Speaking of lingerie and fit...

rachylou

One of the Refinery newsletters featured a cute bra top yesterday. I went last night to check it out and learned, yes, wait for it... they don't make it in my size.

The girl tried to tell me the next size up was the same as my size, cup is the same and only bigger in the band. Now I think there's a big difference, but perhaps I'm a marketing victim?

13 years ago

General

13 replies

Latest reply was from christieanne

rae

(website)

Veteran

o_0

If the band size is *different*, then how exactly is the size also the same? Sounds like a pretty weak sales pitch.

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

Hmmm.
The standard way to measure for bra size is this:

Measure around body just under breast line - that is your band size. If you are 34 around, then you wear a 34. If you are in between (an odd number) then round up.

Then measure around the largest point of breasts - take the difference between the two measurements. So if you measure 35 around on that measure but 34 on band measure, the difference is 1 inch. That is an A cup. A 2 inch difference is a B, 3 inches is a C and etc.

The confusion comes from bras or bra tops without standard cup sizes. There isn't a one size fits all bra top is there??
And then there is the math. So many people can't do math.

13 years ago

Keix

Veteran

I'm a 32A and I can wear a very few 34A or 32B styles, but for the most part, no--different sizes are, well, different. Actually I've found that the 34AA has a larger cup than a 32A in the exact same style.

ETA: Christieanne, does one really take the same band size as the underbust measurement? My underbust is 29" but I can't imagine fitting comfortably in a 30 band. I find petite/junior-sized 32 bands a little tight already.

13 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I think the underband measurement is a comfort issue. I measured barely 27" last year and got a few 30" bras. (the measurement and size accuracy was confirmed by a Nordie's fitter) I busted one earlier this year, lol! Now I measure closer to 28" underbust, but still, that shouldn't snap the elastic in the center gore of a 30" if the underbust in inches is truly our exact size, now should it?

13 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

KL, I question that too. I measure about 29.5" around the underbust, but I wear a 32 band comfortably. 30" would cut off my circulation! I already have marks on my body when I take off my bra at the end of the day. Besides, it's hard enough to find 32DDD or 32E styles -- I can't imagine how much harder it would be to find the corresponding 30" size!

13 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I'm not sure what a bra top is, but if it's not a real bra, then you never know. It might work. You won't know until you try it on!

I find bra sizing to be all over the map. Went bra shopping with my teens recently, and it was quite frustrating. I wear a 34B in Chantelle, and that brand fits quite well, but my measurements suggest I should actually be in a 32C. It's true that the 34 band inevitably loosens up too much, so I wouldn't mind finding a 32 because it'd probably last me longer.

However, every single 32C just doesn't fit me right. The cups are too small. I have sized up to a D. In one style I took a DD... shocking! I nearly bought that one -- it was different style to what I usually wear, and came in a cute color. Then I tried it on in a 34 just to compare, and the C cup fit almost exactly like the DD?

So confused!

Ultimately I gave up and figure I will go back and try again when I'm fresher. (I always replenish bras in August).

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, the underbust thing works almost perfectly for me. I measure 33" underbust and take a 34 size band. A 32 might actually even be OK, except then the cups are always too close together for my wide-set boobs, no matter what size the cups themselves are. A 36 has nice wide-set cups but the band is way big on me and does not support properly. (Psst, Shiny, that might be your problem with the 32 band as well.) I actually suspect that my "perfect" bra would be like a 36 in front and a 32 in back, which of course does not exist. (My rib cage is definitely wider in front than in back, plus my sternum is very wide.) I make do with the 34s - some brands tend to be more wideset than others.

13 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Diana, funny, I have the opposite problem, the cups are never close enough. I'd say you should buy the 36's and just cut and sew the band smaller in back. I'm a needle and thread, by hand kind of seamstress (read: not highly qualified) and I do this quite often with older bras that have stretched.

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Mo, I've tried that, and it never really works right. The band never seems quite supportive enough. May have to do with the fact that I like lacy French bras though so I'm sure they're constructed in some super complicated way that gets messed up when you cut and paste. =P

PS- supposedly Panache bras are very wide set and Freya bras are very narrow. I don't have any experience with Panaches personally though as they do not make unpadded c cups. (Which annoys me - people with "small" cup sizes have fit issues too!)

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Christieanne's comment reminded me that the actual "volume" of the cups is a *function* of the band size and the fullness of the chest. That means the cup of a 32C is going to be smaller than that of a 42C. It's not like there is a a standard "C" boob size that is just strung on an ever larger band. Therefore, the band size will always affect the cup size.

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

That has been my belief and experience, Rae - that the volume is a function of band size. Although, how this plays out is probably not always obvious. I wore 34B for a long time, and had gapping problems. With a 32 C, these go away.

Link to bra top.

I call the bra a "bra top" because it's a bit like a non-binding corset. i.e. covers some of the torso.

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

Rae has figured it out with Christianne's great information. Since I discovered my real size (exact band size is my under bust measurement) my bras fit way better. The band eventually stretches some anyway. I wear 34DDD, but in a few brands that run smallish I am better fit in a 36DD (the cup to band ratio is the same in this case)
For Diana I think you need to find the right style of bra for your shape, you have the size right.

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

Cup size is def. relative to band size, I totally agree. And to make it even ore confusing, the Europeans cut and size differently than the US so it's trial and error sometimes.

Sometimes you can go a band size and down a cup size and get a good fit but you just want to make sure you get support from the band and not all the "work" is from the shoulder straps.

A good bra fitter is indeed priceless

13 years ago

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