Tales From the BRABAR Studio: The Best Preteen Bras and Bralettes With Band Size 32-40

Entering a store for your first bra can be nerve-wracking for anyone, but especially for a preteen girl.  At the BRABAR Studio, we strived to make it a comfortable experience buying bras for the first time.  Quite a few girls were coming in for their first bra fittings and preteens and teens who had bras but never had a fitting before.

Two such examples are with preteen girls looking for bras and bralettes.

The first preteen girl came in with her father.  Her father was very much at a loss how to guide her, so he left it to me to explain to her.  First and foremost, I measured the preteen.  She measured around her rib cage with a 40-inch rib cage measurement.  Therefore, she had a 40-bra band size.  Her overbust measurement was a 42-inch bust size.  How to find the correct band and how to measure bust sizes is as follows:  you subtract your bra band size from your bust size.  The difference between her two measurements was a 2-inch difference.  Each inch is a cup size, so 1 inch is an A-cup, 2-inch is a B-cup, 3-inch is a C-cup, 4-inch is a D-Cup, 5-inch is a DD-cup/E-cup, and 6-inch is a DDD-cup/F-cup.  Since a 2-inch difference is a B-cup, the first teen girl was a 40B bra size.  

The second preteen girl came in with her mother.  Of course, I started with measuring the preteen girl as usual.  The preteen measured a 35-inch rib cage measurement. Therefore, she had a 36-bra band size.  Her overbust measurement was a 40-inch bust size.  How to find the correct band and how to measure bust sizes is as follows:  you subtract your bra band size from your bust size.  The difference between her two measurements was a 4-inch difference.  Each inch is a cup size, so 1 inch is an A-cup, 2-inch is a B-cup, 3-inch is a C-cup, 4-inch is a D-Cup, 5-inch is a DD-cup/E-cup, and 6-inch is a DDD-cup/F-cup.  Since a 4-inch difference is a D-cup, the first teen girl was a 36D bra size.  

Each preteen was given suggestions to try on to their liking.  These are great options for teens, preteens, and girls with Bands 32-40, not in any particular order:

