Bra Shopping for Your Kid

Some of us remember it fondly, others…not so much. The first time you went bra shopping might have been exciting or it might have been embarrassing, but few would call it a neutral experience. Now that you’re the grown-up, how do you manage it from the other side? How do you handle bra shopping for your kid?

Teen Sam would smile, but she hasn’t been properly fitted for a bra yet

You’ve already made a great start by taking your kid to be fitted. There are tons of busty folks out there wishing their parents had done the same and saved them years of ill-fitting, uncomfortable bras. Here are some next steps:

Watch your words

Be careful with how you talk about your child’s body and size. They’re going through a lot of changes! That can be tough on self-esteem, especially at an age when often all one wants is to feel “normal.” Use neutral or positive language when talking about your kid’s body. (And all bodies, for that matter.)

This might be hard if your child’s body is very different from yours. Maybe you’re smaller busted and you don’t know where your kid got their busty-ness from – that’s okay! But maybe try to keep that to yourself. We want to set a tone of, “You are normal and good. Your body is normal and good.” A lot of full-busted people grow up feeling shame about their bra size and their bodies. Let’s not contribute to that!

Teen Shavaun and their all-black wardrobe laugh in the face of beige bras

Prepare

Have you read our post on how to get the most out of a fitting? It’s a great place to start. You can also talk to us before you come in. We get that you and your kid might both be a little nervous or have some questions, and we’re happy to do whatever we can to put you both at ease.

It’s also a good idea to consider the bra wardrobe your kid will need. Not sure where to start? Aim for at least one everyday bra and one sports bra. “Everyday” means something different for each person. A nude bra is a good option for someone who wears a lot of white or light coloured tops, but if your kid never wears white, a different coloured bra could be better choice. As for the sports bra: whether your child is an athlete or just participates in gym class at school, they’re going to need good support. For more on the importance of sports bras (and why a regular bra can’t do the same job) click here.

Re-think “sexy”

Lots of parents of fuller-busted kids are concerned about them looking too overtly sexy. We understand, and age-appropriate is totally doable, even in a larger cup size. But we can’t make your kid look younger or less busty. And sometimes a black bra is just a black bra. Remember that a bra has a job to do, and lingerie isn’t always about sex.

Step back

This one’s tricky, because you know your child better than we do, but think about it anyway: try to step back from the fitting process. Sometimes it’s easier for teens to open up with a fitter when their parent isn’t in the room. And communication is a really important part of bra fitting! This is also a chance to empower your kid – when you don’t have control over what your body’s up to, it can be comforting and grounding to have control over what you put on it.

We’ve fitted lots of young people, but we don’t have kids of our own. So all of the above are just suggestions based on our experiences as fitters and our memories of bra shopping as teens. Parents, what do you think?