# Bra sizes. Please explain to this feeble male. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286 "2017-01-16T01:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/41 "2017-01-17T00:18:09Z")
Men’s clothing sizes might not be as marketing-driven, and I’m sure it’s not nearly as bad as women’s sizes, but there’s still not much consistency between brands in what a size means. Certainly not enough consistency that you can buy anything beyond a T-shirt without first trying it on. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/42 "2017-01-17T01:03:16Z")
> [@Pheline](#): > > “Boobs” is so… denigrating. I disagree completely. Boobs are amazing. Boobs are holy. Boobs are worthy of worship. Breasts are what you eat at El Pollo Loco. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/43 "2017-01-17T03:22:01Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > [Annie Hawkins-Turner](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-natural-breasts), size 102ZZZ. Holy shit! And she claims her back doesn’t hurt? Good god, more power to her, but I can’t imagine how she deals with that. I remember an article about a porn star who was almost that large, only her’s weren’t natural. Her doctors kept telling her she needed to get a reduction, because of all the pain and health problems she was having, but she refused. She looked like a total novelty. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/44 "2017-01-17T05:00:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, if you try on an actual fabric bra and it’s a really comfortable fit, then you can buy one bra. If there’s a standard that accurately reflects the variety of shapes and sizes, and you learn what your size is by that standard, then once you know you can buy as many bras as you want. That’s a big IF. The quality control would have to be amazing for every bra they sold to be an auto-fit. I’m used to grabbing a handful of styles my size, trying them on, and then having to go up a size for some styles and down a size for others. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/45 "2017-01-17T11:50:18Z")
> [@Pheline](#): > > I think we all agree they’re pretty amazing- men think so for some reason, babies for milk and women for one of their superpowers (growing humans, making milk… whether you do it personally). “Boobs” is so… denigrating. And I fully support your right not to use the word, or any other you don’t care for. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/46 "2017-01-17T12:54:09Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I had heard about bias on the other side. AAs and As are underrepresented in statistics derived from bra sales statistics because “just go without” is a more viable option. Don’t know about the States, but here in East Asia, women who are even AAa or As still wear bras because they don’t like protruding nipples. Also there can be a small amount of padding to give some shape. My wife likes the bralettes because she doesn’t need any support per se. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/47 "2017-01-17T13:01:02Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > That’s a big IF. The quality control would have to be amazing for every bra they sold to be an auto-fit. > > I’m used to grabbing a handful of styles my size, trying them on, and then having to go up a size for some styles and down a size for others. The reason I buy mine at intimissimi is that, once I know my size (I’ve been getting resized every time but it’s because I’ve been losing weight) and my style (same through the weight loss, I’m a Sofia; there’s others that fit but I find that one most comfortable), I can just grab any of the options in that size and style and they’ll fit. Much better than when I’d go to any other bra store and come out with three or four different sizes; sometimes, even two bras that were the same brand and model but different color would end up having different sizes. ---
**Author:** ![Pheline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pheline/32/5483_2.png) [@Pheline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pheline)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/48 "2017-01-23T21:46:47Z")
> [@paulmarkj](#): > > Not as complicated as shoe size, which are based on the barleycorn, which is 1/3rd inch. A size 12 is 12 inches and then count back in barleycorns. eg: size 11 is 12 inches - 1 barleycorn - 11.66 inches. > > Children size zero is 12 barleycorns = 4 inches and then add a barleycorn for each size, eg: size 1 = 4.33 inches. Barleycorns aren’t complicated once you have a basketful of barleycorns on hand since they just had to line 'em up and count. They didn’t have to make to rows of barleycorns, stack ryeberries on top to the thickness of the big toe and divide the barleycorns by the rye berries. I suppose they needed foot width at times- maybe they did those in an alternate grain to keep the length and width straight but it should have been obvious. Back to bras- The Jockey system sounds dreadful AND they charge $20 for the fit kit. I don’t see a lot of success in the future for their novel system. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/49 "2017-01-23T22:36:40Z")
