Where do you buy your underwear?

I too prefer under wired full cup bras. Those are what I get from R and P - Prima Donna's Deauville style. Love them. V comfortable and well worth the money.

Marisota often have special offers on Sloggi underwear, I have a drawer full of them at the moment - all black! I have been successful buying bra's on-line from Suzanne Charles, once I found one which was both comfortable and reasonably attractive, I stuck with that style. Cotton and no wires! One contributor to this thread asked about post-op bra's and I believe there are quite a lot of companies specialising in these. It's worth looking in the classified ads in the back of magazines - I have just checked my "W.I. Life" and there is a company on line www.nicolajane.com who specialise in bras and tops for post-op ladies. Might be worth a try!

If anyone is near Reigate, there is a shop called All About You just off the High Street. Juliet the owner is very helpful and she will order for you - all sizes and shapes not just the usual ones. Really recommend.

It seems I'm of similar proportions as Coolgran so it's Bravissimo for bras. To quote Ninathenana, my back to cup ratio is non-standard... Pants I buy anywhere I see some I like. The last three pairs I bought on offer at Matalan.

Another Prima Donna Deauville fan here. Though wish I could buy from M and S . Could have paid for a reduction by now!!

Bethan I think M&S (probably larger branches) do post op bras.
After years of wearing underwired bras I've turned to non wired & they are so much more comfortable & I can't see a shape difference (t shirt or slightly padded). The M&S wired one with back shaper is comfortable tho. Was walking through Tesco & picked up a 2 pairs as cheap as chips & they're great!

Great thread - but - please can anyone tell me why my bra straps refuse to stay on my shoulders?

One reason for bra straps slipping is that a narrower back is needed.
I found that it also took a change in style to keep my straps in place. Lots of fancy pretty bras have wide set straps. I choose a full cup bra where the straps sit more on the centre of the shoulder.
A few years back I had a style called Esme which had wonderful straps that were centred to the back.

Grannee, Coolgran is right; and you are probably wearing the wrong size bra.
Perhaps if you go for a fitting (a smaller specialist shop rather than M&S) they will advise you.
Apparently the majority of us estimate what size we need and are wearing the wrong size!

Thanks Coolgran & Jalima - off to get PROPERLY measured for the next one!

Planted pants, or M & S midis. Fantasie balcony bras from John Lewis. The same size, 32E, from M & S don't fit at all.

Sorry - Playtex pants!

We had a lovely independent shop but it has gone. Not found any good fits yet.

I didn't realise Playtex was still in existence.
I remember wanting a cross-your-heart bra in the 60s and for some unknown reason my mother wouldn't countenance the idea

Beware M&S bra sizes. I bought some there after losing weight and then later ordered some from Debenhams' sale in the same size I had bought from M&S. When I had to exchange them the salesgirl remarked that they were all the same size, did I not know my size. I told her it was the size I had for M&S bras and she said they are a law unto themselves. Best to try on each time, I guess.

I buy mine in Leclerc, my local supermarket in France. They do a lot of pretty floral patterned underwear, not with wide set straps, I have a narrow back so wide set straps cause me problems with unmoulded cups and matching briefs.

I take quite a small size and loathe those bras that look and feel like breast plates.

Granee Bravissimo don't even use a tape measure, they look at you and bring you about 6 bras into the fitting room ... and work from there. Fitter asked me was it ok for her to adjust the straps, hooks, check the fit of the wires against the breasts.

You should also do the 'scoop'. Bra on and then scoop each boob right from underneath your arm, scoop it forward and into the cup. There should be no spillage under the arm, or over the cup. At the front - the centre should be touching your breast bone with no spillage from the cup and no '4 boobs'. There is also a design feature called the sling in some bras which lifts and supports your breast lifting it up and forwards. When I got my first one fitted I felt it was much too tight at the back, really too tight, and I insisted on taking the next back size up. How wrong I was. In no time at all the back was creeping up even in the tightest hook.
The secret for bigger boobed ladies is to get it so that when it is fitted on the loosest hooks it feels almost too tight. Two or three wearings later it was perfect. Gradually as the bra stretched I wore it on the middle hooks. I'm now using the tightest hooks and it's still great.
My best fit comes from Bravissimo own range at £30 or at a push Fantasie which runs about £40.

Once you've found a make and style that fits then they can often be found on line.

Minimiser bras I've found to be shapeless, they just push the breast tissue around to under the arm.

Good luck to everyone seeking a bra that fits

There was a time when I just gave up trying to get a bra to fit and was buying them in M & S. When I was getting 'fitted' by M & S, if the cup looked like it fitted I accepted the size they said and then went home and 'took it in' at the back with two seams.

We had a talk by a lady from a local shop which specialises in bras - she said they don't measure, they can tell by eye and are usually very accurate. They will then fetch you bras and help or leave you to it as you wish. Another lady (slim and lovely) was demonstrating the wrong size and right size bras!

Thank you everyone for sharing your underwear choices.
I bought a really lovely, well fitting bra when in Europe last year and have been trying to find Prima Donna bras since. I found an online site called Bare Necessities and have found some other lovely bras which are cheaper than P D. We have few choices for lingerie shopping where I live in New Zealand.
I buy my knickers from M&S online as I find the cheap cotton ones really comfortable.

Mostly buy M&S pants, such a great range and on the 3 for 2 deal not bad. Bras, try Bravissimo for pretty sexy ones. Good fitting service, bit pricey but worth it for special occasions.

Bravissimo are excellent at fitting you. No tape measures just a good look! I then buy online either from them or Belle Lingerie. As a 30e my bras are rarely available on the shelf. I have been in M&S for hours with a very helpful fitter and we couldn t find one that fitted properly. Do like Sainsbury or Tesco no vpl pants. M&S seem to have abandoned these .....

M and S do genuinely seamless pants in their children's section and as all their sizes are 'vanity sizing' they come up quite big and would easily fit an adult. I buy seamless, high leg age 9-11 and they are the most comfortable pants I have ever worn.

My bra's from M & S I try to wait and buy them in the sales. My pants usually from Asda or Tesco they have both started to get some pretty ones in to suit all ages.

Ulla Popken.
Wonderful, comfortable, pretty 'comfort bra' and 'support bra'.
Such a relief for larger requirements!