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.

Rainbunny, tankinis are a NIGHTMARE! I've tried god knows how many and always get stuck! I'm definitely a 30 band, but getting a 30 band over my shoulders/head - no chance.

The bra guru type method is spreading in the US, but TBH it's like the UK 10 years ago in terms of availability of big cup small band bras. There are a lot of bloggers and a few specialist shops who have got the idea, and funnily enough at least some branches of Nordstrom fit properly. But when you've got places like Victoria's Secret who measure above the breast...

I know what you mean about looking at the cups & thinking "eh?!"

It's crazy. Looking at me you would never guess I was an E cup, I mean you think E cup and you think 'comedy boobs' or there abouts. I felt kind of embarrassed in the shop just in case someone saw what sizes I was picking up and thought "no way is she a D/E/F cup, bit ambitious aren't you love?"

I'm amazed that I was wearing a B cup and thought that was right, I can see now it most definitely wasn't. Especially after having two babies.

I measure 29 but I need a 30. I just don't have the padding to go down to a 28. They don't do up (or they do but I can't breathe and have it done up at the same time). If you're 29" around, you're probably skinny, so don't be afraid to go up one. 32 is more comfortable initially than 30 for me but I find my boobs slip throughout the day and I end up with cup gapage. 30 does feel like a bit of a shock tightness wise, but once it's on and I'm dressed and doing things I quickly stop noticing it. I do take it off when I get home in the evening, though.

Picking up on Madwoman's comment about underarm flab poking out - it's really uncomfortable, that's the problem with it. And as some people have commented, they end up with chafing or cuts from it.

I've only been able to wear anything other than a soft cup bra since doing a bra intervention. And I did step down in band size/up in cup size from the 36DD I'd been wearing, too, which trained my lumpiness into some semblance of order - and helped me overcome my sensory defensiveness towards a more firm fitting bra.

Definitely much less back fat and armpit lard, now I'm in the correct size.

I do turn my bras, though. Have no choice. Fingers and thumbs tend to dislocate and I strain my shoulders very easily. Getting dressed is often a source of injury for me, as it is.

If anyone has any US specific links I'd like to share them in a facebook group please :) I haven't had much luck searching.

Bertie this is a great US website and blog for bra shopping/fitting www.butterflycollection.ca/

I'm in the UK so it's really the blog bit that I've read, but I'm guessing the online shop is probably good too.

BertieBotts there's a facebook group called "Clothes for Boobs Buy/Sell/Chat/Share Page" which has a fairly active american contingent (often buying bras from the brits who will ship!), and a lot of them us reddit (a bra that fits and braswap), and there's also bratabase. What most Americans in the know are doing is using the UK measuring method, and then converting the cup size (American brands aren't exactly consistent once they get past D!) so if they are coming out as say a 34FF in UK sizing, that would be a 34 still, but then whatever the 8th cup size is in the American range they are looking at.

TBH, most of them are buying UK or polish brands - figleaves, amazon, herroom and various other places over there stock panache, cleo, freya etc and companies like brastop and bravissimo ship. Brastop often does free worldwide shipping offers.

If anybody wants to see what happens if your band is too big - could someone stage an intervention?

I have recently lost a bit of weight and don't think my bras are fitting particularly well now.
I have just measured - 28' underneath and 34' over (so 28E?)
At the moment I am in a 32D - it's definitely feeling loose.

But I would like to try other sizes too. So if a 28E is not comfortable and I try a 30' band what cup size should I try? Still E or up or down???
Thanks

30DD would have the same volume as 28E.

How is the cup on the 32D? This also has the same volume

If you go up in back size, you should go down in cup, to keep the same volume. I would recommend that you first start with the bra back to front, so you can figure out if the back size is right. If it's too tight to breathe, go up a back size. If it's fine backwards but does not fit the right way, you need bigger cup.

It's also a good idea to start a couple of cup sizes bigger than you think you measure, and work your way down. It's generally quite obvious if the bra is too big, cups empty and baggy despite scooping, so you know just to try a size down until that problem disappears. As breast tissue is soft, it's not always obvious if it's a little bit too small though and people might wear bras that are more or less OK, but would be better a size bigger.

Thank you both.
The cup on the 32D is gaping a bit at the top now.
The wire is flat at the front - not gaping at the middle.
The band does tend to ride up a little over the course of the day and I can pull it quite far out.
My boobs are small - like two little bean bags when I lean forward!!

I'd start with the 28E. The gaping in the 32D could well be because the band is too big meaning the cups are falling forward and not being held in place properly rather than because they are actually too big IYSWIM?

Thank you - yes I see what you mean. Time to go shopping :)

Ooh! This made the weekly newsletter email!

For years I thought I was a 34DD. Finally got measured in a local department store and emerged as a 30FF and looked like a new woman! I've discovered I can't wear any old 30FF, I have to try on dozens until the fitting lady is happy that everything fits where it should. Ladies - if you can't find anything to fit - go and find a decent lingerie shop. Debenhams can be good. Bravissimo is AMAZING and their dresses for boobs are fabulous. M&S bras are just hopeless on me and I can't bear all that foam padding. I'm now a G cup - why would I need anything extra?
Don't guess - get measured - in fact I wasn't measured, the fitter just took one look and knew what I was!

I know this is a little off-topic but why do bras fasten at the back? Surely it would make life a lot easier if they fastened at the front?

I don't think they would fit properly if they fastened at the front would they? Especially as the elastic started to go. Plus I don't know about others but I seem to sweat loads on my breastbone.

Re tankinis I have one from bravissimo and it gas hook and eye fasteners on a bit on the inside so goes on fine over my head. I think most of the bravissimo ones do? It's almost like a normal bra fitted into a swimsuit/tankini.