Bra sizing after inches lost?

ReyneDrop

I'm sure most of you who have lost significant amounts of weight have bought new bras! Personally I hate when I see the tape measure decrease around my breasts, but when it decreases underneath it's all fine with me

Anyway, at my heaviest, I wore a 36 band, about a 36C. I still have some 36Cs and Bs, and last year I realized the bands were riding up in the back (sign they are too big), but I thought maybe it was just because they were stretched out. I bought some 34s (Cs) and they seemed to fit decently back then (although spillage WAS a problem).

Well, they wore out and the underwire started poking me, so I bought some new ones about a month ago in 34C.

I haven't lost any weight since then because I'm just getting back into the swing of school and being in the same place as my boyfriend (lots of date nights... we like food... maybe not a good thing), but the bands are riding up again.

I'm tempted to try a 32, but that just seems so small! And, I'm going to school in a small town where I've never seen a 32 in anything bigger than a C cup. My rib cage measurements are usually around 29-29.5" and over the top usually a 37-37.5" depending on time in my cycle.

And what about sports bras? I always seem to have this problem where they either totally smash me down (and it HURTS) or the band is too loose and I don't get proper support. Are there any good brands that provide comfortable support?

louised88

I'd get professionally measured if I were you, and take a few hours to go shopping and try on a lot of different styles and brands to find what works for you. As for sports bras, I've heard good things about Panache, and if you're in the UK/Ireland, Marks and Spencers do good ones. I'd try to find ones that have cup sizes, rather than the ones that come in small/medium/large, but again, getting properly measured and sized would be the first step.

nxd10

I just went out last night to buy a bra and found that they don't sell them in my size and I'm going to have to order one online.

I was wearing a 38D. As you say, the back band was rising up and the front was falling down because I'd lost a few inches.

After trying on 20 bras last night going from 36D to 38DD, I realized that I needed a 36DD (or maybe DDD). And they don't sell them around here. DD starts at 38.

Bought a 38DD and am ordering a 36DD in the same style online. I am surprised that weight loss made my breasts bigger, but it did. Actually, it made my ribs smaller so everything else looks better.

BTW, try different styles. A lot of them are made for small busted women. I bought a Hanes or a Fruit of the Loom bra for $10 in a style I haven't worn since I was a teenager. And they fit better and looked better than the expensive ones I've been buying.

ReyneDrop

I am surprised that weight loss made my breasts bigger, but it did. Actually, it made my ribs smaller so everything else looks better.

Haha, yeah, looking at what I'm technically measured for vs what I used to wear, the cup size is bigger. I'm a pretty petite girl though and they just look smaller to me, but I think having a 4" band difference and going up only a cup size is obviously losing some boob volume. Boyfriend says they are perfect though :P I need to hit up a big city and try to find a good 32D bra.

Bonny619

32 SOUNDS so small to me too but it's really not! I'm 147 pounds and I wear a 34D and I still have 25 pounds to lose, I imagine I'll end up in a 32D when all is done. But I totally get what you mean, 32 sounds really small! But I bet you are there.

ETA:

A d cup on a 34 inch band is smaller than a D cup on a 38 inch band. I used to wear a 38C at my heaviest and my breasts WERE larger but I was wearing a smaller cup size but it actually wasn't smaller at all. Kind of crazy.

vodkoffee

This bra size calculator is on a weird site, but it has been super accurate for my friends and me. http://www.atlastravel.nazwa.pl/mini/

BaileyBoo13524

Go to Victorias Secret and get sized by a bra specialist. My bras fit the best they've ever fit since I went in good luck!

roguestates

So many women wear the wrong size bra! Don't be afraid of a 32" band. I thought I was a 36DD for years before I got a proper fitting and discovered I was... 34G. Seriously, WTH, right? Now that I've lost some inches, I may be needing 32" bands soon. I also hope to lose some cup sizes because 34G is hard enough to find, I'm not too interested in being a 32H/I...

shenitamo

Get fitted for sure....at a more upscale department store they tend to be more accurate...such as Nordstrom's (just my experience), and they have ladies who that is their specialty and they can point you to the right bras (everyday and sports) for you. I need to do that too, so sad that it is the ONLY place I do not want to lose weight, but it is the FIRST place it leaves from.....

Marjrides

There is a company out of Seattle called Decent Exposures that makes products not sold in stores (only web, phone, or mail) but they have wonderful bras in many, many sizes, colors, etc. They make bras TO ORDER, and are very helpful in helping you to find a comfortable fit. Check out their web site and/or give them a call. I have worn their bras and other items for years!!! (and no! I don't work for them<g>). Check out www.decentexposures.com and see what you think.

HSingMomto7Kids

I swear mine are deformed and I was only losing 20 lbs but after 5 kids. lol

birdieaz

As others have said, get professionally fitted.

