AIBU to think that any bra measuring services are utterly inaccurate.

[microfight]

There is always talk of so many women wearing the wrong bra size but I have been measured differently in three different shops! From a C to an F and 34-36!

Shouldn't they all measure me the same?

[Orbinator]

I concur I'm measured as a B cup in M&S and a D or E everywhere else.
Personally I know which size I prefer but if the wrong fitting bra can potentially cause as much damage as the media and health professionals claim, you'd think there would be a standard norm?!

[cardibach]

I think YANBU as, like with other garments, different manufacturers interpret the sizes differently.
What you need is a good privately run shop with a good range of manufacturers available and an owner who looks you up and down and brings you a load of pretty bras which may vary in size, but all fit beautifully. I have one of these locally .

[Pancakeflipper]

I use a lovely independent bra fitting shop. I knew as soon as they gave a bra in my 'correct' size that is was the fit for me.
I don't get the reputation M&S have for fitting bras - they are crap.
See a proper specialist. They'll tell you what brands will suit your shape the best.

[microfight]

The think is I find it really tedious trying bras on and get hugely embarrassed with people measuring me so I just want to know which size I am so I can buy the items of the shelf.

The three shops weren't fitting me in different brands they were measuring me and all came out wildly different.

[Orbinator]

Oh for an independent bra shop in our town! I'm hoping to BF soon too and the idea of the choice of literally 6 mono boob nursing bras in Debenhams and M&S is quite disparaging.

[cardibach]

microfight you have to try them on - even if they are the same make/size as one you already have. They vary loads with style as well as make. My fitter leaves no space for embarrassment - she manhandles everything into the correct place! I often look two dress sizes smaller and two cup sizes bigger when she's done though!

[microfight]

I wish I could feel comfortable being manhandled cardibach

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

I second Cardibach. I am on the top end of the norkage scale. I noramlly buy Freya but even the a bra cut one way will fit in my normal size but a bra cut another way won't 'tis a bugger but when you do get a bra that fits it's great.

PS crap bra fitters normally make you bigger on the waistban and smaller in the cup If you go to bravissimo's website here and look at how bra's should fit you will hopefully be able to see what in your current colllection fits properly, then you have an Idea of where to go from there

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

scratch that link this is the perfect fit stuff here

[Acekicker]

I've recommended Bravissimo to a number of friends/family - they invariable come out having discovered they're a good 2 or 3 cup sizes bigger and and equal number of strap sizes smaller than M&S fit them.

M&S bra fitters are beyond crap - I went from a 38 or 40 B to a 36F in Bravissimo - an amazing difference, all my clothes looked so much better after that. They also fucked up my maternity bra fitting which I suspect played a large part in me getting mastitis - again I went from something like a 42 DD with them to a 38 G from the nice NCT lady...

[microfight]

Thanks Doris, I will get myself down to Bravissimo.

[coolio2011]

Completely. I went into M&S for my first ever fitting, she measured me, asked "what size bra do you wear at the moment?" I told her and she said "yes, that's what I was going to say" oh great....so really, you don't have a bloomin' clue?

It's not only the measuring that's completely bonkers but the bras themselves - I'm a C - or rather, all my bras are a C - was in asda the other day and quickly picked one up - looked at the hanger - it was a C. Got home, tried it on, perfect. Take it off and see the label - it's an E?! a bloody E?!

[MadYoungCatLady]

I need to get fitted desperately but feel too shit about myself lately to have the courage to venture anywhere - and I live in a ridiculously small place where you have a choice of M&S, Ann Summers or BHS. I'd love to buy bra's online so I could get nice ones but I have tried this - and got the size horribly wrong :(
I was a 34C before I got PG, but they have grown beyond all proportions - I estimated a 36D but that would be too simple wouldnt it?

[Hermionesjumper]

Bravissimo Fantastic.I went from a 36C to a 32 FF ! Have had awful back,neck and shoulder pain for years -now gone .Oh and I look much better and my clothes hang really well.

[microfight]

I think someone should bring out an online scanner that scans and measures your shape as well as size and then it sends you the perfect bra

[microfight]

It seems many of you have gone down on the number and up on the letter.

[WhoAteMySnickers]

Another vote for the fabulous Bravissimo here. I went from a 34DD (shit M&S fitting) to a 30F in Bravissimo. Clothes look better, straps don't dig into my shoulders and I don't have the horrible 4 boob thing going on where you spill over the top of the cup and it cuts your boobs in half. They have a self fitting guide in their website if you can't get to one of their shops.

[Lunabelly]

I thirdy Cardibach. Avoid chainstores. Usually poor if not non-existent bra fitting training if my local stores are anything to go by.

The small independant bra shop is indeed the one to go for for sure. Ours don't even measure you - they just look at you from all angles, ask what size you are wearing right now, then indeed return with prefectly fitting bras.

Magic.
I'm afflicted with comedy-enormo-norks, so all the crappage chainstores won't even have my size, but the magic bra shops are wonderful. :o

My dream is to have a made-to-measure Rigby&Peller titsling. I realise it will never happen

[BartletForAmerica]

Another vote for Bravissimo - I'd been told I was a 36A by M&S. A friend who was a big fan of them dragged me into their shop to get checked, and I left a 30D, with my breasts looking great and no digging in at the shoulders.

Of course, now after breastfeeding, I'm wearing 30GG.

And to think I used to think of myself as flat-chested...

[Meglet]

I have only had a proper, accurate fitting in rigby + pellar. I could afford to do these things before the DC's! They just looked at me and got the right size first time .

M&S and John Lewis were both wrong when they measured me. The lady in M&S said she wasn't allowed to touch and use the measure, so she had to guess and just bring in lots of sizes FFS.

[ShirlOckholmes]

There is only Bravissimo. If you're shy about being fitted, they have on-line bra fitting guides. Once you have tried a few on, you quickly learn how to tell if a bra fits you properly and which styles/brands suit your particular shape.

[fluffles]

Nobody's mentioned yet that bravissimo don't "measure" you. They "fit" you a bra. So they choose the size based on what you're wearing then fit you into the right size of the style you're buying. This is v important as not all boobs fit all bras the same.

[LRDTheFeministNutcase]

There's a really good (if epically long) thread on this in Style and Beauty, btw.