Finding your correct BRA size

7 out of 10 women are in the wrong bra size. Most women buy the band of their bras bigger around with a smaller cup size, when in fact, it should be the opposite. Your band size should be a snug and comfortable fit, and your cup size should be larger. Here is how to correctly measure yourself to get the correct fit. You will probably find after measuring yourself correctly, that you actually wear a bigger cup size than you are wearing right now!

Step 1: Measure for band size:

A bra size is made up of two measurement components: band size (i.e. 34, 36, 38) and cup size (i.e. A, B, C).

To find your correct bra size, begin by wearing your best fitting bra - unpadded, and not a minimizer or sports bra (underwire doesn't matter). If you are sagging in this bra, tighten your straps until the crest of your breasts is approximately half way between your shoulder and your elbow - this is the proper alignment for most breasts. If possible, have someone other than yourself take your measurements. Not only is it faster, it also tends to be more accurate.

Measuring Your Band Size

1. Holding the measuring tape gently but firmly, measure around your bra directly under your bust after expelling all air from your lungs - you want this measurement to be as small as possible. Look in a mirror to assure the tape is parallel to the floor. The position of your tape measure is critical here. If you have the tape too high, your measurement will be too large; too low and it's too small.

2. When you take these measurements, round to the closest whole inch, either up or down. For example, if your measurement is 29 3/8", round to 29". If your measurement is 29 1/2" or more, round to 30".

Step 2: Measure for cup size:

Measuring Your Cup Size

1. Standing straight, with your arms at your side, measure around your body at the fullest part of your bust while keeping the tape measure parallel with the floor. Do not wear a bra that is padded or is a minimizer. And, make sure the apex of your breasts are half-way between your shoulder and your elbow. Note to women with D cup sizes or larger: If your best fitting bra is too tight around your bust, you can also take this measurement without a bra, but hold your breasts up with your hands to where you feel they should be. Have someone else then measure around your fullest part.

2. Wrap the tape measure around you so that it is just touching, but not binding. If one of your breasts is significantly larger, put some type of padding in the cup of the smaller breast to make it even with the larger breast before taking your measurement.

3. Round up or down to the nearest inch as you did to find your band size.

4. Now, subtract your band size measurement from this second measurement. The difference is your cup size.? Example: 38" - 34" (band size) = 4" = D cup size. The chart below shows you how to determine cup size.


Step 3: Calculate your bra size

Subtract your band measurement (step 1) from your cup measurement (step 2). Generally, for each inch in difference, the cup goes up by one size. See the conversion chart below:

Difference Standard Cup Size
0"-1/2" (1.3 cm) AA
1/2"- 1" (2.6 cm) A
2" (5.1 cm) B
3" (7.6 cm) C
4" (10.2 cm) D
5" (12.7 cm) DD or E
6" (15.2 cm) DDD or F
7" (17.8 cm) G
8" (20.3 cm) H
9" (22.9 cm) I
10" (25.4 cm) J

Example:
Step 1: 34" under measurement +4" = 38" band
Step 2: 40" over measurement
Step 3: 40" - 38" = 2" or Cup "B"
Your size would be 38B

Important Note: this measuring system tends to become less accurate as the cup sizes go above a D. Additionally, some manufacturers name larger cup sizes differently.

Nice post! Think I'll go home and measure!

Also, don't just go by the manufacturer's size! Try it on....I mean, it's essential. Even if you've worn that maker before. Seriously. I can wear a 38D in Vanity Fair bras, but can't for the life of me get a comfortable bra in that size in Maidenform, which were my only bras until I had to go bigger. And one Vanity Fair bra does not fit the same as even another VF style. Learned that one too.

I'd probably have to go SMALLER than what I wear if I measured. lol....

ok i did it and am confused lol i know our sizing is diff over here, but what is the plus 4 inch in the example??

Ok i will share mine so you can help ( stupid me)

i measured 30inch under and 35 inch over

so equals 5 inch which is a dd????? ( this is after i have fed and i hardly have any milk anymore i fit pre preg bras now

did i do it right?

i always fit a 12c over here but straps were done up tight

Thanks Tiff for posting. I've been pretty depressed in this area seeing as I cannot get the smallest bra to fit. I think I may need to go with a custom made bra or something.

I have a terrible time finding bras. I am 33 inches around and before I got pregnant I was a DD. Now my DD's are tight, so I need to be remeasured. Bottom line.... I cannot get anything around in my cup size in the store that is not 36 or bigger. For some reason, they seem to think that if one has a bigger cupsize, that they must be larger around, and for me this has never been the case.

DH wants to get me some custom made bras.

Sparkles you did measure and calculate correctly As I said, many women are in too small of a cup size.

I am not sure if there is a difference in Australian bra sizes verses U.S. though.

Princess_Longbottom wrote:I have a terrible time finding bras. I am 33 inches around and before I got pregnant I was a DD. Now my DD's are tight, so I need to be remeasured. Bottom line.... I cannot get anything around in my cup size in the store that is not 36 or bigger. For some reason, they seem to think that if one has a bigger cupsize, that they must be larger around, and for me this has never been the case.

DH wants to get me some custom made bras.

I am a 32DD and I used to struggle to find a well fitted bra for exactly the same reasons as you Tiff, thankfully we now have quite a few bra shops that cater for this kind of quandary

ummmmmmm...that's a tricky one Helen!! I only wear bra's from La Senza now with the exception of the odd one from Victoria's Secrets or Figleaves but I find that La Senza bra's fit like a glove!

hmmm i converted the size to aus size and its an 8DD here, which i am not an 8 in band size, a 10-12 - but i measured 30 inch so i dunno !! i am prob more of 10D here i think
interesting info TIff, thanks