So confused on bra size
 

I noticed recently that my bra doesn't fit very well so I took my measurements and I went from a 36" underbust size to 33.5" and around my bust I went from 46" to 44". Now I'm trying to figure out my bra size. What I thought it was is that I have a 34 band size and then I have a 10" difference, which would give me a cupsize of J, right?

Well, if I look online and put in those measurements I've gotten anything from a 36J to a 40D :dizzy:. Seriously, isn't there any standard way of calculating this??????

I'd really like to know because it looks like I need to order my bras online now (I used to be able to get away with buying them from Lane Bryant or any plus size store and just going up to a 38 band size but now the band size is just getting way too big) and I live outside of the US so shipping is really expensive (locally I just can't find anything).

I've had to start ordering mine online and haven't gone wrong with Nordstrom! I took my measurements around the band (like you're supposed to!) and around the bust, and bam! Their size charts fit me and I didn't even try them on! When I went to Maidenform and got fitted they measured my BAND up and around my bust? :duh: What? That added a whopping six inches to my band and the band is the most important dag-gone part! I am a 32 and they wanted to put me in a 38? I fought them and purchased a 36 but of course it didn't fit.

Bras are one of my rants. ;) But I like Nordstroms quite a lot and they carry a wide range of sizes at least online.

Bras are also one of my rants too. It's sooo hard to find a good bra. :mad:

So when you bought your bras from them did you add the 2" to your band size or not? Because their size chart says that if you have a 34" under bust then you should get a band size of 36? So I would then be a 36J?

Also, it has UK sizes on there... what's the conversion for that?

I'm so confused!:?:

I wouldn't add any inches to the band size. It should fit snuggly on the loosest setting - if you add the inches, you'll have to use it on the tightest setting. UK size vs US sizes usually have to do with whether there are sizes like DD, DDD, FF, GG, HH, etc. It's one inch per size either way, so you just have to look at the way the particular bra you're interested in is sized. Based on your measurements, you're probably a J cup, but only if there are no double or triple sizes in the line. So if the line goes A,B,C,D,DD (E),DDD(F), F(G), FF(H), G(I), GG(J) - you'd be a GG (the sizes I put in parentheses are the straight sizes with no monkey business with double sizes). But some lines will have DD, but no DDD or DD and DDD, but no FF or GG, etc. So you need to see what sizes it's made in and count up 10 sizes from an A cup.

And bras are a huge rant for me, too!

Thanks, see now that's what I thought but the stupid size chart there said I was supposed to add 2 inches! :dizzy: I know for me a tight band that fits is by far the most important thing because I have such a large cup size. I can't imagine how much back pain someone would had if they actually added those 5+ inches to the band size every time that some websites suggest. Like the one who said I was supposed to be a 40D that would just kill me! :dizzy:

Why is there all this nonsense about adding inches to the band size in the first place? Do they want to make bras more confusing on purpose????

ETA: It looks like Nordstrom only goes up to 34H in a lot of sizes that I like, grrrr!!!!

Oh, and another question... we're moving to a place with a pool and I'd really like to pick up another swimming suit. Any good places that sell by cupsize?

I agree, don't add inches. :no: I didn't even catch that on their size chart.

I have read if your actual size is an odd number, you round up. If it's an even number, it is what it is.

No problem. So I found this website for swimming suits: http://www.biggerbras.com/m-swimwear.shtml and it looks like I could order by cup size and there I'd be a 34GG from what I understand. That being said I now have no clue what size bottoms I would wear! Why does this have to be so complicated? :dizzy:

And how in the world did people find clothes that fit before the internet??

Haha! :rofl: Seriously!

I was thinking I'm going to have to go try on suits and will likely get a top that is two sizes bigger than bottoms. :dizzy:

Yep, I tried that! I actually was in motherhood maternity not too long ago because I thought they would have larger cup sizes. Well, the DID have a size that fit more or less but it was about 3 sizes bigger than the bottoms that fit and they wouldn't let me just buy the top with the smaller bottoms. :mad: I think I'm going to have to pay quite a bit for a suit that fits and then it probably won't even fit that long for that matter!

Then what's the point of selling them separately? :?:

I'm going to need a new suit this summer, too, and I'm not looking forward to it. Even when I was tiny in college, I was never confident enough to wear a two piece, but one pieces never fit right - either the top is too small or the bottoms are too big, or there's zero support in the bust (which I've never figured out - if you make a suit big enough to fit my G cups, put a freaking bra in it! One that actually holds breasts up! I know no woman with boobs as big as me that wants to be all floppy in her swim suit!!!). I think I'm going to look for a tanikini style that fully covers the stomach, but I can buy different sized tops and bottoms.

I totally, totally, totally agree. I HATE it that bathing suits are just about the east supportive thing ever. Why in the world do they think bathings suits are an excuse for zero support?

But, yeah, I'm looking for a tankini also because I'm afraid of the mismatch. Plus nobody needs to see my belly at this point of time anyways. ;)


Seriously, I have no clue! :?:

That adding the inches thing is a throwback to olden days before modern elastics. It is perversely lingering on like some myth we cannot get rid of!


