Full Cup and Frumpalicious

I am partly inclined to disagree with our beautiful bearer of big bosoms here - there is, in my opinion, something incredibly sexy about a huge, heavy-duty bra that often goes overlooked by many. Of course, she is correct in her assertion that being able to fill such a substantial bra is equally, if not more impressive!

Trying to assist such a slender frame in coping with such excessive amounts of boob is an intoxicating challenge, and working from both existing examples, along with some creative engineering can give some pleasing results.

This particularly sturdy example is actually based off of a style of bra known as a 'Front Cross' or 'Criss Cross' bra (Playtex also have their own variation called a 'Cross the Heart' bra, although in this case the 'cross' would be most likely closer to the navel than the heart!). It is a much less common bra style, but one that is much better suited to those with a bigger bustline, with quite a few benefits.

Firstly, if you follow the straps down from the shoulders to the top of the cups, you'll notice that you can continue to follow a band of fabric until it meets an intersection, just where the bow is - this is the 'cross' - the point where the two supporting continuations of the straps converge. They then continue down as one, providing a central panel between the cups. There is a compromise here, with the bra being so large, in that often those two ribbons of fabric would form a proper 'cross' and then continue under the opposite cup, enhancing support. In theory, these fabric bands would also do that, but they have to be extended, allowing them to get underneath and support those enormous cups. Like I said, it's a challenge, with physical compromises abound.

The criss-cross design, however, does offer a significant amount of support; as the bra is loaded, those bands of fabric that provide a continuation of the straps, actually the pull the breasts together and towards the body, helping to reduce both forward and east-to-west projection.

Another benefit of this design (or at least, of a more traditionally-sized front-cross bra), is that it tends to focus the load toward the apex of the bra, between the cups. Once again, as the bra is loaded, it actually tends to pull the bra straps closer together, helping to reduce the tendency for straps to slip off of the shoulder and constantly need hoisting back up (which would not only be irritating, but quite the trial with twenty-five pounds or more in each cup!!).

It is a naturally very supportive design, and a surprisingly old one, too - early interations would have taken the form of two slings that crossed over the body, made from a single peice of fabric that went from shoulder to shoulder, wrapping arouns the body inbetween and being tied at either the front or back with a not, or held with a pin. More modern examples are obviously better structured and supportive, and interstingly it is one of those designs that can often benefit from slight overloading, due to the way that load placed within it causes it to pull together and 'brace'. I would often recommend to anyone trying a criss-cross bra to go down one cups size (or, if between cup-sizes, go for the smaller), in order to compare if there is an improvement in lift over their true size.

Like many bras though, they do have their down sides; largely, they still rely on putting most of their load through the band of the bra - around the ribcage - and there often isn't a lot of real-estate to play with, especially as breasts grow larger. If anything, the front-cross bra tends to rely on its straps a little more than some other designs (or at least, some other designs should do) in order to achieve that increased level of support, and if the band of the bra is also having issues, this could exacerbate problems with the band of the bra riding up at the back.

As for this example? Well, it is a little overloaded, it has hints of custom-made inelegance and challenged seamstress-ship, and the compromises of a design scaled up far beyond their original intentions. It is perfectly imperfect. Many consider sturdy, purposeful bras to be unsexy or frumpy, but in my opinion at least, it can be quite the opposite. Lets call it, 'Frumpalicious' - after all, if you need a bra this large, you're going to incredible in it anyway...