What bra size are you?
No, really! What bra size are you? I really want to hear your stories about how you came to know your bra size! Where were you measured? Where is good to go to be measured? Where are the bad places to go?
Back Band Too Big
A friend of mine told me she was wearing a 38D bra. I knew that wasn’t right so I measured her … she was a 32G! Can you believe that? The difference in her shape and posture was unbelievable, you can imagine the confidence boost it gave her too.
What I would like to see is Bra Measuring being taught in schools. I really think that if they starting teaching young girls how to measure themselves as they are growing, it would make such a difference. I’m sure you would agree. It can be quite a complicated thing to learn, but once you know how bra sizing works, you’ll know for life.
So what do you think? I want to hear your stories!
Have a look at these examples from our Bra Fitting section at Brastop.com, they’re really interesting!
It took many, many years, and a complete break from Victoria’s Secret to realize my true bra size, and even that is a guideline more than a hard and fast size. I was flat-chested through puberty, but then all of a sudden my senior year of high school, my boobs came in, and I was at a complete loss as to what to buy. I am convinced my mother wears the wrong size, and we could never talk about anything anyway, so I was on my own to figure it out.
I wore a 34D at Victoria’s Secret for years, then moved up to a 34DD. Then I thought I was a 36D, and then I thought I was a 36DD. (I put on some weight in those years, so it’s possible I did get bigger.)
Then I went to a local lingerie store, and the woman looked at me, and said, “You have a small frame. I think you’re a 32.” So after trying on many bras there, including Chantelle and Simone Perele, I realized my band size was wrong the whole time. As your friend experienced, it was suddenly a world of difference.
Growing up, I didn’t even realize a size 32 band existed. I thought it was only 34-36-38, and that your only available cup sizes were A-B-C-D. I have much bigger breasts than any of my friends, but I’m not that much bigger than them in terms of my overall size. So wearing a 4-6 in US dress (probably a 10 in the UK?), but having huge boobs made it impossible to find bras, and worse, relate to any of my friends, who are all standard size.
ANYWAY, to make this long story come to an end, I have finally settled on two bra sizes that work for me — a 32F in Simone Perele (I think it’s because the line is French and under-sizes compared to most other brands), and a 32E for most everything else.
The other thing I want to mention is that I find the standard bra measuring guides you find at places like Victoria’s Secret to be horribly offensive to women who have big boobs. I don’t understand how you can take a measurement around your nipples — if you don’t have implants, the shape of your breast understates the actual volume. I mean, when I try using Victoria’s Secret method, it says I should be a 34B. I mean, it’s ridiculous.
As I’ve since realized, you really just have to try on a bunch of sizes and pick what fits best. This takes so much time, and it becomes demoralizing, but it’s the only way to do it. I still am not 100% sure about my bra size, because I could be different within a brand’s different styles, let alone all the different brands. I think you can find a starting point, and then work with different cup and band sizes from there.
I am sorry for the long comment! I just discovered your blog the other day, and I’m all excited.
I went for years just like the lady above, wearing a 36DD because i thought only people with implants had larger than a DD and i was just “fuller on top” (that’s a quote from a bra fitter as to why my breasts were coming out the top of the bra). I then went to a local store that had just opened selling up to a UK K cup, so i thought, maybe i’ll just have a look, right then and there they put me into a 34G and now (since i was 17 at the time i’m still growing) i am wearing a 32K and am looking forward to curvy kates K cup ranges that are coming out soon. I agree that ladies need to be educated on this. Would a woman where a shoe size too small because only people with fake feet have feet above a size 9? No, so why do we do it with our bras.
Wow, thanks for your comment, R – it’s extremely interesting and useful too. Welcome to the BrastopBlog, we’re very glad you found us!
Traalene – thanks for your comment, too! That is a great analogy about the feet and so true!!
For the last few years when I would be measured I would be told that I am a 38DD. Or a 36DDD/F when in reality those were just the largest sizes that the store carried. I measure under my bust 30 inches and 42 inches around my bust at the nipple. I have found that adding four inches to that (like I am “supposed” to according to bra fit guides) still puts the band size not firm enough for me. So I think a 30 or a 32 band size would work. I’m not quite sure how measuring works anymore. It seems to have changed over the last few years. I have been wearing a freya moulded cup 34G and the band size loose on me(its brand new and im wearing it on the tightest hook.) but the cup is basically perfect.