> [@paulmarkj](#): > > Not as complicated as shoe size, which are based on the barleycorn, which is 1/3rd inch. A size 12 is 12 inches and then count back in barleycorns. eg: size 11 is 12 inches - 1 barleycorn - 11.66 inches. > > Children size zero is 12 barleycorns = 4 inches and then add a barleycorn for each size, eg: size 1 = 4.33 inches. This is from an Onion article, right? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/50 "2017-01-23T22:46:22Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Generally normal stores don’t stock bra’s above a DD cup. Some stores will stock E cups (but then again in some stores E cup is DD). Only very specialty bra stores will stock things F cup and above (Victoria Secret stops at E cup bras oddly enough at well) > > Related, average breast size tends to be all over the place depending on which study you look at but the one I trust the most came from an organization that polled American bra manufacturers directly and asked them what percentage of cup sizes they sold each, and the combined results were > > AA cup - 2% > A Cup - 15% > B Cup - 44% > C Cup - 28% > D Cup - 10% > DD Cup - 0.9% > Above DD cup - 0.1% > > Of course this doesn’t take into account band size as well, since a 36C could also wear a 38B or 34D bra but it’s the most accurate one I’ve seen. That’s what they sell. Over 80% of women wear the wrong bra size, and are often very shocked when they find out what size they’re supposed to be wearing - and often don’t want breast augmentation when they get a proper bra. An honest plastic surgeon will tell a woman this unless it’s an extreme case needing reduction. I wear the often-mocked 38DD, and believe me, if you saw me, you would not consider me big-busted. Cups beyond DD are also relatively easy to find in mainstream stores, although usually in plus sizes (beyond 40). Slimmer women who need large bras, or plus-size women who need smaller bras, often have to have them custom-made. Anything beyond a G or so probably will be too, outside a maternity shop. No, I don’t work in a lingerie store and never have, but in the past few years, I have purchased large amounts of underwear for a charity project I’m involved with. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/51 "2017-01-23T22:49:54Z")
p.s. I have a bit of difficulty finding bras I like, because bras with a D-cup or larger usually have an underwire, which many women like but I don’t. So, when I find a style that doesn’t have one and it fits, I usually get a couple of them. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/52 "2017-01-23T23:00:32Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Don’t know about the States, but here in East Asia, women who are even AAa or As still wear bras because they don’t like protruding nipples. Also there can be a small amount of padding to give some shape. My wife likes the bralettes because she doesn’t need any support per se. The same thing is true for “training bras” worn by preteen girls who are just starting to grow their breasts, which starts out as puffed-out nipples. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/53 "2017-01-23T23:11:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, if you try on an actual fabric bra and it’s a really comfortable fit, then you can buy one bra. If there’s a standard that accurately reflects the variety of shapes and sizes, and you learn what your size is by that standard, then once you know you can buy as many bras as you want. I found one fabric bra that was comfortable and immediately ordered many of them (like, 15) on amazon. It’s just too frustrating otherwise – even knowing your official size doesn’t help when each model of bra is different. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/54 "2017-01-24T00:40:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > This is from an Onion article, right? Might as well be. I live in China where my shoe size is men’s 45, decidedly larger in number than the US 10 1/2 but a much smaller number than Japan’s 29 or Korea’s 290 (the last two are in cm and mm, respectively. I think China, like the US has different sizing for men’s and women’s shoes. Why not go with the metric length? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286/55 "2017-01-24T01:50:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@paulmarkj](#): > > > > Not as complicated as shoe size, which are based on the barleycorn, which is 1/3rd inch. > > This is from an Onion article, right? Nope, according to [Wikipedia:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barleycorn_(unit)) > [@](#): > > The barleycorn is a small English unit of length equal to 1⁄3 of an inch (i.e., close to 0.8467 cm) still used in Great Britain and Ireland as a determiner of shoe sizes. > > British and Irish shoe sizes differ from one another by the distance of a barleycorn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bra-sizes-please-explain-to-this-feeble-male/777286.md?page=2)