To want to shout about my new bras from the rooftops?!

[RedPandaMama]

THANK YOU to whoever it was who told me about the boob or bust method on here a few months ago. For YEARS I've been wearing a 38G as I was told that's what I was in M&S. I knew it wasn't right, my back isn't 38 inches and if I bent over I'd get the hideous double boob

Measured myself using boob or bust and came out as a 32J or 34JJ. Went for 34JJ and ordered a load of Curvy Kate and Flirtelle bras in the brastop sale. They arrived about an hour ago and I've just been prancing around with the mum tum flying in all directions in my new bras. I feel AMAZING. They're comfortable, they manage to lift up my (huge) boobs and not make them look saggy, they look GOOD.

So it turns out I'm two back sizes and FIVE cup sizes (GG, H, I, J, JJ) bigger than I was previously wearing! No wonder I always had bloody back pain.

Just wanted to shout about it for all the women in the back who haven't tried it yet, or still trust in the outdated method M&S and a few other places use.

I AM SO HAPPY

The BoB says I'm a 28D but D cup bras in smaller back sizes tend to be pretty much the same style and shape as D cup bras in larger back sizes - so they're desperately unflattering to someone with small boobs like me IME

The Freya bras the Bravissimo woman put me in were half / three quarters cup with thick straps that looked like scaffolding on my tiny frame - and the cups were flapping at the top because I don't have the volume to fill them out

The range of styles in a 28D is pretty limited - and they're basically the same as for larger boobed women just sized down. They all look atrocious on me - I need a moulded cup, plunge, because without a full boob there's nothing to fill out the top.

I've tried many many 28D and sent them all back because they look so unflattering. I wear a sister size (30C) instead because there are tonnes and tonnes more styles available, and I've got some wonderfully comfortable bras that look really pretty, and are proportionate to my size and frame

Whoa that gives me a 34JJ measurement!! Wtaf!!

So I currently wear 34A. I find them uncomfortable, I have back fat and the underwire digs in. Im size 8-10 and have a small frame. I tried remeasuring a few weeks ago using a different method and came up as a 32B. I ordered some bras from MandS and Tesco's and they were so uncomfortable, far too tight and the cup size was massive and didn't fit properly so I sent them back.

I've just used the boob and bust method and it's coming up as 28FF. I can't quite bring myself to order bras in this size....surely it can't be right? There is no way I will be able to fit a 28 band size. I'm thinking of trying 30F just to see maybe? I would rather go into shops to try some on but I doubt shops would carry these sizes?!

Was anyone else wearing 34A and came up as a lot smaller band size and did it work out?!

Was anyone else wearing 34A and came up as a lot smaller band size and did it work out?!

Yep. M&S told me I was a 34A

Bravissimo told me I was a 28D

They're sister sizes. A 34A is the same volume of boobage as a 32B as a 30C as a 28D

I wear a 30C because I can't find any 28D that flatter my itty bitty titties

But safe to say M&S measurement is horseshit!

I really don't understand this... I've measured again and am a 32H... my usual is a 38.... how can wearing a bra 6 inches smaller be comfy ???? Tell me someone ! 😱

Based on booborbust I've gone from 36D to 30FF.

I shall sally forth today to purchase and report back later.

Did the measuring last night after reading this thread. I always thought I was a 34B but apparently I'm a 28DD?!!! Can't wait for half term to be over so I can go bra shopping to try it out! Think I'm overly excited.

Lulusmother It will be comfortable and supportive as long as the cup size is big enough. If for example, you currently wear a 38C, then there's no way that a 32C would fit. However, the sister size in a 32 band (a 32E) would fit.

What size cup are you wearing at the moment?

For anyone saying they won't be able to fasten a smaller band size, I'm a 14-16 and can fit a fist under a 34-36 back size. I wear a 32

houseofrabbits Years ago I wore a 34DD. After being correctly fitted I went to a 30GG/H!

However, it's vital to get the correct bra style and make for your shape. I need deep cups with projection that aren't too tall, otherwise I can't fill the top. I don't get on with t-shirt style, moulded bras at all for those reasons (they can be tricky bras to fit on many people)/

@SorrelForbes I'm wearing a 38C.... agghh cant get my head around it !!!!

