Shrinking boobs and bra size...
JustSomeEm
Posts: 20,294 MFP Moderator
I just had a conversation about measuring boobs with a friend that I thought some women here might benefit from, so here's an old story I thought I'd share.
A few years ago after losing a ton of weight I was having trouble finding comfortable bras because I had lost a lot of weight, and my old bras no longer fit. The bras I wore when I was smaller didn't fit well (granted, that was 15 years ago, but if it fit once, shouldn't it fit again?). My boobs sorta lay in the cup and looked all flat and gross... like a pancake on top. (TMI, right?) I THOUGHT I was a size 36D, but the bras just didn't fit right.
Here's an old article that really helped me: http://brittanyherself.com/2014/02/05/happy-boobs/
After reading the article (at work), I was itching to measure myself. Totally awkward if I tried that in the office, right? So that night when I got home, I measured myself and was amazed that instead of a 36D I am a 32FF... I know that US and UK sizing are a bit different, but my head kept on revolting at the idea that I'd been wearing a 36 and SHOULD have been wearing a 32. Regardless, I decided to go ahead and order ONE bra from Amazon in the newly measured size. When the bra was delivered, I found it to be THE most comfortable thing I'd had covering my boobs in, like, ever. AND, rather than hanging down to almost my elbows, my boobs looked pretty darn perky. And AND, when I bent over to get something out of the cabinet, my boobs did NOT come flopping out or shift around in my bra.
So ladies - if your bras aren't fitting right, look at the link above and measure yourself. Then head over to amazon or your website of choice (or the nearest actual bra store) and get one that fits. Your boobs may thank you... Just thought I'd share, for any other ladies who might be having this problem.
A few years ago after losing a ton of weight I was having trouble finding comfortable bras because I had lost a lot of weight, and my old bras no longer fit. The bras I wore when I was smaller didn't fit well (granted, that was 15 years ago, but if it fit once, shouldn't it fit again?). My boobs sorta lay in the cup and looked all flat and gross... like a pancake on top. (TMI, right?) I THOUGHT I was a size 36D, but the bras just didn't fit right.
Here's an old article that really helped me: http://brittanyherself.com/2014/02/05/happy-boobs/
After reading the article (at work), I was itching to measure myself. Totally awkward if I tried that in the office, right? So that night when I got home, I measured myself and was amazed that instead of a 36D I am a 32FF... I know that US and UK sizing are a bit different, but my head kept on revolting at the idea that I'd been wearing a 36 and SHOULD have been wearing a 32. Regardless, I decided to go ahead and order ONE bra from Amazon in the newly measured size. When the bra was delivered, I found it to be THE most comfortable thing I'd had covering my boobs in, like, ever. AND, rather than hanging down to almost my elbows, my boobs looked pretty darn perky. And AND, when I bent over to get something out of the cabinet, my boobs did NOT come flopping out or shift around in my bra.
So ladies - if your bras aren't fitting right, look at the link above and measure yourself. Then head over to amazon or your website of choice (or the nearest actual bra store) and get one that fits. Your boobs may thank you... Just thought I'd share, for any other ladies who might be having this problem.
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Replies
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Yep, the right fit makes all the difference.
If at all possible, I highly recommend getting professionally fitted. I'm lucky that I live somewhere that this is easy (and free) to have done, but apparently that's not the case everywhere.
Also, good point on not assuming that your bra size will be the same at a weight you used to be, even if you were properly fitted previously, because body composition changes. Case in point, many years ago I got properly fitted for the first time after losing some weight. I was the weight I am now (excluding current predisone-induced water weight). I got refitted a couple of weeks ago (and spent a joyous amount of money replacing my entire lingerie drawer), and am now a smaller band (same cup size due to the way cup sizing works). Another also, not all bras fit the same, so if you're buying online, make sure there's a decent return policy. The style I've worn almost exclusively for the last, oh, 12 years I actually need a band size up from the rest of my beautiful new things, because it's a firmer fitting style. Always try before you buy if you can, even if you think you know your size! When I went on my shopping spree the other week, I just went straight for the size I'd been fitted for a week earlier, but different style. Tried on the first one, went 'um, what??'. Asked the assistant to get me the next cup size down (slightly disappointed that I may have lost filling), she came back and said 'now don't freak out, this is an 8 (30) DD'
. Fitted perfectly. Yes, I have a tiny torso, and now a bra size that's a bit of a pain to buy for.
