Heading into September to the return of deadlines, cold student houses and the horrific 9am seminar, summer feels a lifetime ago. I can’t help but miss the freedom to wear a summer dress without tights and enjoy long days relaxing by the pool. However, for a single crucial reason, summer is also a season I have begun to dread. The year-long search for the perfect bikini has become a fixation and an aggravation which has led to more than one alcohol-induced and slightly hysterical outburst on my part. And this is for one simple reason. I have a cup size which exceeds a DD.
String bikinis, bandeaus, halter necks; I can forget them all, whether it’s because my cleavage will be accentuated to the point of indecency or my breasts refuse to be tamed by the thin and unsupportive piece of material which desperately tries to restrain them. My only hope is that somewhere among the rails of child-sized bikinis, I might find something underwired and half-way decent looking. Be it bikinis or bras, however, finding something which makes you feel attractive whilst also ensuring there is no danger of boob-slippage is near impossible. Most styles for the fuller cup size are dated, with thick straps and at least three hooks as the chain stores inevitably design something bordering on a straight-jacket for breasts. Not only this, but quite often bikinis are labelled with dress sizes instead of cup measurements, so I find myself wandering into the changing room with something that is a size 20 even though I am a perfectly healthy size 10. A preconception seems to exist that if you have fuller breasts and a womanly shape, you must therefore be bigger all round. So far, therefore, all the underwear industry has done is make me feel like a rather large grandmother.
Thinking beyond the bikini and the bra, clothes are also an issue. Recently, there has been a wave of fashion trends isolating a whole group of women, from the itsy-bitsy crop top to the plunge neck. Boob tape and strapless bras just don’t cut it; nothing but a fully supportive under-wire bra with reinforced straps can take the weight. And the most devastating sacrifice of all? Backless dresses. Every time I watch ‘Atonement’ and Keira Knightly graces my television screen in her silky emerald green backless number, I envy her famous tiny breasts. The sorry truth is that unless you are willing to spend time searching the rails for a dress which doesn’t make you feel middle-aged and frumpy, and money on ridiculously expensive yet supportive bras at Bravissimo, your options are pretty limited. So, for a student who deliberates on whether they should splash out on Heinz baked beans instead of own brand, that would be a large financial commitment to my breasts.
It is believed that somehow curvy women have it best. I guess if you want to make it as a supermodel, big boobs come in quite handy. And yes, some guys appreciate the larger cup size. However in reality, there are just as many negatives as positives when it comes to exceeding the national average. Never will my small-chested friends have to consider purchasing two sports bras to be worn together for their next gym session; nor will they have to worry about their bra straps falling down as they carry three bags and a laptop when running for the bus. I wouldn’t change having larger breasts, mainly because I’ve invested a small fortune in harnessing them. All I ask is that next time you complain about your breasts, save a thought for your curvier sisters and remember that the grass isn’t always greener.
Edited by India-Jayne Trainor
Sources
http://izismile.com/2014/01/16/times_when_big_boobs_get_in_the_way_5_pics_24_gifs.html