I’m so tired of feeling like I waste my money on bras that I end up buying because of misinformation and pressure to buy at the stores. And also the lack of actual inventory at the stores. I’m also tired of people laughing and suggesting that I am only a DD at the largest. Because DD does not fit. At all. Period.
Ive ordered a 30HH and a 30H to try in Freyas Arabella style because there are literally no stores near me that have the sizes to try on. There is one that carries big sizes but they are incredibly rude and repeatedly try to force 36F(too small in the cup and too large in the band) or 34G(still too small in the cup but a LITTLE better in the band) on me. Which neither fit. They also assume that US sizes and UK sizes are the same. Hence why I ended up in a freya 34G. Which sadly is the best fitting bra that I own right now and it doesn’t even fit right.
Maybe my boobs are just weird to fit.
Hi Kelly, thanks so much for your comment!
I can assure that your boobs are not weird to fit, every pair has a size or a rough size.
Are you measuring yourself with or without a bra on? It does make a difference, you have to measure them with a bra on. So to give you a rough guide, I’m a 30HH and I measure under the bust at 30″ aswell and I measure at 38″ around the bust so if you measure at a 42″ you might want to try a bigger size… this is purely a guess but you may be a 30K, again, that is just a guess. (UK size.) You can be sure once you’ve tried them on, which is very frustrating but once you know, it’s a great feeling.
As you have bought the Freya bras already in a 30H and HH, certainly give them a try and let us know how you get on with that size, although I think you might find it too small on the cup. Freya are a good brand to go for first while trying to find the correct size as they are usually very true to size. Hope this helps a bit!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Carrie
How exactly do YOU measure your size? Because I thought that each inch difference from the underbody measurement was a cup size. Am I wrong? I do measure with a bra on. My boobs stick out far but are not very wide/full which I think is why a K cup might be too big. So I’m confused. I haven’t gotten my 30H and HH bras in the mail yet but I’m waiting for them.
Bra shops near me are so rude so I just don’t go to them.
I measure with a bra on. How exactly do you measure for your size? I thought each inch was a cup size. And that 12 inches over would be a HH cup.
I am currently in a 34G(in freya’s deco moulded cup bra) which fits nicely in the cup but the band is too big and rides up.
Im also afraid of bras that create the pointy boobs look. Many sizes larger than G are horribly pointy.
So I’m confused.
How exactly do you do your measuring?
I still have yet to receive my freya 30HH I the mail to try on.
The bra shops near me don’t stock hardly anything good in 30HH so they try to tell me im a 36DDD/F or a 34G. I’ve been stuck with that for the past year until I found that freyahas larger than G cups and smaller bands than 34.
Hi Kelly,
the best way to measure yourself for a bra is to be properly fitted. The method of using a measuring tape and performing all osrts of strange calculations is very much outdated. There’s no replacement for going to a good lingerie store and asking for help – they will try you out with a few bras that are around your size, until you get something that fits according to the various guidelines (low band on the back, straps not too tight on the shoulders, no boob spillage out of the cups, centre of the bra meeting your breastplate etc.).
If possibly, try to go and get properly fitted – it’ll make a world of difference for you.
Regards,
Chloe
Hi,
Ive just found this web and its really helpful for me. I’m not from UK, but from little country in the middle of Europe, anyway I think that most of the women here don’t wear the right size of the bra. This is caused probably by the market which offers A-D and 34-40″ which is just ridiculous! I would never consider myself as a girl “fuller on top”, but when I tried to find my size and asked in the shop for smaller back and bigger cups, they first asked me if its for my mum, cause its so huge and then just said that its not possible to buy such a size. I was lucky to find some good advices at Internet and to see the movie at brastop.com. Now I finally ordered my right size (I hope) from brastop.com and I just cant wait to try my new bra! Btw I was wearing 34D, which is not very comfortable, I follow some advices and I ordered my 30F which should fit me well. So whish me luck and I will let U know how is it and I will spread your web all over here.