I
lingerie 
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I agree, the right fit is essential. There are many reasons along side weight loss for us to change bra sizes. Our bodies change as we move into different stages of our live.1
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The subreddit "abrathatfits" is amazing for teaching women how to properly size themselves. It taught me a lot! Great community too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/3 -
I'm a 32DDD, and I'd been wearing ugly, scratchy, padded boob-armor bras for years. On a whim, I scheduled a fitting at a lingerie store near me, fully expecting to find nothing and have to pay a fitting fee but not actually buy anything. I almost cried in the fitting room because the attendant kept bringing me bras that were comfortable and pretty.10
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I'm a 32DDD, and I'd been wearing ugly, scratchy, padded boob-armor bras for years. On a whim, I scheduled a fitting at a lingerie store near me, fully expecting to find nothing and have to pay a fitting fee but not actually buy anything. I almost cried in the fitting room because the attendant kept bringing me bras that were comfortable and pretty.
I seriously spent probably close to two hours trying on all the pretty things the other week. Had two attendants running around looking for things in my size. It was awesome.
Good thing I live very close to an outlet shop for our major lingerie chain!4 -
I agree that fit is essential. If her method works for you, great, but it has some flaws. The inch size around your ribs is not the band size, there's usually a 2-4 difference depending on the brand. Knowledgeable salesperson explained this and I have found it to be true.2
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I Britany! 2
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I agree that fit is essential. If her method works for you, great, but it has some flaws. The inch size around your ribs is not the band size, there's usually a 2-4 difference depending on the brand. Knowledgeable salesperson explained this and I have found it to be true.
@GottaBurnEmAll can you chime in on this?
Apparently this is some weird US thing, that leads to many women wearing the wrong size, because there was something about taking your underbust measurement then adding inches.
My underbust is 29.5", I wear a 30 band.
But this is exactly why you should get properly fitted if at all possible.2 -
The subreddit "abrathatfits" is amazing for teaching women how to properly size themselves. It taught me a lot! Great community too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/
I second this, and also I highly recommend bratabase.com. You enter a lot of different measurements and the site recommends a size range and specific bras that should fit your shape. The two-measurement method listed in the first article isn't great for everyone because it doesn't take shape variations into account.
Definitely re-measure whenever you're buying bras, especially if you plan to lose a lot of weight. My band size went down very quickly, but my cup size didn't change until very late in my weight loss process. I went from a 40DDD to a 32D (though I need to remeasure now that I've been in maintenance for a few months).1 -
This is great information. I've never been properly fitted for a bra before and I'm still wearing the same ones as 35 lbs ago. My cup size and band size are smaller for sure, but I've been holding off on buying new ones because I'd like to do it well this time around.
I've been wondering, when is the right time to have this done? I still have around 20 or so to lose but I'm working slowly in it so it could be some time before I get to my final goal weight.
I've been relying on sports bras a lot the past several months while I'm losing, but they're so unattractive.1 -
ladyhusker39 wrote: »This is great information. I've never been properly fitted for a bra before and I'm still wearing the same ones as 35 lbs ago. My cup size and band size are smaller for sure, but I've been holding off on buying new ones because I'd like to do it well this time around.
I've been wondering, when is the right time to have this done? I still have around 20 or so to lose but I'm working slowly in it so it could be some time before I get to my final goal weight.
I've been relying on sports bras a lot the past several months while I'm losing, but they're so unattractive.
I would honestly see if you can find some inexpensive but decent fitting ones now. And maybe treat yourself to one more lux one. You'll be able to tighten the band as you lose more, though if you lose filling at the same time there's not a lot you can do about that. 'Cept tissues maybe 1 -
The subreddit "abrathatfits" is amazing for teaching women how to properly size themselves. It taught me a lot! Great community too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/
The sizing instructions on there are brilliant!1 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »I agree that fit is essential. If her method works for you, great, but it has some flaws. The inch size around your ribs is not the band size, there's usually a 2-4 difference depending on the brand. Knowledgeable salesperson explained this and I have found it to be true.
@GottaBurnEmAll can you chime in on this?
Apparently this is some weird US thing, that leads to many women wearing the wrong size, because there was something about taking your underbust measurement then adding inches.
