The DD+ lingerie market is something of a minefield. While more and more retailers are branching out into bigger sizes as they realise just how many women wear (or should be wearing) a D cup or larger, a lot of them are just resizing their main range – and I don’t know many E cup ladies who want two inches of padding and spaghetti thin straps on their bras! Bigger breasts need more support and more attention to cut and detail. I’ve hunted down some pretty but practical sets for Spring that cater well for bigger busts without completely sacrificing style. These are light, floral and fresh – not a black lace overlay or ’sexy’ red satin number in sight…

Ballet ‘Arabesque’ bra (30D – 40G) £28 at Bravissimo

Spotty ribbon on crinkle floral, broiderie anglaise trim…I like that this bra has something of the exhibitionist about it without resorting to satin, lace and cheap-looking sexiness. It’s also got a classic balconette shape, which often works better for bigger cup sizes (I know it does for me) because of the deeper central panel. I also like the sheer panels in the matching knickers which stop the set looking too cutesy and cotton-like.

Dimity SO ‘Counting Petals’ balcony bra (30D – 38G) £28 at Figleaves

Brand new label Dimity SO offer more modern styles than you’ll find from a lot of D+ ranges, and I love the vintage print and pretty shape of this floral ‘Counting Petals’ bra. The extra depth around the underwire would hopefully help avoid any lines or painful digging-in, and the low-cut cups wouldn’t be visible under a round-neck top. I also like the frilled straps so much I might even consider showing them off (which is usually a big no-no for me).

Elomi ‘Tamarie’ full-cup bra (36DD – 42GG) $60 at Bare Necessities

If you’re wider in the back as well as the cup, Elomi specialise in bras for the fuller figure, with back sizes going up to a 42. You don’t get quite the same delicacy as you might get from a brand like Dimity SO (above) but at least it’s not all white nylon bullet bras and huge ‘over the shoulder boulder holders’. I like the romantic pink colour and semi-sheer cups of this bra, and the embroidery adds a pretty touch.

By Caprice ‘Miranda’ padded plunge bra (30A – 36G) £22 at ASOS

Model Caprice’s ‘By Caprice’ range goes up to a G-cup, though with the slim central columns, thin straps and padded shapes, I get the feeling these bras are created more for the smaller cup sizes than those of us who need serious support. However, if you’re lucky enough to have big boobs that have stayed on gravity’s good side (or implants, even) this bra avoids all the trappings usually associated with larger bras (ie. it doesn’t look like something your frumpy PE teacher would wear) but still come in a good range of sizes.

Lepel ‘Honeycomb’ pistachio balconette bra (30D – 38G) £14.95 at BraStop

I have a bra from Cleo by Panache that’s a very similar shape to this, with a wide sweeping section that comes up the side and joins the strap quite high up. It’s surprisingly flattering, especially if you find that you get a little roll of flesh around the underarms on lower-cut bras. It also provides loads of support for bigger boobs with high-rise cups. It’s also the cheapest of the lot – it’s not often you can get a good D+ bra for under £15!

Freya aqua ‘Celia’ push-up bra (30DD – 38G) £28 at Debenhams

Finally, we have a bright, bold blue and green floral set from ever-reliable D+ brand Freya. They understand that young women’s busts are getting bigger (and not just because the girls themselves are bigger – contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be plus sized to have a D cup!) and they constantly deliver modern styles to cater for that market. This set is a bit younger and brighter than the others, and a good shape if you wear V-neck tops.

If you missed the chance to get your mitts on affordable Laura Lees designs when she was creating stuff for Topshop and ASOS, fear not! The quirky designer has teamed up with lingerie brand Freya for a special collaboration to mark the launch of the ‘Holy Fit’ campaign.

The campaign is dedicated to making sure more women are wearing the right size bra. We all know the stats by now – 80% of British women are wearing the wrong size and 60% of those currently wearing a C cup should be wearing a D cup or higher. So there’s a pretty big chance you might be in the wrong bra even if you were measured fairly recently.

With this in mind, I’m off for a fit next week, and given that last time I was fitted I went down a back size and up three cup sizes compared to the bra I was wearing when I walked in, I’m going with an open mind! Hopefully after that I’ll be able to tell you about all the lovely D+ sets I’ve tried…but until then, let’s get back to these t-shirts!

