you take a glimpse of my formals in Flickr, I managed (in some of them) to pull off decent cleavage. And in a few, I pulled off decent cleavage that isn't obvious that I hunted for the perfect strapless bra.

    I've used two-sided tape to push them in, and then a strapless bra. (Especially when it is hot out) Those silicone inserts and nu-bra seem to get extremely warm against the skin, in the summer. The two-sided tape (for me) is a two man job. (Well, me and the husband working together) And it doesn't always want to stay in place.

    Whatever you decide, when using silicone inserts or nu bra, I recommend a padded strapless with them. It helps to give a bit more natural shape, and is not obvious that you're using them.

    Good luck. This for me is a never-ending search for the most natural look. AND, if you discover Eureka! please share with the rest of us!

    3T

    You have to take into consideration how thick the material of the dress or top is. Thin summer material will show the efforts you put into it. A little thicker material will camouflage your cleavage attempts nicley. With thinner materials I opt for the Victoria's Secret padded, underwire, strapless. And I push "the girls" together, wearing the strapless a little tighter than one of my normal bras. It holds them together, with only two to three trips to the restroom to check their placement and possibly readjust in.

  15. I also have found the Very Sexy Infinity Edge Strapless Push-Up bra does fabulous things. Sadly, there is never a universal solution, is there?

  16. I LOVE the Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Infinity Edge strapless push-up bra. It's so comfortable I wear it almost every day. And it stays up amazingly. Maybe give it a shot?

  17. Carignane, try Ripplu on 28th and Madison. I am 32D with a very small frame and found a perfect fit. They do free alterations and while somewhat humorless, are very attentive and thorough.

  18. Boobalicious I'm NOT, so I didn't realize all the bra-drama that may occur. I have a strapless dress that is lined and tight fitting, no bra is needed. Those girls are not going anywhere! Also, a bit of cleavage is visible, yeah! Not really helping here, just sayin..

  19. Ugh, strapless dreses are the bain of my (size 40 DDD->F) existence. For years I had a Victoria's Secret corset that worked well.. but I've "outgrown" VS's sizes. Now I shop for bras at Lane Bryant.

  20. yecats, you might want to wait just a bit longer, depending on when you stopped nursing. even if you don't believe the boobs can change more…they can. i also had the melasma face mask on my forehead. if you don't use 75 SPF it can become permanent! my twins are 19 months…i still have the business on my forehead. and i used sunscreen. now i am using it as an excuse for facials ;)

  21. Merde. I just went online to order the Very Sexy Infinity Edge Strapless Push-Up and it is back ordered till 08/08!!!

  22. I like the VS line as well. One trick I've learned is to get in your bra and dress upside down, making sure you zip up while still bent over.
    I like those chicken cutlet looking inserts from VS too, especially since you can move them around to the right placing in your bra(on the sides for a pushed together look).

  23. It is corset or nothing for me after having just one baby and left over C boobs. As depressing as that sounds.

  24. I agree w/Amy. My daughter is a double d and while she has found strapless bras that theoretically "fit" in that they were the right size, the law of gravity overrode the bra size. The support simply wasn't there. She could have tried a longline bra, but she wasn't that eager to go strapless, so she has written off strapless dresses as an option.

    This just goes to show that there really aren't enough women in engineering. If there were, all of us would be able to find strapless bras which supported comfortably, not mention a substitute for the vile underwire. Bra design has more do to w/physics than with fashion design, so unless FIT has a course on applied & theoretical aerodynamics, our boulder holders are being designed by the wrong people.

  25. What happened to 3TeensMom? I liked her comments… and I'm sure she could weigh in on bras – for sure!

  26. Geez. My boobs are too droopy after loosing a few pounds here and there..oh and gaining…and loosing. No strapless for me unless the dress is corsety type..then I can rock one as well! :)

  27. An ace bandage might do the trick, I have yet to find a strapless to hold my girls down. Although I hear Chantelle (which is carried in Nordstrom) carries a decent strapless bra – called the 'Sensua' Convertible Bra. Sometimes it sucks being a girl doesn't it?

  28. Johanna – We're actually hitting the mall tonight, and if she's in the right mood maybe we'll get lucky. Thanks so much!!