My underbust is 29.5", I wear a 30 band.
But this is exactly why you should get properly fitted if at all possible.
Yeah, that 2-4 inch thing is old school and based on outdated thinking. Actually, what it's based on is the desire by US manufacturers to limit production lines to a smaller range of sizes to cut costs.
The support in a bra comes from the band. It should fit snugly. If the band is not snug, and you can fit more than a finger or two under there, your bra is too big.
I have permanent shoulder dents and major redistribution of breast tissue due to years of wearing the wrong bra size thanks to US bra sizing standards. I don't have a big rib cage and never did, even when I was obese. I started out with a 36 band size and I have nowhere near a 36 band. I have large breasts and for years, my shoulders were holding up my breasts and my cups weren't holding all my breast tissue because since the band was larger than it needed to be, the cups weren't encasing the entire breast.
Anyone telling you to add inches to your underbust measurement doesn't know how to size bras *properly*.2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »I agree that fit is essential. If her method works for you, great, but it has some flaws. The inch size around your ribs is not the band size, there's usually a 2-4 difference depending on the brand. Knowledgeable salesperson explained this and I have found it to be true.
@GottaBurnEmAll can you chime in on this?
Apparently this is some weird US thing, that leads to many women wearing the wrong size, because there was something about taking your underbust measurement then adding inches.
My underbust is 29.5", I wear a 30 band.
But this is exactly why you should get properly fitted if at all possible.
Underbust twins!2 -
I started going to a bra fitter when I was pregnant and blew up to something like a 40K... Now I'm a 32F and I swear by my annual visit!2
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ladyhusker39 wrote: »This is great information. I've never been properly fitted for a bra before and I'm still wearing the same ones as 35 lbs ago. My cup size and band size are smaller for sure, but I've been holding off on buying new ones because I'd like to do it well this time around.
I've been wondering, when is the right time to have this done? I still have around 20 or so to lose but I'm working slowly in it so it could be some time before I get to my final goal weight.
I've been relying on sports bras a lot the past several months while I'm losing, but they're so unattractive.
I'd get at least one good one now. Life's too short to wear bad bras, and they don't last that long anyway.2 -
When I use these cup measurements I always come out to be an F or something ridiculous which I KNOW is ridiculous because on the rare occasions I've gotten a hold of even a DD, it was too big.
So I try on.1 -
ladyhusker39 wrote: »This is great information. I've never been properly fitted for a bra before and I'm still wearing the same ones as 35 lbs ago. My cup size and band size are smaller for sure, but I've been holding off on buying new ones because I'd like to do it well this time around.
I've been wondering, when is the right time to have this done? I still have around 20 or so to lose but I'm working slowly in it so it could be some time before I get to my final goal weight.
I've been relying on sports bras a lot the past several months while I'm losing, but they're so unattractive.
I would get something cheap but still supportive for now. I went through a LOT of bras while I was losing weight, so I just watched Amazon for discounts on the ones I wanted. If you don't care much what color they are, you can sometimes get good deals on the less popular colors.1 -
I have the fun issue of two WAYYYYYY different sized "girls"...one of them mangled to breast cancer. After losing 80 pounds I scheduled a fitting and I am so glad I did...my bra size went from a 40D to a 34C (and I stuff the right LOL). Just one of those nice things to do for self.....having a sizing.2
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Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.1 -
ladyhusker39 wrote: »This is great information. I've never been properly fitted for a bra before and I'm still wearing the same ones as 35 lbs ago. My cup size and band size are smaller for sure, but I've been holding off on buying new ones because I'd like to do it well this time around.
I've been wondering, when is the right time to have this done? I still have around 20 or so to lose but I'm working slowly in it so it could be some time before I get to my final goal weight.
I've been relying on sports bras a lot the past several months while I'm losing, but they're so unattractive.
I'd get at least one good one now. Life's too short to wear bad bras, and they don't last that long anyway.
Depends how many you have to choose from each day
That brings up another thing - bra care. Look after them, they will last much longer. Lingerie bag if you're going to do them in the machine, or hand wash. Drip dry in shade, never put in the dryer.
They're going to stretch regardless, but that's what the extra hook settings are for.3 -
My bras last forever...and they're el cheapo ones and they have a big (ahem) job to do...I hand-wash, hang to dry, there you go.
