Bra Fitting Adventures

HopeAndHardWork

This is probably going to be a long post, so . . .

TL/DR:  You're still wearing the wrong size bra.  Spend $3 and buy the book "How to Find a Bra that Fits" from Amazon.  If you don't have a Kindle, download the free software and read it on your computer (it's short).  Follow the book's instructions and finally get a bra that fits right.


So a couple of years ago there were a lot of posts on here about getting a better fitting bra.  I got all excited because I had never, ever found a bra that fit me right.  I re-measured myself according to the guidelines that I found online and ran out to my local Walmart.  I proudly brought home new bras in my "new" size and congratulated myself on a job well done.  Except . . . the new bras didn't really seem to fit any better than the old ones and I didn't really like the shape that they gave my profile.  After wearing them for a month or so, I gave up and went back to my old stretched out bras that I'd worn for years.

Then last week I stumbled across some information that blew everything that I new about bra sizing out of the water.  I already knew that cup size was dependent on band size and not actually a static number (32B has the same cup volume as 34A).  So I understood the concept of sister sizing (if you need to go up a band size, you need to go down a cup letter in order to keep the same volume for the cups and if you need to go down a band size, you should go up a cup letter).  Unfortunately, there were two things that I didn't know and they were crucial to getting the right size and fit for a bra.

The first thing was that the standard instruction for figuring out band size was wrong.  I'd always seen that you should add 4 or 5 inches to your underbust measurement in order to find out your band size.  Then you measure the fullest part of your bust and subtract your band size from that number in order to find out your cup size.  Supposedly, the add inches method came about because in the 40's and 50's the material used to make the band on a bra didn't stretch enough to allow for things like breathing if you tried to wear a band that was the same measurement as your underbust measurement.  Now bands have things like Lycra and Spandex added to them and have much, much more stretch to them.  So if you add inches now to your underbust measurement, you're in a band that is 4-5 inches too large and is not doing it's structural job of holding up your breasts.  It rides up in the back and is too loose, so you tighten your bra straps to compensate for the lack of support from the band which causes the straps to dig in to your shoulders. 

What's worse, if you use the add inches method to find out your band size, it gives you a cup size that is several cup sizes too small!  I did the measurements manually from the book "How to Find a Bra That Fits" from Amazon and double checked it with an online calculator that uses the right measuring method and found out that I was not 36A or a 34C but a 32DD!  After I stopped laughing at how ridiculous that measurement looked to me, I went out and tried on about 40 different bras at Nordstroms (one of the few places in the U.S. that carries bras with small band sizes and larger cup letters actually in the store).  And found out that I really am a 32DD.  Mind blown.

The other thing that I didn't understand well about bra fitting was that the shape of your breasts impacts the fit of your bra.  Certain cup styles on bras are better suited for different breast shapes.  You can be fuller on the bottom than the top or fuller on the top than the bottom.  The base of your breasts (where the underwire rests) can be narrow or wide, requiring bras that have narrow or wide underwires for your particular size.  Your breast tissue can also be projecting or shallow.  This means that the same breast volume can cover a smaller area on the chest, so that most of that volume projects outward from the chest wall vs. the same breast volume that covers a broader area on a smaller ribcage so that the volume is spread out more and projects from the chest wall less.  Projected breasts stick out more when seen from the side vs. shallow breasts that don't project as much but cover a larger surface area of the chest.

I discovered from reading that I have shallow breasts that have a wide base.  My breast tissue ends halfway under my armpit!  Every underwire that I had ever tried on from the age of 12 had the outside ends of the wires cutting into my breast tissue.  At the same time, I never ever filled out the top insides of the cups.  Because I never fully filled out a cup, I just assumed that I was really small and needed a really small cup size.  And since the underwires never fit, I just assumed that I had weird breasts that were really far apart and I'd never find a bra with an underwire that fit me.  Now I know that I need a bra with certain cup shapes to accommodate the fact that my breast tissue is more on the sides and the bottom than in the center (demi cups, plunge cups, and some balconette style cups).  I also need bras from brands that make wider wires (I found lists of these on line).  Combine that with the correct band size and cup size, and I'm finally in a bra that fits me perfectly after 30+ years of misery. 

My husband's happy that I'm no longer wearing padded push-up bras (the only thing I could find before that came even remotely close to fitting me in the cup).  When he does a grab and squeeze during a drive-by, there's no push-up pad getting in his way and it's "all me."  Oddly, I don't look any different in size or profile with the correct fitting, non-padded bra then I did with the push up.  I just finally have the correct size and shape bra cup now and I finally feel comfortable in my bra.  Win/win for both of us.

So, get the book.  Go try on some bras (or if Nordstrom's doesn't carry your size, order from the resources in the book that have free shipping and allow returns).  Find something that fits you perfectly and feels great.  Then see if you can help any of your family members that are also wearing the wrong size bra, just be prepared for disbelief when you tell them their real size.   

