AS Kirsty looked in the changing room mirror, she let out yet another huge sigh.
Throwing the dress on the ever-growing pile of ‘no’s’ on the floor, this wasn’t unusual for mum-of-two Kirsty Ketley, from .
Kirsty Ketley says having size 34J boobs has been a total nightmare
The 44-year-old admits she’s spent over £5k on extra supportive bras over the years
Over the years, dress shopping had become quite the chore – and it was all because of her size 34J breasts.
The 44-year-old, who is a dress size 16-18 depending on the shop, has struggled with her large breasts for as long as she can remember – and has splashed out well over £5k over the years on bras to give her much-needed additional support.
Speaking exclusively to , she says: “Ever since my teens I’ve struggled.
“I was a H cup even before having kids, which felt huge as a teenager in the 90s when most of my friends were still waiting for theirs to grow and only the girls had big boobs.”
And while Kirsty says she wasn’t bullied as such, she admits she “definitely had a lot of unwanted attention from boys and grown men”.
“Comments, stares, and jokes,” she explains. “It gave me a complex, and I’ve always felt like my chest is what people see first.”
In her late teens, Kirsty, who is a parenting expert, was around a H cup and after having kids and now into perimenopause, her bra size has reached a 34J.
“As a teen I used to dread walking past groups of lads because I’d get comments or wolf whistles – which to be fair, plenty of women, big boobs or not, will have experienced,” she says.
“I’ve also had clothes literally split at the bust because they weren’t made for a fuller chest.
“It happened with school shirts so I ended up wearing men’s shirts and it took me a long time, like 20 years, before I’d wear a shirt again!
“And now I always wear a vest top underneath.”
Kirsty, who admits she’s forked out over £5k on bras over the years, says frustratingly, she’s even limited to where she can shop for them.
I’ve easily spent several thousand pounds by now; maybe £5k or more?
Kirsty Ketley44, Surrey
“I usually buy from Bravissimo or online retailers like Brastop that stock bigger sizes as most high-street stores just don’t go that far up the cup scale,” she says.
“A decent bra for me costs anywhere from £35–£50 – although Brastop have good sales and you can pick up bras for under £30.”
However, needing several, Kirsty notes how it quickly adds up.
“It’s frustrating because women with bigger busts don’t really get a ‘budget’ option, like supermarket bras, we have to pay more, just to have something that fits and is supportive,” she explains.
“I’ve easily spent several thousands of pounds by now; maybe £5k or more.
“When you think about how often sizes change with , , and now perimenopause, plus the fact that bras don’t last forever, it mounts up.”
She adds: “And don’t get me started on ! Easily over £50 for a swimsuit or bikini.”
When she was pregnant, Kirsty says there were no maternity bras that properly fit – adding that nursing her meant wearing an ill-fitting bra.
In fact, she admits it was a relief when breastfeeding stopped and she could go back to wearing normal bras again.
“Maternity bras were a nightmare,” she recalls.
“The choice was so limited in bigger cup sizes, and the ones I could find often felt frumpy or just didn’t give enough support – in fact, 12 years ago, they didn’t have any big enough, so I wore the wrong size!”
She continues: “I remember feeling really uncomfortable in them, and when I stopped breastfeeding, it was honestly a relief to go back to ‘normal’ bras that actually held me in properly.”
And while there are now bigger maternity cup sizes available on the market, the experience of shopping is still something that fills Kirsty with dread.
“Shopping is still one of the hardest things for me,” she admits.
“Dresses often fit on the bottom but are far too tight across the bust, so I either have to size up, which can make the rest of the dress baggy, or I avoid certain styles altogether.
“Button-up tops are the worst and wrap dresses don’t always give enough coverage, even though they are meant to be the most flattering for my shape.
“I end up feeling limited to the same few shapes and styles.
“As any women, regardless of their shape knows, different brands have different fits, so it’s impossible to know from one shop to the next what will fit.”
5 clothing mistakes women with big boobs make
Do you have DD+ boobs and struggle to find clothes that fit?
Fabulous’ Fashion Editor has shared her top tips on clothes to avoid if you have a big bust.
1. Say no to the polo
High necklines such a roll necks are to be avoided if you have a fuller bust. Closed chests and necks make your boobs appear bigger and can sometimes give you the dreaded uni-boob.
Try wearing V-necks, sweetheart, off the shoulder or scooped necklines that elongate the look of your neck and decolletage.
2. Bigger isn’t better
Frills, draping and excess fabric to cover your boobs only makes them look bigger. They make you look too top heavy and add unnecessary bulk on your top half which distracts from your face.
Instead keep things clean and simple with sleek fabrics and designs with open necklines.
3. Skip slogan tees
Slogan or printed T-shirts are having a moment with fashion fans falling over themselves to get Ganni Tees, or their high street dupes.
The key is to make sure you’re not buying a top with thick, heavy paint plastered on as the print. These will stretch over your fuller chests and split, resulting in a messy look and a ruined T-shirt that’s now a waste of money.
4. Avoid crop tops
Tops that are shorter in length or crop tops should be swerved if you had a big chest. You’ll find you spend most of your time pulling it down and also it messes with the proportions of your body.
If you have a big bust and a crop top on, they cut you off in the middle, which makes your bust look even bigger and in worse cases give the illusion that your chest meets your waist.
A longer top (including anything from a T-shirt to a jumper) will create the right proportions.
5. Body-wrong
Straight or tight fitted dresses are brilliant at showing off your figure. However if you have a big bust that isn’t in proportion with the rest of your shape they’re a no-go.
If you have a fuller bust you can create balance and a defined hourglass silhouette by wearing A-line dresses or skirts.
Kirsty recently attended a wedding and admitted she must’ve tried on over 20 dresses for the occasion, before finally settling on a green and white floral patterned frock from Oliver Bonas.
“The majority either wouldn’t do up over my chest, gaped open, or made me feel like my boobs were massively on display,” she explains.
“It got really disheartening – every time I thought I’d found something, it just didn’t work.
“Eventually I found a couple of dresses that worked, but I had to play around with tops underneath to make one feel right and size up.”
And while she doesn’t always feel like people are staring at her chest, she admits she feels it often enough to be self-conscious about it.
“Sometimes I’ll catch someone’s eyes flick down, and it just reinforces that feeling that my chest enters the room before I do,” she says.
Fed up with how her boobs have caused her a problem her whole life, Kirsty admits that if she had the spare , she’d have them made smaller.
“I’ve ranged from a size 12-16 all my life and my boobs have always remained large, and I’ve always still had this issue,” she explains.
Sometimes I’ll catch someone’s eyes flick down, and it just reinforces that feeling that my chest enters the room before I do
Kirsty Ketley44, Surrey
“I’m someone who genuinely doesn’t care about appearances – I’ve let my grow out grey, rather than cover it up and I often don’t wear make up, but my boobs are the one thing I would love to change, if I could afford to do it.”
While Kirsty admits that struggling to find clothes to fit her breasts may well be “first-world problems,” she is eager to share an important message to brands and shops.
“Stop assuming that women over a DD don’t exist or don’t want stylish clothes,” she urges.
“We want the same variety, the same price range, and the same ease as anyone else.
“It shouldn’t feel like a to find something that fits properly and it shouldn’t have to cost way more, for the privilege.
“Clothes should be inclusive of all body shapes, not just an ‘average’ bust size.
“For shirts and button down dresses, simply placing an extra button, or moving the buttons, over the bust area would help.”
The mum-of-two often has to wear a vest under her dresses because of the gaping
Kirsty sometimes feels like her chest enters the room before she does
The 44-year-old admits if she had the spare money, she’d have her boobs made smaller 