Under bust = 33.5 = 34 band size.
Fullest part of bust = 44. 44-34 = 10.
10 inch diff is is a US K.

So your ball park is a 34 K. Fine tune in person though -- try a bunch on and go one up or down. You know how the bra styles can influence things -- a strapless vs a plunge vs a balconette and so on. But you were figuring more or less in the right ball park. You are going to maybe want to try 34 J,K, L. Def on the 34, but fine tuney on the cups.

Breast should fill cups out nicely and smoothly. Not breast spillage over the top or the sides of the too small cup. No loose puckery fabric around the breast in a too large cup. Bend over so the girls point down and put the bra on and hook and stand back up. Or put it on standing up and reach in both sides to get the girls up and centered inside their cups.

There's no reason you can't wear a bra with a bathing suit too. I wouldn't do your best bra, because of the chlorine or salt water or whatever. But yeah -- bathing suits are way unsupportive!

GL!
A.

I have found that bra size doesn't really mean much. After wearing ill fitting ones over the past few years I went and was "fitted" at a specialty store. Underbust measurement was 32". I ended up with a 30 FF in one style and a 30 F in another. I really wish retailers would start carrying sizes that actually fit most women correctly.

Wow, after 3years of constant frustration and really ill fitting bras I went back to the tape measure after reading this thread. I even tried a store fitting once and the woman working there had no clue about issues associated with weight loss. Even though it made me cringe I actually ordered a couple of 32aaa bras (who knew they even came in that size!). To my absolute amazement they fit. I finally have bras that cover and support with no spilling over the top! Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread for encouraging me to go back one more time. 3FC is the best.

BTW - I've discovered Lunaire bras and absolutely love them. They fit perfectly and they are very pretty.

I have had to purchase from a specialty store for about 3 years now. The most recent time I went in they had to do an alteration because they don't carry my size
I am now a 32I and they don't carry band sizes that small with cupsizes that large. I tried order online a couple times at a couple different places (the specialty shop has NOTHING pretty its all "granny" style you can practicly see it out the top of a tshirt)
I have noticed every places sizes are different just like trying to find pants one brand fits one way and another brand fits another way. I will try nordstroms thanks so much for that. As for bathing suits I have not been able to find one since I was about 20 (I am 26) with the exception of my pregnancy. When I find something that fits in the bust it is huge in the tummy or the breast peices are way to far apart because they expect me to be wider then I am.
Bra and bathing suit shopping has been my heart breaking dread for years now I am hopeing that as I lose weight I will lose boob too lol, but i am a murphy by blood so not likely lol
I will check out the site for bathing suits you found and thanks for the info though I was not much help to you, your thread was lots of help to me thanks so much!!

I'm so glad this post could help others too! :D

I actually have some good news! My chest size has gone down some since I posted this. I'm currently hanging out between 42" to 41" (depending on the time of day) so that would be either a 34H-34G. Unfortunately, my one remaining bra that I was trying to tweak out as much time as possible with, broke. :( I still have 2 bras that sort of fit but don't give much support. I'm seeing if I can hold out a bit longer with them, though, because then maybe I'll actually be able to shop locally instead of ordering online. My fear is that I'll order online and then 1.) I'll have to pay huge taxes here and 2.) I'll shrink out of it soon.

So many sites are so bogus in fitting bras. I find this guide the best: http://www.brasthatfit.net/howtofityourba.html

I went for years wearing bands way too big - even when going to specialty shops, they would talk me into 2" wider and guess what, a day later, the band is up around my shoulder blades!

I've been wearing a 40 G for years and years. I just did a measurement (as the bands are sliding up the back and the cups aren't filling out as much (can't tell if it's because the band is too wide or the cup is too big) and with using measurements, it just seems I need to go down a band size, but not a cup size. Rib cage is 37 (tight) and over bra/breasts it's 46. That puts me at a FF or G. G if I use the TIGHT 37, but FF if it's a more loose 37.25.

I think I might just wait until my rib cage is 36. Buying at a 37 and buying a 38 strap seems silly as expensive as bras are!

I'm bumping this old thread because I'm finally getting around to ordering bras now. Ugh!

Anyways, I just remeasured myself and I'm now 33 inches underbust and 40 bust. So in theory that would make me a 34F. However, I'm thinking of ordering a 32F (or possibly G?) and buying an extender to go with because I'm afraid that I'm going to shrink out of the band size quickly with more weight loss. Does this sound like a crazy idea? Would you buy an F or G? Basically, the biggest problem is that we need to get bras shipped here and looking at shipping times it could take 2-4 weeks, which can definitely mean some inches would be lost in that time! Oh, and thanks to wonderful shipping costs sending them back isn't going to be an option...

Can I just say that I HATE that this country doesn't have bras by both cup and band size? :mad: Basically, they assume that everyone is a B cup and just increase the band. I went to some stores last week and the bras were literally falling off of me because the band sizes were too big (or the cups sizes were ridiculously small! I can't even express to you how annoying this is (and expensive since I'm going to have to get everything shipped from abroad). :tantrum:

ETA: I'm going to order from figleaves.com. They seem to have the best international shipping rates and the bra prices are great too!