HopeAndHardWork

Resources:
The book "How to Find A Bra That Fits" from Amazon

Online calculator from the website A Bra That Fits (read the info below the calculator as well as their FAQ page) 
Another online calculator that doesn't add inches.  This one also allows you to use centimeters.

(NSFW) Picture that shows that cup size is relative to band size.  Shows women with D/DD and G/GG cups of all different band sizes.
(NSFW) The Bra Band Project.  Great for seeing what your new band and bra size really look like on women wearing the correct size bra.

Website that has lots of great info on shape and fit.
Bratabase. Website that has a database of bra styles with measurements and fit concerns for each style.

List of retailers for brick and mortar stores all over the world that carry a large range of sizes. Includes lists for the U.S. and Canada that are by state or province.

HildaCorners

My mom taught me how to fit bras back when I was 15 and a 32D. [My current bras are 34H.] I actually don't worry too much about the printed size.

The band needs to be very snug, on the loosest hook. It should be just short of digging into your ribcage and restricting breathing. As you said, it will stretch, and will also loosen up over time — which is why you always try on bras on the loosest hook.

Bend forward when you put a bra on, so your nipples end up in the middle of the cup. I've sen fitters grab a breast and move it around ... I like bending forward better.

You should fill the cup perfectly. No double boob, no spilling into the armpit, and no wrinkles anywhere. Spillage means you need a bigger cup, wrinkles mean you need a smaller cup.

Some company bras just won't fit right. Try another brand.

If you're large breasted, try a "bounce test." Bounce on your toes, so see how supportive the bra is.

HopeAndHardWork

I always laughed at the advise to "swoop and scoop" the breast tissue while bending over because two seconds after I stood up, the quad-boob effect went away.  I didn't realize that my band was too loose and my bra cup size too small to keep the extra breast tissue in place, so I really was in the wrong size bra.  Now I know better.  Though wrinkling in the cup doesn't always mean the cup is too small, it can also mean that the cup shape is incompatible with your breast shape (i.e. trying to wear a bra with underwires that are too wide for you will result in empty space on the sides of the cup and wrinkling of the cup fabric).

Serenity

This is really great info to have! Thanks for posting it.

HopeAndHardWork

@HildaCorners you're so lucky that you had someone to explain to you how this worked at a young age.  I got dumped off at the lingerie section of the local Penny's at the tender age of 12 and was told to "figure it out."  Unfortunately, "figuring it out" took me well over 30 years.

I'm still getting used to wearing a snug fitting band.  One of the recommendations that I read was to use a bra-strap extender on the tightest hooks to give you a little more breathing room during the first 1-2 weeks of switching over to a significantly tighter band than you're used to.  This also gives the band a little time to stretch out and you can then take the extender off and just wear the band on the loosest hooks.  

That's something else that I didn't realize about buying the right bra size.  The idea that you're supposed to buy the band that fits right on the loosest hook from the beginning and the tighter hooks are for when the band naturally starts to stretch over time.  I knew that the band size I was wearing (36) was a little too loose for me but never saw how I would possibly fit into a 32A cup.  The band fit on the loosest hooks, but the cups never fit right.  And since most local stores don't carry anything higher than a B cup in a 32 band, it would never have even occurred to me that I needed to have the smaller band size and go up 4 cup sizes!

Note:  make sure if you buy a bra-strap extender that you match the number of rows of hooks (2, 3, or 4) with the bra you're going to use it on. You also need to match the width of the bra hook area or the hooks won't line up with those on your bra.  Width measurement should be in the product description online, or on the box if you're looking at your local store.

HildaCorners

Back in the 1970s, when I was coping with 32Ds, only the more expensive stores carried them. The bra ladies* at Sears and Penny's insisted breasts didn't come in that size!

My parents didn't have a lot of money, so the only time I went into "better" stores was for shoes and bras.


* Those were the days when all bras were kept in drawers behind the counter, and you had to deal with The Dreaded Bra Lady, who was almost always a 42DD and very snooty.

HopeAndHardWork

@HildaCorners yeah, I remember when the bras were kept in drawers and behind counters.  Fortunately, I didn't need bras until the early 80's when stores were starting to put the bras out on hangers (in a discreet corner of the back of the store, of course)    

We never had any money either, so I never got the experience of shopping at the better stores for anything.  I didn't know the more expensive department stores had somewhat bigger size selections.  I've only run into the Dreaded Bra Lady in smaller, boutique type stores, but it was still an unpleasant experience as they always insisted that I fit into bras that I really didn't.

growingafamily

When I was wearing 32D I could only find them at Marshalls. Sometimes. And then it was like.. One bra, so no selection. This was before internet mail ordering was much of a thing, and also my mom was no help at all. And reading now I should probably have been in a 30DD anyway (I wore them on the smallest set of hooks).

redheaded_woman

Thanks for posting this!! 

