This "Busty Bralette" Caters To DDDs — But Does It Work?

When Lively launched a little over a year ago, it aimed to offer women a new category of clothing — “leisureé," as it was called, meant providing comfortable and affordable lingerie designed to go from “work-to-workout,” or anywhere between. Michelle Cordeiro Grant, the brand's founder and CEO, is a former Victoria’s Secret senior merchant, so she knows a thing or two about the lingerie industry.

Sounds great, no? We thought so, too — and personally, I was especially excited to see bra styles that ranged from size 30A through 38DD at an accessible price point (they're sold for $35 each).

Of course, I wasn’t shocked to find that the brand's bralette sizing specifically capped out at a C cup; as a human who’s been walking this Earth with a large chest for the past ten or so years, I have learned first-hand that the bra struggle is real. Beyond reading R29 (humble brag!), I tend to scour the internet — as well as brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom Rack, which usually have great selection for the generously-endowed — for bralette options above a D. Let's just say the market is definitely not saturated. (And the pieces that are out there are typically limited in terms of support and aesthetics).

But, about a year after Lively’s launch, Grant decided to add to its sizing — based directly on consumer feedback. The outcome was the “Busty Bralette,” which expanded its pre-existing mesh-trim bralette sizing to include 32-38 cups in D, DD, and DDD. When this style — which is sold at the same price point as the rest of Lively’s bras — first launched, it unsurprisingly sold out within 24 hours.

When I heard the Busty Bralette was returning — with a full restock of sizes, as well as a new print — I knew I had to put it to the test. The items comes in size 1 (34D-32DD) and size 2 (38D-38DDD); since I normally fluctuate between a 32DDD and 32G, I used the brand’s chat feature to request guidance and was steered towards size 1. When the sleek black bralette arrived, I was honestly skeptical that this flimsy little thing was…ready for this jelly, so to speak. But when I tried it on, I was pleasantly surprised. It was comfortable, and it successfully battled gravity to keep everything in a place I could happily live with. Plus, and this may seem like a small detail, but can I get a hallelujah for the cute, tiny straps? My consistent disappointment with bra shopping for big boobs — even in the very expensive reaches of lacy lingerie — is that straps are uniformly very wide. I understand the need for support, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked in envy at the delicate straps of my smaller-chested friends' bras, wishing I could find the same? Well, mission finally accomplished.

The next step was to leave my apartment and test-drive the bralette in a few different settings — the first was (bravely? stupidly?) at work, and I wore it under a loose-fitting dress. In terms of comfort, this was a big win. I spend most of my day seated in front of a computer, and inevitably experience back pain from certain bras, depending on where the underwire hits. I happily noted that this didn’t seem to be the case with the Busty Bralette, though were was one slight issue: R29 has an open floor plan, which is great when collaborating with your colleagues, but pretty awkward when you find yourself making micro adjustments to your breasts all day long. The fit issue got a little more high stakes when I headed from the office to drinks, changing into a lower-cut, tighter-fitting top. I prefer dive bars with dark corners, so thankfully I don’t think my several almost nip-slips were major incidents, but it was definitely a hazard of the evening.

Between comfort and cuteness, though, I am definitely sold. And for those who fall more squarely within each size’s range (and less in the gray area, like me) , I think the fit issues would be even more minimal. But then again, who doesn’t like to live life on the edge — cautiously guarding a nip-slip — every now and then?