Is it fair to say that 36C, 34D, 32E, 30F bras are all pretty much the same size?

[Shinydiscoballs1]

Just that really, I just did a bra calculator and I've put my measurements in. It says I would be a 34D, 32E or 30F
I also have a bra here which is 36C which fits well too.
What actual bra size do I go for?

I’m the same as you. I ‘should wear a 26E or 28DD in reality anything under a 30 cuts into my back and is incredibly uncomfortable so I wear a 32C and feel great.

I measure 34" under the boob - 43" over the boob. I am in a 32H/HH. The shoulder straps are always falling down, so the lifting is being done by the band, and I need the lift .

Your band size is way too big. It may be comfy, but is not technically the right size.

Join Boob or Bust on facebook, they have loads of really useful advice on measuring and checking of sizes.

@3WildOnes

I’m the same as you. I ‘should wear a 26E or 28DD in reality anything under a 30 cuts into my back and is incredibly uncomfortable so I wear a 32C and feel great.

I feel like that would be the same as me. I have quite a narrow rib cage but when I've tried smaller back sizes, the under the arm pit fat gets pushed up and is visible under a top. A 34 is smoother. However.... I've never tried smaller back with bigger cup as I didn't really understand it so I've probably tried 30C/32C which felt tight. So I'll go and try 30DD/32D

You need to try 30 and 32 bands with a bigger cup. Of course it will feel too tight if your boobs don't have room in the cup.

I'm a size 8 and wear 28F. You wouldn't look at me and think "F cups" (partly because there's no such thing in the abstract).

I think you need to try more like a 30F or FF. Scoop all the tissue from under your arms forward into the cup.

The arm pit fat is most likely boob You need to get it all in the cup.

I'm a size 20 and wear a 38 back. You definitely need to go smaller. Can you get to a Bravissimo for fitting?

Much of what you're seeing as underarm fat is probably breast tissue. If you try a 30" or 32" with a much larger cup (I'd guess at least E, probably F), you should be able to scoop most of that into the cup.

I've just done the boob or bust calculation
Thanks for the link previously in the thread.
They recommend 30G!!! To start with.
I've been so off with sizing

I think you need to goto a proper bra fitters. I used to wear 32C because thats what high street shops recommended (because actually they didnt have my size.

I am a 30FF

The vast majority of support from your bra comes from the band, not the straps. You should be able to slide two fingers under the back of the band - no more.

As others have said, always do a "swoop and scoop": put the bra on, bend at the waist so your boobs are hanging and use your hands to scoop all breast tissue into the cups. When you stand up straight the underwire should be flat against your sternum and the cups should be full, including all breast tissue at the side - the outer end of the underwire should practically be in your armpit, not resting on your boobs. The cups should not be so tight they give you quad-boob but they shouldn't gape either.

That's true @VelvetChairGirl these sizes are quite unusual and I guess I'd be limited as to where to get bras, whereas everywhere stocks 34c 34d

Ladies can I please have your advice, my back measures 28, online it says I should be a 28E but it was way too tight, couldn’t even do it up. Do I go up to a 30 or would I need a bigger cup size?

Just make sure you buy from a site with easy returns. I ended up buying a 28E from a (Polish?) website after reading one of these threads and whilst it fits and looks great it is unbearably uncomfortable. It’s still sitting in my drawer unworn.

You should only be able to pull the band out by 2cm, nearly all the support is from the band not the shoulder straps. I would say the 32 seems right. It might be worth looking at different types as some bras all the same size feel different.

Previous bra fitter

I'd really recommend going to a proper bra shop for a fitting (Bravissimo is good of you have one nearby). Not only do they get the proper size but they'll show you the best way to actually put it on to ensure its the best fit and support possible. I couldn't believe it first time I went and got a "proper fitting" (unlike m&s who just wanted to put me in a 36B which obviously didn't work lol).

No, they really aren't the same size. A lot of sites will tell you that you can go up a band size and down a cup size (or something along those lines) and they'll be the same, but they aren't. I've found it's really important to get the band size exactly right. i.e. if you're a 30, you're a 30. Don't get a bigger band. If you've got a small back, be aware that only a few companies make small back sizes, and even fewer that make small back sizes with larger cup sizes - Bravissimo is a good place to start. There are a few other brands that say their bras are a 30 back, but they're far too big. All brands seem to size slightly differently, so you need to try them on. A fitter told me that you should be able to fit one finger beneath the band at the back and no more. If there's any more wriggle room than that, the band is too big for you and won't provide adequate support. If your breasts aren't fitting in the bra properly and you've got the right band size, you need to go up or down at least 1 cup size. Also try different shapes, as they hold your breasts differently e.g. plunge, balconnette etc.

I was a bra fitter for years and sister sizes only work to a certain extent. If someone measures at 34D and wasn’t comfortable I would maybe try 32DD and 36C but I certainly wouldn’t try anything more than one size each way.

Different brands fit differently as do different styles to different breast shapes. You won’t be the same size in every single bra.

People also forget that the band of a bra stretches with use & washing so we become accustomed to a bra being slightly looser if we are not regularly replacing them. A bra band should be quite tight to give you the appropriate support. It needs to stay in place and not ride up. If I am getting regular use out of a bra I replace them every 6-8 months because they are almost never the size that I bought them at once it gets to that time.

I hate boob or bust. Their recommendation for band size is a good size or 2 below what I can even fasten around my body in any bra shop I've been in. And my armpit fat is a good few inches away from my boobs so I hope they aren't the same thing else I've got 4 boobs

@Pedalpushers

I hate boob or bust. Their recommendation for band size is a good size or 2 below what I can even fasten around my body in any bra shop I've been in. And my armpit fat is a good few inches away from my boobs so I hope they aren't the same thing else I've got 4 boobs

Do you mean for example you're 30 when you measure round your ribcage, but when you try a 30 band size bra you can't fasten it?

Start with a cup size much bigger than you think you'll need, at least F or G, on a 30 band. Get the band size comfily snug first, then reduce the cup size if it's gaping (it probably won't be).

Sounds like you've decided what a reasonable cup size is and are forcing the band to provide the extra space, which makes for a terribly fitting bra. Too large band/too small cup is apparently typical for most of us. The comfort and support from a smaller band with generous cups is a revelation!

@EmpressSuiko

Ladies can I please have your advice, my back measures 28, online it says I should be a 28E but it was way too tight, couldn’t even do it up. Do I go up to a 30 or would I need a bigger cup size?

Try a 30 but it depends on the type of bra and also the fit.

I am not the same size for a sports bra as I am a regular bra for example as they are different and meant to hold in rather then up.

also as with anything different companies are different fits.

oh and the multple clasps on the back, your spost to be the lowest then move on to the futher up ones as your bra elastic stretches over time

Surely the difference between these is the band size. The cup size is the same. The way bra cup sizes are calculated is the difference between the band size and the total bust size. Therefore the 32 E would need the bigger cup because the difference between band size and total size is greater therefore a bigger boob. If the cup is right for you then you need to get the right band size.

If you’re a size 8 and measure around 30-31” under your bust, you’re likely to be a 30F or G. The band will feel much less tight when your boobs are in a large enough cup.

And different brands may fit differently too. I tried some bras in 36H recently. One 36 felt very tight whereas the other brand fit fine. Its a minefield tbh