Arctic Mama posted this link to proper bra sizing that made me rethink my sizes too. The pictures that the author there links to are nothing short of jaw-dropping. If you want to take a look at the page linked to, it's in Polish, but pictures are worth a thousand words in any language.

I always thought that a D cup was a D cup was a D cup--it isn't. A 34D has considerably smaller cups than a 38D; that means as you go down in band size, you will likely need to go UP in cup size. It seems paradoxical, because you think that the "girls" are losing some weight (and they may be), yet they need a bigger cup as the band gets smaller.

I suspect that your band size is waaay big for your actual body size. The author at that site that Arctic Mama shared goes into detail about how the band should fit, but if you're 31 inches around, you're basically wearing the bra equivalent of panties wider than your hips. You aren't getting any support from too loose a band no matter how the cups and straps are constructed.

I'm not really able to bra-shop at the moment financially, so I definitely feel your pain there. However, I think that if you try on a few inexpensive models with smaller bands AND bigger cups, you'll find a better bra at any price.

Edited to add: Don't be afraid of "big" letters like G and H and J. Look at those pictures--few if any of those women have disproportionately large breasts even if they're wearing something other than the A,B,C,D we see in stores. Just like weight, bra size is only a number (well, or a letter in this case).

I'm with all the other ladies. With your under bust measurement, you probably need a 32 band. It will probably feel a bit uncomfortable the first few times you wear it, especially if you are used to bras that are too big. You want it to fit snugly on the loosest setting - you shouldn't be able to fasten it on the tightest setting. As you wear the bra, the elastic will stretch and you'll eventually be able to wear it on the middle and snuggest settings. Once you get the band size correct, you can try on a bunch of cup sizes and see what works for you. It could be different in different brands/styles/fabrics, but with your measurements, I'd be surprised if you're smaller than an F (or equivalent size in whatever brand.) Like a PP said, an F in a 32 is going to be smaller volume wise than an F in a 36 - It might be the equivalent of a 36C or D in volume of breast tissue.

I also would NOT recommend going to a place like Victoria's Secret to be sized. VS sells a VERY limited number of sizes, and they want to sell you a bra. They are very likely to do the "add 4 or 5 inches to the band size and go down on the cup size" trick to sell you a bra;. You might fit in it, but it won't make you look good. I would look for an independent lingerie store. Some of them specialize in wedding lingerie, others might be the place people in the sex industry get their lingerie. And, really, who would know better where to get a bra than someone with ginormous implants? . And, who cares? Get yourself a bra that fits great.

And just for you, I went and took my measurements. Over my bra, my band measurements is 35 - so I'll guess it's probably 34.5 if I could be bothered to take it off. My full bust measurement is 43 in. Right now, I'm wearing a 36 G. It's been a few months since I bought this bra, and I've lost more weight since then. I would probably go down to a 34 if I were shopping today, as I'm wearing this bra on the tightest setting. The cups of my bra feel like they have a little space in them, but if I buy a smaller band size, due to the volume changes between band sizes, I'd likely still need a G cup. I might even have to go up a cup size, because there's not a whole lot of extra space in them.

It's weird - that site says don't add inches to your under-bust measurement. Mine is the same as the OP - 31.5 inches. But when I entered my numbers (31.5/36) into her bra size calculator, it spit out 34C, which is what I wear now. (Except at VS, I had to go up to a 34D ).

The OPs measurements generated 34DDD.

I've tried on enough bras to know that I wouldn't be able to breathe in most 32's. And I would have a huge roll of back fat. I just spent approximately 5 hours trying on bras to end up with one that fit (and it was a 34C, but there were plenty with that same size that didn't fit at all).

Anyway - once you figure out what size you are, stores like Kohl's have great sales on the name brands. And if you are up to the work, I found my last Maidenform bra at Ross (Marshall's/TJMaxx/etc) for $6.99.

Yes! That seems to be what happens when the extra inches are not added to the under-bust measurement. If I add 4 inches then I get a 34-36C, which sounds much more realistic. I could even see a 34D, that's very likely, but DDD? I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed that, or at least my husband would, lol.

I'm hoping to get to Target today. I will grab every size I can get to find a good starting point. And I WILL be open to D's and 32-34's. I think I've just had the same #'s in my head for so many years it never occured to me that I could be so far off in the sizing.