A couple of weeks ago, I was measuring about 33 under bust and I went shopping and left with a 32. It just fit better than the 34s I tried. So, you might not even need an extender - and now I'm measuring 32, so I'm glad I went with a smaller band size. If you're getting the smaller band size, you probably need to go up a cup size. I was wearing a 36G that was getting too big (and had room in the cups) and the new bra is a 32 H, without room. So, it's hard to say. Also, make sure whatever bra you're buying doesn't have any double sizes thrown in to mess with your calculations. If they have DD, DDD, etc and then go to Es and F's and G's, you might need a smaller cup size.

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that I'm not crazy for thinking this. ;) Since I have a 6" difference for the 34, then if I get the 32 it would be a 7-8" difference so I'll just check their website to make sure what that is (I'm pretty sure they do double up sometimes so that might leave me with an E or F, I'll check to make sure). My breasts are pretty full too so that was another reason why I was thinking of going down a band size and up a cup size...

First off, definitely check out figleaves.com! The bras are affordable and they even have a 28K so I'm pretty sure they have your size. ;) Also, I was about your size starting off and have recently lost a lot of inches so it does happen! :D

That's a good point...so I'm trying to figure this out. If I go down to a 32" and since my bust is actually 40" then I need an 8" difference, right? That would translate to an FF or H? OR is it just a 7" difference (if you go down a band size do you just go up one cup size? :?:) so that would mean I'm either a F or G (depending if they double the sizes or not).

You can't count on where the weight will come off, RFF.

I'm in a 34DD now. Last time I was this size/weight overall, I wore a 32F.

If you have a credit card with room to play, you might consider ordering a whole bunch of sizes--32s and 34s, any cup that you think might possibly be correct--in the same bra, and returning what doesn't work. Then moving forward, you'll have a baseline "this is my size" to judge from.

Unfortunately, that's not possible. I live abroad so the shipping is already going to be $20 and I might have to pay custom fees on top of that (especially if I were to buy more). It makes this whole thing that much more annoying because locally they just don't sell bras remotely in my size (they actually just have the band size vary and assume everyone wears a B!). :mad:

Where are you living? Someone might know of a stockist in your country.

I live in Brazil. I've looked around at websites locally and it seems nearly impossible to find bras in larger cup sizes. I even tried a maternity store in hopes that they would have larger cup sizes. Well, they went up to a DD (and it was a rare store that actually distinguished between band/cup sizes) but the band size was massive and my breasts literally fell right out of it! :o Plus, the quality was horrible (this was a NICE store too...). I can pay about half the price and find a bra in my size (whatever that may be :dizzy: ) by ordering online...

Sigh, for things like this I really miss the US at times....

A friend of mine in Australia gets all her bras internationally too. Do remember that the big-name online bra shops are usually far more expensive, and places like this sell the same stock but far cheaper. I've given up on standard underwired bras since they became too uncomfortable now that I have to spend a lot of time lying in bed, but when I did wear them, I loved Panache bras. The shape is excellent, they do gorgeous bras in larger cup sizes (often up to a K), and the sizing is very consistent (though with occasional blips, which a good retailer should be able to tell you about if you ask). The Panache Tango, which comes in both balconette and plunge styles, is an absolute classic. I've lost track of how many colours I have it in by now. Anyway, these days I wear maternity sleep bras such as the Bravado Body Silk or the Fertile Mind Superbra, which are amazingly stretchy and will thus see you through quite a variety of sizes. Not quite the same sort of bra, but for me it's a fantastic option. Assuming that's not what you want, I'd try a brand like Panache, something with a good reputation for consistent sizing, so that once you figure out your size in it, you can just stock up from online shopping. Actually, I've seen those bras even cheaper on eBay, there are lots of good quality lingerie shops there.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with bra issues. The other forum I'm on has girls that are almost underweight wearing 36 bands. And here I am about to buy 32 bands because these last 5lbs have come off of my ribcage. I go in for implants on the 20th, and I know after that I'll probably need a 32DDD. No clue where to find that :/

If you do a search for something like "small band large cup bras" you'll find online retailers that will have your size. It sucks not to be able to try them on, though. I wish Target would carry decent large cup bras. Maybe you could head to your local strip club and ask the dancers where they shop :lol:.

That link is wonderful!!! I have the hardest time buying bras because no store carries my size in a decent looking and fitting bra. My band measurement the last time I measured was a horrible 52 but my bust was only about 55 or 56 so my cup size does not match how big my actual chest is. Going to a lot of stores for plus size women they just automatically assume that the bigger you are the bigger the bust but it is not always true. That website is great! I am going to treat myself to a new bra and sports bra when I hit my first mini goal.

Kelli: Barenecessities.com or bravisso.com, among others.

That last link doesn't seem to work. If you mean Bravissimo, they're far pricier than they need to be. There are loads of good quality online shops around selling the same bras for half the price.

Yes, bravissimo.com, sorry for the mistype.

In the US they seem to sell at list price. Where are you finding these same bras at half-price, other than ebay?