For years, women with large chests have struggled to find the right support, with many of those with the highest cup sizes only served by specialist bra outlets.

Now, one department store is to start stocking a K-cup brassiere, in response to the growing numbers of women with extremely large busts.

Selfridges has taken the decision to stock the supersize bra after seeing a surge in sales of lingerie in larger sizes.

Purchases of bras for those with D to G cups have risen by 50 per cent year-on-year since 2005, and now account for one in four bra purchases, the store said.

The £32 model, made by luxury brand Fantasie, and previously stocked only in specialist shops, is over four foot in circumference, with each cup measuring one and a half foot at its widest part.

It uses extra thick straps to provide sufficient support.

Helen Attwood, Selfridges’ Buying Manager for Lingerie, said demand for large bras followed the trend for the average woman to weigh more than those of previous generations.

She said: “We are seeing more demand for the larger sizes and especially for fashionable, sexy bras in bigger sizes for younger women.

“We are in general getting heavier and therefore more women have larger busts, but it can even change depending on the time of the month.”

Already, 10,00 women have bought the K-cup from specialist shops, manfacturers Fantasie said.

The most popular bra size in the UK is a 36D, up from a 34B just a decade ago.

Dr Joanna Scurr, a lecturer in biomechanics at the University of Portsmouth said: “Breasts are getting bigger but it’s not just because we are getting heavier.”

The university has carried out research which examined 300 British women over four years and found an increase in the size of the average bosom, regardless of the woman’s weight.

Dr Scurr said: “We don’t yet know the reason but it has certainly made women much more aware of the need for correct support.”

Studies have found 85 per cent of women wear a badly fitted bra, with many women underestimating their cup size, and overestimated the measurement around their back.

Until now, the largest bra on the high street has been the J-cup, launched by Marks and Spencer three years ago.

The K-cup is available at Selfridges in London and Manchester Trafford.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/7434093/Supersize-K-cup-bras-arrive-on-the-high-street.html