My first ever bra was a 12A (I was living in Australia at the time) and I was spilling over the top. As I started buying my bras, rather than my mother, I tried different cup sizes and back sizes, and when I had more confidence I went to get fitted. I was told I was a 36D. So for about 4 years I wore 36D bras. I was a UK size 10-12, and always had problems with the back riding up, and spilling over the top, but didn’t think anything of it until I read an article about women wearing badly fitted bras. So I tried a few more, and ended up being comfortable in a 34E when I was 19. since then my weight yoyo’d a bit (from 10-12 down to an 8, up to an 18-20, and now I’m down to a 14) and I’m currently wearing 34GG. A friend of mine, who I met about a year ago, was wearing a 38B, and it took me almost 6 months to convince her to be fitted. She found out she was a 32E, bought three new bras that day, and walked out of the store wearing one, stood straight, confident and shoulders back for the first time since I’d met her. A properly fitted bra makes you feel so different.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your comment. I’m so glad we could help and yes, please do let us know how you get on with that size. We love to hear back from our customers!
Carrie
Hi Melpomene,
That is a great story about you and your friend. Thanks for sharing it with us. The right size bra does make such a difference, doesn’t it! Often the bras we need are so expensive too but not at brastop.com!!
Carrie
People find it hard to believe when I tell them I don’t go to shops to get measured. If you have the right information on knowing how a bra should fit, you shouldn’t need anyone else to do it for you. I tend to find, if a bra feels good and comfortable, well, it fits. I always took the advice of my mother about backstraps and cups and anytime I felt I was bulging I tried a bigger cup size. I developed into a 36D at the age of 14 and since then my cup sizes have crept up (although I did lose a lot of weight in my 20′s and went down a back size).
Since childbirth 16months ago, I have blossomed into a 34K. I have always voiced my opinion to friends and colleagues about wearing a proper fitting bra, but I realise the importance of it more so now since becoming a mum. I have lost that wee bit of bounce in my breasts….but a great bra can still do wonders for a killer cleavage.
We need a new way of thinking without the measure tape.
Most bra stores now go on the problems they see with the current bra you are wearing.
The common problem is cup too small & back too big.
I found even when I was a slimmer 10-12 I was incorrectly fitted for a 36C. I was probably more 32D/E
I continued wearing a 36 band being a size 14-16 but changed cup sizes. Recently I have tried everything from F/FF/G/GG.
All because the back was far too big and moved around, straps left marks- so not supporting properly! Was unsure about a 34 as I always thought they would be too tight.
Now I am wearing a 34H which seems to fit and support properly. Now all I have to do is find reasonably priced pretty bras!
I find that the wires are coming too far round under my armpits even though the cup and back fits nicely, any ideas of where i’m going wrong.
hi iam maria i live in europe my mesurements are 28,5 back and 39,5 bust what size am i?
Hi Maria,
it’s very difficult to tell. With a basic bra size calculator, you would come out at about 34E, but you’re probably more like a 30G or 30H.
However, we would recommend going to a nearby bra store and getting a proper fitting to make sure that whatever bras you purchase are appropriate for your body shape.
Best,
Chloe.
hi Chloe, thank you for your answer. here in Greece we dont have stores who knows about the sizes,the backs begging from 32 cups from A,until F ,until now i was wearing 34F or 36F because i didnt have anything else to buy,and as you understand it was wrong ,my back is 28inc .i like very much curvy kate bras i bought 28HH and the central gore doesnt sit flat between my breasts ,i try 28J and its almost the same.Now iam waiting to try 30J because the thrill me and tease me dont have 28JJ in this styles.iam waiting to try the princess and angel in 30H and 30HH ,i dont receive them yet.Anyway for me doesnt count to add 4 or 5 because i loose for my back .
hi i receive the 30h and 30hh in princess the 30HH was ok the 30J the tease me the ribbon sits up it doesnt sit up to my bust why?
