So, I know every one says go get measured by an expert. But lets just say for hypothetical reasons, I want to measure myself at home and order some bras online. Cuz I can't find the bras I want anywhere where I live.

So I looked at Layne Bryant Bra Fitting guide... and it says "Wrap the tape measure around your chest, just beneath the breasts. This is your band size (example: 38")."

I'm confused cuz everywhere else I've looked/googled says "If the measurement is even, add 4"; if the measurement is odd, add 5" " and then that would be your Band size!!

WTHeck!? So let me just tell ya'll: my tape measure says under my breasts is 41.5" and my breast measures 48". so see my dilemma? According to Layne Bryant my bra size would be: 42D and according to all these other places that want me add 4 or 5 inches to my band size it would either be about a 46B!!!!!!!!!!!! Help!! 42D and a 46B are very different bra sizes!! I think this bra business is crazy. NO WONDER NO ONE KNOWS WHAT SIZE A BRA TO WEAR! And no one know what is a correct bra fit!

Does it just depend on the brand? Does the Lane Bryant brand just have their own Band Sizes and every where else go by the "add x inches"? Anyone who's had a correct bra fitting by a "specialist" what do they do? Do they keep it at what your measurements are or add inches to get a correct bra size???

Please someone has to know the answer? Any ladies work in the lingerie department and have 1st hand knowledge?

p.s. i did try and search this topic in the forum, but the MOST RIDICULOUS thing happened. It won't let you search for the word "bra" because it is under 4 letters!!!!! Um, that's just silly. So there is NO WAY to search this topic on this forumn. I can't even search "correct cup sizes" cuz there we go again with a 3 letter word.

Hi Sun! I know, Bra fitting is RIDICULOUS!! Too my knowledge, once your tape measure hits 40 you stick with whatever the tape reads. As a backup, here's what Macy's says http://www1.macys.com/catalog/index....36543394702064

Thanx DK!
That puts a whole new spin on things! So that means I stick to the 42... uh and I'm a D????? I never thought I was a D, I thought I was a large B or small C. Like a B and a half. But a D! lol,... k I was at Dillard's the other day and found some 40B's I tried on, obviously I was spilling over the cups and the sides. And then I started thinking band sizes and cup sizes and I looked around and just left cuz I didn't know for sure and decided I'll go back when I had it figured out.

I thought that I was a 42B, and that is the most difficult size ever to find! the only ones I've found are Hanes at Walmart and they're plain, white and stretchy, so they don't give much support. And it is amazingly hard to finda 42B at any normal store in the mall or anywhere. I have all different sizes in my drawer... 44B or a 42C, but I think the C is too big and I know none of my bras fit right and they don't really give me that magical support I see on TV (like when a person on What Not To Wear is fitted properly). I've never had a professional fitting and bras are the one thing I know nothing about and rarely buy, but lately with losing weight I WANT a real bra that FITS properly. And as I lose weight I want to find bras that fit right. So I think tomorrow after work I'm running straight to dillard's and trying on a 42D and compare that to a 42C and see.

The most common advice is to add 4 or 5 inches (depending on whether you start with an even or odd number) to the under bust measurement, to get the band size.

For me at least, that always gets a too large band that rides up and doesn't support. So I only add say 2 or 3 inches. Right now my under bust measurement is about 30-31" (I can't get consistent results to save my life), my bust about 37", and I just bought a Wacoal (cheap at Marshalls!) in a 34D, and that size (34D) seems to fit the best across brands / styles, at the moment. So as you can see, it doesn't really fit any formula. I think I will actually need a 32 band in the next 5 pounds (at least I'm hoping for some upper abdominal fat loss!).

I usually start with a smallish band, and try some on - get the band size right first because it's critical for support. Once you have a small enough band, go up in cup size until you're not spilling out anywhere and the underwire lays flat. That often means a smaller band / bigger cup than you think.

