DIY: Bra Fitting (Because You Are Wearing the Wrong Size)

If someone had told me at 12 that I would someday I would wish for a smaller chest, I would have laughed at them. I'm totally kidding. I would have cried and not spoken to them for a week. I was a late bloomer. Up until my sophomore year of high school, I was wearing a bra solely for the purpose of being able to change in front of the other girls in gym class.

From the time I actually needed a bra, I have been wearing the wrong size. And if I can guess, you probably have been too. Bra companies (especially in the US) make and sell such a small selection of the variation of sizes that many women feel they have no good options. And to make matters worse, employees at stores like Victoria Secret will fit you in the best size that they carry in stock. Which is basically the worst.

After ordering my third 32DD and having it be comically small for my chest, I got desperate. When I fit myself (using this video and this post as guides), I discovered I should be wearing a 30F. And I was mortified. Why? Because our culture tells us anything larger than a DD is freakishly large and something to be embarrassed of. Well, I refuse to be embarrassed. As an embarrassed consumer, we agree to put on ill fitting bras that make us feel normal (and have terribly sad boobs). Can I make do with a 34D? Yes. Should I? Absolutely not. 

It is so easy to do this simple fitting, you'll be amazed you haven't tried it sooner. All you need is a bare chest, a measuring tape & something to write with.

s  t  e  p     1
Exhale and measure your ribcage just below your bust line. If the number is odd, such as 29, round that number up to the next even number. In this case, 30. This is your band size.

s  t  e  p     2
Lean forward at a 90 degree angle (see picture above). Measure around the largest part of your bust. Write this number down. Mine is 36 inches.

To calculate your cup size take your bust size and subtract the band measurement
36" - 29" = 7"

Now use this number to determine your cup size below.

With these measurements, I found that I am a 30F (UK sizing -  which is definitely the way to go if you have a larger chest).

Great! I am a size I have never laid my eyes on at the store. What do I do? Well, firstly, you start shopping online. I have had the best luck finding my size at prices that aren't crazypants at ASOS.

Here are some of my favorite finds:



If you are looking at ASOS, make sure to use your UK size because they are a UK company (and frankly, if you are above a DD, just use UK sizing. All stores that carry larger sizes seem to use UK sizing). ASOS carries band sizes as small as 28 and cup sizes up to J & you can search by size which is a total necessity.

Do the bra fitting! I promise you won't regret it. In the comments, leave the size you actually should be wearing & the size you have been wearing. It's cathartic (at least, that's what I have been telling myself).

36 comments:

  1. I was absolutely astonished when I found a subforum on reddit called abrathatfits, and it told me I was in the wrong size. Like WAAAAY wrong. Most people are wearing the wrong size because stores only offer the "matrix" of bras A-D. I even read that your breast tissue can MIGRATE from wearing the wrong size so that it is under your arm or on your back, and when you start wearing the right size you can end up having to go up another size after awhile as your breast tissue migrates back into the right place. WEIRD!!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yes! I've heard that about migrating breast tissue too. To help get that tissue in the right place they suggest the "scoop & swoop" when you put your bra on. The video I linked to above illustrates it pretty clearly.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete
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    1. I have friend who wears a 36B & is actually a 30E! You might be surprised to find a different size might work for you. And if not, I'm seriously impressed you are wearing the right size because most women aren't!

      Delete
  3. I have been wearing either a 36C or 34D for years and according to this I am actually a 32F (US). I have lost some weight recently, so it's probably time for some online bra shopping!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is great! I hope you find a great fitting bra soon.

      Cheers!

      Delete
  4. I thought I was a 38B but when I used abrathatfits, I measured at 34D. When I went to try that size on, the cups were too far back into my armpits and the band felt too snug. 36C is my size now and a Victoria's Secret employee even got it right. But I did see some women in there being told they were sizes that were impossibly wacky. So maybe VS works for me (larger torso, smaller cup size) but not for a large number of the population. I felt bad for the women I saw getting yet another frustrating and incorrect bra fitting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am glad that VS worked for you. I know some bra fittings use a measurement at the top of the bust for a band size, which for most women isn't accurate. But I think you are right that Victoria Secret works well for people with 34-40 A-D.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  5. I measured myself this way a few years back and something that i learned was that just because its your size its not necessarily going to fit every company makes their bras differently so you need to try them on in the store. Nordstrom is the only place that carries my size in store 32DD (i use to wear a 34C) and they carry cup sizes larger then that as well. H&M also carries a larger variety of sizes (at better prices then Nordstrom but none of them fit me) Once you know which style works for you then you can repurchase online!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. This is good advice! I was able to find a 32E at Nordstrom Rack (which is close to my size but not quite perfect). My Nordstrom Rack didn't have any 30" bands in stock but perhaps the Nordstrom would.

      Delete
  6. I normally wear a 32 DD, but measured as a 30 I, but asos doesn't seem to recognize 'I' as a size? Should I go up to a J or down to an H?

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    1. Look at the UK sizing. Asos is a UK company (and frankly, once you get above a DD, UK sizing is just the way to go). At ASOS, that makes you a 30G.

      Hope that helps!

