Does anyone have any suggestions as to what type/style/brand of bra i should consider for my daughter who has sensitivity issues with clothing? Not only does she have sensitivity issues but she is also overweight. She is 10 years old and her body is starting to mature. She needs to start wearing a bra but she has many issues with clothing. She only wears soft pants with elastic waistlines, she wears her socks inside out and only shirts with few seams. I have tried to get her to wear a sports bra but have been unsuccessful. We need serious help with this issue..the sooner the better.
Maybe you've tried this, but how about having her wear a tank top with a shelf bra in it under her shirt as a start? Also, there are MANY kinds of sports bras... they make some that look like a tank on top, and is basically just that, a tank/shelf bra, just without the bottom half. It would give her a little coverage, perhaps without feeling so tight or constricting.
Best wishes to you... hope you find something that works.
How about taking her to Target and letting her pick one or two out? I think it is great they you are trying to be pro active about getting her comfortable with one before school starts again. Make it fun if you can so that your daughter might be more open to the idea of looking. Good Luck
My daughter is 12 1/2 and has been wearing the tank top with built-in bra for awhile. With summer coming I thought that may be a little warm, so we purchased bras at target for her. They are not the regular bra, but more like what is under the tank top with built-in bra. They still have a adjustable thin strap. My daughter really likes them.
The only thing I can suggest is that you get her a bigger sports bra. They are the loosest fitting ones that I'm aware of. Unless you just want to start her out in a cami for a while. Is it the seam issue for her or just the tightness in the way the bras fit her?
The Gap has a bra that I love, it's very comfortable. Maybe this would work?
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=35469&vid=1&pid=684991
We have the same issues. One thing that worked for us was a regular padded a cup bra that we ordered from just my size, on line. Have her look at all the bras that you can get in an a cup, and start trying them. They have spots bras too. It may take a few trys, but once she feels secure and comfortable you can stock up. lt surprised me that regular bras were more comfortable for her than sports, but l think it was the secure fit that was not tight.
Martha
i started wearing a bra when i was 10 also and it was wierd for me too at that age. i got boobs before any of my friends. i also have a niece who is going through the same thing as your daughter and is close to her age...what our family is doing (and what my mom did for me) was give lots of positive feedback with any fashion decisions she makes. slowly introduce her to differnt types of clothing that will flatter her figure. there are lots of plus-size models she could find as role models and many different places with cute clothes for all different shapes. i started out by wearing a sports bra and gradually moved onto a "real" bra within a few months. give her both and see which is better for her. it's akward and wierd but every woman does it (or should do it!) good luck
This may seem odd, but have you considered one of the night time nursing bras? They sell them at motherhood, and they are very soft. Since she is just starting to wear a bra, she won't need much support so it may work. I know it seems very odd, but they may be more comfortable than a sports bra.
I think the sports bra is a good idea (perhaps not spandex but instead a soft cotton?) and I also LOVE the idea of trying a maternity bra. You could also try a chemise with a built-in bra. Those tend not to be very supportive or clingy but would help your daughter get used to the sensation of having something around her chest and also make her chest a bit more socially acceptable. Good luck.
go to a running store.. they have great clothing with not alot of seems.. like tank tops. and bras of every size :) Really cool styles too. Some socks I really like are under aromer brand socks or any running socks b/c they don't have the seems.. the dri fit shirts and tanks that are tagless are great too. my favorite store is also online roadrunner.com I like this store b/c they have a great store brand of clothes too.. especially tanks and bras.. pretty colors too.
Lenc
I love the barely there bras without underwires. I'm guessing she will want one without a catch of any sort, since that may bother her. If she will go you could try either getting her fitted somewhere or just trying on several to see what feels good. I shop the clearance rack a lot, sometimes they are dirt cheap there. If she doesn't want to go, maybe you can pick out 3-5 and let her try them on at home and return the ones that don't work. I think hanes and jockey also make several that don't have catches. I wore some of the jockey ones when I first wore a bra and they were comfy. Are the sports bras she have tried ones like champion? I know they have a thick band, which she may not like, but some of the other brands with less support will have a small band. Some also look more like a regular bra, just no catch.
Maybe try a stretch cami w/ no seams. It will give some support and is more like a tank top. It may get her used to the feeling of another article under her clothes. May also become easier in the winter.... then after she is used to that, you can move on. Good luck
I have issues with clothing as well just major sensitivities. My favorite bra of all time (which after wearing it so much I need to go and get a new one) is the racerback style that Victoria's Secret sell, the ones I get clasp in the front. Otherwise my other favorite thing also from vickies is their supported camisoles I could wear those things all day long, super comfy.
