Underbust Survey

Arctic Mama · 02-06-2012, 09:47 PM

Ronni, do look into breast tissue migration and proper fitting. If those are your actual measurements, while a 44H might be too generous in the cups (if you find you have significant fat on your back and shoulders, going down a cup size can make for a better fit to counteract the measurement skew that would cause with the tape measure), there is no physical way that you're scooping your breasts into 44B cups and finding them too big. Cups can pucker when the breast in much too LARGE for the cup (think of shoving an orange into a drinking glass - if the orange is wider than the lip of the glass then all the space at the bottom of the glass exists because the orange can't be shoved into it!) just as the tops can wrinkle if the breast is too small/not full at the top. If the puckering of the cup is on the tip or along the bottoms and sides, it is likely the bra is much too small for you.

Read this, it might give you some helpful fitting tips (it saved me - I went from a 44D to a 40H and my breasts were more comfortable, supported, perkier looking, and it visually slimmed my entire torso):

http://www.venusianglow.com/2008/04/...do-i-tell.html
http://www.venusianglow.com/p/bra-matrix.html

Riddy · 02-06-2012, 10:47 PM

I did the survey. While my underbust is currently 37", that is down from 42" and DDD cups at my high weight. My 40f's are still working for me, but I think I'm going to need a 38f very soon. I can't even imagine where I'll be in 50 pounds.

ronni62 · 02-07-2012, 10:38 AM

Arctic Mama-yes, I do have some underarm and back fat, but I truly find B cups with a 44" band too large-I can pull one of the formed cups away and see huge amounts of empty space! To try to fill out a fitted dress shirt, a sales clerk once gave me hugely padded C's and my boobs didn't even take up half the space in the cups-LOL! Plus, I'm short, so the padded cups almost came up to my chin

I have a terrible time getting bras

I'm fairly certain that if I can get down to a 36" band, I'll probably fit a B or small C, because that's what I wore in high school. I'm one of those people whose boobs did not increase in size when I gained more weight, not even when I was pregnant or nursing! I guess I just don't understand why a B at 44" is so much bigger than a B at 36".

runningfromfat · 02-07-2012, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronni62

Arctic Mama-yes, I do have some underarm and back fat, but I truly find B cups with a 44" band too large-I can pull one of the formed cups away and see huge amounts of empty space! To try to fill out a fitted dress shirt, a sales clerk once gave me hugely padded C's and my boobs didn't even take up half the space in the cups-LOL! Plus, I'm short, so the padded cups almost came up to my chin

I have a terrible time getting bras

I'm fairly certain that if I can get down to a 36" band, I'll probably fit a B or small C, because that's what I wore in high school. I'm one of those people whose boobs did not increase in size when I gained more weight, not even when I was pregnant or nursing! I guess I just don't understand why a B at 44" is so much bigger than a B at 36".

Huh, that is strange... are you sure the 44" band is tight enough? Have you tried going down a band size to see if you have a better fit?

The one thing I wonder is if you possibly have a rib cage that widens quite a bit going up from your underbust? That would explain the large bust measurement that you don't appear to need.

Just out of curiosity, what brand were you trying on? Maybe it's one that runs really large in the cups?

Do make sure, though, to scoup all of your underarm/back fat into the bra when you put it on (bend over and sort of jiggle your breasts into place so that you don't have any underarm/back fat). You might be dealing with a good deal of breast migration, which could at least explain a cup size or two difference. But going from something like a C cup to an H cup? I don't know... I guess if you had a perfect storm of breast tissue migration and a rib cage that widens significantly as you go up that could help to explain it? Honestly, I'm a bit stumped.

ETA: One theory that I've heard (not sure how true it is because I never had a well-fitting bra at my highest) is that there may be a need for different fitting rules depending on your size. For instance, if you are plus-sized it could be that you're able to go down a band size from you underbust measurement whereas some women on the low end of the underbust spectrum prefer to go up one band size. I guess it's an issue of extra padding? I apparently have plenty of extra padding still because I always need to go down slightly from my underbust measurement.

dstalksalot · 02-07-2012, 12:08 PM

Before I lost some weight I was wearing a tight 42H (SO OVER 40 FOR SURE) , now I am in a 38 H. I am wondering how much weight I will have to loose to get to a 36 F. I recall I was a 36DDD in college.(DDD is the same as an F right? European size vs US? I am loving the Panache Tango II brand and found a supplier on eBay. I can get them for 30 bucks. Any comparable brands out there for a Panache lover?

ETA: I thought I would need a temporary extender, but I lost a half an inch from the time I ordered to the time my new bra arrived. Technically I am now a 37.5. Has any one charted the average inches lost for bra size in weight loss? Everyone is different.

Baileysmomma · 02-07-2012, 12:12 PM

I did your survey. I went to the link to make sure my bra size was correct. It says I wear a 55 C in US sizes. But it has to be an even number. So either 54 C or 56 C. I checked my best fitting bra and that is what I wear. I tried to find what my size would be in UK sizing but it only went up to 48. That right there is my entire probably. I am shaped like an apple rather than a pear and it is HARD to find a bra that fits correctly.

runningfromfat · 02-07-2012, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstalksalot

Before I lost some weight I was wearing a tight 42H (SO OVER 40 FOR SURE) , now I am in a 38 H. I am wondering how much weight I will have to loose to get to a 36 F. I recall I was a 36DDD in college.(DDD is the same as an F right? European size vs US? I am loving the Panache Tango II brand and found a supplier on eBay. I can get them for 30 bucks. Any comparable brands out there for a Panache lover?

Oh, if you can remember you measurements from your highest weight, it'd be great if you could enter those into the survey too so I have more 40+ bands in there.

