Learning Lingerie: The Fabulous Full Cup

Now that the demi has had it's day, let's talk full cup bras. It stands to reason that if a demi is exactly that, a half cup, that a full should be, well, fuller! That was easy!

Full cup bras (whose cups encompass almost the entire, if not the entire, breast) are often associated with larger sizes, even though they're made in an impressive range, usually from B cup onwards. The correllation between fuller cups and larger sizes isn't without merit, though, because a fuller cut generally allows for more support.

Prima Donna Deauville in Cherry Punch

We'll give a deeper lesson on the mechanics of exactly how bras work at a later date, but for now let's do a mini one. A bra gains most of its support from the band. Because the cups of a fuller bra are larger, the band has to be wider in turn in order to accommodate them. Hence a wider band and more expansive cups mean deepened support, both for the breasts themselves and the wearer's back. These selling points are exactly why Prima Donna bras are cut so wide in the band - it's not an aesthetic choice, but one that makes the difference between comfort and the absence of it.

As mentioned before, full cup bras are not just for well-endowed ladies. Brands like Lejaby, Simone Perele and Huit all make versions of a full cup for modestly-busted girls. A common misconception is that just because a woman is a smaller cup size, she doesn't need a supportive bra. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Age, weight loss and simple genetics play a role in the 'perkiness' of a woman's bustline and sometimes, no matter what her size, she'll need a little help from a fuller cup.

If you haven't yet tried a full cup bra, give one a whirl next time you're at A La Folie. More coverage almost always means more comfort, and springing for a full cup doesn't mean eschewing style or sexiness. There are boatloads of gorgeous styles in our midst!