Does it Really Matter if There’s a High Demand for Smaller Back Sizes?

Posts about sizing on Busts4Justice and Invest In Your Chest got me thinking about the relative rareness of small back/big cup bras. Over and over, I see people requesting more 28 backs and the introduction of 26 backs on the Facebook pages of D+ companies. Over and over, the response is the same—there isn’t enough demand to justify it.

I’m no economist, but I truly believe that these brands should want to produce 28 backs not based on how profitable they are, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. Think of it this way: if they are making up to K cups, then their whole company is founded on the belief that a proper fit is important. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just sell us horribly ill-fitting bras at mainstream stores? If they are focusing on making the most money possible, shouldn’t they just make sizes 32-38 A-DD, teach customers to add +4 to their band size, and use super-skinny models to shame us all into buying their crappy products? If fit is important to a bra company, they should consider it paramount to make sure that everyone is able to find a size to fit and support them.

Sure, I like to buy pretty bras, and I would buy more of them if there were more available in my size. But it’s much more than that—it’s a physical, possibly even moral issue. If no one made bras in size 28J, I WOULD have to get a breast reduction whether I wanted one or not (I don't). I would HAVE TO. The back pain I would suffer without a supportive bra would be impossible to deal with. The blog Thin and Curvy points this out in this truly brilliant post from a while back: THE RIGHT BRA CAN PREVENT SURGERY. Everyone deserves a good fit, but for the upper reaches of cup sizes, a good fit can be life-altering.

That’s why I feel so scornful of companies that continue to make tons of D-G cups while ignoring bigger cups and smaller backs based on how little money they’d make off them. Fine, if they want to turn it into an economic issue, I just won’t buy from them. But the sad fact is that I don’t single-handedly have the economic power to convince anyone of anything. I’m sure Freya couldn’t care less whether I buy their trendy floral creations. I’m sure Panache wouldn’t even notice if I stop buying their bras that leave scars and lacerations on my body.

At least we’ve got Curvy Kate. They seem committed to continuing to produce their non-Showgirl bras in 28 D-K (EVERY bra, not just the ugly ones) even though I have read that they don’t make as much profit off these sizes. I really respect them for this commitment to supporting women and I really, really hope I never have to eat my words about this.