  29. I agree with Kate on the whole Victoria's Secret thing… I have 34DD boobs that no strapless bra could ever hold in place until i got their infinity edge strapless bra…..it doesn't flatten out your boobs since it is a shaped bra.

    also, carignane…i'm not sure where in NY you are, but at the Cross County Mall in Yonkers, right next to the Victoria's secret there is a Hosiery/Lingerie shop that has all the sizes you could think of. I usually go to shops like that if I can't find what I"m looking for in Victoria's secret because it's pretty hard finding a 34DD….now I can't even imagine how hard it is to find a 30F….but believe me the people at that specific hosiery/lingerie shop will look through any and everything they have to help you find what you need. and they're nice about it too.

  30. Have you tried the Calvin Klein Perfectly Fit Solutions strapless? I'll slip in some chicken cutlets if the girls don't meet. In a pinch I use tape. The La Mystere Lolita is also fabulous, but I fear it wouldn't give your desired effect.

  31. One last thing: I was on the BareNecessities website and this line called Pure Style Girlfriends actually looks kind of good. Thee site has a great, hassle-free return policy so perhaps you'd want to try out their tape (which has no adhesive in the nipple area) or their Gather the Girls Adhesive Strapless bra.

  32. Stephanie-
    I just got married, and I had a strapless wedding dress. I bought a plain white corset from David's Bridal. It worked wonderfully to lift and separate. This might help with the structure you need. Plus, it pulls you in at the torso, and who doesn't need that. I'm sure you can find one at other stores in more neutral colors.

  33. Girl, good luck with that! If you find one, please share where you got it because I've been looking for a bra like that for as long as I can remember. The only think I can think to tell you is that once my Aunt used masking tape. Ouch! But, I have to say her boobs looked great that night. Good luck and happy shopping!

  34. This might not help but I went to London in March 2008. I wasn't planning on going bra shopping but when I walked on to the 3rd floor in Selfridge's Department store I thought I was in bra heaven. An entire department store floor dedicated to nothing but bras. I had a professional fitting and fell in love with a bra made by Fantasie. You can go on line and see if they carry pushups. Back in the US I now find bras at a store called Intimacy – a bra speciality store. These are not the cheapest bras (as a matter of fact it is the most I have ever paid for a bra) but they are the most comfortable and flatter my boobs like nothing I have ever worn before. Happy Bra Shopping!

  35. Barbara E. have your daughter try the Infinity Edge (but not the Very Sexy line one…the Body by Victoria one). It comes in double D. I'm 22 and have had DD's since I was 15 or so. And this is the only strapless bra that has worked for me.

    i hope it's ok to post this link. it's just a cropped picture of me wearing my Body by Victoria Infinity Edge, mind you this shirt gives NO SUPPORT at all because of the very thin fabric: http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n195/jmar0408/DSC00546.jpg?t=1213733967

  36. You have WAY more than me.. :-) and that is okay! I live by the "A is for Athleticism" creed! **snort!** So I can't give you any advice… except.. maybe… VET WRAP!

    **so laughing here** But that stuff truly is amazing!

  37. I just found the perfect strapless bra at Kohl's of all places. It's called the Minimizer by Lilyette.

    It works wonders for my larger D cups and it's beyond comfortable. Despite the name, it doesn't totally flatten out my chest. It actually creates a nicer figure.

    I now wear the strapless bra with all my outfits. No more straps to worry about!

  38. Amy, I'm sure you were trying to be helpful, but your comment was really rude, if you read it again. Are you not well-endowed? Maybe you shouldn't wear anything that showcases your little girl breasts? (I didn't mean that, but that's exactly how you sounded to the woman who has large breasts. She can't help it, and it doesn't mean she can't ever find a nice strapless gown to wear.)

  39. Go to an Intimacy store. Their fitting is incredible. They have you fill out this questionnaire at the beginning of the session, asking "Do you think a bra can change your life?" I marked no the first time around, but after they fit me (a 34F apparently) with a strapless bra that I've now taken to wearing instead of my "normal, comfortable" VS bras, I believe. Everything fits better. Every. Thing.

  40. Wacoal is an excellent company. Amazing structure, well made. Excellent quality. Felina makes some great ones as well. Dillard's and Macy's have both. Both are better quality than anything Victoria's Secret has these days. Their quality has gone completely downhill.

  41. Carignane-There's a bra shop on the UWS right next to Hunan Park (Columbus and 70-something? I think? It's the only lingerie store on the street so you can't miss it in that respect). The women are bra gurus. They can hook you up (and in!).

  42. Stephanie –

    Chantelle makes the most fantastic strapless bras. They have such amazing support and are both super comfortable and sexy. I bought three new ones this summer, and wear nothing else. Good luck!

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