HopeAndHardWork

I have to say that my experience at Nordstroms was wonderful.  I was there trying on bras for about 3 1/2 hours and the ladies helping me were cheerful and positive the entire time.  I seriously tried on 40+ bras and they shuttled different bras back and forth from the dressing room for me, or looked in the back room for sizes not out on the floor for the entire time, and they did it with a smile on their face. A+ service

I have to give a shout out to Nordstrom's website also.  Not only can you sort by bra size and brand, you can also filter by which local store has it in the store so you can try it on! So helpful. Their website will also tell you in the description of each bra whether the bra band and/or cup is a standard size.  It will list if the band or cups run smaller or larger than standard and recommend sister sizing up or down.  This saved me a lot of time trying on bras, as I already knew from the website which bras I would have to sister size up or down in order to try on.  It also let me find a bra that ran true to size in the cup and band to try on so that I could verify my size.  They also listed sizes on the website in both UK and US sizing, so there was no confusion about which sizing was being used.

I was disappointed at how many other stores (Aerie, Kohls) that say they offer my size but it's all "internet only" so I couldn't try on anything.  Dillards had a few bras in my size in my local store, but their website gave no indication which sizes where actually available in the store, so it was a gamble going there.  I had a big list of bras that I wanted to try on that I put together from their website, but they only had 5 or 6 bras in my size in the actual store.  Disappointing.

HildaCorners

I'll also add that the Nordstrom fitters are not upset if you get sized and leave without buying.

Tiger_Lily

Great info!  I've also had good success with http://m.herroom.com/bras.aspx, they add helpful fitters' notes, e.g., which bras work best for "high tummies" and for petite frames.

HopeAndHardWork

@Tiger_Lily  beware of their on-line calculator.  It still adds inches to get your band size, so it won't give you an accurate band or bra cup size.  It still gives me a result of 34C when I'm a 32DD!  Their instructions were actually what I used to try to get new bras a couple of years ago.  I went out and bought 34C's and wondered why they still didn't fit.  

I do like their selection of bras, though.  I just bought one from them in my new size in a style that I already tried on at Nordstroms (Nordstroms didn't have some of the colors that I wanted in that particular bra).

mrsozzy

This is good to know.  My suggested size is a 30DD??  I've been wearing 34B or 32C Victoria's Secret Dream Angels demi, which has been working fairly well for me.  30DDs seem difficult to find.  The reason I always get demis is that they fit my small frame better.  The 30DDs I see look like the cup coverage would be way too much for me.

My closest Nordstrom's is 2.5 hours away.  I'll try Dillard's, but I'm not optimistic about finding my size there.

HildaCorners

30s are very hard to find in the USA. Dillards isn't in my area, but the only store that carries 30s here is Nordstrom, and they only have a few to choose from. Even the local specialty bra store doesn't carry small bands.

My daughter (DD, I forget if she's a 28 or a 30) orders bras from the UK. She once hit a good sale at Marks & Spencer, and usually orders from figleaves.com. Figleaves has a good return policy, iirc. Btw, she does not look like a DD to me (though that really is her size) ... DD in that band is still a pretty small cup.

mrsozzy

Also, what does "balconette" mean?  Is it like demi?

HopeAndHardWork

@mrsozzy well, I just typed up a response and vanilla forums ate it, so here's the short version.

You might want to determine your breast shape before trying on any bras.

It's common for petite people to be shallow breasted, so take a look at this post(NSFW) first to determine if this applies to you.  It's also very common to wear demi, plunge, or half-cup style bra cups if you're petite because they usually fit better then full coverage style cups.  Here is a picture of 30DD size women wearing bras that fit.  All except one are wearing that style of cup.  If you determine that you are indeed shallow breasted, here is a post that lists brands and styles that work for this breast shape.

Nordstroms lists 197 bras in size 30DD on their website, but you will need to filter by your local store to see if they carry a lot of them in the store.  I have two stores within about 45 minutes from me and one had 48 in the store while the other one only had 21. If your store has a fair amount on hand, it might be worth a day trip.

Don't forget Amazon.  Look for bras that are fulfilled by Amazon so you can take advantage of free shipping and free returns.

HopeAndHardWork

@mrsozzy balconette usually means the top edge of the cup is fairly parallel with the floor and the cup is 1/2 to 3/4 as tall as a full coverage cup.  It looks like a cup that has been cut in half horizontally.  Unfortunately, naming conventions aren't standardized so bra companies have somewhat different definitions for what constitutes a balconette bra.  Here is a short but informative post on the subject of cup styles. 

Maria

That's a balconette bra:

  

telyni

This is super helpful. I'm totally going to have to get new bras now. I'm another one that had been getting 32A when I probably need more like a 30B or even 28C half-cup (I need to do some trying on before I'll know). Thanks for posting it!