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!

BookFairy That makes you a 32F (remember there's a DD to count), but as per try a few cups either side. I'm 30FF, I'm not flat-chested by any stretch but neither am I huge and pendulous.

K8te - I second the Anita. I got mine from the Nursingbrashop.co.uk, they do really quick and cheap delivery and are brilliant with returns/refunds etc.
There is a LOT of stretch in the back, so take that into account when you order.

But I genuinely don't even fill out a C cup.... I tried Bravissimo out of interest recently as my friend was getting fitted but I left empty handed as I was too small for any of their bras... Maybe I measured wrong

Not all C cups are equal bookfairy - what back size were you trying

Any idea what the Freya Pollyanna nursing bra sizes are like?

Bravissimo is a pain to get too. Maybe they'll give me commission for all the lovely tweets tonight :)

To not too

So is the consensus to go to an independent bra shop, as the chains - M&S, Mothercare etc are rubbish?

I've had all my most recent fittings in either Mothercare or M & S, and was hugely underwhelmed. I'm still breastfeeding my 11 month old, so might not be a good time to shell out for a £££ bra.

Any tips on places in Belfast or Co. Antrim to get measured and buy bras?

I agree with alll the 'wrong size ideas'
I used to wear a 34a since I started wearing a bra, the cup always gaped (and looked horrid) and i just thought I had really small boobs.
last yr I lost a bit of weight and went to debenhams and got measured. They put me at a 30c!! I didnt believe her until I started trying on!!

it is honestly amazing and now my bras and boobs look good! I threw out every old size I had.

I did find them 'too' tight at first because for 20 odd years I had been wearing totally the wrong size, now they feel fine!

any non believers should try it!

Oh I'm desperate to find a bra that fits. I'm big chested and finding a decent bra is something that I can only dream of.... I don't even have a ruler though, so I can't measure

I have 36 B and 34 C depending on what time of the month it is. The middle fits well, the wire goes around the whole boob to the under arm, and the back fastening isn't too tigh/loose/high/low. I should measure again in the morning as I'm tired from the heat. Maybe I had the tape measure all wrong . Good food for thought thank you

Twll do you have string? Measure using that and then myonlineruler.com - it adjusts to take account of your screen resolution.

TwllBach Have you got a bit of string or a shoelace and a piece of A4 paper. Convoluted but you could use measure with the string and then lie the string against the long side of the paper (which is 11.7") and then work it out from there

After lurking on bra threads and knowing I needed measuring and new bras ( I have recently lost 3 stone) I took time off work and went to John Lewis in Sheffield last week. Had lovely, discreet and informative service. Went in 36dd, came out 32f !

Ooh I bet I can do that

I'm glad I found this thread as my bra shopping expedition at the weekend did not go well! I got 36Bs but still have back fat. Just tried scooping and I was spilling out!
I have just measured and I'm 34 inches underneath and 39/40 leaning over, can anyone tell me what size to try? In the shop I couldn't even get a 34 to do up.

32.15 under and 43.85 for the largest part... So I'm guessing I'm a 32, which makes sense, but its the straps and the cup that never seem to work.

KikkiK - were you by any chance trying the 34s in a B/C type cup size. I'm a 30HH, can't do up an old 30g though cos my boobs steal the back fabric. I'd suggest trying a 34DD and E

Surely that's about 32GG for Twll?

Try putting a 34 on backwards Kikki. That will show you whether the band itself fits without the cups confusing matters. Once you've established your back size you can experiment with different cups.

See I'm wearing a 32 g wonder bra but the straps are useless and the cup sort of feels empty at the bottom and gapey at the top. I tried an e a week ago and they were squished out the top and the sides but then I have back fat at the moment too. Is that breast tissue then and not just, you know, a fat back?

twll, is that wonderbra moulded by any chance? If so, it could be a style issue rather than size. Also, are you scooping?

Yes, StatisticallyChallenged, was trying a 34C as that's what I bought the last time I went bra shopping three years ago. Didn't think I'd still be that size but was using it as a starting point. Will try the bigger cup sizes.
Thank you!

Thanks too, MadBusLady, good tip - I'll try that.

Did you know that M&S are on twitter, and seem to answer their customers' tweets of complaint quite promptly?

Has anyone ever tweeted (or even contacted) them about their poor fitting service & lack of smaller banded bras? Maybe we should all start!

OOh yes RollerCola...They give a very standard "this is an isolated incident" response even when faced with stores at opposite ends of the country doing the same.