Bra cup-size changes. 32B to 30DD???

[soulfulsarah]

I’m a little confused. I’m hoping someone can explain. I’ve gone off bras big time. They irritate me so I tend not to wear them unless I really must. As far as I’m aware I’ve always been a 32B. Since I’ve been working out a lot and don’t oftrn wear bras apart from sports bras at the gym I decided to go and get myself measured at La Boux. When the lady told me I’m a 30DD I almost laughed in her face and then she went to get me a handful of bras to try on. They all actually fit me. I’m really confused how I could have grown a couple cup sizes. I don’t oftem work the bust area at the gym so if anything I’d have imagined they would have gone smaller but not the case here. Does this mean it’ll be the same in ever shop or is this just la boux sizing?

Sorry for the odd question ha!

I find they vary wildly depending on brand.

You need a bra intervention OP! Traditionally, all the main stores have measured 'wrong' and there are only one or two trustworthy shops e.g. Rigby and Peller, Bravissimo.

I've had similar experience, I had myself properly measured and went from 36b to34 dd. I always thought dd means big pair of boobs like pamela Anderson in baywatch and mine have never seemed big. but the bras fit really nice now and are supportive and no more slipping straps.

The volume of the cup goes down with the band size and different brands vary so the differential probably isn't as big as you perceive it to be.

This happened to me too when I got measured last November... I too almost laughed in their face. But the new size fitted great! A month later turns out I was pregnant :)

Now I have to use extenders on my newest bra additions.

A 32B is a 30c do depending on whether you fitted the 32B in the first place, it's easy to see why you'd be a 30DD, I always wore a 36b or C but turns out I'm a 32FF. I actually find a 34F more comfortable.in the band but a 34f is the same cup size as the 32FF.

You've likely not been wearing the correct sized bra. Sizes do vary from brand to brand though.

Not surprising at all. First yes, cup size depends on band, 32A is exactly the same cup as 30B or 28C and so on. And most women need a bigger cup than they're wearing.

You havent grown a couple of sizes. As the band reduces and the cup increases you get "sister sizes" of the 32b you were wearing.

Its always better to wear a much snugger band and go up a cup size as the support should come from the band rather than the straps. Additionally any chub underarm is more often than not actually boob so should go up a cup to accomodate it (and down a band size if needed).

I now feel much more comfortable since I learned about the new idea for bra Measuring. I was 34 B and am now buying either 32DD or 32E depending on the make.

You were wearing too big a band and your boobs were being flattened by small cups and using some of the excess band length to fit in the cup hence them being so uncomfortable.

Also a 30DD would have the same cup size as a 32D.

If you were wearing a band size 2inches longer than needed, it's not surprising you need a cup volume 3inches bigger. So 30DD is breasts 5inches bigger than under bust - so breasts 35inch. 32B is boobs 2inches bigger than under bust so breasts 34inch. That extra 1 inch over breasts would easily be accounted for by your boobs previously being squashed and using up some of the excess band length.

Welcome to bra intervention. I don't even notice I'm wearing a bra all day, now it actually fits!

I’ve just bought some 30ff after wearing 34b/c/d for years. They are so much better. Balls to M&S and similar, they are very outdated in their measuring technique.

Oh wow,

thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and thoughts about the bra sizing. I didn’t even know what Bra Intervention was until this! Yeah my boobs don’t feel any different in size but bras have always been such a love hate relationship. i hatr wires I really do, especially when they go halfway up your cleavage.

I loved the bras I tried on in boux but I never purchased any because i was still trying to grasp the whole idea of this new sizing.

I think I need to go to various shops to figure out my sizing and find a brand that really works for me. So glad I’m not the only one that’s experienced this. I’ll have to try bravissimo and other brands rather than the high street.

I went to Bravissimo to get fitted and went in a 35d and came out a 36F and finally found bras that gave me a good shape and lift ( made me look slimmer too). They don’t use a tape measure - they just eye ball you and go and get loads to try. I certainly wouldn’t trust anywhere like M & S who consistently deliver hideous bras in weird shapes for larger boobs.

Sorry 35 a typo - Bravissimo haven’t been able to cure fat fingers sadly.

It’s all because of that weird ‘measure underbust and add 4 or 5 inches’ crap. I remember being ‘fitted’ in my teenage years as a 36D - the strap would ride halfway up my back (and I would have awful back aches), the straps would dig into my shoulders and leave marks and the I would continually be popping out of the cups. Awful!

@WonderLime I get strap marks too and I hate it (one of the reasons I stopped wearing bras all together). I’ve got tanned skin tone naturally (I’m of a mixed heritage) and I find that I get hyperpigmentation sometimes if I cut myself or I have a spot or whatever. Years of wearing bras means I’ve been left with darker “strap patches”. I’ll definitly check out bravissimo. la boux tape measured me. I had to cross my arms in front of me and with my arms off my body they asked me to breathe in and then back out for different measurements.

I like a couple of the bras but I specifically said I don’t like the ones with too much wore that goes all round the side of my boob as well as up the middle too but she made me try one on anyway. It was horrid, and I felt like my chest was suffocating. The other ones I did like. They were really comfortable. I just wasn’t ready to buy with the new information that I’m a 30DD ha!

I’m lookong forward to trying more on now. I feel like I’ve finally got the right size.

I know I've said it before on here but it's not a new way of sizing - I was fitted this way nearly thirty years ago in a small shop in a market town run by what I thought were old ladies (probably in their fifties). I only went because my mum dragged me there - came out feeling great and never looked back!

It's amazing that M&S etc. still persist with the flawed method after all this time.

If underwire bothers you then you can get a selection of wireless bras now in places like bravissimo.

Go to Bravissimo, they can also recommend styles that have lower wires. Straps digging into shoulders usually means the back of bra is too big and not supportive enough.

I've always brought 32b but got measured as a 30d. I've got tiny boobs!

Do you think that is because the cup size is the same? Just the band size is now a better fit.

@VileyRose it’s because the 30D is your sister size and likely to be the correct size for your body shape. The volume of the cup doesn’t change when the band decreases in size. It’s all a little odd and confusing at first but I’m just getting my head round it. A lovely person above has posted a blog post on bra intervention and sister sizing. definitly worth a read. My boobs aren’t huge or anything at all. I’d say I’m the old skool “traditional method” of measuring they’re B-C size but my actual bra size is a 30DD.

are you me op? after bra intervention I went from 32b to 30d (or c) depending on the make. For the first time ever i can actually say i was happy with the shape of my boobs albeit with a super padded push them up bra they actually looked good with clothes on. Only problem is trying to find decent priced bras in that size. I find debenhams are quite good, especially if they have a sale on.