To be really irritated when someone insists that the Bra Guru method of measuring is wrong?

[cunchofbunts]

On another forum a lady is insisting on adding inches to her band measurement and advises others to do so.

She measures 33 and wears a 36. Says that a 32 or 34 cuts into her but this this must be because she's wearing too small a cup if she's adding inches to her band measurement.

Head desk.

I've been following this thread all day at work and have just got home and my hands on a tape measure. There has been some great advise and I wondered if there was someone here who could suggest my size to me? I've lost 3.5 stone since last buying a bra so I know I'm in the wrong size. I'm a 32 under the bust and 38 up top. weight loss and being hasn't been kind to me and they feel a bit empty now . Thank you in advance x

I'd start from a 32E and work from there - read the advice over on the bra guru blog about how to recognise a good fit

I put mine on by fastening at the back, then straps up after. Really had to think about how I do it then

Thanks Statistically - that's what I thought. Sounds huge when I feel so flat but I'll use that as a starting point and work from there

Stocking, it just takes practice :) Try holding it in front of you to get the movement, try with eyes closed, then do it up behind you but not on you, then try doing it up on yourself. If you have one or two attempts at doing it up behind you every time you put it on you'll get there. I used to put mine on backwards and spin but then I decided to learn how and it didn't take that long.

I think I've figured out I'm a 30 underbust (a bit tight but 32 is definitely too loose). But I'm having problems with cup size. I thought I was a D but just tried on a couple of 30Ds and it's perfect for my smaller boob but on my bigger boob feels like it's either about to pop out or gives the double boob effect! I think a DD would be too big for my smaller boob, though!

What do you do when there's such a discrepancy in size? I'm sure they used to be more similar!

Have a look at the guru blog, there's a post on asymmetry which might be helpful

Better to have a chicken fillet or a sock in one cup than a double-boob in the other!

Have you thought of getting padded bras to fit your smaller boob and removing the pad from the other cup?

I tried the "new method" of bra measuring, I measure 28 inches around my back under my breasts so I ordered a tankini set from Bravissimo in a size 28E and guess what? I could barely fit the tankini top over my head because the band part was so tight. I gave up and have gone back to adding 4 inches to become a 32E and most bras honestly do fit me comfortably and firmly in this size. I think there is a huge range in how bra companies actually size their bras. I was pissed off that I paid for overseas shipping to experience the "miracle" of a bravissimo item to have be ridiculously tiny even though I followed their sizing guidelines.

But as you just said, there IS a huge variety in sizing from brand to brand. As we all know one shop's size 10 is another's 6 or 12 in another shop so I'm confused as to why you're so pissed off that one shop's 28 is too tight for you.

The guide is just that, it's a guide and you have to move around that but for the majority of people, adding another 4 inches will just give them completely the wrong size.

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread, OP!!! It prompted me to measure myself, turns out I'm 30E and went out and got new bras on my lunch break today!!!! I've never had a bra that didn't cause pain before! I used to wear 32B so you can imagine how uncomfortable I've been for the past 15 years

I love MN

Rain, if the cup on 32E fits then of course 28E will be too small...you need a 28FF to get the same volume. Too small cups can make the band too small

Lashed - I don't mind admitting that I'm completely confused by this! I'm pretty sure the bra guru method is not used here in the USA where I currently reside. I get my bras from Nordstroms and their bra fitting guide still says to use a band size 32 if you ribcage measures between 27-29 inches.

Ok. let's start at the beginning. Using this guide: thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk/p/fitting-advice.html can you please let us know what your ribcage and across bust measurements are?

US cup sizes are different as well I think?

Rain that's because it's using the +4 method. Which is incorrect. Bras are made the same in the UK and U.S.

There are plenty of US websites and bloggers that will confirm this

Cup sizes differ after DD - most U.S. bra manufacturers don't make larger cup sizes, so most people in the U.S. Who need those sizes buy British and European brands

I didn't realise this thread was still going. Going back to the thing about Triumph bras, I'm a 32G but I do size up in the band with Triumph - the one I'm wearing today is 34F. The amourette 300 full cup - gives me somewhat pointy boobs, but is incredibly comfortable and it's a natural looking pointiness, rather than madonna style conical boobs or a Diana Doors shelf. I do have the exact same bra in 32G, but while it technically fits me, I prefer the way the 34F fits me.

So I went to Mothercare to try out some new nursing bras today, tried on loads of different sizes based on my bra guru measurement of 36F and I found 34E to be the best fit, well I think so anyway. The band is tighter than what I'm used to but I'd imagine after a couple of wears it will loosen up a bit. I'm absolutely amazed that I've managed to fill the E cup. When I got it off the shelf I thought that looks absolutely massive, no way would I be able to fill it - but I have! I'm unsure as to whether I've got the exact right fit but It definitely feels a lot more supportive than my old size so that's reassuring and at least I'm making progress. I also look better when I look in the mirror, my boobs are 'lifted' rather than the bra simply covering them and serving no real purpose. The scooping helps too.

So yeah you definitely need to go to a store and try on different sizes/styles. The initial measurement is most definitely a guide, you'd be silly to completely poo-poo this method right away.

Spud, yay! :)

Rain, I am probably being dense - but, if you have a tiny ribcage and huge norks, wouldn't you have to pull a tankini top up, rather than down over your head & chest? Seems to be defying the laws of geometry ...

Congrats, spud :) I know what you mean about looking at the cups & thinking "eh?!"

Triumph amourette and curvy kate something or other. Both 32G. Both around 26" in the band unstretched. CK stretches easily to 34". Triumph is much stiffer and only stretches to 32.5", with effort

34" is more than enough to fit around my luxuriously quilted just under 32" rib cage with plenty of breathing room. I have a 30GG CK that I can wear when I'm half a stone lighter than I am right now.

Garlick, that would only work if you have small hips too.

Good point, Toys - it's going to be a squash & stretch either way! I was being dense

Re the spinning round - I must have been doing this for, oh, 20 years before I read these threads and have been doing it up at the back for about 6 months. It quickly becomes second nature.