Why Is This So Complicated??
(A Bra Size Investigation)
Why is bra sizing so confusing—and how does it actually work?
FIT GUIDE
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FIT GUIDE
BRABAR
FIT GUIDE
There is no secret to finding a bra, but this is as close as it gets to uncovering one, the truth about how your bra should feel!
By: Lucy DiChristina
Ever feel like bra sizing was invented just to confuse everyone? You're definitely not alone. In this article, we're uncovering one of the biggest secrets in the bra world: bra sizing is confusing because the system itself is confusing—not because there's anything wrong with your body. Bra sizing is confusing because there is no universal standard for measuring or fitting bras. Different brands use different sizing systems, different grading methods, and different fitting philosophies. As a result, two bras sizing systems, different grading methods, and different fitting philosophies. As a result, two bras labeled the same size may fit completely differently. The confusion isn't caused by your body- it's caused by an inconsistent sizing system. You'll learn the difference between your actual measurements and the sizes many brands try to fit you into, why two bras with the same size tag can fit completely differently, and how some retailers prioritize selling bras over finding your best fit. The biggest takeaway? Your body isn't the problem—the sizing system often is. Once you understand how bra sizing really works, you'll be able to shop smarter, advocate for yourself, and finally stop blaming yourself when a bra feels uncomfortable. Consider this your official guide to cracking the bra-size code.
Is A Well Fitting Bra Actually A Plausible Reality
You should not wake up every day dreading putting on your bra. It is not something that cages you; instead, your bra should be the item of clothing you most look forward to putting on because it unleashes your inner confidence. However, if that feels like an impossible reality, you are in the majority of women (80% to be exact) who are wearing the wrong bra size. If you've ever spent the entire day pulling up your straps, adjusting your band, or counting down the minutes until you could take your bra off, there's a good chance your bra doesn't fit properly. Many girls assume these frustrations are simply part of wearing a bra. In reality, they're often signs that the size itself is wrong. Don't be scared, BRABAR is here to help explain why finding your bra size is so complicated and why YOU are NOT the problem.
"YOUR BRA SHOULD BE WHAT YOU LOOK FOWARD TO MOST"
What Do Any Of These Words Even Mean?
Before we get into the nitty gritty of all of the problems with bra sizing which makes finding your size so confusing, let's first go through the key words that are thrown around when you go to get fitted, or try to fit yourself for a bra. Oh, and we are going to tell you girls all of this stuff impartially and not as a way to get you to fit into our brand’s bras. Band size or underbust size is the measurement around your ribcage. Your bust measurement is the measurement taken fully around your breast and ribcage. The cup size that you wear is indicative of your underbust measurement subtracted from your bust measurement. Don't get it twisted, that might sound simple but retailers have taken this method and flipped it upside down to turn into the accepted method that exists today referred to as “retail fit” and “force fitting” which is anything but logical. Retail fit basically means clothing designed for the retail market rather than Anatomical fit which is where clothing is defined with the actual person and body in mind.
What Actually Is Retail Fit
So the problem of bra sizing is the fact that most brands in the United States use a retail fitting method which quite literally forces women into bras that do not accurately reflect their best bra size but instead the most convenient size for the brand of your choice to have their customers wear. Retail fit itself is not as problematic on its own as it inevitably becomes because every brand uses a different definition of retail fit and sizes their bras differently. In contrast, anatomical fit is the otherwise global (and BRABAR approved and loved) method of measuring for bra sizes. Anatomical fit focuses on women's anatomy and
finding a bra that will accurately reflect your measurements in its sizes. Retail fit can be hard to fully comprehend (because it is not logical) so here's an example; it is literally as if you went into a shoe store and because they did not carry your size, they convinced you that the feeling of squeezing your foot into a size too small or too large is exactly the way shoes are meant to fit. In the case of shoes we know better, but for some reason the bra market just has not seemed to successfully catch up (or honestly even try). Imagine your measurements suggest a 28 band, but a brand only starts at a 32 band. Rather than admitting they don't carry your size, many retailers will simply move you into a size they do carry. The result is that customers leave believing they found their size when they've
actually found the closest available option. Although there are many different theories as to why retail fit is so dominant, there is truly no way to explain this completely illogical process that so clearly aligns with women being uncomfortable in their bras. It should not be the norm to hate the bra you are wearing and that beauty is always a pain but in the case of force fitting this is a guaranteed result. The thing is bra brands don’t even hide their strategies. They publicize and honestly market off of making their brands center around only catering to specific body type. This makes women be forced into wearing
"IT SHOULD NOT BE THE NORM TO HATE THE BRA YOU ARE WEARING"
bras for their INDIVIDUAL body because their bras are not designed for every body, they are designed with specific body types in mind limiting who can actually be comfortable in their bras. This is one of the reasons the bra industry has been able to get away with their practices so easily (until now) but we are not afraid to call out our own industry and explain to anyone who will listen to all of the flaws of finding a bra.
One Last Thing Before You Go
At the end of the day, I am not only explaining this so you guys can find the right bra size and go into stores armed with the knowledge so you can advocate for yourself. It is important to point out that the complex nature of finding your bra size can have some really negative effects if you give into retailer manipulation. Remember, you deserve to not feel constantly concerned about finding the right time to slip away at a social event so you can adjust your bra. You deserve to give your clothes a fighting chance at making you feel good based on its foundation. You deserve to feel confident. For years, girls have been told that bra shopping is supposed to be uncomfortable, confusing, and even embarrassing. The truth is that finding your size shouldn't feel like solving a mystery. If bra sizing feels complicated, that's because the system often is—not because there's anything wrong with your body. Your body is not the problem. The sizing system is. Once you understand how sizing actually works, you can stop trying to fit yourself into the bra and start finding bras that fit you.
Your body isn't the problem. The sizing system is. At BRABAR, we believe understanding your measurements is the first step toward finding a bra that truly fits.
XOXO BRABAR
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
FAQS
There are many reasons why you might wear a different bra size at every store you go to. The top reason for this is because there is no standardized method of measuring women for their bra sizes that every store uses and accepts. As a customer you can go into a store knowing your anatomical measurements and then they will be almost completely disregarded in order to fit you into a size following the retail fit model that will also happen to correspond with the small range of bras that your chosen store carries.
Not necessarily. While your body changing is never something to look at negatively, there are so many reasons that can explain why your bra is feeling uncomfortable. Discomfort is often a sign that the bra isn't the right size, shape, or fit for your body. Slipping straps, riding bands, gaping cups, or feeling squeezed are usually fit issues. A properly fitted bra should feel supportive, comfortable, and secure throughout the day no matter what your body looks like.
Being forced to fit into a bra is another thing where you really need to listen to your body and read its cues. If you are uncomfortable, consider that force fitting might be your reality. If a brand doesn't carry your size, they may suggest the closest size they have available. Remember: if a bra only works because you're constantly adjusting it, it's probably not the right fit. Discomfort is not normal, your body is. Remember there is no universal measuring methodology in the U.S. so you getting force fit is definitely NOT your fault