Oddly, I used to get larger band sizes trying to avoid back rolls. But the smaller bands don't necessarily equal back rolls. They sit lower on the back instead of riding up into your existing rolls, and that means they sit smoother, at least for me.

My problem is with the cups. My breasts are more wide than big. So an underwire that's wide enough to encase them usually has a cup that's too big to lay flat and not pucker. Oh well A little foam in the cup helps that, but I crave some sheer, lacy bras

Sun Flower- great idea to wear a bra that fits!! And I agree that the band hitting the middle of one's back is preferable to higher up, which mine used to be.
Again I want to post a link but I have not yet reached the required number of posts. It is www blogher com / blog / susan-wagner. She talked about this topic recently, but I am not sure I agree with her advice! Check it out. I wear 2 by Wacoal: a 34DD and a 36D. They seem to fit fine. But if I follow her instructions of measuring under my armpits, I get 37, odd number, add one. (38, band size) Then measure loosely at widest part, I get 40, subtract 40-38 equals 2, equals a B cup. So according to her I would wear a 38B. Maybe.

It's kind of shocking to figure out you've been wearing the wrong bra size for years. I thought I was a 38C right now (I used to think I was a 40C at my heaviest, but now, I don't trust that that was true), but it turns out I am a 36 DD or DDD!

Can you go to a local store and try on a 42D and see how it feels? Then if you think it's your real size, you can order online.

BP

thanx you guys for responding! I think I'm getting the picture. And I'll know now what to do when I start losing weight and get under that 40" tape measurement. I think the Macy's advice is the best when it comes to Plus Size bras (40"+) and I think when I get to 38" I'll have to schedule some "bra trying on time" cuz I'm sorta wondering how when I'm a 42" then a 40" band they recommend keeping it at that number but once I hit 39" they recommend adding 2" and the rounding up which would be mean I'd be a 42" again. hmmmmm..... This is so funny.

Anyways, maybe if I buy some nice 42" band ones I'll just stay in those till I get down to 38" measurement and then switch to a 40" band? idk, i'll deal with that when the time comes. Right now, I'm craving a good bra and I'm going straight away after work to Dillard's and trying on some 42D and some others for comparisons! I'll will be flabbergasted if its a perfect fit. I just got a kick-arse new shirt and it has a low vneck so I need a great looking bra in case it peaks out, I don't want my plain-white grandma bra showing! LOL!

"So let me just tell ya'll: my tape measure says under my breasts is 41.5" and my breast measures 48". so see my dilemma?"

To the original poster:

The whole "add 4-5 inches to your ribcage" really only applies to ladies who are under not plus sized. I have found that when you are a size XL in shirts or above, that the best thing to do is to only add 2-3 inches. When you get professionally fitted, they do this same thing.

For instance, my ribcage measurement is 35" around...and I wear a 38 bra band. You add 2", and or round up 3" if your ribcage is an odd number. Because I am rounding up, I usually wear a 38 bra on the tightest hook setting.

This would mean that you wear a size 44 band size if you measured correctly. This would have you right inbetween the 2 bra sizes that you figured up for yourself. (I have been professionally fitted for years, by the way...I have to get fitted often because I am a belly dancer, and have to have the proper information for my costumes.)


As far as the cups go, grab a handful of bras in a size 44 band in the SAME style. Grab them in cups from B-DD, and try them all on. See which one is the perfect fit for you. You should not be spilling out anywhere or they are too small. The top of the cups should not have puckering/gaps or they are too big. If the bra is underwire, the center (between the cups) should be up against your chest. If it is out away from your chest, the cups are too small.


I hope I have helped you! I am fitted 2-3x a year!

This is where I had been going wrong for years. Partly there was a bit of denial going on (I refused to consider that I was anything bigger than a C) and partly I just didn't know how a bra was supposed to sit on your body. I'm 40, so it's not like I'm new to the whole bra thing, but, sheesh... I should have clued in a looooong time ago!

I had never been fitted in my life, before this fall. And now that I see what a difference it has made (the girls are actually where they're supposed to be and no shoulder or back pain!), I plan on getting fitted every time I need new bras. And there's another bad habit I have learned to change - wearing bras that are several years old and all saggy!