• The classic Everyday Bra is a versatile, all-day supportive bra with a back closure featuring a smooth design and removable cups for comfort and style. This bra comes in three everyday colors: Black, Mushroom, and Natural Gray. Natural Gray and Mushroom are good neutrals to use under white and light-colored tops. Black is a great all-around bra. The everyday bra has adjustable straps. The Everyday Bra is one of my top everyday picks for the 32-38 Band Size and Bust/Cup Size A-D.
• The best-selling Soft Day Bra with back closure combines the everyday ease of a bralette with a surprisingly supportive bra. The Soft Day Bra comes in three everyday colors: Black, White, and Ballet Pink. The Black Soft Day Bra is a great all-around, everyday bra. The Ballet Pink is a fun, yet neutral color to go under those white shirts and it won’t show. After all, white under white shows. The White Bra is good for when you need specifically a white bra.  It can also be used under dark shirts. The Soft Day Bra is one of my top everyday picks for the 32-38 Band Size and Bust Size A-DDD/F.
• The super comfortable Soft V Crop Bralette is super soft and great for everyday bralette.  It is easy to pull over the head or easy to step into for your convenience.  The Soft V Crop also has thicker straps for additional comfort.  It can double as a sports bra or a classy bra top with your favorite jacket.  Made with a special blend of materials, it keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while retaining the stretchiness and shape.  The Soft V Crop, while it only goes up to 36-38 in Band, can and has fit girls and teens with 40 Band Size with a petite bust (AA-C).  The Soft V Crop Bralette is one of my top everyday picks for the 32-40 Band Size for teens and tweens.
• The Soft V Laceback Bralette is a reversible and comfortable bralette that adds a pretty touch to your daily wardrobe V-neck lace back bra top. The Soft V Lace Bralette is perfect for everyday lace with a supersoft touch, providing both support and style. The beautiful lace is nice enough even to show with open-back or backless tops.  The Soft V Crop is that while it only goes up to 36-38 in Band, can and has fit girls and teens with 40 Band Size with a small bust (AA-C). It now comes in nine great colors:  Black, Ash, Asphalt, Chive, Faded Denim, Pale Mauve, Victoria Blue, Fuschia Rose, and Chocolate Brown!  The Soft V Laceback Bralette is one of my top everyday picks for the 32-40 Band Size for teens and tweens.
• The Soft Cami is a fan-favorite, comfortable, versatile, and supportive bra top. The Soft Cami Bra is a seamless, unlined double-layer wire-free bra top. Cami bras are a great starter teen bralette. It is super soft and comes in great colors as an option as a bralette for teens. The soft cami bra has adjustable straps.  The Soft Cami now comes in more color options.  In addition to classic black and classic white, the Soft Cami comes in Mushroom, Della Robbia Blue, Fuschia Rose, and Orchid Pink. 
• The BRABAR Soft Strapless Bra is ultra-versatile and comfortable. Our Soft Strapless Bra top offers endless styling options. This strapless bra top is ideal for off-shoulder, one-shoulder, and halter styles, providing both support and style. The strapless bra is a bra for tube tops as well. It’s a practical choice for everyday use in spring or summer but for all year.  The strapless bra comes in two colors:  Black and Mushroom, both great basic colors for under any outfit.
• The Strappy Halter Bralette is a strappy halter bra that blends a seamless design with all-day comfort. The Strappy Halter Bralette can double as a medium-impact sports teen bralette. It can also be used as a halter bra top, with a leather or jean jacket over top, or on its own.  This multipurpose option is a great addition to a wardrobe.
• The Open-Back Backless Halter Bralette is a great option for backless and open-back outfits. It provides style and support.  It can also be used as a halter bra top, with a leather or jean jacket over top, or on its own.  This multipurpose option is a great addition to a wardrobe.
• The Soft Crop Multiway Convertible Bra Top is ultra-versatile and comfortable, our soft multiway convertible bra offers endless styling options. Wear it as a backless halter bra, create a criss-cross style, or use the fully adjustable cami straps to achieve your perfect fit. It's the ideal bra or top for any outfit. The Soft Crop Multiway Convertible Bra Top is a great multipurpose bralette for teens option where you can change the straps to become a thin halter bralette, a criss-cross back teen bralette, or a one-shoulder bralette. With some adjustment, it would also make for a casual strapless bra.

For the preteen with the 40B Bra Size, the perfect pick for a larger band and a petite bust is the Soft V Crop in 36-38.  She even wore one out of the shop.  The stretchiness of the bra can accommodate a 40 Band Size with a petite bust (AA-C).  Depending on the person, the Soft Crop Multiway Convertible Bralette would be a good option, but it can run far more snugly than the Soft V.

For the preteen with the 36D Bra Size, she picked the Soft Day Bra, Soft V Laceback Bralette, and the Everyday Bra.  These are all good preteen and teen bralettes and bras. The Soft V Laceback Bralettes bring prettiness to the preteen’s wardrobe.

Both preteens left with new bras they could use for their everyday use and they felt comfortable in them.  

Here's a helpful guide to determine the correct band size and to measure correct bust sizes.

First, Measure Underbust: Wrap a soft measuring tape around your body, just below your breasts. The number you see on the tape corresponds to your band size. Round to the nearest even whole number.

Step 2, Measure Overbust: Using the same measuring tape, wrap it around your body over the fullest part of your breasts. The number on the tape is your bust size. Round to the nearest whole number.

Step 3, Calculate Cup Size: Subtract your band size from your bust size. This difference represents your cup size or the volume of your breast tissue. Cup sizes are typically represented by alphabets (ranging from AAA to DDD/F). For every inch of difference, you move up one cup size: 1 inch = A cup, 2 inches = B cup, 3 inches = C cup, and so forth. $\text{BUST}-\text{BAND}=\text{CUP}$

Your bra size is a combination of your band size and cup size alphabet. Subtract your band size from your bust size to determine your cup size in inches. This information helps derive your final bra size, consisting of both band size and cup size. For more details, check out the BRABAR bra size calculator or refer to the fit guide.