Tales From the BRABAR Studio: You’ve Been Wearing the Incorrect Size…How to Find the Proper Fit!

During a typical day at the BRABAR Studio, I have seen all types of tweens, teens, and young and mature women walk through the door.

One November day last year, a young woman entered the BRABAR Studio looking for a good, new everyday bra in a 36C.

At BRABAR, we recommend a professional fitting for finding the correct band size and cup size, so I offered to measure the young woman properly. Nine times out of ten, girls and women wear the incorrect size. It is vital to recheck your bra size at least once a year - bra sizes can change as your body does.

How to Measure Your Bra Size

• Measure Underbust: Wrap a soft measuring tape around your body, right below your breasts. The number you read on the tape is your band size. Round to the nearest even whole number.
• Measure Overbust: Wrap a soft measuring tape around your body, over the fullest part of your breasts. The number you read on the tape is your bust size; round to the nearest whole number.
• Calculate Cup Size: Subtract your band size from your bust size. This number is your cup size, or the volume of your breast tissue. Your cup size in inches is represented by a letter (sizes AA to DDD/F): 1 inch = A cup, 2 inches = B cup, 3 inches = C cup, and so on.
• Your bra size is your band size plus your cup letter: bust minus band equals cup size in inches, which converts to a band number and cup letter.

A Real Fitting Example

I measured the young woman with an underbust measurement of 31 inches, and since you round up to get your band size, her band size was 32. Her overbust measurement was 37 inches. To get the cup size, you subtract the 32-inch band from the 37-inch overbust to get a 5-inch difference. Each inch is a cup size, so a 5-inch difference meant she had a DD/E cup size. Therefore, her size was a 32DD, not the 36C she came in looking for. All BRABAR bras cover A-DDD/F cup sizes.

What I Recommended

She asked for good recommendations for her size and her need for an everyday bra. I recommended:

• The trendy and best-selling Soft Day Bra with back closure, which combines the everyday ease of a bralette with a surprisingly supportive bra.
• The Everyday Bra, a versatile, all-day supportive bra with a back closure, smooth design, and removable cups for comfort and style.
• The Soft V Laceback Bralette, a reversible bralette with a V-neck lace back - perfect for everyday lace with a supersoft touch, providing both support and style.
• The Everyday Longline Cami, a sophisticated longline cami bra ideal for layering, with a keyhole back closure and removable cups.

Her ultimate choice was the Soft Day Bra. She was delighted with its comfort and support, and thankful for finally having a correct bra size - and a bra that actually fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I'm wearing the wrong bra size?

The most common signs are a band that rides up your back, straps that dig into your shoulders, and cups that gap or spill. It's worth re-measuring at least once a year, since bra size changes as your body does.

Why did my band size come out different from the store where I usually shop?

Many stores use outdated methods like adding four inches to your measurement or measuring near your armpit. BRABAR's rib cage method measures your actual ribcage directly and rounds to the nearest even number - no inches added.

Can my cup size really be that different from what I thought?

Yes. Cup size is always the difference between your band and bust measurement - if your band size has been wrong, your cup size has been wrong too, sometimes significantly, as in this example.

It is important to have a professional fitting or measure at home to ensure that you have the correct size bra to give you the support you need and want to feel comfortable in your body. Use BRABAR's Fit Guide and Bra Size Calculator to measure yourself accurately.