Try this site if you want to see what your BoB bra size looks like in real life.
Here is my current: 28FF

www.bratabase.com/browse/by-photo/28:8/

The reason it works is because you have extra cup space instead of extra band space and for most people this is more comfortable, supportive and flattering.
You just really need to get over the idea that a D or DD is necessarily big or unusual

@bananafish81 thank you for your reassurance. I've never actually been measured, just sort of gone on what looks/feels comfy-ish!

@ollivander84 I just don't understand that?! Am I wearing my bra strap in the wrong place or something? Do I just have a lot of back fat for a size 10 person?!

@sorrelforbes that's really interesting. I'm going to go to MandS tomorrow and try lots of different bra styles on. I always thought t-shirt bras were the right style for me but as i've been potentially wearing the complete wrong size...who knows!

@lweji thanks for that. My boobs still don't look big enough to fill those bras but I shall go shopping tomorrow and report back!

This is a (too big now!) 34 band on me

Fingers crossed for me! Since having DS in Jan I have been wearing a 38DD (from my previous 34D).
Just remeasured using BoB and come in at 32G!
Ordered one to trial from Bravissimo so hopefully help with this constant backache!

If the cups are too small, the breast tissue has to go somewhere, so it 'steals' from the band, meaning a larger band is required. I found when I started wearing the right size (36GG, dress dude 18-20), I had to 'scoop' the breast round from under the arm in to the cup, each time I put it on. Still have to sometimes, but it seems to have learnt where to go.

Also, as PPs have mentioned, even with the right size, different styles may not work. I can only wear a plunge style, as any bra where the wires come higher in the middle means the ends dig in.

I see so many women with really badly fitting bras and I sometimes just want to run up and stage a bra intervention.

Managed to stop myself so far

You’ve reminded me I want to try this method! I’m sure all the bras I’m fitted for are wrong. I’m going to buy a tape measure right now!

Ok I've bitten the bullet and ordered a 38j bra that BoB suggests. I'm currently wearing 38e and have to admit the back strap is too large, it's on the tightest setting and I can still fit a fist under it and my shoulder straps are always falling down. I'm hoping this is going to be my boob revelation!!

Crab Is the 38J a typo? If the band on a 38E is too loose, it will definitely be too loose on a 38J (when your boobs will be "stealing" a lot less material from the band).

I've gone from 34dd to 30g or gg

I'm not convinced by this 🤔
Going to go and try that size on though!

Sorry yes, should have said 36j!!

I've found this thread at just the right time! I'm trying to give myself a bit of a drastic makeover, and decided to start by getting some correctly sized bras. I was a 36D (I was fitted at Bravissimo years ago) before kids/weight gain, and assumed that I would need a bigger band size and cup size, so I just self-fitted a 42E. However, I definitely have a sort of mono boob with spillage over the cup/under spill/armpit side boob thing going on. I did the Boob or Bust measurements the other day, and ordered a 38J and a 40H, thinking that one of those might fit.

However, when I received them, neither is quite right. I think the band and the cups are better on the 38J, but I can fit my hand inside the band and the cups seem sort of baggy at the top. The actual shape of the bra I chose (a Bravissimo one) wasn't particularly flattering either, so I will send those back tomorrow for a refund.

In the meantime, I had another look at my measurements and went by the Bra Guru recommendations. I actually measure a smidge under 37", and my breasts measure 51", so I worked out that I need a 36JJ. So, to cover all bases I have ordered Panache Nouveau in a 36HH, 36J, 36JJ and a 36K, to see if one of those is any better.

Unfortunately I live out in rural Scotland, so there isn't anywhere that I can easily get to to be measured.

Just seen replies to me upthread. So when in bravissimo I tried on the bob measurement (34hh) and it was vastly too big, I did ask the sales lady what size I should then go for. She didn’t measure me and said to go back to the size I thought I was originally (38dd). I bought a couple of their bras in this size and they are okay but I still find them a bit bulky. I would like to find bras that are light and comfortable to wear. No idea now what size I am. The 34hh ones I tried (a few!) looked comical, I didn’t even fill half the cups and they were just massive covering about half my upper body!