Bra fittings*

You can do it yourself. First measure directly under your bust - this gives you the first number - your band size, then measure your breasts at nipple level (without a bra if you're sill fairly perky, with an unpadded bra if you're suffering from serious sag). Each inch larger than your band size equates to a cup size, i.e. one inch bigger = A cup, two inches bigger = B cup, three inches is C cup, and so on. For example, if your first measurement is 34 inches and your second is 37 inches your bra size is 34C.

The other thing to remember is different style bras fit different shapes - my breasts are widely spaced (over an inch of flat space between them and I've found that Bendon bras just don't fit my shape. So try lots of different brands and styles, don't be afraid of taking 20 bras or more into a fitting room with you (if they let you) and keep trying them on until you find one that is both comfortable and makes your bust look fabulous - a good idea is to try them under a tight fitting t-shirt to get a really good idea of how it looks.

When trying on a bra, don't be afraid to get your hands in there and place your girls in the best position, you should do this every time you put one on, then jiggle around to see how well the bra holds them in and whether it stays in place (I'm the one doing jumping jacks in the fitting room).

A well fitting bra will sit straight around your chest (it shouldn't ride up at the back), if it does try a bigger band size. You should have no bulges over the top of the band at the back (again, try a bigger band) nor should the cup be chopping your boobs in half (here's where the t-shirt will show if you have two or four boobs!), if it does you need a bigger cup size. And, you shouldn't get extra 'boobs' at the side by your armpits - the cut is wrong for your shape.

And finally, as with clothing labels, many bra manufacturers take liberties with their sizing, just to make things confusing. But, now you have the theory behind finding a well-fitting bra which will hopefully help you in your search. Good luck, and happy shopping!

thanks for that.
You can do it yourself. First measure directly under your bust - this gives you the first number - your band size, then measure your breasts at nipple level (without a bra if you're sill fairly perky, with an unpadded bra if you're suffering from serious sag). Each inch larger than your band size equates to a cup size, i.e. one inch bigger = A cup, two inches bigger = B cup, three inches is C cup, and so on. For example, if your first measurement is 34 inches and your second is 37 inches your bra size is 34C.

The other thing to remember is different style bras fit different shapes - my breasts are widely spaced (over an inch of flat space between them and I've found that Bendon bras just don't fit my shape. So try lots of different brands and styles, don't be afraid of taking 20 bras or more into a fitting room with you (if they let you) and keep trying them on until you find one that is both comfortable and makes your bust look fabulous - a good idea is to try them under a tight fitting t-shirt to get a really good idea of how it looks.

When trying on a bra, don't be afraid to get your hands in there and place your girls in the best position, you should do this every time you put one on, then jiggle around to see how well the bra holds them in and whether it stays in place (I'm the one doing jumping jacks in the fitting room).

A well fitting bra will sit straight around your chest (it shouldn't ride up at the back), if it does try a bigger band size. You should have no bulges over the top of the band at the back (again, try a bigger band) nor should the cup be chopping your boobs in half (here's where the t-shirt will show if you have two or four boobs!), if it does you need a bigger cup size. And, you shouldn't get extra 'boobs' at the side by your armpits - the cut is wrong for your shape.

And finally, as with clothing labels, many bra manufacturers take liberties with their sizing, just to make things confusing. But, now you have the theory behind finding a well-fitting bra which will hopefully help you in your search. Good luck, and happy shopping!

Ugh. Nightmare. Nothing more dispiriting than standing in a fitting room with mountains of ill-fitting nylon!

I spent 30 minutes last night going through my drawer sorting those that vaguely fit, from those that don't at all.
Those that may fit again in the future from those that never will again...

I have a narrow back but big bazooka's - Bravissimo fitted me into a couple of styles from Fantasie which are fine under tee shirts, but they're too high in the cup, so anything remotely low cut then shows my granny-bras. Now I've found the styles, I order them on-line.

BUT - the lower cut Fantasie's don't stay on my shoulders because of my narrow back.