My bra-fitting story has been going on for more years than I’d like to admit! All the ladies in my family are busty, and know the importance of fit. I wore well fitting bras until I just started to grow out of possible cup sizes in the US when I was about 15 and thought I was a 36DD. Fifteen years later, I am 20 pounds heavier and wearing a 30J/32HH! I was always insecure, generally due to my lack of support, and wore clothing that was just as ill-fitting to hide my assets. I started questioning my size well before Oprah told US women they were wearing the wrong bra size, but it inspired me to go to the well-above-my-price-range Nordstrom. I ended up in a Wacoal 34G (which is smaller in the cup than a UK G), as there was not a larger cup in the 32. The fitter was a little horrified I came in wearing a 36 band! I believe this is before Nordstrom began to carry Freya, Fantasie, and Panache. The 34 still rode up my back, the center was nowhere near my sternum, and Oprah was still preaching about bras (according to my mom). I gave up on department stores, and took to the internet. I saved up and started the trial and error of sizing and buying online about six years ago now. The fat under my arms has started to migrate to where it should be, and I feel more confident wearing fitted clothing. People started asking if I’d lost immense amounts of weight – I had gained, I was just wearing bras and clothes that actually fit. Nordstrom now carries more brands, and their fitting staff at my local stores have improved. Lately ebay, bratabase, and online stores and blogs (like brastop!) have helped me even further. I recently ordered my first Curvy Kate and Ewa Michalak bras, and I can’t wait till they get here! I might even enter the US Star in a bra….
I’m 18 and I’ve always had big boobs. Last summer I went to get measured because I was wearing a 36F and I knew it was the wrong size, the straps cut painfully into my shoulders and left indentations and my boobs spilled over the cups of the bra. The first place I went measured me at 38E! I was shocked that I’d gone up a back size and down a cup and felt my boobs looked awful in the bras they suggested which were unflattering and old-fashioned.
I went to another shop, one that specialised in larger bras and they measured me as a 34HH! A big difference to 38E! I felt so much better, my boobs looked lifted and my waist looked smaller, I finally felt comfortable! Then this year I lost weight and am now a 32HH. It’s so awful going bra shopping because no high street shops have my size and so I have to buy online and end up paying so much for nice bras! That was until I found Brastop of course..it has literally been a lifesaver! I’m particularly in love with the Curvy Kate range, they’re so comfortable and gorgeous-a great confidence booster!
Hello everyone I’ve appreciated reading everyone’s comments! I thought I was alone in the struggle of the “Victoria Secret Standard” I always ended up buying a band size that was way to big and a cup size that I ran over. I have a bit of a problem because one of my breast is nearly a cup size bigger I always felt deformed and out of place until I found places like BRASTOP. I go between a 30F and a 32E and often the band on the 32E ends up riding up a bit.
See I was very athletic when I was young (swimming and track and cross country) and had a very slim muscular figure. So when I was 17 and went from a small 32C to a large 36DD nearly over night I had know idea what to do with my new found body and my mom bless her heart was no help.I hated the ugly stretch marks and became so insecure because my friends would ask about them asking me if they hurt. Luckily I talked to my doctor and she gave my a special cream that near took the marks away. doing this brought back some of my confidence and this past year I put a bikini on for the first time in over 5 years and felt no shame because it fit and no one was looking at my stretch marks or uneven breast just my “bagging body” said my boyfriend.
It is nice to find my size but I still wish I could find a place near me that sold my size so I would know that the bra fit me for sure.
I appreciate how BRASTOP is getting rid of the stigma that you have to be a stick with a perfect body but I have to say I love my curves 39/27/38.
P.S.
Since I found the correct bra size so many people have asked me if I’ve lost weight. I notice I stand up straighter and my back soreness is nearly gone.
Hi,
Like so many other women, I went for years and years wearing a ‘standard’ 34C cup bra and wondering why it was so uncomfortable all the time, and why I kept falling out of it! Likewise, for a girl with a clothing obsession, it was a tough deal realising that I could never find anything pretty to wear underneath my clothes that actually fitted properly. Fast-forward to five years ago and a revolutionary encounter with a bra sizing guide in clothing catalogue which gave me the shock of my life when I did the maths and realised I was at that time nearer a 34E. A little later I wandered into Bravissimo and got fitted as a 30FF, having lost a few pounds in the interim. I haven’t looked back in terms of lots of gorgeous things to choose from, and went on an insane spree the first time it dawned on me that, yes, things fitted, and looked great. I looked taller and slimmer too. Now I have discovered Brastop, my happiness is complete and my lingerie drawer is, er, full! Thanks, Brastop!
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