Theoretically, a woman is supposed to measure either just under her armpits, and take that measurement as is, or measure just under the bottom of her tits, and add four inches. This is the band size. Then you’re supposed to measure across the fullest part of your bust, and do some adding or subtracting to get your cup size. Many women, however, will say that they’re a 36C when they mean that they wear a C cup, but that their bust measurement is 36…and so they don’t get the right band size.
Hanging bras up to dry is good. However, most people feel that this detracts from the decor.
That makes a kind of sense, although in my sister’s case I’m pretty sure she didn’t have a 36" bust either. But this was not exactly the first time in her life that my sister has been firmly convinced of something that wasn’t true.
Yeah, I always air dry mine as well…I just put them away when they’re dried out!
This is debateable. There is a school of thought that due to the fact that bras are now made with so much spandex, there’s no need to add four or five inches to your ribcage measurement at all - to do so will put most in a bra which is too loose in the band to provide proper support (which means it will ride up on your back and your shoulder straps will cut into you).
Works for me - I’ve got barely-27" ribs and wear a 28 band. 32s are huge on me.
I’ve heard this, but I think there must be two different sizing systems in place because I have never, ever seen a bra with a band size under 32. I have an underbust measurement of 29", but if I needed that as my band size I’d be SOL. Looking at the Victoria’s Secret website I see that they do produce a 30, but it only comes in A and B cups and I’ve never seen that size in VS stores anyway. I generally buy my bras in department stores and have never seen less than a 32 in any of them either. I was a 32 when I was younger and thinner and even that can be difficult to find in the bigger cup sizes.
I just put one of my bras on the bed and measured it out, and the total length comes to 26" or 27". That’s 2-3" less than my actual rib measurement and a good 7-8" less than the band size (34). So the band size number clearly does not reflect the real length of the band or my underbust measurement, and it must be stretching a couple of inches just to fit around me.
This is why, when I find one that fits perfectly, I buy at least two.
I’m a regular, average size, not too big or small to find bras at JCPenney or Sears, but the styles can be a pain to navigate through. Lots of bras have molded cups, and my boobs are not shaped like their molds. So either I’ll squeeze out the sides a little and get the dreaded quadraboob or I’ll go up a size and have dead space inside the cups and it’ll look like a cave-in. Victoria’s Secret bras are like this for me in general, so I never bother shopping there anymore. Which is too bad because some of their stuff is very pretty!
Add to that the fact that different brands (even different lines within the same brand) will have slightly different sizing, so I’ll try on dozens before I get it right. And some of them stretch horribly with wearing or washing, so they’ll feel great for a week or two and then I’m yanking on them all day.
I think I am something like a 38C (though have never been measured, so no doubt this is wrong). I salute the people who are brave enough to have a professional size them, as I cannot conceive of doing this.
My big problem seems to be spillage from the top of the cups—the demi-bra style is a disaster waiting to happen, and I will spend a bit of time in the dressing room bending over, hopping, etc. to see if there is any chance a boob will come flying out when I least expect it. As Antigen said, the molded cups never seem to fit my chest and look very weird on me.
Plus, I like a nice wide (preferably elastic) strap to keep the straps from biting into my shoulders. Some manufacturers have bras with great cups, but the straps are made out of some itchy, nonstretchy fabric, or are so skinny that I feel like the weight of my chest is pulling on them.
I normally buy the Bali bras that have “concealer petals” (gag-inducing name) to prevent undue nipple-age, since a padded bra just makes me look huge. They have a style that mimics underwire but doesn’t have any actual wires in it as well.
Hate bra-shopping with a passion, and hate it even more now that I’m in my thirties and things are starting to sag.
Soma’s bras (from the same line as Chico’s clothing) are very good. Their minimizers have wide, comfy straps that don’t dig into my shoulders.
Right now, the bras I have that DO dig my shoulders are my old ones that are on their way to being slowly phased out in exchange for newer ones (either Soma’s or VS).
I wouldn’t dislike bra shopping so much if I had more money to buy the bras I truly need.
If this is because you don’t want to be seen w/o your bra…don’t worry. They measure you around your old bra. And they don’t touch you. Only the tape actually touches you. They are very professional.
They can tell by looking, what is wrong with your old bra. Usually then they will either take you around or just go and get like a dozen or so bras, different styles and sizes for you to try. You go into the dressing room and try them on. If you hate it, just go onto the next one. If you like it, or aren’t sure they can help you with your straps or recommend a different style. If you want more help, they will help you. If you don’t, just tell them to give you a bit of time and they will probably just come back and check on you in like 10 minutes or whatever.
I was nervous the first time I went. I am a quite a bit bigger than you and I was embarassed because I had gained weight up there. The ladies were so professional and in minutes I was totally comfortable.
Definitely get fitted every couple of years or so. It makes a huge difference. And don’t let yourself be fitted at Vicky’s Secrets. They’re terrible.
Spillage usually means you need a bigger cup but it could just be the wrong style. Also, don’t rely on the shoulder straps to do the supporting for you. Support should come from a well-fitting chest band. Go to Nordstroms if you can and ask for fitter. They are well-trained and professional.
I chose very hard. I have a pretty normal size (36C) but 99% of bras do not fit me correctly. Right now there is only ONE bra out there I can wear, and it costs $80. So I usually have 2 in rotation, and have to get a new one about every 6-9 months after they stretch out. It really sucks.
I saw a fitter there twice, and the first one seemed fine and recommended a style that wound up fitting very well and that I liked a lot. (This style was, OF COURSE, discontinued about two years later.) The second time I asked to be fitted at VS the woman whipped out her measure tape right then and measured me over my sweater. I could have objected, but I figured anyone who had to be told not to take someone’s bra measurements over a sweater wasn’t going to do a proper job of it anyway, so I just let her do it and then left without buying anything. I’ve actually never been back.
Exactly. Most of your support should come from the band - the straps are pretty much like wearing suspenders along with a belt. (Think about it - strapless bras can be supportive, too.) I would guess that your band is too big and your cup size too small in your current bras. (And very few things irk me more than seeing women walk around with the back of their bra bands riding up above their shoulder blades - in that case, why freakin’ bother with the bra? It’s doing nothing except keeping your boobs warm!)
For me, bra shopping is right up there with balancing the checkbook or doing my taxes - time-consuming, annoying, but necessary. You have to get fitted. You have to try them on. And once you’ve done it, you have that “aaaah” feeling of comfort until next time.
One resource that hasn’t been mentioned here (or I missed it): I don’t bother with Victoria’s Secret (her secret? She can’t seem to make a decent bra for me!) and there’s no Nordstrom within 120 miles of here, but there is a Hanes/Bali outlet store nearby. They do fittings, and seem to be pretty good (at least at this store.) I’ve bought all of my bras there for the past several years, minus the occasional sports bra when I find the right one elsewhere. I wear a 32DD, and can find my size at the outlet store, for a pretty decent price, and even found a nursing bra in my size there, for about $35.
For anyone who was interested I did get fitted by my lingerie friend and have gone from wearing a 12C (which is a 34C?) to a 10DD (32?). I always thought the cup sizes stayed the same and it was just the chest measurement that got bigger, obviously not.
The cup size is relative to the band size, i.e. (although not the right numbers because I don’t know what they are)
A cup - 1 inch bigger than band
B cup - 2 inches bigger than band
C cup - 3 inches bigger than band
D cup - 4 inches bigger than band, etc.
So say the measurement across your breasts is 36 inches:
If the measurement under your breasts is 32 inches, you are a 32D.
If the measurement under your breast is 34 inches, you are a 34B.
