Our survey reveals that good support is a key factor in women feeling confident in swimwear
At Bravissimo we want to uplift our customers in every way. So, we asked 1,000 women in the UK with cup size D and above about how they feel in swimwear. When asked what they expected from their swimwear, there were three clear necessities: comfort, flattering fit and support. 71% of all respondents cited ‘support for my boobs’ as an important function of swimwear.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the bigger your boobs, the more important support becomes; 70% of those who are an E cup and below said support was important, whereas 85% of those who are an F cup and above said the same. We found there’s a lot of frustration around finding properly fitting swimwear and a lack of support being quite restrictive when on holiday, but great support can help you feel confident. Of the 51% of respondents who said they felt ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in their swimwear, 33% cited good fit and support of their boobs as a key factor.
We decided to reach out to some of our customers to get their tips and tricks in response to some of the common struggles women mentioned in the survey. Here are some of their stories to (hopefully) make you smile.
The perfect sunbathing solution: ‘The Boob Trough’
Rachel has the perfect solution for sunbathing while lying on your front: digging holes in the sand as a ‘boob trough’ makes the whole experience much more pleasant!
“My friends find it hilarious, but at least my boobs are happy.”
When you need a pile of books to rest your head on a sun lounger…
16% of UK women surveyed mentioned they feel uncomfortable sunbathing. Natasha told us how she packs three books and a spare towel when going to the beach.
“Whenever I want to turn on my front on a sun lounger, I’ll need these, so I can rest my head and have a well-deserved nap in the sun.”
So, don’t worry! It’s nothing a bunched-up towel and a few paperbacks can’t fix!
Support really is everything!
After a slightly embarrassing bikini situation while mono-skiing, Scarlett invested in a properly fitting swimsuit;
“After being on holiday a few years ago and having my boobs pop out of my bikini whilst mono-skiing. I decided I needed a more supportive bikini, I returned 6 months later and was able to mono-ski with absolutely no problems, my boobs didn't even move within the bikini let alone fall out! Thank you Bravissimo!!”
Fancy a nap in a hammock? I can help!
We’ve all had our bras referred to as the perfect hammock, haven’t we? Well, Stacey certainly has!
“Guaranteed someone will make a joke about wishing they had a hammock on the beach and asking if they could borrow your bikini top. I think it’s quite funny, I sometimes even offer it myself!”
Braving the waves on your paddle board… at age 70!
It’s a sunny day in Hawaii and your very first attempt at paddle boarding. All you want to do is brave the waves feeling confident that everything will stay in place.
22% of our respondents said that it’s important that their swimwear is suitable for sports and activities, so they can have fun without worrying. 70-year-old Fiona agrees;
“Good fitting swimwear really does pay off, I’m confident my boobs will stay in place while I have fun in the sun!”
When your life jacket has an unexpected benefit…
Life jackets can be a little tricky for us ladies who are bigger in the boob department. However, Hannah found a surprising perk of a slightly-too-small life jacket on her honeymoon – great cleavage!
“When I looked down I realised the life jacket had squished my boobs together, can’t say I was complaining!”
You see, it’s totally possible to sunbathe, ride the waves and style it out in a life jacket!
Finding a good choice of stylish fuller bust bikinis that fit and support properly can be life changing for our customers. It enables many big-boobed women to feel more confident and able to take part in the fun things they want to do on holiday.
We offer a friendly fitting service for our swimwear, as well as our lingerie. You don’t have to come in to one of our shops as we can give good fitting and style advice over the phone and via live chat. We have a range of bra-sized swimwear in D-K cup designed to flatter big-boobed women.
Please share any of your holiday stories with us on our social media channels (Instagram, TikTok or Facebook), we would love to hear from you!