AIBU to think I'm not a 40A bra??

It won’t fit. Because she won’t be a 40 back at a size 14, and M&S have been putting women in badly fitting bras for years
but people think they fit because it’s what they’ve grown up with and newspapers keep saying stuff like katie price is a 34DD when in reality she’s more like a 26KK

I don’t understand the problem here, you’ve been measured, told your size and that size does fit you… but you just don’t want to buy that size because you think it’s meant for more overweight women- despite the fact it fits you when you have tried it, so you know you are that size?

I have recently lost weight and am in my 50s so lost volume in my breasts too. I was wearing an M&S 36E which did fit before weight loss. I thought I would be coming down size wise because the top of the moulded up was more than gaping.

I went to Pour Moi and had the best bra fitting I have ever had (previously Bravissimo, M&S etc) and came away in a 34FF. In M&S a 34 would cut me in half hence the 36 back. I will be honest and say I was shocked at th FF but the bra fits amazingly well so I have accepted it. I feel the same about clothing, I don't care what the label says as long as the clothes fit well.

By all means go to Bravissimo because I do think they are good at fitting.

Definitely get measured there- they are known for bigger cups because measuring correctly ups your cup size. Even if they don't have your size in stock you'll have a bra size you can then use as a basis for exploring options across the market including buying correct sizes at m&s!

The cup size is dependent on the band size though, so the cups on a 30F will be smaller than those of a 36F. I wore 32B for many years and now wear a 28DD and the fit is fantastic and so comfy. My boobs are small! But look great in my DD bras. However a 34DD bra would look ridiculous on me as I'd never fill the cups!

I'm just fed up with having such limited choice in small band sizes - being a size 8 isn't unusual yet most bra sizes start at 32" which is way too big for me so I end up having to pay over the odds for bras. So annoying!

They do yes.

They are measuring you wrong in m&s
An m&s bra in the right size (30f) will probably be about right.
They cut their bras to the standard (so I find), but what they are saying the fit should be like (34 back) is not a good, supportive fit for a bra. The band should be doing almost all of the work of supporting your bust.
On the plus side, your boobs are going to look so much better in the right size bra!

I thought it was common knowledge that M&S measuring method is absolutely terrible?

Get to Bravissimo or a small independent lingerie shop. There is one in my town and the lady there takes one look at you and brings a bra in the right size.

I thought I was going to cry the first time I tried a proper fitting bra on. My larger than average but not absolutely massive boobs finally felt supported!

I went for a fitting at Rigby and Peller yesterday and came out with a 32E and my boobs are really not big at all. It’s all relative, my ribs measure 30 and the bust is 34 but R&P don’t use measurements, they go off how your current bra fits and adjust from there.

This calculator seems crazy to me!

In my 20s I wore an M&S 32A
Now in my 30s I wear and M&S 34B

That calculator says I am 30F! How can I be?! Does that measurement only apply to their bras, or is an M&S 30F supposed to fit me as well?

Mind is blown…

That’s because M&S can’t measure! They also don’t offer all sizes so they’re having to fit you into what you have
without fail they will measure you and add 4 to the band and give you a cup size that’s too small
theres been thread after thread on them since the bra threads started in 2013

I saw this Instagram post at the weekend, which I thought explained quite well what a well fitting bra should fit like (not for shape advice, but size advice)

You could be an A in M&S and an E in bravisimo. Both shops measuring / sizing is crazy.
I’m a B / C in M&S and an E in Bravisimo. Doesn’t make any sense.

I’d avoid both of them.

Is there anywhere better?!

It’s right for you if it fits. If it doesn’t fit then it’s not right for you. I wouldn’t worry about the size and just if it fits and it’s comfortable.

Do they fit well? If a 32 back fits you around your chest, I'm not sure how something 6 inches wider is supporting your bust from the underneath.
If you measure 32 inches on your waist, but you put on a pair of trousers with a 38 inch waist, do they stay up?

You can’t wear a 32 and a 38 unless one of the sizing is completely off
32 and 34 maybe
most women don’t know what a well fitting bra looks like as most places don’t fit well and we are told a DD cup is big

You said 38d was too big, so try 38c or 36D.

This, if they fit and comfortable isn't all that matters? I was a 38c in M&S and a 32 c in a specialised bra shop both bamboozled me but they did fit well I have various sized bras it's about the fit imo.

I’m a size 16/18 and wear a 34 back so yes 40 is very unlikely

Have a little search on the site at M&S bra fittings. The issue is that a 40 inch back when the lady is measuring 37 inches in the back is an outdated method of measurement, and the bras won't give the support needed or a good look in the bra.

If you measure 37 around your ribs then you're obviously not a 40 back. You're either a 36 or a 38, depending on the bra and your own body shape. 36 will probably feel very tight if you're used to something much looser, but it will be more supportive.

Bravissimo will fit anyone - I would highly recommend them. I've been going to them for 20+ years, since they only had a store in Covent Garden. M&S are shite at bra fitting, I don't know why they even bother.