I would steer clear of Victorias Secret as they will give you a bra size that falls within the sizes they carry, regardless of whether it's correct or not. Nordstrom's is the best place from my experience. I'd been wearing a 34C but in fact I'm a 30DD, but can also wear a 32D. You will be surprised how comfortable your bras feel when they are the right size.

droogievesch

Take a tape measurer (or better yet, have somebody else take the tape measurer) and holding it nipple line wrap it around your body and pull it tight above your breasts. The number is your band size. Round down if you land on an odd number (33 to 32, 35 to 34, etc). Then, holding the tape at the nipple line wrap it around you at the fullest part of your bust. Subtract your first number from this number. If your answer is 1 you are an A, 2 is a B, and so on. So if you measured your frame to be 32 and your bust to be 36 you'd be a 32D.

I worked for VS for over 3 years. Have seen and measured many women. Please try on before you buy, because each style is different (like jeans).

LotusInTheSky

Its so stupid that there is so much variation between brands sizing - even for things like bras. I have had trouble in the past trying to find good sports bras - and now I swear by Berlie. Their sports bras are awesome! Check them out if you are still looking.

mamakira

I buy the same brand over and over again as I know it fits and feels still comfortable after a long day. But I still have to try them on, there are varieties in the shape of every model. I wear them also for my workouts. First time I had them measure me and in the shop they were very professionel. I highly recommend to have you measured every time you try a new brand, otherwise they will never really fit.

I have a 85 D European measure at Triumpf, that can be completely different for another brand. Before my first weightloss I had a 90 D. Now it is still D but I fear I will shrink in a C cup soon.
This is a 38 C American size at Victorias secret. It took me a long while to figure that out when I travelled to the US. But next time I go I will have them measure me again. Bodies change and bramodels change.

I hope with more weight loss I won´t lose another cupsize, that would really suck!

Buy rather something that really fits you than something cheap or fancy that is just bearable, it is not worth it.

georgie181

I am back to the bra size I was when at my smallest! (34B) and I don't have no clue what I will end up as! probably end up like a ten year old boy by the time I am finished, its really getting me down.......but then on the bright side I am looking better in other places then ever before. muscly bum, arms and shapely hips, so its all swings and roundabouts.

jenneal89

You probably have to go down a band size and up a cup because when you decrease the band size the cup gets smaller too. Try a 32D and see if it fits. Also I would get professionally sized. I wear a 30D which is pretty hard to find but I did find a store that sells them. I didn't realize that the band was supposed to be so tight

waveindigo

This bra size calculator is on a weird site, but it has been super accurate for my friends and me. http://www.atlastravel.nazwa.pl/mini/

I tried that site and it was perfect! Good link

drusilla126

Yeah that was the first place the tape measure decreased on me so I feel your pain

A lady who used to do measurements showed me how to measure yourself. All you do is measure around your rib cage under your boobs in inches. Then measure around the fullest part of your bust. Now for every inch in difference between those two numbers you go up a cup. For instance if you're a 36 around your ribs and a 40 around your bust you would go 37 (A) 38 (B) 39 (C) 40 (D.) So you'd be a 36D. She tried it with both hers and mine and it came out right so I believe her.

pixtotts

im assuming here that bra size is worked out the same everywhere...
in the uk you take the under bust measurement where the band sits, in inches, if its even add 4 if its odd add 5 ... then you take this from the measure bust measurement across the nipples if the cups of the bras you have are restrictive you take this without a bra if you can, if there not over the bra is best...
if the two are the same - A
1 different - B
2 different - C
and so on

sooo using "My rib cage measurements are usually around 29-29.5" and over the top usually a 37-37.5" depending on time in my cycle. "
29 + 5 = 34
37 - 34 = 3
34 - D

then take that and go try if it doesnt feel right or they dont have that size you can go up in the one and down in the other for example i wear 38C if they dont have a 38 C i can wear a 40B i havent tried a 36D... but you get the idea...
the band of a new bra should fit on its loosest loops to allow for loss in elasticity, and the piece between the cups should sit flat against your chest

i always measure myself now because iv always looked smaller than iv measured (they used to comment on it when i went to get measured) and they do it by sight now a lot of places which is just stupid in my eyes because they would always be making me try something which isnt going to fit, but meh

Hope this helps, good luck
x

omma_to_3

" My rib cage measurements are usually around 29-29.5" and over the top usually a 37-37.5" depending on time in my cycle. "

With those measurements....you should probably be wearing a 30F! That won't be easy to find. You would have to mail order it.

nxd10

So many women wear the wrong size bra! Don't be afraid of a 32" band. I thought I was a 36DD for years before I got a proper fitting and discovered I was... 34G. Seriously, WTH, right? Now that I've lost some inches, I may be needing 32" bands soon. I also hope to lose some cup sizes because 34G is hard enough to find, I'm not too interested in being a 32H/I...

