vaginapagina | bra size

nosecretlies.livejournal.com posting in

this may sound like a stupid question, but im rather confused.
the numbers in a bra size is the band and the letter is the cup. so logically thinking, it would seem that the first hook on say a 32b would be the same as the last hook on a 34b. am i missing something here?

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From:

cathubodva.livejournal.com

If you can wear a 34B, your sister size would be either 32C or 36A.

Your cup size isn't actually a volume size of the size of your breast. It's a ratio between the measurement of your rib cage (your band size) and the measurement of your bust size. So when you go to a larger band size, you're creating a smaller difference between that and your bust size, so your cup size becomes smaller.

Does that make sense? I sell lingerie and am trying to explain it as best as I can. :)

From:

nosecretlies.livejournal.com

mentioning the 36A, yes its a little more clear. thanks.

From:

poonchkie.livejournal.com

I'm SO confused by this bra size thing. Everytime I get fitted, the ladies say I need a C cup. However, I wear a DDD. Every single time I go to the store, I go through this thing where the ladies don't believe me. Sure enough, they bring me C, D, and even DD cups. And none of them can hold my breasts!!! I spill out the front and sides, and that is IF I'm even lucky enough to manage squeezing my breasts in the cup. So if the cup size isn't the volume size of my breasts, then why do I have this trouble of no one believing I'm a DDD?

Exactly, what does it mean that I'm a DDD cup size?

From:

cathubodva.livejournal.com

I find bra measurements to be kind of ridiculous. I've been measured four times by four different girls who work with me, and all four came up with different sizes.

The best way to fit for a bra is to use the measurements only as a guideline. It'll give you a pretty good idea of the band size that you need, but the cup size is very hard to measure for - the measurement that you'll get can vary depending on the shape of your breasts, like how perky they are. My breasts, for instance, are really low on my chest (ok, ok, they're saggy), so my cup size measures "technically" as smaller than it actually is. It'll also vary depending on the bra you're wearing at the time you're being measured.

Then, after you've got a good idea of the band size, try different cup sizes on.

A good fitting bra:

1. Doesn't ride up in the back. If the band of your bra rides up in the back, you need a smaller band size.
2. Rests flat on your chest between your breasts. Obviously, this usually only applies to underwire bras. If it doesn't lie flat, you need a bigger cup size
3. Is smooth on your breasts, not cutting into your breast tissue. Again, if this is happening, you need a bigger cup size.
4. Alternatively, doesn't leave a lot of space for your breasts to "float around." If it's not lying flat on your breast tissue, but leaving gaps, then you need a smaller cup size.
5. Will stay in place when you move around - lifting up your arms, etc - but not be constricting.

A perfectly fitting bra will feel like it's giving you support, but won't be uncomfortable. It shouldn't be poking or pinching you in anyway.

The most important thing is to try on lots of different styles. Breasts come in all different shapes, and so do bras. Some bras will work for some women but not for others.

From:

poonchkie.livejournal.com

OMG, thank you sooo much! I see those posters in the fitting room when I try on bras, but they haven't been HALF as helpful as you have been. Thanks!!!

Oh, and I think my breasts are similar to yours. Mine are low on my chest, so maybe that's why I "technically" get categorized as a cup size smaller. I just thought that since they sit low, that would be the reason why I don't appear as big as I "actually" am.

From:

intothenite.livejournal.com

You really should post this everywhere! By far the most clear understanding on bra fitting I have read to date.

From:

cathubodva.livejournal.com

And for what the DDD means - that means that there is 6 inches of difference between the diameter of your rib cage and the diameter of the fullest part of your breast.

From:

fshk.livejournal.com

I am the same size. A few months ago, I went to this little lingerie store that came highly recommended as a place that does custom fittings, and, true to form, you are not allowed to try on a bra without a store employee helping you out. The store itself is kind of matronly and the only bras available in the bigger cup sizes looked like things my grandmother might wear BUT getting measured and figuring out my size with a woman who actually knew what she was doing (as opposed to the random employees at Victoria's Secret or whatever) was a really positive experience. So now my breasts are properly supported! I even look a little slimmer! I still try everything on, though, as there's enough variability between manufacturers that sometimes the bands are too big or the cups are too small.

From:

adiekit.livejournal.com

I found that the best fitting i ever had was at a breastfeeding bra store. =) They were very helpful! And so much better than any other place I went =)

From:

hildybrant.livejournal.com

I had an experience very much like this.