There are five designs to choose from, all featuring Laura Lees’ trademark tattoo-style illustrations, and they’re priced at £25 each. Only 60 of each design are available, so move fast if you want one. Proceeds from all sales will go to The Genesis Appeal, the only charity in the UK entirely dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer.

Find out more (and win a t-shirt) at The Holy Fit website, or buy the t-shirts at Leia Lingerie.

When it comes to bras that fit, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that only a handful of brands can really cater for the fuller figure. All of them charge upwards of £25 for a decent bra, so buying pretty new lingerie quickly ends up costing a fortune.

So I was happy to discover BraStop.com, who offer all the brands I’m familiar with (Panache, Kalyani, Freya etc) along with one I didn’t – Curvy Kate – with discounts all round. The money off ranges from a couple of quid to around 50% off, and with one Curvy Kate bra on special offer at £10 this week, I thought it rude not to give it a go…

I have to say I was thorougly impressed. First of all, with BraStop’s service. I didn’t specify next day delivery, but I ordered the bra in the afternoon, it was dispatched within hours and it was on my doormat when I got home the next day, prettily wrapped in tissue paper beneath the plastic shipping bag.

The bra itself was a real surprise. For £10, I wasn’t expecting much (I didn’t note the £26 RRP at the time). Even Primark charge £6+ for its D+ bras and I’m used to paying around £30 for Panache and Kalyani, but the quality was on a par with those other brands I’m used to. The choice of style is limited (there are about 6 bras in the range, all fairly similar) but each comes in loads of colours and prints so when you find the one you like, you’re set!

Like most of us, I vary between a couple of sizes depending on the brand, but I decided to go with the smaller back size on this occasion given that Curvy Kate is a specialist brand and they tend to be slightly more generous around the band than high street D+ ranges with their padding, frills and over the top detail.

I was right to do this. The bra I tried was called Portia, and I’d liken the fit of it to similar styles from Panache – the cups are quite wide and the back is fairly generous (if you’re between two sizes, go down as there’s quite a lot of stretch). Most importantly, it’s incredibly comfortable. I often find the bones start to dig in after a day’s wear but with this I couldn’t feel a thing. The straps didn’t slip at all, and nothing itched or rubbed. All in all, I was suitably impressed. It’s great to discover another brand that fits and flatters, especially one so affordable.

Prices on BraStop for Curvy Kate range from about £12 up to £16 and right now there’s free shipping with the code JAN10PAY. I’m definitely going to be investing in a few more!

disclaimer: I paid for the bra and received no incentive to write this. I just loved the brand!

Bravissimo has long been the secret haunt of girls with D+ boobs. Stocking all the big brands that cater to larger breasted ladies (Freya, Panache, Kalyani, Masquerade etc) in loads of back sizes (not just large, but small) and providing a measuring service that’s second to none, I know ladies who’ll sing the praises of this shop ’til kingdom come. In fact, I’m one of them! The Bravissimo angels can lift and support even the biggest boobs and sell pretty, not frumpy designs. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also sell special big boob clothing!

Offering up standard UK dress sizes with three choices of chest measurement – curvy, really curvy and super curvy – these clothes aim to avoid that annoying gape or pull that you find on the chest if you squeeze your D+’s into standard sizes. This is particularly useful on dresses and v-neck tops, which often end up revealing far too much bra as the standard cups strain on larger chests. Instead, you get custom-cut coverage, but without having to go bigger elsewhere. Lots are super-fitted and ruched at the waist for a gorgeous hourglass shape, too. The selection of secret support tops and nightwear is also great – after all there’s nothing worse than saggy boobs in bed!

Sizes go from an 8 – 16, so not particularly great if you’re a plus size, but with the generous cup sizes on these babies, you might well be able to fit comfortably into a smaller size than normal, meaning size 18s shouldn’t rule the range out if they have a store nearby where they can try on.

Right now there are various items on sale, including the lovely 40s style spot print dress’ for £39 and the fluted sleeve dress for the same. Outside of the sale, get a bit of Summer daytime chic in the incredibly flattering nautical striped jersey dress for £45.