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Would you believe that surveys suggest that upto 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra? Well, apparently, it’s true!
All women know that there is nothing worse than wearing a bra that doesn’t fit. It will be uncomfortable, it can cause bulges where they’re not wanted, or creasing in the cups, along with various other problems. Yet many women still wear the wrong size. One of the commonest problems is wearing a bra with a back size that is too big with a cup size too small. The result? The back of the bra rides up, and you spill out over the cups. Definitely not comfortable!
Below, you will find details of how to measure yourself. Please remember that bra fitting is not an exact science, and bra sizing can differ between manufacturers and styles, and depends on the fabrics used.
Measuring yourself
You will need a tape measure. You may find standing in front of a mirror helpful, or enlist the help of a friend. In this guide, we will be measuring in inches, simply because bras are still sold with back sizes that refer to inches.
First, you need to find out your back size. Stand up straight wearing a regular unpadded bra and wrap the tape measure around your chest, just underneath your breasts. The tape should be snug, but not tight or pinching. Make sure that tape is straight across your back.
Now take your measurement and round it to the nearest even number in inches, then add 4”. That’s your back size.
Example: Your measurement is 28” add 4”, your back size equals 32.
Next, you need to measure for your cup size. Still standing straight and wearing a regular unpadded bra, wrap the tape measure over the fullest part of your breasts. Make sure the tape is snug, but not pinching or digging into your breasts. If you are in between inches on this measurement, round to the nearest inch, and if your measurement is exactly on a half inch mark, round up to the next inch. This measurement is your cup measurement.
Now you need to subtract your back size from your cup measurement to find your cup size.
1” difference = A Cup
2” difference = B Cup
3” difference = C Cup
4” difference = D Cup
5” difference = DD Cup
6” difference = E Cup
7” difference = F Cup
8” difference = FF Cup
9” difference = G Cup
Example: Your cup measurement is 37”, so subtract your back size calculated above (32), this is a difference of 5”, so your cup size is DD, and your estimated bra size is 32DD.
Further example:
If your under-bust measurement is 31” and your over-bust measurement is 38”.
Round the under-bust measurement up to the nearest even number, which equals 32”, add 4”, so your back size is 36. Subtract the 36 from the over-bust measurement of 38”, which makes a 2” difference, resulting in a 36B bra size.
Check Points
Once you have sorted out your bra size and purchased a new bra, here’s some check points to ensure you have a good fitting bra:
1. Ideally the bra should feel fairly firm on the loosest hook when new, this is because with wear, the back of the bra can stretch.
2. The centre section between the cups should be flat to your body.
3. Your breasts should not spill out over the top of the cups, or bulge at the sides.
4. After wearing a bra for a few hours, it should not leave any deep marks on your body.
5. The back of the bra should be straight across your back, and if you are wearing the right size, it will not ride up, and it will provide good support.
6. The straps should not be too tight. If your straps are tight and leave red marks on your shoulders, you are possibly wearing a bra with too big a back size, and you have tightened the straps to compensate.
7. And most importantly, if you are wearing an underwired bra, the wire should rest on your rib cage, not on the breast tissue, not even at the sides. It needs to be against hard bone, not soft tissue.
Typical Problems
Problem: The bra is raised away from your chest at the front between the cups.
Answer: Your cup size is too small. The wires should be flat against your rib cage, and enclose your breasts fully without digging into the breast tissue.
Problem: The wires of the bra are digging in under your arms.
Answer: Your cup size is too small. The wires should be flat against your rib cage, and enclose your breasts fully without digging into the breast tissue.
Problem: The cups of the bra are wrinkled, especially at the top or sides, or they are sagging.
Answer: Your cup size is too big. The cups should be smooth over your breasts.
Problem: The back of your bra rides up.
Answer: Your band size is too big. The band should be firm around your rib cage. This will support your breasts better.
Problem: The straps leave red marks on your shoulders.
Answer: You may the straps too tight, or you are wearing a bra with a band size too big. If the band fits correctly around your body, the band and the cups will provide the support needed, not the straps.
Problem: Your breasts are spilling out of the top of the cup or bulging at the sides.
Answer: Your cup size is too small. The cups should be smooth over your breasts.
Additional Information
To get the best out of your lingerie, ideally you should wash it by hand, not in the machine. Machine washing wears the fabrics much quicker, and your lingerie won’t last as long. This is especially noticeable on bras, the elasticity will be affected, and the bra won’t fit as well after a few months. Tumble drying also damages the elastane in stretchy fabrics, and will shorten the life of your lingerie. Lingerie is best left to dry naturally.
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