Marks is a no-go area - the ladies there don't have a clue. John Lewis aren't too bad.
I've tried a local independent store, but they didn't have the quantity in stock, so I walked out empty handed.

I got so desperate last year that I was considering having one made at Rigby and Peller in London. Luckily it rained all year so I didn't wear any revealing clothes! :laugh:

I go to Bravissimo, I used to get measured in La senza, the always told me I was a UK 34D and I never felt truly supported, went to Bravissimo, they didn't use a tape measure, ended up trying on a UK 30F and it fit me perfectly, no more boobies spilling out of my bra when I bend over (Yayyyy :drinker:)

When trying on a bra, don't be afraid to get your hands in there and place your girls in the best position, you should do this every time you put one on, then jiggle around to see how well the bra holds them in and whether it stays in place (I'm the one doing jumping jacks in the fitting room).

A well fitting bra will sit straight around your chest (it shouldn't ride up at the back), if it does try a bigger band size. You should have no bulges over the top of the band at the back (again, try a bigger band) nor should the cup be chopping your boobs in half (here's where the t-shirt will show if you have two or four boobs!), if it does you need a bigger cup size. And, you shouldn't get extra 'boobs' at the side by your armpits - the cut is wrong for your shape.

:laugh:
This has made my morning!

I've found Leia helpful, but there aren't many branches. Measurements are only useful for getting a starting point. I find that you really need to try bras on. Once you know your size in a certain make, then you can buy online (Ebay often has bargains).

As a general rule, people seem to get bras that are too big in the band. I think this comes from the old way of measuring, which allowed an extra 4 inches in the band to allow you to breathe (when bras were made of non-stretchy material!). Nowadays, the measurement around your underbust seems to be your actual band size (for instance, I measure 31" under the bust and wear a 32" band). Remember that bands tend to get a little looser as the bra ages.

You might find http://www.bratabase.com/ useful. It has reviews of bras and compares sizes and also give fitting help.

Rigby & Peller near Harrods In London UK is the very best place for measuring and fitting.

I also love Bravissimo for an initial idea of size, but once you know what a properly fitted bra is supposed to look/feel like, you can find larger bras in a lot of shops. I generally find a good range in Debenhams - their Gorgeous range goes up quite high in cup sizes and bands. Definitely go to Bravissimo first, though!

You can do it yourself. First measure directly under your bust - this gives you the first number - your band size, then measure your breasts at nipple level (without a bra if you're sill fairly perky, with an unpadded bra if you're suffering from serious sag). Each inch larger than your band size equates to a cup size, i.e. one inch bigger = A cup, two inches bigger = B cup, three inches is C cup, and so on. For example, if your first measurement is 34 inches and your second is 37 inches your bra size is 34C.

The other thing to remember is different style bras fit different shapes - my breasts are widely spaced (over an inch of flat space between them and I've found that Bendon bras just don't fit my shape. So try lots of different brands and styles, don't be afraid of taking 20 bras or more into a fitting room with you (if they let you) and keep trying them on until you find one that is both comfortable and makes your bust look fabulous - a good idea is to try them under a tight fitting t-shirt to get a really good idea of how it looks.

When trying on a bra, don't be afraid to get your hands in there and place your girls in the best position, you should do this every time you put one on, then jiggle around to see how well the bra holds them in and whether it stays in place (I'm the one doing jumping jacks in the fitting room).

A well fitting bra will sit straight around your chest (it shouldn't ride up at the back), if it does try a bigger band size. You should have no bulges over the top of the band at the back (again, try a bigger band) nor should the cup be chopping your boobs in half (here's where the t-shirt will show if you have two or four boobs!), if it does you need a bigger cup size. And, you shouldn't get extra 'boobs' at the side by your armpits - the cut is wrong for your shape.

And finally, as with clothing labels, many bra manufacturers take liberties with their sizing, just to make things confusing. But, now you have the theory behind finding a well-fitting bra which will hopefully help you in your search. Good luck, and happy shopping!

Good advice here, thank you for sharing