A women can go up or down as many as 6 bra sizes during her lifetime so it is not surprising that around 65% of women do not know their correct bra size. A women should ideally be measured every two years or so for her current bra size, more frequently if she has put on a considerable amount of weight, lost weight or had a baby.
According to bra experts June Kenton and Nasheeta Masoet of Rigby & Peller’s, as many as 85% of women are wearing a badly-fitting bra. In addition to weight or body changes, bra brands tend to differ in sizing and fit, particularly from those stores who have own-brand bras, which could come from 10 or more different manufacturers.
Wearing the wrong-sized bra can cause health problems. June Kenton, who is also personal courtier to England’s Queen Elizabeth, says (in the book Twiggy, A Guide to Looking and Feeling Fabulous at 40 (Michael Joseph 2008) , “if your bra isn’t giving you the correct support, then every time you walk your skin stretches, causing stretch marks, shoulder and back problems.”
How to Find Your Correct Bra Size
Whilst there is no substitute for a professional fitting from a reputable bra retailer, there is a wealth of advice (and a lot ot misinformation) available in the marketplace to allow women to gauge their own bra size.
1. Take Measurements
The most common is a classic formula involving taking measurments under the bustline (to obtain the band size) and across the bust (to obtain the cup size), and then adding and subtracting a number. This will give a ROUGH estimation.
The following steps are recommendations from Stephanie Pendersen's book Bra, a Thousand Years of Support, Style and Seduction (David & Charles 2004).
- Get someone else to do the measuring as this is more accurate.
- Measuring against bare skin will give more accurate results – if not wear a close fiting garment over bare breasts or wear an unpadded bra.
- Measure the band size by wrapping a tape measure tightly around the ribcage, immediately below the bust. Then add 5 inches to the measurement. i.e. 29 inches becomes 34 inches.
- For the cup size, measure loosely around the fullest part of the bust. Subtract this measurement from the band size. A difference of 1 inch= A cup, 2 inches = B cup, 3 inches = C cup, 4 inches = D cup and so on. i.e. an across-the-bust measurement of 38 inches minus a total band measurement of 34 inches equals 4 inches. This deonates a cup size of D.
Having ascertained the two bust measurements, for confirmation, you can also type them into a bra converter, available online on one of the many dedicated sites such as Breasttalk.co.uk.
2 . Analysize the Fit and the Feel
Bravissimo, one of the UK’s foremost bra retailers for big-busted women, advocates throwing away the tape measure, however. Instead, on their website, they suggest forgetting about measuring and concentrating on how a particular bra looks and feels instead.
This is because taking a bust measurement is only one consideration. A woman also needs to take into account the actual volume of her bust. The volume may be bigger at the bottom, top or sides, so this will affect the overall size needed to ensure the perfect, most comfortable fit. According to Bravissimo, “If you take a number of women with identical over and under bust measurements, our experience shows the bras that actually fit them may all be different sizes."
When following this method it is important to look at three key areas: the bra band, the cup and how well it fits, and if wearing an underwired bra, how the wire sits against the body. It is important to know what to look for as signs of a badly fitting bra. Does the breast spill out over the bra or the cup wrinkle, does the band ride up or is it too tight or too loose against the body?
Finding a Perfectly Fitting Bra
Using the measurement formula will give you a starting point. i.e. which size to ask for (and one size either side?) Then analyze how the bra looks and feels and take it from there. The particular style of bra may also make a difference as sizing may change depending on the type. i.e. full-cup, plunge, balcony and so on.
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