I think a 36DDD=UK 36E (someone can correct me if I'm wrong here). I always get a bit confused around the D range because it seems to vary so much between brands.

If you do well with Panache try Curvy Kate bras. I've heard that they have more wider, shallower cups like Panache. Brastop.com normally has a ton and if you get their newsletter they have free international shipping about once per month! Flirtelle is the sister brand to Curvy Kate so they might work well also (I don't have any direct experience with any yet but I'm waiting on some Curvy Kate bras to arrive so I'll review them on my blog shortly). Also, keep an eye on Zulilly because they often have Panache bras on there about 1-2 times per month too.

sontaikle · 02-07-2012, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runningfromfat

Oh, if you can remember you measurements from your highest weight, it'd be great if you could enter those into the survey too so I have more 40+ bands in there.

I think a 36DDD=UK 36E (someone can correct me if I'm wrong here). I always get a bit confused around the D range because it seems to vary so much between brands.

I remember my exact measurements from when I was 190ish pounds and a 40D, I can put those into your survey too if you want

I already did my current measurements.

And a DDD is an E in UK cups

since DDDD is an F. I don't get the fascination of US manufactures with adding more DDs to cups! It makes it difficult when I'm in that range because I have to see if they use DDDD, or G (or DDDDD or H) but if they go with the single letters then I have to make sure I'm not buying a UK brand and therefore would need the F or FF...

so since I'm not too familiar with all of the brands yet, I've got google open whilst bra shopping so I can research the company!

Arctic Mama · 02-07-2012, 05:19 PM

I shop my UK size, too, even though I live in the US. It's just much more common sense in terms of measurements to letter

berryblondeboys · 02-07-2012, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sontaikle

I remember my exact measurements from when I was 190ish pounds and a 40D, I can put those into your survey too if you want

I already did my current measurements.

And a DDD is an E in UK cups

since DDDD is an F. I don't get the fascination of US manufactures with adding more DDs to cups! It makes it difficult when I'm in that range because I have to see if they use DDDD, or G (or DDDDD or H) but if they go with the single letters then I have to make sure I'm not buying a UK brand and therefore would need the F or FF...

so since I'm not too familiar with all of the brands yet, I've got google open whilst bra shopping so I can research the company!

Why isn't a DD an E and a DDD an F? Why, even in the UK sizing is there a DD and THEN an E. it makes it especially complicated for me as I'm an F.... Which is a UK G.... But even some Fs in the US arent marked as F, but DDDD. I get confused! So ludicrous. And I always think they like the DDs because they look like boobs.... So DDDD is to imply really big boobs?

sontaikle · 02-07-2012, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

Why isn't a DD an E and a DDD an F? Why, even in the UK sizing is there a DD and THEN an E. it makes it especially complicated for me as I'm an F.... Which is a UK G.... But even some Fs in the US arent marked as F, but DDDD. I get confused! So ludicrous. And I always think they like the DDs because they look like boobs.... So DDDD is to imply really big boobs?

In US sizing the DD is the equivalent to an E and then DDD is F, and it goes straight through the alphabet but some manufacturers just keep tacking on Ds.

So in US sizes I need DDDD or a DDDDD or a G or H cup. While in UK sizes I need a F or FF.

I don't understand it either. It's really really confusing once you go above a DD.

ronni62 · 02-08-2012, 11:02 AM

I think I've figured out why my measurements don't fit with the stats here or the Polish bra-sizer---On a couple sites I found out that bras are sized differently for plus-size women, but even though I'm plus-sized everywhere else, my chest doesn't fit the criteria

On this site, www.herroom.com/bra-fitting-advice,901,30.html I found that I would need a 44C which is what I'm wearing, even though I know it's a small C and I just need to find different brands than where I've been looking (Fashion Bug and Kohl's)

where any bras over 38 are sized by the plus-size method apparently.....

I also have trouble finding jeans, as I'm an apple shape and have no rear to speak of, so when jeans fit my waist, I get the butt-baggies! Did find some Gloria Vanderbilt's that took care of that problem, though! Wonder if GV makes bras......

Arctic Mama · 02-08-2012, 03:58 PM

If you have butt issues, Ann Taylor jeans might also fit you well. When I was heavier and more apple shaped they were excellent! I have a flat butt even at low weights, so finding jeans that aren't baggy in the rear and thighs can be a challenge.

runningfromfat · 02-08-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronni62

I think I've figured out why my measurements don't fit with the stats here or the Polish bra-sizer---On a couple sites I found out that bras are sized differently for plus-size women, but even though I'm plus-sized everywhere else, my chest doesn't fit the criteria

On this site, www.herroom.com/bra-fitting-advice,901,30.html I found that I would need a 44C which is what I'm wearing, even though I know it's a small C and I just need to find different brands than where I've been looking (Fashion Bug and Kohl's)

where any bras over 38 are sized by the plus-size method apparently.....

I also have trouble finding jeans, as I'm an apple shape and have no rear to speak of, so when jeans fit my waist, I get the butt-baggies! Did find some Gloria Vanderbilt's that took care of that problem, though! Wonder if GV makes bras......

Wait... if you're adding 4" to your bust (that's what herroom suggest) then you'd need something more like a 40DD (the volume in the cups would be equivalent to your 44C's but the band would be smaller so you'd get more support). As a starting point for trying on bras you should start with your band=underbust measurement without adding any inches.

runningfromfat · 05-16-2012, 11:15 AM

Just wanted to bump this with a link to this post: Some Bra things... I have my results for my underbust survey there and also the links for the Bra Band Project, which many wonderful 3FC ladies helped me with!