I bought Not a Bras three years ago...only now is the top part of one cup unraveling on one. They were totally fine before that. A little stretched out now on the band (all of them) but that's because I started out wearing them much heavier than I am now and squeezing in as band size 40 was just too awful for me to think about.1 -
Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.1 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.
Love your priorities!
Didn't realize that about dietary fat, but it sure makes sense. I always got the mammogram warnings about dense breast tissue but I bet that won't be the case when I get one in Jan.2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.
Love your priorities!
Didn't realize that about dietary fat, but it sure makes sense. I always got the mammogram warnings about dense breast tissue but I bet that won't be the case when I get one in Jan.
Of course trying to Google that just returns a bunch of woo sites. But, heard it in a Lyle McDonald podcast, and specifically about retention, not increasing size. Basically it's his way of encouraging women to eat enough fat if all else fails!1 -
My bras last forever...and they're el cheapo ones and they have a big (ahem) job to do...I hand-wash, hang to dry, there you go.
I bought Not a Bras three years ago...only now is the top part of one cup unraveling on one. They were totally fine before that. A little stretched out now on the band (all of them) but that's because I started out wearing them much heavier than I am now and squeezing in as band size 40 was just too awful for me to think about.
Yep, I have several that are 2 1/2 years old now. Nothing wrong with them except the fact they're too big for me!!2 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.
Love your priorities!
Didn't realize that about dietary fat, but it sure makes sense. I always got the mammogram warnings about dense breast tissue but I bet that won't be the case when I get one in Jan.
Of course trying to Google that just returns a bunch of woo sites. But, heard it in a Lyle McDonald podcast, and specifically about retention, not increasing size. Basically it's his way of encouraging women to eat enough fat if all else fails!
I wonder if an avocado a day will help...0 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.
The age at which you lose your weight plays a part, too... When I go married, my BMI was under 20, and I distinctly remember being fit into a size 36D bra. I was so sad because it wasn't a super-pretty lacy number and the bra fitter told me it was because my I was so "large-chested--the pretty ones simply didn't come in those sizes" (things have come a long way in 22+ years). I got pregnant, my bra size blew up, I lost some weight after the pregnancy and I came back down to my 36D even though I weighed way more than I did when I was pregnant. I finally lost the baby weight in my 40s--I was down to a 20 BMI for a bit but have gained a little back up to 22--and I have to admit that I think I've lost a decent amount of volume in my chest. Theoretically the sister size for my current 32F is a 36DD so my cup size is larger now, but my husband would be the first to tell you that's WRONG.0 -
Oh her formula to getting the bra size is so simple wondering if I should measure myself now or wait til I lose more weight cause last time I was measured i wore a 38 J which is so embarrassing0
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Great timing on this thread! I just escaped from bra size hell myself. The last time I was this weight I was 40 years old and pre breast reduction. I wore a 32 DDD back then. Post breast reduction as my weight went up I eventually ended up in a 38 D.
Fast forward to losing all the weight again and I'm a 34 C at the same weight, and it took me forever and a lot of bra returns to figure that out because i kept looking for the "right" bra in a D. It turns out i apparently deflated as i aged and losing the weight just made that really obvious. I'm still getting used to the smaller size after a lifetime of minimizer bra styles. It still feels weird.
Yeah, when I gained a stack of weight many years ago (well pre the MFP lot) my cup size went up from a B/C (as I said, never properly fitted, but I think I probably had it right). Lost that weight, band size came down, cups stayed a DD. And there they have remained, though actually less filling obviously b/c it's the difference between under and over boob that gives the cup size, not the actual volume.
Cup shrinkage is actually my cut off point for recomp/fat loss. Priorities!!
Oh, and anyone worried about losing too much cup size, dietary fat is your friend here (fact). Obviously there's genetics there that you can't control against without a surgeon, but if you cut your fat intake too low, you're not helping the twins.
Love your priorities!
Didn't realize that about dietary fat, but it sure makes sense. I always got the mammogram warnings about dense breast tissue but I bet that won't be the case when I get one in Jan.
Of course trying to Google that just returns a bunch of woo sites. But, heard it in a Lyle McDonald podcast, and specifically about retention, not increasing size. Basically it's his way of encouraging women to eat enough fat if all else fails!
I wonder if an avocado a day will help...
Seems to work for me!0
This discussion has been closed.
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