Tales From the BRABAR Studio: Finding Good Everyday Bras for Preteens

Bra shopping can be difficult even for adult women, but especially for tweens/preteens, teens, and young women. It's an overwhelming experience for mother and daughter alike, figuring out what good teenage bralettes are available and how to measure bust size and band size to find your bra size. BRABAR strives to be that resource for a wide variety of ages and body types.

Finding the right teen bra and teen bralette should be a comforting thing. It shouldn't feel uncomfortable, but should fit snugly around your ribcage and over your bust.

As a rite of passage for preteens, tweens, and teens, a mother, grandmother, or aunt often takes them shopping for the first time to get fitted. At the BRABAR Studio, this was common - a mother bringing in her daughter for a proper measurement.

A Real Fitting: Mother and Daughter

I had a mother bring in her preteen daughter, no more than eleven years old, who was very shy and didn't want to be in the bra store. My usual tactic to make a nervous tween comfortable is to measure her mother first, to show how quick, easy, and simple bra fitting is.

I measured the mother first. She had a 34-inch ribcage measurement, so a 34 band. Her overbust was 40 inches. A 34 band from a 40 overbust is a difference of 6 inches - a DDD cup. The mother's size was 34DDD.

Once the mother was measured, the preteen daughter let me measure her too. She had a 27-inch underbust measurement (rounding up to a 28 band) and a 32-inch overbust measurement. A 28 band from a 32 overbust is a difference of 4 inches - a D cup. The preteen girl's size was 28D, a genuinely difficult size to find - a full bust on a very narrow band.

What I Recommended

With the sizes in hand, I suggested the following for the preteen daughter:

• The Everyday Bra - a versatile, all-day supportive bra with a back closure and removable cups.
• The Soft Cami - a fan-favorite, seamless, unlined double-layer wire-free bra top, and a great starter teen bralette.
• The Soft Crop/Convertible Multiway Bra - wearable as a backless halter, criss-cross style, or with fully adjustable cami straps.
• The HUG Backless Halter - a stylish backless halter bralette for backless and open-back outfits.
• The Everyday Longline Cami - a sophisticated longline cami bra for layering, with a keyhole back closure.
• The Cotton Stretch Racerback - seamless, supportive, and built for medium-impact activities.

For the mother, I suggested the Soft Day Bra and the Soft V Laceback Bralette.

What They Chose

The preteen girl tried all the suggested styles and settled on the longline cami-bra, everyday bra, and backless halter bralette - two good everyday bras and one fashion piece. The good-fitting bras made her more confident and comfortable in her body, and would grow with her until she needed the next size. The mother also picked the Soft Day Bra for herself. It had been a successful trip for both mother and daughter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a 28D such a difficult size to find?

A narrow band paired with a full cup is one of the most underserved combinations in mainstream retail. Most brands stop offering smaller bands well before D-and-up cups, leaving this exact body type with the fewest real options.

How can I help a nervous preteen feel comfortable getting measured for the first time?

Measuring a parent or trusted adult first, in front of her, demystifies the process. Once she sees how quick and painless it is, she's usually much more willing to be measured herself.

Will a preteen's bra size stay the same as she grows?

No. Bodies during puberty change relatively quickly, so it's worth re-measuring every six months or so and choosing versatile styles that can be worn comfortably through that growth.

The Cheat Sheet

• Measure Underbust: Wrap a soft measuring tape right below your breasts. Round to the nearest even whole number for your band size.
• Measure Overbust: Wrap the tape over the fullest part of your breasts. Round to the nearest whole number for your bust size.
• Calculate Cup Size: Subtract your band size from your bust size. Each inch of difference is one cup size, from A up through DDD/F.

Use BRABAR's Fit Guide and Bra Size Calculator to measure yourself or your daughter accurately at home.