      Delete
  7. I've been wearing a 34C and I'm actually a 30E! What's depressing is that I just spent $60 on a new bra ... in the wrong size. I guess you live and learn. (I've loved your blog posts on this topic, btw.)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I feel your pain. We have all invested money in bras that are all wrong for us. Such a bummer!

      And thanks! I find myself weirdly passionate about bra sizing right now. ;)

      Delete
  8. I had been wearing 34B/C since boobs appeared with the college weight gain, but since reading a similar measuring guide last year I've been wearing 32D - I still don't think I have it quite right (might need to try DD, or just different styles) but I am definitely closer. I've been trying to bra-selytize to my friends, but most of them look at my small chest and think I'm crazy saying that I'm wearing a D cup - I think people don't understand that cup size changes with band size (e.g. a 34B = 32C = 30D).

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It's crazy how much shaming other women do for saying you have a larger cup than they think you have. I can't tell you how many times I admitted to wearing a D or DD (which were both too small for me) and having other women tell me there was no way I was that size. It's so counter-productive & part of the problem.

      And you are right! People don't understand that sliding scale.

      Delete
  9. I am so glad you did this! I will need to re-evaluate once the postpartum dust settles, but I'm so thankful you wrangled up these resources. I gave up on Victoria's Secret a long time ago because the vanity sizing wore me out and they always made me feel enormous even though I knew I wasn't. Loved this, Madeline! You come up with such great content :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. ALSO, I am so proud of ASOS for offering the proper sizing in bras that are actually pretty. It seems like the bigger the bra, the bigger the eyesore and IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE CASE.

      Delete
    2. Thanks Fran!! I would recommend figuring out your new size about a month after baby comes. Even if you lose weight or it changes in a couple of months- it's worth having a good bra in the interim.

      And yes! Asos has hit a great balance of offering a greater selection of sizes, reasonable prices, and pretty bras. Throw in the free shipping and returns and they are pretty hard to beat.

      Delete
  10. According to the chart, I'm also a 30F??!! Currently I wear a 32D cotton bra from La Senza... I've tried many other sizes at many other places, and I keep going back to that cotton 32D from La Senza. It's just so comfortable, and affordable! I find that a lot of the larger sizes are way too expensive for my budget....

    But maybe I should keep trying...? Did anyone else have this issue??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you ever tried a 30F? It's tough to find them in a store, so I suggest you give them a try. It's not unreasonable for your boobs to fit a 32D but the band is too big which negatively affects the fit in other ways.

      I say keep trying!

      Delete
    2. Thanks, I will! I'll give an update when I try one, too :)

      Delete
  11. I have been (not) wearing a 36B and it is so uncomfortable that I have taken to wearing one of those tank tops with a boob shelf built it. I just measured and I am a 34G.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Big difference. Give a 34G a try & I bet it makes a huge difference for you.

      Delete
  12. Hmm. According to this, my boobs are too big for this chart. Do I win a prize?

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    1. HA! That would be my fault. I got lazy when I made the chart and stopped at 10", but CLICK HERE for a chart up to 14".

      Delete
  13. I recently went to a professional bra fitter (none of this silly Victoria's Secret stuff). When I went in I was wearing a 36D.When I left I had purchased a 34G to be altered to be a 33G . Such a huge difference, let me tell you! Thanks for the tip about ASOS. I had no idea they sold such a variety of sizes!!

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    1. I have been so impressed with ASOS for a million reasons. I'm really glad to introduce you to their bra section!

      Delete
  14. SO I have been wearing 36C currently-pre pregnancy I was wearing 36B. I am supposed to be wearing 30E I think? My band size was 30.5? So should I round down or up? 30E or 32E?

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    1. I would go down to a 30 in your case. You can wear the bra on a looser hook if need be.

      Delete
  15. I started wearing a bra at age 12 so that I had somewhere to put my shoulder pads!!! I totally know how you feel. I went to a lactation consultant to buy a nursing bra when my baby was 2 months old. For my "fitting" she asked me what size I was currently wearing and then told me to go up a cup size. So I went from a 36 B to a 36 C. And that's what I've been wearing. Measuring myself, I am a 34 DD. Side note- nursing bras are so blah I hate them, but I've been getting them from Motherhood Maternity or the like. Definitely going to look at ASOS- the one you pictured is SOOO cute!
    Also, re: bra-vangelism, you need to watch the Double Divas on Lifetime. They crack me up- going up to people and telling them they need a different size bra.
    Thanks for the post!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Nursing bras are THE WORST. Seriously terrible. I ordered the only white 30F I could find from Nordstrom for $70 only to have them cancel the order 2 weeks later because the only 30F in stock was damaged. Man I was mad! So I went to Nordstrom rack & bought 2 32Es & made them into nursing bras! Best decision ever.

      I definitely need to watch that show!!

      Delete
    2. Ok, so how did you make them into nursing bras? I'm totally curious now!

      Delete
  16. I have a very small bust. Like, I don't even fill out a 32A. I measured myself like you said and it says I should be wearing a 28D? There is no way that this is right. Please help. I can't ever find a bra that fits right and I'm pretty sure I have a problem with migrating breast tissue too. A 28D can't be right, can it?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm pretty much like Deanna's size and can't believe the cup size I got measuring here as instructed (DD). Deanna H. wrote her comment 7 months ago - will you please advise us both? Thanks, Madeline.

      Delete

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