I think that the add 'x' inches thing has to be figured out individually (both per person and per bra). My ribcage was 34.5, but the 38 bands were mostly too big, even on the tightest hook. The 36s were mostly fine, but there was the occasional brand that was smaller than the others, so I needed a 38. I must have tried on 50 different bras in one week!

BP

Right now my ribcage/underbust is 35" and I have been wearing a 38. I started wearing a 38 band though when my ribcage hit 36"...I will probably switch to a 36 when my ribcage hits 34".

Yep-the old and saggy bras are a no-no!!!! I buy new bras every 6 months, and I do NOT put them in the dryer! Instead of buying bras all of the time, and getting a huge stash of them (all various ages, etc.) I buy a handful of bras-like 4 or 5-every 6 months. This way I know their age, and they get replaced before the elastic and straps, etc. get all worn out. Once the elastic, etc. in them gets worn out and the band and straps loosen up, they are no longer supporting you!

When I do my bra shopping, I usually buy a couple of everyday bras in white or nude for daily wear, a black one for dark outfits, etc. and then something "pretty" maybe with a matching panty.

I found this: at Chatelaine.com

To find your size, follow the instructions below:
1. Measure under your bust line. If the result is less than 33 inches, add 5 and round to the next even number. If the result is more than 33 inches, add 3 and round to the next even number. This is your first measurement.
2. Measure over your bust at the biggest point, keeping the measuring tape as straight as you can. This is your second measurement.
3. Subtract the first measurement from the second and find your size from the following results:

Less than 1/2 inch = AA cup
1/2 to 1 inch = A cup
2 inches = B cup
3 inches = C cup
4 inches = D cup
5 inches = DD-E cup
6 inches = F cup

Or you can try this other place:
http://bra.and.bras.googlepages.com/...alculator.html

hmm, i'm glad i started this discussion because i always found it so confusing that I just ignored it and bought whatever bra I found the quickest that felt okay and got out the store asap!

Thank you all for your input. I did go last night to Dillard's and try on the 42D, and It seemed to fit my breasts perfectly. To my suprise! It was an underwire which I haven't worn one of those since I was in highschool. It did seem a little snug around my ribcage and I had it in the middle hooks. I ended up buying cuz it was on sale and needed as I was wearing a new low wide cut shirt I bought a few days ago and was going out last night and didn't want my plain white bra.

But now that I know where to start and which Bands & Cup combos to try when I go next I will def try on a 44 in a B, C & D and try other 42D's. in both underwire and non-underwire. I would really like a nice pushup one so I can show off my décolletage when I wear the sparkly new vneck shirt I bought the other day too.

Now that I'm losing weight I'm feeling a whole lot better about buying new clothes and now new bras! I'm going to have to schedule a day to go bra shopping to get some that fit me 'great' now! And then as I continue to lose weight I will def take the advice to go and get new ones every few months. That is a new incentive and motivation to me! I can get new bras the more I lose weight!

Bras are *really* expensive where I live, so as a general longterm thing, I'm planning on buying 8 or 10 bras once a year, when I go to visit my parents in Florida. I know this isn't as good as every six months, but by buying more bras, they won't wear quite as fast as long as I rotate them regularly. I do plan on buying new ones if/when my size changes in between these annual purchases - my goal is to lose at least 25 more pounds and preferably 35 more, so that will definitely result in major changes to the girls. I'll have to see how my bras hold up when bought yearly though - now that I have seen the light when it comes to bras fitting, I doubt that I'll tolerate saggy ones!

I have always hand washed my bras and I never use a dryer for anything, so at least I don't have to relearn things on that matter!

Does anyone know why they don't use the ribcage measurement as the actual band size? It would make bra sizing sooo much easier!

BP

I don't know, but I suspect they were trying to bring it closer to the bust measurement, so that they could start out with A cups as a 1" difference.