Does anyone else now wince after reading the bra threads on here...

[showtunesgirl]

...when encountering people who go: Oh I'm a 34A when they really are most probably not?

I am finding it hard to convince people out of believing their M & S sizes and refer them to the bra gurus fitting guide. But it's so deeply ingrained into common thinking that anything over a D is massive and that they MUST be a 34/36 frame even when they are blatantly smaller than me and I measure as a 32!

jojo that would be the start point but how is the cup on your 34d fitting? If it feels tight I think you might be someone who needs a bigger cup than they measure

and awesome info from married as always

NeedlesCuties - you were asking about bra fitting in Belfast - try Orchid Lingerie on the Lisburn Road. The stuff is v expensive (but I think worth every penny) but they always have a sales rack and if you aren't looking for a matching set of knickers.

I never got round to measuring myself last night, must remember to do it tonight.

I am rather large - umm - all over really. I did the measuring thing and seem to have 36 back and 49 boobs. Can anyone suggest what size I should try. It clearly isn't the 38 DD I currently sort of squeeze into...

what is the measuring thing and how do i do it?

I have never heard of this before! I've just measured myself following the bra guru advice and apparently I'm a 30DD. I thought I was a 34A... Can that possibly be right?! It sounds crazy!

Off in to town today, so I'm going to try some bras on and see...

Verlaine- try 36J and sizes surrounding. So 36HH/J and possibly JJ, and 34J/JJ and possibly K. Brastop and Bravissimo are good online for pretty but supportive sizes.

Verlaine try a 36J and a 36JJ

I can see why many people refuse to go along with it.
My measurements, following the links on this thread take me from a 32A to a 28DD. Just no! I am a size 6-8 on top and not fleshy there. My boobs are really minimal and it doesn't make sense.

My 32 band really cuts into me and i hate it.
Any tighter and I would rather not wear one at all. A 28 band would be VERY uncomfortable surely.

Just under 33 1/2" under boobs, 37" bending forwards...what size should I be, please?

You need to understand the difference between cup size and band size - cup size is NOTHING by itself because it is calculated as a ratio to the band size. So there is no such thing as a 'D' cup by itself, a D cup on a 36 band for example is actually smaller in volume than one on a 28 band. The A cup on your 32 is actually smaller than the DD on your 28 - it is equivalent to a 28C. The reason the 32 band cuts in is because the cups are still too small and are trying to steal fabric from the band to make any kind of fit possible. Truly, try a 28DD and see.

Spider - try 34C, 34D, 32D and 34DD, possibly E. You're at the top end of in between band sizes, so would need to go up a cup or even two if you find the smaller band gices the support you need.

And Toasted, as a size 6 there is no way on god's good green earth that you are a 32 anything - I am a size 14 and wear a 30 back...

Posted before but this is me in a bravissimo laurel (was trying to show how low wires are)
Feel free to have a guess at my cup and back size I'm a size 16 top
i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/brighthair84/91B77D71-B69C-42EB-8399-50B345461753-182-0000000B7118BFA4_zps67426122.jpg

P.s for bra gurus I am in the correct size but its interesting to see what people judge as a cup size and back size

Try 32DD and 34D, spider.

Toasted, put your 32 band on back to front and see how it feels. Remember cup size is relative to band size and not absolute, so a DD on a 28 band is not going to be huge at all.

x-post with everybody!

Sparkle bit confused how you can be a size 14 and have a 30" back. Do you have broad shoulders? I am size 8-10 with a 30E or even wear 32dd bra but have narrow shoulders and back. I have been properly measured

Thank you to asgoodasitgets and sparkle! I will keep you posted ;)

alemci I'm also a 14-16 with a 30 back. I am very hourglass-big norks, vast hips, but narrow back and waist relatively

Blimey - C/D? Really? I'm in a 36A at the moment (having tried a load on in M&S and this being the closest to a reasonable fit I could find) and there'd be room for lodgers in there! I will go and try some on though - thank you!

I measure 31.5 under and 44 over on the tape measure and find that with modern stretch bra fabrics a 30 back provides the support I need. On most of the high street I can wear a size 14 and often a 12 in generous shops. However to get a blouse done up and to sit nicely over my said 30HH's I often need a 16 and fiddle about sewing darts in the waist to stop them flapping about like a parachute... I actually have narrow ish shoulders and quite close set/forwardly projected boobs.

Spider - there's a typo in my post it should read 34C, 34D, 32D and 32DD, possibly E. I don't think the 34 C will actually be big enough in the cup so I'd start with the D's if I were you.

On behalf of my DM do any of you guru's have advice on measuring correctly for a mastectomy bra?
TIA