(… because Gentlemen will find it TMI.)
It has been pointed out that I need to, um, reinforce the support foundations before my next show. I felt nothing, so it is a visual matter rather than one of comfort. Anyone have experience with riding-related sport garments that have worked, or stores to get advice on same?
The problem is that I was scrawny when I was younger and tend to comport myself as if I retain that body shape. To which I say, where was this extra material when I was in college and it could have done me some good? Now, it’s just in the way.
Any advice appreciated.
Update: Ladies Only, Thank You
Virtual Brush Box 
http://Www.title9.com... My priorities have always been for the elusive combo of underwire and racerback.
A friend of mine swears by the double sports bra method. She says the uniboob is worth not getting black eyes. But she has some hefty girls.
Titlenine.com or shopbounce.com. The second link is a new division of Title Nine. If it’s been a long time (or never) then don’t be shocked by the price of good support. (And yes, machine wash but line dry unless you want to replace them every year) I used to live in a comfortable sports bra with no problem. Went through menopause and now I can hardly tolerate anything that feels even somewhat restricting. The odd thing is that menopause seems to have had an effect on my girls that, like you, I might have liked when I was in my teens, but at this age and stage just gets in the way. I’ve found the under wire models intolerable now, but there are a lot of other good choices. Those two sites ought to be enough to help you kill the better part of a day or two looking.
having been overly endowed in that area from a very young age, i’d suggest trying out various brands and styles of sports bras. I wish they had those when i was riding! Available in various styles, with various degrees of support, some adjustable, available anywhere from Target to, i imagine, places like REI or HBO. (sporting goods stores). Or a store that specializes in “feminine undergarments”, if such a thing is available in your area. There’s one in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, but i doubt that would be of much use to you….
I use a fairly standard uniboob sports bra, ordered blind from Champion.com. I’m only a B cup, though, so there’s not that much to contain. Anything bigger, and I’d consider the specialty bras mentioned above. I spent between $15-20US on my standard issues. The specialty bras are of course much more dear, but if it’s what you need, one imagines they are worth every penny.
should have been HTO, not HBO. LOL. I, post menopause, am a 40DD. If i could have reduction surgery, i would. Anyone lucky enough to be only a B cup should be able to easily find a sports bra that doesn’t create a uniboob.
But sports bras – which i wear now for support without underwire, which i hate – are very expensive; don’t be surprised at a $60 (more or less) price tag on some of the fancier ones.
Can’t recommend the ones I’ve been using – a strap broke and I was unexpectedly freed from my bra in a canter-trot transition the other day!
Must have been embarrassing!
Luckily I had the school to myself at the time!
What brand?
Shockabsorber, surprisingly.
Champion’s good brand. Tack stores may carry good equipment, and Dover does too. Before you order if you aren’t sure of size, drop in at a Victoria’s Secret and get yourself properly measured (you don’t need to buy there – prices are outrageous). I was shocked, shocked, when I realized how far off my real size was from what I’d been buying, and it’s much more comfortable if it fits.
I had a nursing bra open all portals while I was riding; lordy that was a mess. Last time I ever rode in a nursing bra. One would think I would have been bright enough to think about the consequences before it happened, but that’s part of the deal when you have a kid young enough to be nursing: your brain doesn’t work any more.
I definitely recommend a $60 Enell over a $20 Champion. Even the “industrial support” models sold at Wal-Mart/Target are utterly worthless, you have to wear two or three of them to get any effect.
Definitely check out Titlenine online – have ordered from them in the past and they are terrific; will help you find the right size, returns are a snap, and the products aren’t cheap but worth every penny and last. Lots of choices under $50, so it’s not crazy. Racerbacks and underwire are the way to go. Go for quality. Good luck! E
What Holly and Elizabeth said. I have two in rotation from Title Nine at the moment. One`s a Champion, the other`s, um, not, but both are serious lock n`load. Underwire = less chance of uniboob (and I am just not convinced that a band of elastic under the breasts is sufficiently supportive — damn stuff just curls up after a couple of washes and creates a hideously uncomfortable ridge) and racerback = no straps creeping down the arms in sitting trot (um, not that you`re doing much sitting trot on the Saddlebreds, I guess!). Excellent company to deal with and they haven’t bombarded me with email either.