Do this right after you take the unicorn out for a walk. Above a DDD in small band sizes does not exist cheap. Not anywhere. 34DDD is hard to find--most DDD bras don't come smaller than 36. 32DDD and bigger? Good times.

Livejournal communities thirty_twod and bustingout might be worth looking into to get some sense of the market here.

I have to agree with everyone saying to get a professional sizing (Nordstrom is great, JCPenney has sizing events). You may find yourself quite surprised. Based on your measurements, and what you *thought* you wore, something isn't right.

Wow. According to these measurements (apostrophe's and nola's), I should be wearing a 40H. I've been wearing 42DD's and now that I've lost some weight I definitely believe my band size needs to be smaller (I've been hooking my old bras as tightly as they'll go, and they're still too big), but an H cup? It's not that I doubt the method of measurement, it's just that my breasts seem nowhere near that large. I need to go bra shopping though, and so will report back on how the cup sizes seemed in comparison to the measurement.

Thanks for the thread, and the informative/useful posts.

How tight have you taken your underbust measurement? Because the measurement that is meant to be used with this calculator is of your underbust with no air in your lungs and pulling the tape measure as tight as possible.

If you think a band size 32 might be much too tight, try any bra with that band size on, but with the cups on your back. The cup size of the bra does not matter for that little test, but a cup size that is too small would give false results. How far can you still pull the band away from your body? You shouldn't be able to pull it further than 2 inches max! You should also try that with the bras you own now. The site that is linked a few posts up has a very detailed guide to evaluate the fit of your bra and also shows you how to put your bra on correctly. I can say from my own experience that it really does matter how you put your bra on.

I also just measured myself, to give you some point of reference. I measure 31 inches with air in my lungs and 29 inches when I breath out and pull tight. My bust measurement (this has to be taken loosely!) is 35 inches. I wear a British size 30F or 28FF (The cup size is a function of the band size, so I have to go up one cup size when I wear a smaller band. Some women find they have to go up two sizes.). And yes, they are comfortable . I do not have ginormous boobs, they actually run on the smaller side. I actually perceived them as very small all my life and wore a 32A most of the time. That is a whopping five sizes too small! And I did not notice for years!

Don't be scared of big letters and small numbers. You are very likely wearing too big a band size and to small a cup size. 90 percent of women do.

Okay Ladies, reporting back after a trip to Target. Thank you all for such great input! I know I was resistant to the idea of the new sizes but sure enough, I really was that far off! YOU knew it, I just needed to try the sizes to get it. I haven't had time to get to a department store for a measurement but I still plan to do that.

I went with an open mind and really decided I was starting from scratch. I absolutely fill a D cup. I started with 34D's (really hard to find btw) and realized that a 32 probably would have worked. However, the only 32's to be found were all A cups. Didn't think to try one in a smaller cup size just to get the band fit though, wish I had done that now. I know several of you pointed out that the cup size would probably increase as the band size goes down. So maybe a 32DD would have been a good fit but the only DD's they had started in 38 band size.

So I know from today's trip that I'm at a 32 or 34D or maybe DD. If I ever get my hands on a DDD I'll try that too! I found a couple 34D's on clearance so I snapped those up to hold me over till I can get something even better. The girls and I thank you!

Oh, good. It def sounds like you are in right the ballpark and making progress!
A.

When you're ready to buy more bras and are willing to spend a little money on them, look on line for a store that has a good/easy return policy. You can get practically any size on line (and you're right, it's hard to find large cup sizes in small band sizes in a store), and if the store has a good return policy, you can order several sizes that are in the ball park and return the ones that don't fit.

I absolutely love Lane Bryant bras (been in them since I was normal weight since I'm very ... busty ), and they're having a BOGO 50% off sale right now. I just stocked up myself.

Their bras are fantastic. My favorites are the balconette. 36C is the smallest they have, but I'd say go try it on. With the sale you can get some great bras for about $25 a piece. Mine have lasted a long time. And they're cute, too — not "fat lady bras," hehe.

Wow..this is eye opening to me. For years I have worn 36C and even 38C. I just measured ....based on the chart I should wear an entirely different size. Never tried anything larger than a C cup and even thought my bras were as comfortable as they could get.
Now I want to go get measured for sure. (I am 62 years old, have never been measured.)

This thread has really got me thinking. I have been wearing a 38D for years, but according to the measurements I just took I should be a 38G!!!! WTF?

Measurements were 38 band and 45 bust. When I have some extra cash I'm definitely getting professionally measured.