I've got two 45 degree curves in my spine, and at age seventeen, I was totin' my tits around in a 34 D. My back hurt constantly. I was never in my desk at school without my boobs on top of the table, taking up most of the space I needed to write my notes. The pain was more or less excruciating most of the time. Toward the end of the school year, my mother took me to a store much like the one you describe.

An older lady with the most wonderfully stereotypical old-money type Richmond accent (if you've lived in the city, you know what I mean) fitted me at a 32 DD. No, nobody in the department stores believes me, either, but I don't shop in them too often anyhow since I've yet to find one that carries my size.

As for "sister sizes," other posters have mentioned, I completely disagree. I wore a 34 D in absolute misery for years. I walked out of the store after that fitting in a so called sister size and have never since experienced anywhere near the unbearable pain I was in before. Also, in my earlier 34 D days, when I actually probably was a 34 D, I used to wear 36 Cs on occasion, because a 34 D is rather difficult to find, but the 36 Cs never gave me anywhere near the support to which I'd become accustomed with a 34 D.

I'd say band size is pretty important.

From:

tanoshii-chan.livejournal.com

Hey, I also recently found out that I need a 32 DD to be comfortable. My body completely and totally changed beyond all comprehension after my kids, and the 34C I wore happily for years before is waaaaay uncomfy now.

It sucks that I've only found 2 bras that fit me in the last year though. What a crappy size.

From:

hildybrant.livejournal.com

I'm going to send you where I send everybody I encounter who shares this problem.

I feel your pain. I used to have an entire drawer full of gorgeous bras in all kinds of colors and patterns, and suddenly I found myself with one bra, standard cut, in solid black.

Check out www.figleaves.com. They have plenty of bras in an enormous range of sizes, very reasonable prices, and excellent customer service. Sign up for their emails; they have some incredible sales every so often. I just recently bought a bra for $45 that would have normally sold for $90.

I'm not in any way associated with them except as a loyal customer. I've been buying all of my bras there for years now. It's just about the best thing ever, in my opinion.

From:

frolicnaked.livejournal.com

I have a quick question: How does one go about purchasing bras at websites?

I've done it before, but only in the exact same styles and sizes I've already recently tried on in a store. Given the variation between manufacturers -- and personally, the fact that I simply can't wear some brands regardless of size (Wacoal) -- I'm really uncertain how to know it will fit and really, really hesitant to spend money on what seems like a gamble.

From:

hildybrant.livejournal.com

Check out the site's return policy. I believe that as long as you don't remove the tags, you can send it back to them for a refund. I'm not sure if they refund the cost of shipping it or not, as I've only ever had to return one bra from the site, and that was about two years ago, but either way, it's not a huge cost to ship the bra back, so you're not taking a huge hit to the wallet if they don't refund shipping.

In my opinion, it's worth taking the risk of paying shipping to potentially own more than the no bras you can find in department stores.

From:

frolicnaked.livejournal.com

Yes, it looks like Fig Leaves has a better return policy than some sites I've used in the past. I don't know whether they'll refund the cost of shipping, but they will pay the cost of shipping it back to them, so I'd conceivably only lose $4.50 that way. With other sites I've used, not only did they not repay the cost of shipping, but I also had to pay to ship my merchandise back to them, which meant that I had to pay twice to ship an order that wasn't really working out for me after all.

Personally, I think it might be worth the cost to do it once or twice. But when I think about how many bras I try on in stores before I find one (if I'm lucky) that fits, this could still conceivably be a pretty expenstive e-tail excursion.

From:

tanoshii-chan.livejournal.com

Thank you very much, that is going to go on my bookmark list. I can't wait to be able to go more than a day without having to wash and line dry a bra.

From:

hardtogetover.livejournal.com

Hey fellow scoliosis/big boob sufferer!

I had surgery at 13 for a curve, all my vertebrae are fused. It didn't get rid of the curve (I still have one above and one below the fusion) so I'm looking at some more fun surgery. Anyway, I have seen three ortho surgeons in the past year, trying to decide who I want to do my surgery, two men and a lady. When my mother and I asked about breast reduction instead of more spine surgery, the men (who are both married and I assume straight) said no way, it won't help!. The woman, on the other hand, said good god, it could do wonders. My bra size? 36G. I call bullshit on the men!