Leave my bra alone.....

Unless you can fit into a size 32AA bra, you've known discomfort as far as bras go. It has been nearly a lifelong quest of mine to find a comfortable bra. I am a large-breasted woman and this is not as easy as some would think, unless you're a large-breasted woman. I think I have purchased just about every brand name bra on the market as well as some unknown brands. Right off the bat, underwires are a big no-no. They hurt. Simple as that. A few years ago I hit pay dirt. Gold. The pot at the end of the rainbow. I found a bra so danged comfortable I wanted to wear it all the time. I loved the feel of the material it was made out of, stretchy soft soft elastic. It felt so satiny smooth against your skin. I was, indeed, in bra heaven. It was a well-known brand and not cheap either, but if you want comfort you're gonna have to lay down some change. I had seen bras more expensive and not nearly as comfy so I was happy to do this. I bought five of them. At the time I had this funny little feeling way in the corner of my brain.....this little nagging voice telling me that I should stock up on them because every time I find something I like, be it personal products or appliances, they quit making them. The accuracy of that statement is so high, its downright scary. Its almost a guarantee.

But I bought the five and was happy as a clam for a while. Then one day I noticed they were having a sale and I thought that since it had been a while maybe I should re-stock. So I ordered online and bought five more. I was excited to get them because this time I ordered one each in pink and blue along with the traditional white. Not long after I received them, I was wearing my pretty blue one and was in the middle of the grocery store. I reached up for something and snap - I felt the strap break. Now this ranks high on the list of the ten most horrible things that can happen to a woman in public. My one breast was perky.... well, as perky as a large breast can be.....and the other one was hanging low, really low. I was so self-conscious and OF COURSE it was summer and I had no coat with me. I felt as though I had a huge neon sign above my head with a lighted arrow pointing at me ..... floppy boob, floppy boob here. In aisle five we have a woman with a floppy boob, come watch her bounce. Oh for crying out loud, I had to finish my shopping so I kept my one arm as close to my side as possible. I imagine people probably thought I was paralyzed.

After I got home and put the perishables away I checked out my situation. Yep, the strap broke all right. The ring that attaches the strap to the cup snapped in two because it was PLASTIC. I couldn't believe it! I went and got one of my old bras and sure enough, metal rings. They had saved costs by putting plastic rings on all the straps on the new bras. I was absolutely livid. I fixed that damn bra with a diaper pin and wore it. It's just too expensive to throw out like that. Nothing is more unflattering as having to wear underwear that is pinned together. Even though no one can see it, YOU know its there. I wrote a letter to the company and I told them about my experience. I chastised them for replacing those rings with plastic. (any idiot should know by the bra size that the woman wearing it is going to have some heavy duty breasts to hold up) This just HAD to be man who came up with this idea as they have absolutely NO comprehension of the HELL we go through just to look perky for them. The company very generously sent me an apology letter and a new bra. Now WHAT good is this going to do me when the ring holding the strap is still plastic? Do you really think that I am going to chance wearing another one of these bras out in public without the insurance of diaper pins reinforcing the straps? Not on your sweet ass.

I'm back to wearing the original ones I had if I leave the house (with the sensible metal rings) and I haven't purchased any more of their bras online. If I buy another one, I will have to look at it and see if they have smartened up and changed those rings. If not, I will, once again, be on my quest for that perfect bra. ~sigh~.