I have to say that I can't come to terms that I am a 38D. I really can't. I wore 44B for years (YEARS!) and always had trouble fitting into C cups. I recently ordered some bras online and I remember the particular brand being a bit big on me before (C cup, way too big). So I ordered 38C thinking it'd fit fine.

Nope.

I also ordered a 38D in another brand and it fit perfectly. I really should've ordered all the bras in 38D but I didn't trust the brand and I didn't trust my body.

I don't know if I can come to terms with myself truly being a D cup.

Sure you can! D is the new B

I think we've all been taught to use a calculator that puts us in the wrong size anyway, so we have a skewed idea of what's average.

I still don't know if my chest is bigger now than when I was previously at this weight, or if I was just wearing totally the wrong bras. I know my bands were always too big, which translates into smaller cups than I should have been in, so who knows!

Yeah... bra sizing is completely weird! I was a 42DDD at my highest weight, and at my lowest adult weight (about 7 years ago) I was a 36C. So the other day, I finally went to Victoria's Secret and got sized. The chick wanted to put me into a 40C and that just seemed a little weird to me. I tried them on and ended up in 38D... apparently they're "sister sizes" or something like that. Dunno. But I don't think you should always go by what they or websites recommend... you kinda just gotta try 'em on. Then, once you know a brand, feel free to order them from their website. Or, you can just chance it. For me though... there's three things I never buy online: shoes, pants, and bras! With those you just never know...

So this is coming from working in retail and fitting a lot of ladies over a few months, but here's some bra advice...

For most bras, if you go up a cup size the band also tends to be a little looser, so up a cup size down a band size is sometimes called a sister bra. It works the same for going down a cup size and up a band size. There's a small difference, but sometimes it's the change to make a really close fitting bra fit like it should.

You can measure your own bra size at home if you're not comfortable having someone fit you in a store, it just requires the help of a friend or family member at times. Oh, and this applies to plus size women. I know for petite and average, bra sizing is slightly different. Here's some tips:

- Wear a bra before you fit yourself. If you're not wearing a bra, you won't get accurate results.
- With a tape measure, measure just below your bra line. Have your arms down while measuring. If it's an odd number, round up to the next even number. This is your band size.
- Lift up the straps of your bra to your ideal support level. Have someone measure your bust.
- Looking at the inches of your band size, skip up 1 inches, and then for each inch until you reach your bust size assign a letter. This is your cup size. For example, a 36 band 42 bust would be: 37-38=A, 38-39 = B, 39-40= C, 41-42 = D. 36D.

This isn't 100% accurate, but it's a good starting point if you need new bras and aren't sure which size to start trying on. Each bra also fits differently. I know I have to wear a D cup with some styles and a DD with others.


Another tip is focus less on the actual size. Don't try to squeeze into a smaller bra or you spill out or bulge on the sides. Put on a bra too big and you loose all the support. Focus on finding something that's supportive and comfortable. You wear them every day! Our bodies are always changing, so our bra size will change with that too. Since average bras only last 6 months, make sure you're getting the right size before you buy a new one.

Oh I'm so jealous. You wanna be a C? I'll give you my address and you can send a cup my way.

I used to be a DOUBLE D at 248. Oh I loved it! Now at 176 I'm a medium C... it's so depressing.

The actual boobage size in a 38D is smaller than a 44B. The cup size increases WITH band size.