The median bra size in America has increased to 36DD from 36C, yet most bra manufactures still won’t make sizes larger than 38DD. Why? Because making bigger bras is hard.
According to New York Magazine there are two factors contributing to the dearth of larger bras. First, they’re more difficult to design. Le Mystére design director Jessica Pfister explains it takes her three-person team up to two years to develop their largest bras:
At 44H, the weight of each breast is about twelve pounds… It’s fourteen-and-a-half inches across on each cup. That’s a size 14 shoe, just kind of curved. So you need a garment that’s going to support you like nothing else. There are hundreds of components in a bra and each one needs to be perfect. If you’re an eighth of an inch off, you’re not going to get the right support.
The plus-size market has been huge for Le Mystére, comprising 80 percent of their sales, but other companies are hesitant to expand into bigger sizes. Frederick’s of Hollywood President Linda LoRe says that while plus-size bras have also been successful for her company, “If you don’t already have that customer coming to you, it could be a big risk to invest in that inventory unless you know it’s going to pay off.”