How To Find Your True Bra Size

"Measurements out of range? Now that's something new!"

Written by Gia Gotham


It can be pretty disheartening to be a big boobie babe and not be able to find a bra that won’t fit...did you keep a straight face? Yea, me neither. Secretly I love that nothing fits. But at the end of the day the girls got to be supported and that’s where a right fitting bra comes in. 
There are 2 important factors in finding true bra size. Number 1 being your cup size. Cup size is basically the volume or fill of your boobs that will fit into a bra cup. It should be called a bowl since your boobs aren’t shaped like cylinders, or like a cup. Just saying. The cup size is pretty darn important when finding a bra. If you end up sporting a too small of cup size it can give you some pretty rad cleavage, albeit slightly deformed looking. You get ‘quad boob’. And cup sizes get harder and harder to find the larger you are. Number 2 is your band. This is the measurement under your boobs. The band measurement for the most part is your rib cage, and this will not change with expansion. Although just as it’s hard to find the extra large cup sizes, smaller bands are very hard to find with larger cup sizes. Ever notice how there are 32A’s and no 32DD’s? The band can have an inch or 2 added when determining your perfect bra size, just need to try a few and see what feels most comfortable and supportive. So here’s how to find your true bra size:

1. Find a tape measure. This is necessary in measuring your bust. To find your band and cup size, you have to take 2 measurements. When taking these measurements, you can wear a bra as long as it doesn’t have any padding or isn’t a minimizing bra. If you have sagging, this would be recommended. 
2. Measure from the fullest part of your breasts and wrap the tape measure all the way around. The best way to do this will be as if you are putting on a bra backwards, starting from your back to meet at the front to get the reading. This is a loose reading, so make sure when taking this measurement to not have the measuring tape connect too tight to get your correct reading. 
3. Measure under your breasts to get your band reading. Depending on what your read is here, will depend on what your correct band is. You may need to add an inch or two to this. If you are not an exact read, round up.
4. Once you have both readings, the large measurement taken from step 2 is to be subtracted from your adjusted reading from step 3. So Step 2-Step 3= X inches. X inches is what you will use to determine your cup size. Your adjusted Step 3 will be your band size. So in total, Step 3 + Cup Size = True Bra Size.

How X Inches Translates:

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*Add 1 cup size up for every inch additional for cup size not shown on chart

There are a few things to keep in mind with this. There are so many factors into finding a perfect bra fit as boobs are pretty much like snowflakes. There are different shapes, fullness, projection, natural, implants, and size that can affect even your perfect bra size not actually feeling so perfect.

Nothing will replace actually trying different sizes to know what feels right and supportive. There are also different styles to pay attention to as they will frame your girls differently. Depending on how they rest naturally, this will lead you into finding what bra type is most recommended for you.

For myself, these measurements are part of the unique sort in that having a low band measurement and a much larger bust one. Measuring at 36 under and 53 over my full bra measurement would be at a 36Q (Difference of 17 inches). Although to find a Q is quite hard to find. One way to help compensate for not finding a bra that quite fits the cup is to compromise in adding a larger band to a smaller cup. Generally that works in any way to help compromise for fit if you cannot find your band and cup size available. So for instance, if I want to find something that would slightly fit, if I find a 52I, 50J, 48K, 44L, 42M, and so on, I can find something that will help compensate. The math for this is every band size added can take away one cup. And every band size is measured is by 2‘s since these are even numbers (such as 30, 32, 34, etc). This is something I’ve found helpful. As far as finding bras to buy, figleaves.com I have found to be very helpful. They actually translate the UK to US conversion if you select a UK made bra. Most people don’t know that some of the larger than DD bras are international manufacturers and forget to make the correct conversion. Like as an example, to get a 36Q I would need to order a UK 36M if the manufacturer is a UK one. 

Happy Measuring!