I believe that. I realized two nights ago I'd been wearing the wrong band size for probably 20 years. Because - as someone else said, I didn't think I needed as big a cup size as I do and I compensated for it by getting a bigger band and just a C or D cup.

I swear I look 10 years younger with the new bra.

I ordered a DD with the smaller band yesterday online, but just one as I still have 15 pounds left to go and am shedding inches faster than pounds. I may yet get back to that 34" band (I'm 5'10").

ahmommy

I agree to find someone to measure for you. I went to Victoria's Secret and they were great for me, but I definitely fit within the sizes they carry.

I went in wearing a 34B, worried they were going to tell me I needed to go down to an A cup. To my surprise, I measured at a 32C. I knew that the band on my old bras was a little loose, but I thought it had just gotten stretched out over the years. I have never before worn a band size smaller than 34, even in high school when I was 10+ pounds lighter than I am now. 32C is the "sister size" to 34B, since the band size is a little smaller and the cup size bigger. However, I don't really think the actual cup is any bigger than my B bras.

Wearing the right size makes a huge difference in appearance and comfort.

NuclearMosquito

Ladies, help! Y'all are so knowledgeable up in this thread, maybe you could give me some advice too? Ever since I lost 20 pounds (my ticker starts at a lower weight, I was 215) I can't get a decent bra. I used to wear 40G or H and now I've been measured for everything from a 38DDD to a 42DDD! Funny thing is, we have an awesome bra shop near me but every girl in there has measured me differently.

My problem is my breasts are teardrop shaped. They are much heavier and fuller at the bottom, and they hang a lot for a 27-year-old. I was told to bend over with my back even to the ground to measure my bust, since if I stand they are stretched and the measuring is inaccurate. Using that method, I get 48 1/4". My underbust measures at 38.

The 42DDDs I got are too big in the band after wearing them for a few hours, but the cup seems ok. The 38DDD takes talent to cram everything in it, and I end up uncomfortably squished. So, who can recommend a size with the above information? I would be forever grateful!

jenneal89

Ladies, help! Y'all are so knowledgeable up in this thread, maybe you could give me some advice too? Ever since I lost 20 pounds (my ticker starts at a lower weight, I was 215) I can't get a decent bra. I used to wear 40G or H and now I've been measured for everything from a 38DDD to a 42DDD! Funny thing is, we have an awesome bra shop near me but every girl in there has measured me differently.

My problem is my breasts are teardrop shaped. They are much heavier and fuller at the bottom, and they hang a lot for a 27-year-old. I was told to bend over with my back even to the ground to measure my bust, since if I stand they are stretched and the measuring is inaccurate. Using that method, I get 48 1/4". My underbust measures at 38.

The 42DDDs I got are too big in the band after wearing them for a few hours, but the cup seems ok. The 38DDD takes talent to cram everything in it, and I end up uncomfortably squished. So, who can recommend a size with the above information? I would be forever grateful!

Have them measure you while your wearing an unpacked bra so they'll be in the right place and you'll get an accurate measurement. The band should be snug and level (not riding up onto your back) the edge or the wire or fabric on the bottom of the bra should be just outside if where the side of your boob is (hard to explain but hope that makes sense. Basically it should have a little bit of room on the side so you aren't spilling out) if you go down a band size try going up a cup size. So a 38G? (reading us bra sizes it seems like a DDD is same as an F?)

omma_to_3

Ladies, help! Y'all are so knowledgeable up in this thread, maybe you could give me some advice too? Ever since I lost 20 pounds (my ticker starts at a lower weight, I was 215) I can't get a decent bra. I used to wear 40G or H and now I've been measured for everything from a 38DDD to a 42DDD! Funny thing is, we have an awesome bra shop near me but every girl in there has measured me differently.

My problem is my breasts are teardrop shaped. They are much heavier and fuller at the bottom, and they hang a lot for a 27-year-old. I was told to bend over with my back even to the ground to measure my bust, since if I stand they are stretched and the measuring is inaccurate. Using that method, I get 48 1/4". My underbust measures at 38.

The 42DDDs I got are too big in the band after wearing them for a few hours, but the cup seems ok. The 38DDD takes talent to cram everything in it, and I end up uncomfortably squished. So, who can recommend a size with the above information? I would be forever grateful!

You have to measure IN a bra. I'm going to send you a message :-)

Joannie30

I've lost over 50lbs and dropped 4 dress sizes but my bust is still the same- 36H.

:noway:

SarahCW1979

When your back measurement shrinks but your boobage spills out of the next size down you need to up the cup size.
Seriously if you can, go to a proper boutique for your bras. Ive wasted untold amounts of money buying from supermarkets and high street fashion type shops and always ended up with a poor fit after 1st wash, underwire jabs and strap malfunctions. I have 2 bras now that fit perfectly. As I lose the weight I will go back and replace after being measured properly. Having the right bra is so important for posture as well as shape AND shopping in a nice bra store will spur you on to get into all of the lovely things they have!