Look for "Crop bras". They are like a mix between training bras and sports bras. I think JC Penney and Kohls both have them
Hi Amy,
I agree about the soft cami with the built in bra. My girls wore those a while before they started wearing a bra. Have you thought about changing your laundry detergent. My mother always thought she had clothing sensitivites and all she had was sensitivities to the chlorines and phosphates in the wash.
I do nutritional counseling and I think a good absorbable multivitamin will probably help her with her weight. Most children that have weight issues at her age are because of the additives in foods now and an extra dose of nutrition will sometimes simply rid the extra weight. Nutrition, whether shes not getting it or it's simply not absorbing, will balance her body so it won't hold onto the weight. I know that will help her with her comfort in her clothes as well.
If you want to talk, please get back to me. I'm available.
I have sensory issues (adhd... I can feel EVERYTHING touching my body at all times).
You may be surprised... I can't stand most sports bras... because a) it makes the girls touch b) it does uniboob c) the constrict breathing.
For MYSELF:
The bras have to be demis or balconies (full coverage bras make me nauseaous, for no good reason)
HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO be underwire. Otherwise they aren't separated "right", the band has to be tighter, and my breasts "touch" my stomach. Eeeeeeeew. Gross. Can't stand that feeling either. Properly fitting underwires, however, feel almost invisable.
Straps have to be "thin" and NOT stretchy. Thick ones annoy me no end (again, for no good reason... I also don't like thick strap tank tops), and stretchy ones "bounce". Which is just annoying. I want the girls to be next to immobile. Bouncing and jiggling about in a stretchy strap makes me want to go braless, and I actually hate braless even more than most things (God, I'm really beginning to sound like a freak, here. I don't think I've ever written out all of my lingerie requirements).
The material has to be "feel good". Usually this means expensive lingerie. Oddly, lace is fine, because they line the lace with super thin silky stuff AND lace doesn't stretch very much (see above for the jiggling comment).
The lingerie HAS to be either pretty or sporty. Frumpy, utilitarian, fill in a whole host of words that don't mean "pretty" and they are OUT. I'm a tomboy. But I reeeeeeally like sexy lingerie. Love, even. Always has. It just makes me feel special. Not sexy, just special. Even though I'm the only one who sees it.
Does your DD have all of these issues? Probably not. These are mine. She might share some, but I figured as another sensory-person I would share my "list" and reasonings behind them to give you an idea of what's up. It took me several years of looking at the patterns of bras I'd buy to really know what to walk in and ask for... and I STILL try on at LEAST 30 bras every single time I go shopping... and I'm aiming for purchasing TWO.
Fortunately the Nordstroms gals ROCK. :) :) :) And it's a fun experience, instead of just a sweaty one.
Mmmmm.... speaking of Nordies. I wouldn't rec shopping expensive when you're just going to be having to upgrade and upgrade as her size changes BUT when sensory schtuff is at play... you might want to. Just find ONE at least, that she loves (and isn't just tolerable) to get her used to them, and to get an idea of her own "list of requirements" (which she can't even know yet). The other bene of an expensive bra is this: They last forever. So you can buy one, and wash it every other day, and expect it to last 2 years. Which I know, because I lived off of student loans, ramen, & $100 bras for 5 years. Seriously, I have a lingerie-lust like most women love chocolate... but only had 2 bras in my drawer. One one day, the other the next. For five years. I bought a grand total of 4 bras. TMI, I know. But they DO take being washed and worn that often.
I hate bras and luckily am fairly small breasted so go without often. Here's a bra that I would recommend:
I have one and will buy more. Soft, no wires, fits well.
I have two boys who have gone through occupational therapy for sensory issues. If your daughter has not already been evaluated and treated by an OT, I would suggest that. Sensory issues can appear in a variety of ways, not just clothing. It might also affect her diet. My younger son's eating habits have been significantly affected by his sensory issues. Good luck with the bra issue--sounds like you've gotten a lot of good ideas.
I recommend going to Penney's and having her fitted by a bra fitter. There are so many different styles it is almost impossible to recommend one. Warners and Barely There have several styles that have to molded cup and really soft sides. I perfer the molded cup because the nipples don't show through. I also like the Bali 'Lace Desire' bra. If you find a bra with a wire but she finds the wire uncomfortable you can slip the wire out by cutting the casing inside the bra and slipping out the wire.
I don't recommend Victoria Secret for the fitting. I was a fitter for Penney's for 3.5 yrs and had many women come to Penney's for help because they could not find a bra that fit them. The fitters at Victoria Secret had not fitted them properly and they had been buying the wrong size for years.