Bra fitting - It's all bonkers!

[papulacandin]

Story of the weekend... Friday go to M&S and they have nothing for my v. modest 34AA frontage (I refuse non-wired, teenage girl range). Return home in a huff

Saturday: Go into independent bra shop and get fitted into a lovely 32A (down a back size, up a cup: perfect me thinks!)

Sunday: Inspired by newly enhanced chest I stop by Elle McPherson store at the outlet village. Girl there announces that I'm a 30D. I give her my best look!

What's going on???? Are all those 'how to fit a bra with tape measure guides' a complete waste of time. Is it more an art than a science?

Share you crazy bra size variations please!

M&S tell me 32D and Bravissimo tell me 28E. I tend to go on what I think, and which ones suit my shape. M&S always try and get me into balcony jobbies which make me look completely flat-chested (I have a big bum relative to size, so need a bra with a bit of ooomph!)

What do you measure underneath your rib cage? M&S tend to stick to the rule of adding 4 or 5 inches on, but Bravissimo don't.

It is all completely bonkers though, you are quite right!

It is completely bonkers, I agree! I tend to just go by what looks/feels right and no longer bother getting measured.

Got daughter measured at M&S, they said she was a 30 B-C. Not much in stock in her size so we tried elsewhere (awkward sizing BTW, teenage ones in BHS etc. go up to A cup, adults generally start at 32). So we tried some 32B's in La Senza and elsewhere - absolutely huge! And rather ridiculous looking on my 12 year old! [smiley]. (And turned out to be underwired too...)

M&S 36D, La Senza 36DD.
My real size 32FF and even 30G in some styles.

M&S don't do FF so I've tried G there. Can't find anything in either shop that fits me properly. I tend to stick to fairly decent brands like Freya/Fantasie and Panache but even they vary between styles.

Chances are that the shop that gives you the smallest band and biggest cup is likely to be the most accurate.

Bras are like jeans, a very personal fit with zillions of variations.
All I'd say is never buy either without trying them on.
Oh, and never trust a fitter that has to work with a tape measure

M&S are notoriusly crap.
I think they didn't measure very well or accurately because they didn't provide alot of the sizes like 28s or 30s and the larger cup sizes (I know they do now).

I went in to Bravissimo earlier this year in a 42G - I cam out in a 40H and have since gone down to a 38H - fits brilliantly!

I started a thread along similar lines recently. glad I made the decision to trust my own judgement rather than getting measured.

Bra sizing is really tricky, it varies so much for brand to brand and style to style. TBH if you want a properly fitting bra you need to learn to fit yourself properly. Some bra fitters are excellent but many, many more are worse than useless. The good one usually do it by eye, even if they do get a tape measure out for the form.

The band should provide the support not the straps, IME it's usually only women with self supporting breasts that can wear their 'true' band size and get sufficient support. For example, my breasts are anything but self supporting (think spaniels ears). I measure a 34 but if I wear anything bigger than a 30 the band rides up my back and my shoulders take the strain. A jobsworth bra fitter would put me in a 34, M&S would probably put me in a 38...

Bravissimo have good instructions on fitting, here.

It is handy to measure yourself to get a starting size, even though it'll only ever be a guide. I've copied this from one of my old posts [lazy]. How to measure:

First you measure the ribcage directly under the bust. That measurement is your band size, never add 4. That used to be right but the industry standard was changed years ago.

You calculate the cup size by the difference between the rib measurement and the bust measurement. 1 inch = one cup size.

So a band measurement of 34 and a bust measurement of 36 is a 34 B. But, that's just a guide, you may find that a 32 C, 34 B or a 36 A gives a better fit depending on the brand and style of bra. Some times you may need to go totally 'off piste' to get the right fit.

The same underwires are used in different cup sizes, the underwires in a 32 c, 34 B and a 36 A are all the same size. You MUST adjust the cup size if you adjust the band size.

Always try bras on at the loosest band setting, a 34 worn on it's tightest setting (when new) is a 32. The band will stretch with time and you need to be able to take it in as this happens. The band should be tight but you should be able to get two finger under it. Underwires should stand flat to your ribcage, if there's a gap the cup is too small. If there's wrinkling on the cup then it's too big.

The lady in the independent lingerie store was almost spooky. Took the swiftest of glances at me fully dressed (top and cardigan), placed me in fitting room and came back with a bra that fitted like a glove!

Great advice Fermina

Independants tend to be best IMHO. Am lucky enough to live in a city where there is a shop run by ex manager of Rigby & Thing in Knightsbridge. £££s but worth it - she sells mostly continental brands.
In my experience Bravissimo tend to get you in as small a back & big a cup as possible - I got to the point where I could hardly breathe! M & S are appalling and have a rubbish range of sizes.

After growing a chest overnight the size of everest when I was about 11 or so, I have alsways had the most awful bras and never had any that were very comfortable and never ever had an underwired as they alwys hurt so much.

Then I discovered Bravissimo and never looked back! I found certian makes fit me better. Before I had DS 3 years ago Freya were perfect on me, now Fantsie seem to be best on me - but I DO need to lose weight.

Never ever, even since my new found bra knowledge have I managed to get one in M&S that fits or doesn't cripple me

Agree about M&S being utter rubbish, also (much to my surprise) John Lewis too. I wore the most ghastly bras for years because of those two august emporiums who measured me as a 42B. Then I wandered into the underwear floor in Selfridges and came out with perfectly fitting bras ... in a 36E.

Same as mentioned by others, fitted by eye and not by measuring tape ... and what a confidence boost. I sent an awful lot of texts from that changing room

I also shop online a fair bit and have one manufacturer that I like and I know my size in (its not 36E though). I am confident that the fit is fantastic, because I now know what that feels like.

sorry for all th sp mistakes