Marks and Sparks bra strap length?

[oldiebutnctoday]

Am large of nork with a short body and have never been able to wear m&s bras as straps were always too long to provide support even on the shortest adjustment. Have recently mums netted dd for bra size and she is approx 32dd and similarly short bodied like me. Bought her 2 different styles from m&s and they fit great around the back and in the cup but on the longest adjustment the straps are way too short, I mean unwearable, have to take them back. Wtaf? Who exactly are they making bras to fit?

What size is DD? If she's young then a 32" back sounds quite large (about a size 14?)

About a size 10 but a 30back doesn't get close! I think I'm going to take her to bravissimo and stop being a tightwad because she's still growing

Yup. Take her to Bravissimo. You can always get her fitted and then not buy anything. At least you'll know what you are aiming for then.

32" back sounds quite large (about a size 14?)

32" back size is clothes size 10-12

30" is 8-10.

You could go do any lingerie department and just get a selection of different sizes to try on with her. It's almost impossible to pick up two bras (even by the same manufacturer) of the same size that fit the same!

Really? Sorry - I was just guessing as I am a 28" back and a size 10.

I've tried trying on loads in debenhams with her but her tolerance for shopping is very low unless we are in new look or boots/super drug looking at makeup! That's why I think bravissimo followed by a figleaves order will be the way forward, thanks for your help

Have you tried shortening the straps? I mean not just adjusting them but actually cutting off the slider thing and sewing it back on with the strap much shorter. Or leaving out the slider thing altogether and sewing the strap straight through the loop - that should leave them very short indeed.

ItsAll - I agree, I'm a size 14 and take a 30 back. I suspect she really isn't a 32 back at all if she's a size 10, something's gone wrong in your measuring perhaps OP?

30 or 32" back, and a decent size 14 here.

At home, can you measure where the bottom of the bra goes, in inches, and then round her chest in the best bra you've got. The put the numbers in a new post, with a shout out for a teanage bra intervention. Soral, and several other very knowledgable MN'ers will be along, I'm sure.

Sorry what? I'm a size 8 but I have a 34'' back... ?

Back/band size is how long you measure with a tape measure pulled tight under your breasts with nothing added on

Agree with the others. Am a 16/18 and wear a 34/36 back, so a 32 for a size 10 sounds unlikely (and M&S are notoriously shite at bra fitting). Bravissimo are fab, hope you get some help there

*CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla Thu 15-May-14 13:51:09

Sorry what? I'm a size 8 but I have a 34'' back... ?*

You don't Crayola, trust me. Try here for a proper fitting guide.

Straps falling down is about 99% of the time down to the band size being too big

Can I just point out that back size and clothes size won't necessarily correlate- since back size is measured under the bust and clothes size over. You could theoretically have a 28" back and huge norks and be a size 16. Or a 34" back but only an AA cup size and be a size 10.

TimeForAnotherNameChange

I'm a 10-12 with a 32" back... I'll try out that guide though (thanks )as I consistently find buying bras a nightmare - especially online - because no two of my "size" seem to be the same, but I had put that down to the manufacturer.

I'm a size 8 and a 32" chest. Anything smaller is just too tight. I've been measured in naice expensive shops and cheaper shops and that is my size. I can't breathe in a 30"!

I measure 28" across the back, tightly, under bust, am a size 10/12 and wear a 32" bra.

Anything smaller, I would be suffocated (if I ever managed to fasten it)

I have been wearing the correct bra size for 30 years (never M&S though - they have strange sizing - their clothes are usually too long in the shoulder to bust measurement )

Chronically - totally agree - I wear a 30HH, so could get a size 10 around my ribs, but usually need a 16 or even 18 to get stuff round my boobs! I usually buy things with tie waists, or wrap dresses or jersey stretch etc. It's a nightmare!

sothatswhenI - brands vary enormously that's totally true.

Nohooting - at a size 8 you really shouldn't need a 32 band, really, really. Are you sure you've got the cup sizes correct?

Sometimes people who are very slender need a band size bigger than they measure for comfort due to lack of padding. But, very often when people say that they can't possibly wear the band size they measure because it felt far too tight, it's because they haven't tried a big enough cup. If the cup is too small then the cup will be too far forward on your body so the band will have to cover too big a distance. Basically if the cups are too small they nick fabric from the band and make the band feel artificially tight.

Marks bras are a law unto themselves with quality control issues galore!

I have this problem with M&S bras too. Seems bizarre. (Btw I'm a size 12, 34 back.)

thanks time i'll look at it when I get home

This is probably because if you measure in inches and use the old method, you need to add 4 inches to get your size:

ie I measure 28 inches and +4=32" back size.

In M&S, the cm size is the back size without the additional 4 inches. I don't know if this is the same with all manufacturers as I stick with the inches.

It is no wonder it is impossible to measure - best to ditch the tape measure.

You no longer add inches at all. Unless you're a bad fitter. It is best to go somewhere like bravissimo but you can get a pretty good estimated size using the blog linked above.