Boob or Bust, this can't be right?

[Notoutloud]

I don't think I've ever worn the right sized bra. I've always been fairly small but since breastfeeding two babies, I'm now at mosquito bite proportions. I've been wearing bralettes and crop top style bras for the last few years but I've recently realised how unflattering they are and that my chest is just a bit squashed and sad.

Anyway, I've just put in my measurements to the Boob or Bust calculator and I've come out as a 30DD/G - I would previously have said I'm around a 36A! Have I done it wrong?

If anyone has any experience or knowledge of bra sizing, I'd be very grateful!

@AllTheChaos you sound like you have a good shape. You are not overly fleshy but still have a defined waist. Regarding dresses I would look for ones with tie waists or a belt that you can pull in. 🙂

34A bras might be a good fit or bralettes/comfort bras will probably offer enough support. Regarding exercise bras you should be able to wear the crop top style that don't have cup sizes.

@AllTheChaos I've had a mastectomy so I've only got one!😂 So I get bras with pockets you can put padding in. It's always an option if you want to experiment with your shape.😉

I'm very happy with M&S bra fitting service.
I'd been wearing the wrong size - I no longer have back boobs.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I still think a 36 band sounds too big for OP if she is a size 10/12. If her bra is too loose it won't offer the right support. I'm the same size as OP, a 36 band would be massive on me but I appreciate everyone has different shapes.

It sounds about right, in the past they would add 4 inches to your underbust measurement but that means you end up with not enough support from the band.
I've never thought of myself as having massive boobs but boob or bust and similar have me as an F cup, which does fit!
DD cup really isn't that big.

I actually prefer this calculator

www.abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

Matches up with what fits me in bravissimo

Also FYI bravissimo do virtual fittings now

@Ineedaholidayyyy a dress size 10/12 now would be a size 14/16 in the 80s. In the 80s my mother was a 14 and wore 36C and I was a 12 and wore a 34C.

I'm an 8 now and roughly the same size as I was in the 80s and wear a 34B as my remaining breast (mastectomy) is not as full.

Yes, this is the old add 4 or 5 inches type of fitting. You do get a bra that fits albeit with softer support and you can't shorten the straps as much for extra uplift because this would mean the bra would ride up. However if the straps are put on a longer adjustment straps and less uplift it remains put. And it looks fine. I take this option as it is more comfortable for me.

And it's not that outrageous. Women measured this way for decades! And we did actually have elastic then...so it's not because the fabrics were remarkably different. Bras were pretty similar actually in the 80s.

I'm sure you're right - I don't think a 36 is right but that's what I've been wearing for the last few years, and I think it was a M&S fitting who gave me the 36A measurement. Huge confession: I usually do my bras up in the front and then twist them round - I think that's a cardinal sin among bra-wearers? And a sure sign that my band is way too big, right?

Now I'm thinking about it, I think this weird bra size has translated into a total misunderstanding of my bodyshape. I think of myself as being really broad in the back, but I'm not at all?!

I really want to go bra shopping now, so excited to ditch the ugly crop tops and bralettes I'm currently living in

Why don't you try a 32C or 34B to start with to see how they fit, to go from a 36 to a 30 might be a bit much

@Notoutloud, I would recommend working out all your sister sizes from the Boob or Bust measurements and try the different sizes to find the most comfortable fit which looks the best. You might even want to keep a couple of sizes for different occasions / clothes. So you have more comfortable and more 'dressy' bras.🙂

I used to be a lingerie fitter in a department store. Some rules for the perfect bra:

1. when you buy it, it should fit you perfectly and snuggly on the LOOSEST setting. The bra band will stretch out like mad so you need to have somewhere to go to tighten it to.
2. not all styles are created equal. If you want to find a well fitting bra, a t shirt bra is a good place to start as there aren’t the seams and lines to cause lumps, bumps and misshaping.
3. the wires should come right round to the back of the breast tissue at the back of your boob, under your armpit, and sit flat in the middle against your chest.
4. make sure the shoulder straps are tight enough when you are trying on.
5. once the bra is on, lean forward and jiggle around a bit. Are your boobs still in the cup? If they aren’t, it’s not the right size.
6. Jump around a bit and then raise your arms - are the wires still sitting flush on your abdomen under your boobs? If there is any underboob peeking out underneath it’s too big.

Used to wear a 36B, boob or bust came out at 34G...fits beautifully. No way would I have even considered it before. I consider myself to have quite small breasts. But with "scoop and swoop" they look better in bras than before and feel comfy! I wear sports bras most of the time anyway but have a stash of correct sized bras for certain clothing.

So when you measure under your bust with a tape measure, are you 36" ?

Whatever you measure under your bust is closest to your starting size.

The people on the Boob or bust forum are really very helpful, and can answer all your questions.

If you do go to M&S please don't let them measure you - they still add inches to your under bust measurement, which is baffling!

Also @Notoutloud if you have a bravissimo near you (and don't trust your own measuring skills), then pop in there to get measured.

There is a common misconception that you have to have a huge bust to go in there, which is simply not true.

They are excellent.

So for boob or bust I’m a 34f/ff but I found trying to do up the 34 far too difficult and tight once I had. I had loads of spillage at the back of the armpit area cos I’m a bit fat so I wasn’t happy with how I looked in it.

all bras and bra brands being different means you will probably not be exactly the same size in every bra

so for me I used it as a starter guide and ended up going one size up in the back and down in the cup so sister size I think. It still fits well and is tight under the bust but is far easier to breathe while wearing it and to do up. And all the fat overspill is less.

@Notoutloud I've never heard of boob or bust before but I've just put my measurements in and it's said 32E which is exactly the size that I wear. I went to bravissimo to be fitted , I think they tend to be more accurate than M & S.

@PotatoPudding

As a general rule of thumb, your under-bust measurement and waist measurement are more or less the same.
On whose body?
My waist is miles smaller than my bra band measurement. Most slim women don't have a waist that is 32 inches

Sorry if I've missed it but what is a 30DD/G?

Cups don't go from DD to G. They go DD, E, F, G

Separately I've never understood why they go
AA A B C D DD E G H

Why is an AA smaller than an A yet a DD is bigger than a D

And why is there a DD anyway?

I've just entered my measurements into this one (and thanks to other posters who recommended it as well!) - it's put me at a 32D.

I'm going to go and try on a few different sizes tomorrow and see how I get on. I know different styles can affect the fit - are there any that are a bit more universal? A tshirt bra? I'll have to take my toddler with me so I've only got as long as the snacks can buy me!

I can't believe I've made it to 35 years old before learning how bra sizes work 😳

My mum was a seamstress and she always said this was usually the case. I measure 29.5” around my waist and under the bust.

What is your waist measurement versus under the bust?

OP, my advice is: start with a bigger cup than you think you need. It's easy to see if the cup is too big, and work down from there. But it's not so easy to see if a cup is a size too small.

I think I mistyped, must have been DD/E! But yes, no idea why there's AA and DD - it's all so confusing!

Yep I did that and it said I'm a 32E which I have found it be very correct.

T shirt bra is probably the hardest to fit as the fit needs to be amazing and there is so much variability between individual bras.

I'd start with just getting the fit in a full cup. When you are size confident then you can mix it up.

Or just go to a Bravissimo and they will give you so so many to try on.

I think the BOB calculator is pretty spot on, well it always has been for me in the past, although I measured yesterday at 26F. I have never seen a 26 band in my life, I don't even know if it exists. It's telling me my sister size is 28DD. Also not sure if it's been mentioned in previous comments but the style of bra you buy will affect the sizing i.e whether it's a plunge style or a balconette style.