To think my fried eggs can't be a 30D

[surelynot30D]

When the great creator was giving out breasts I was stood at the back of the line. I have always had what looks like an A cup (apart from a stint of breastfeeding when I had actual bosoms for a while). They have grown a bit now I am in my early 40s, maybe due to some hormonal changes but nobody in their right mind would call them anything but small. At a push they could be what I would consider a B. I have tended to go for the widest band sizing (up to a 36) with the smallest cup because I find it hard to tolerate the feeling of a tight band around my ribs and can't bear the feel of a wire.
Anyway, being aware that as a petite size 8 I am most likely not truly a 36A I just measured (and remeasured) myself following the accepted instructions online and I have come out as.... a 30D.
AIBU to think WTAF?! Does such a bra even exist and would it not be some kind of freakish looking thing. And how could my small handfuls be anything close to a D?
I know I should go and see one of the nice ladies in marks and spencer and get measured but I've never felt entirely deserving of even being in the bra section if you know what I mean.

Here is cup sizing according to the rib/back measurements. You see how the cup size is the same on each bra, but it's the rib measurement that determine a cup with a bigger surface area.

Btw, don't go to M+ S...they will put you back in a 36A

That's what they measured me as and that's what I wore until I was in my 40s. Popped into my local independent on the lookout for a strapless bra and they said no way was I a 36. They measured me as a 30DD or 30E. The change to my shape was amazing!

I actually find Boux Avenue quite good for smaller bands and larger cups. They also measured me the same size as the independent - and seem to know what shapes will fit better.

I used to measure for bras 20+ years ago, dds and Es were quite unusual then. Bra makers have totally changed their sizing, I was always a c and now I am at least a DD. And I have small boobs!

A DD!! Seriously? I'm pathetically excited to get rummaging through the bras in my m&s tomorrow now. I will hold back on asking them to measure me but will definitely experiment with other sizes. This has all blown my mind and it sounds very common to feel like an A but to be something else, from what you all are saying.

I was wearing 34dd as according to M & S before going into John Lewis and being told I was 32 F.

They may not have much in a 30 back unfortunately

I'm a size 14 bottom with a big bum and wide thighs. My top half can best be described as 'wholesome' - a generous size 12 with a wobbly belly. No one would ever guess I wear a 30 band bra, and yet that's what fits me like a glove, provided I wear the correct cup size in the correct style of bra. It really is a funny old thing.

I was wearing 36D as a size 10-12, went to bravissimo who measured me as a 30G.
Christ that band was uncomfortable and gave me backfat!
I've stuck with my 36D's and look better fir it imho.

It's a revelation, that's for sure

I used to find shopping for bras rather a chore. Now I enjoy it.

I’m a size 12 and am 34 f or g depending on style
Try on back to front to check band is comfortable then adjust cup size accordingly
Strap adjustment also makes a huge difference - if I have the straps too tight the bra feels like it’s a size smaller!

I'm size 10, 5ft and a 32G

NHS gave me a blazing no way to a breast reduction.

Embrace your smaller bust. I wish I'd been at the back of a bosom line when great creator was giving them out. I must have been waiting outside the gate at 6am

I still dislike bra shopping, unfortunately. It's simplified it though, for sure.

I buy a huge batch of bras and have them home delivered whereby I can at least try them on in a leisurely manner, in my own time and over the course of a couple of days in some cases.

Then at least I'm not rushed for time, or get clammy or become self conscious in front of the poor assistant who is just doing her job of trying to be helpful.

I choose a couple of the best ones and send the rest back. Works far better for me that way.

Surely, I am a 30DD and a size 8 on top and I also used to wear a 34 or 36 band. A couple of years ago I measured myself and could not believe that I should be a 30DD. It did take a bit of getting used to but 30DD definitely gives me a better shape. The cups also don’t look as big as you think they will.

Warning with m& s a lot of their bras start at 32 band. They have got better over the last couple of years and have now started to have ranges that start at 30 but there is less choice. Have a look on line before you go.

Op I did the same as you always measured 34/36 a
Tried one of the measurements out on here and came out as something like a 30e!
I'm a 12 on top and 10 on bottom.

I've always had no boobs and to me an e is massive.
I'm actually quite excited about my next shopping trip to see if a whole new world of bras has opened up for me.

Do the boob or bust measurement.

booborbust.com

I come out as a 26D

Good luck finding that bra anywhere

I used to wear a 36B until I got measured properly as a 32D.
Totally crazy!

I'm a size 16 and wear a 32 or 34 band

Measured DD15 the mumsnet way which said she was 26E. After hours trying on bras in M&S and Debenhams we came away with 30DD bras.
I'd try on lots if I were you.

I have been a 36A/B for years when measuring the M + S way. Women with larger busts will come out as Ds or DDs according to this method which is why we think of it as large. But actually these women will be more like Hs or Js. Using the boob or bust method I come out as a 30/32 D/DD so you will too. I found Bravissimo great for getting measured and advice on fit in terms of what to look for and sizes to try to get the best fit. The band can feel a little tight to begin with as you are used to it being slack but you get used to it really quickly. And the bras are more supportive and fit better too.

Just another warning for M&S... don't get measured by them. They used an outdated method and will put you in a much too big band. Victoria's Secret are also crap.

I'm in the 32B family. If I can actually find one with a smaller back and bigger cup e.g. 30C, it does maximise the bust which is always good when my abodomen is only ever a good lunch away from dwarfing my bust

It's just annoying to find a better bra size that is barely existent, certainly in my town.

I am size 6-8 and generally wear 32A but in some styles/shops i dont even fill in A cup. By the MN method i would be 28 and a bigger cup ....but this way of measurong surely means that noone would be an A or B cup??

From how you've described yourself OP, I'm about the same size.

I saw the light a several years ago and stopped wearing 32A bras in favour of 28D, the only problem being that it's hard to get 28 band fittings on the high street.

I've had some success in Debenham and JL in the past, but now tend to buy Freya bras on ebay as I know that they're the right sort of shape for me.