Size 14, 38E body storms Hollywood?

[Scaredycat3000]

Grazia front page this week,
Here
I'm sure there are many things that could be discussed about this front page, but for me it's the bra sizing. I have no idea who she is or what Mad men is, so I really am just talking about the inaccurate bra size.
Celebrities clothing/bra sizes and weight are regularly guessed by the media. All of this unhealthy for our body image. Bra sizing is always all over the place and a poor fitting bra has been linked as a possible link to breast cancer, and generally bad for your health. So isn't it important that these things are vaguely right? A size 14 body should be wearing a 34 approx, and no way are those norks an E cup, you're going H cup upwards there.
I regularly see I'll fitting bras on models, headlines such as this, why bother? Why guess the size rather than put nothing? Why put a model in the wrong size? Obviously I can't find examples now, but I often see models wearing bras that have a huge gap between their flesh and the band, with cups that are then to small.
It's just plain lazy, surly Grazia has a lot of women working there, are they wearing ill fitting bras?

ta.

so where did this whole adding 5 inches come from?

M&S had me in a 36G for years but after being fitted at Bravissimo I now wear a 32H. Following your scheme this is exactly right, so it should have been easy...

Adding 4 used to be the right way to measure before the industry standard was changed. Not quite sure when that was, but it was years ago.

As someone who was professionally fitted for a size 38E bra yesterday it is nonsense that at size 14 you should be wearing a size 34.

I am ordinarily a size 34DD and a size 8-10. Due to being 14 weeks pregnant all my bras have been really uncomfortable.

So I am sat here in my size 8 maternity jeggings and my 38E bra feeling lovely and comfortable.

The point was, I believe, that the 'average' (lol) size 14 woman would have a 34 inch rib measurement.

Obviously we're all built differently. Some women who are a 14 will have a much bigger rib cage and some a much smaller one. Just like some women who are a 14 will be 4'9" and others will be 5'11".

Oh, and just out of interest nancy, what is your actual rib measurement?

I'm a size 14 and a 34G - my boobs would probably do what hers are if they were squeezed into a dress like that!

M&S are crap at bra measuring, they had me at a 40D! which my boobs fell out of the bottom of it was like a vest top!

The best place i've been is an independent shop who asked me what size i was currently wearing measured my chest size and then suggested starting with a particular bra. She recommended, like Fermina does above, using the chest/boob measurment as a starting point and working from there, oh and trying them on using the loosest setting.

fermina I have just measured and I am a 30.5 round my ribs.

The woman who measured me was quite suprised but we tried a lot of different sizes in a lot of different styles and brands and the 38E came up best fit. I think my ribs must be starting to flare already - I am only 5'3" so that tends to happen quite early in pregnancy everything seems to shif up under them IYKWIM.

So what is the consensus re adding inches to rib measurement I am interested to know what my theoretical size ought to be

Interestingly I have just measured the rib band of my 38E bra and it measures 29.5" (unstretched).

Hmmm!

Seriously? And ahe put you in a 38????

TBH I doubt you'd even need a 38 at term, probably more like a 34 or 36.

It's hard to say without knowing your actual bust measurement, but, I'd put money on you being more like a 30 I or 32 H. Honestly, pregnant or not, comfortable or not, your new bra is totally the wrong size.

x posts

Lol, you guys made me get the tape measure out! I am a size 12, 30g or 32f depending on the bra with a 28.5-29 inch rib cage. How does this compute?

Band sizing sounds just about perfect to me! You could also try a 28 (and up a cup size from 30) if your breasts are large and not self supporting IYSWIM. Can't comment on the cup size without a measurement...

Your cup/band adjusting over brands is also correct.

What the heck are self supporting boobs imagining some sort of built in shelf...
Mine are about 35-36inches.

Listen to Fermina - she speaks sense! I have - er - generous boobs and for years, going to normal high street stores, the so-called professional fitters just used to stare at them in bemusement and dish out bigger...and bigger...and bigger back sizes. By the time I was pregnant I was in a 40E.

And then Bravissimo opened in a town near me. I went - no tape measure in sight - all done by eye and I am in fact a 32GG. For the first time in my life my bras are supportive and comfortable. Oh - and I'm a size 12-14 (but only in stretchy tops - no fitted shirts or jackets).

femina since you seem to be the expert I am going to do a breast measurement...

Ok that is 39" - 38" if I pull tape snugly.

the bra I bought is a bigger back size than one I already have (which is a 34) I can do it up - just! but as soon as I sit down it is absolute agony. Do you think this is just really random sizing of the bra I was fitted for?

The reason I ask was I was about to order a whole lot of maternity bras online on the basis of my new super comfy 38E - I am guessing judging by your comments I'll be disappointed when they arrive.

Oh and thanks

And sorry to everyone else for thread hijack!

In M&S defence, I went there a little while ago and the lady there was ace. She didn't actully measure me though - rather she looked at the bra I was wearing and brought several bras to me in different sizes.

She advised me to avoid moulded cups, to go for fuller cups as a rule, and had me put my shirt back on over the new bra to demonstrate the improvement.

I loved her. She's changed my life

Why should you have avoided moulded cups? Just out of interest like, I love moulded cupped bras but can never find any in my size :(

Ummm, I can't actually remember. Perhaps they add unecessary bulk or something.

To be fair I'd been wearing a moulded cup bra when I arrived and it looked rubbish. But then it was a 36C. And I walked out of M&S with four bras in a 36E

Lol maybe that is why it looked rubbish! Completely the wrong size!

I am very proud of my E cups btw. Delighted in fact.

I have to look at the special large bosomed lady section in M&S lingerie departments. For I am a special large bosomed lady

bless you you are special [patronising head ruffle]

msrisotto - I make you a starting size of 30 G. 10 points.

nancydrewrocked - it's a very complicated business, just like all womens clothing. I am a dress size 10, but have 6,8,10,12 and 14s in my wardrobe, all of which fit perfectly...

I can only give you a starting point to start trying from. Based on your measurements I make that a 30 H and would suggest 28 I, 30 H and 32 G as the first sizes to try.

But, that doesn't mean that your new bra doesn't fit properly. It might. Could be a really freakish cut. If the band is tight and the cups fit properly with no gaping, wrinkling, the wire isn't standing off your chest and not cutting into the breast at the side. But, in any case, you are most certainly not a 38 E starting size.

Whatever your bra size you really need to buy maternity bras as you go, there's no way of predicting how many cup or back sizes you'll go up. If your planning on breast feeding it's well worth getting feeding bras during pregnancy, they'll fit again at some point when your BF as your cup and band sizes gradually reduce.

SleepingLion - thank you! I speak from bitter experience and I will NEVER trust a fitting 'expert' armed with a tape measure again.

i have, well since last year, started to wear moulded cup bras -i was always afraid they would make me look even bigger than i am (34G). However since switching to moulded cups i have had numerous comments on my weight loss (i've actually put on weight not lost it!) so they must be doing something right!!

and proud of it :)