I found a bra size calculator that ISN'T wrong! OMG!

plantgrrl
plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello Ladies!

If you have a larger bust size (like me)--whenever you go down and inch or two in bust size, you wanna know how to calculate your new bra size, but! Company's like Victoria's Secret and others try to put you in HUGE band sizes with small cups...GRRR...you get spill over and saggy boobs, sport's bras that make people yell, "get a bra!" at you when you go running (I kid you not! This happened to me when I was wearing TWO sports bras at once (crappy kind I don't buy anymore that they sell in the sportswear section)). Until that one golden day when you go to a proper bra fitter and they say something like, "Oh no honey! You are NOT at 38DD, you are a 34DDDD!" OMG...seriously...Vic's Secret was shoving me into bras they sold in their store (cups only go to DD there) and because that's how they were taught to size...Sad! For me this wonderful place was the Seattle Flagship Nordstrom (Oh ligurie dept. you really do have my size and care about my fit!)--I swear it nearly made me cry.

Anyhow! I'm lost a few inches since then, been resized and am a 32DDD (yay!). I found this fit calculator that does NOT add 4 inches to your band size when sizing--so the cups are accurate!

http://www.atlastravel.nazwa.pl/mini/

Website is completely random, but this fitter works great. Underbust and Over bust are all you need. :) Happy hunting ladies!
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Replies

  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    I'll look at it. Thanks! I'm not big-busted, but I do have a hard time getting bras to fit. Heck, maybe I'm bigger than I realize and that's why nothing fits right. I'll give it a shot! :)
  • xMissAprilx
    xMissAprilx Posts: 143 Member
    Bout to check out the site now. Thanks for posting.
  • vibrant80
    vibrant80 Posts: 42 Member
    I ALWAYS go to Nordstrom when I need to be refitted. The whole "swing sizing" concept never made sense to me...if "90% of support is supposed to come from the band," how is screwing around with the band size to make the cups fit a good idea??
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Bumping to test later. Thanks for the post!
  • MrsGriffin67
    MrsGriffin67 Posts: 485 Member
    bump
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    tagging for later. :)
  • Girlbirder
    Girlbirder Posts: 17 Member
    I remember the first time I went for bra fitting at an independent retailer - it was amazing. It is hard to believe at first that they are going to fit you into something 4 or 6 inches smaller than you are used to wearing though! I totally understand how you feel. I have never looked back, I also get my swimwear from the same retailer, it's great to get something that fits properly.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    not sure about it's sizing... I'm definitely not a D cup, my girls swim in a C cup!
  • NMandaMarie
    NMandaMarie Posts: 234 Member
    Hum, I'm curious. I'll try at home where I have a measuring tape (not at work ;) )
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    @Vibrant--WTF?! Seriously not right! They give you a super loose band and expect your breasts to somehow defy gravity? No you hike the straps way the heck up and pray! LOL! Yeah I never understood that measure either.

    Also, I don't know if everyone realizes this but since support comes from the band size you need to measure your underbust while exhaling, so you get the tightest possible band that will fit you...the calculator will round up (or down) to the nearest even numbered band size. AND you bra should always be tightest at the loosest fastener notches (that way when the elastic loosens in a month or two you still have a bra that fits--that's when you start tightening up the hooks, NOT at the beginning when you first buy). Just some stuff I learned from the Nordies Ladies. :)
  • maysflower
    maysflower Posts: 180
    I know exactly what you mean by stores putting you into their bras even if they don't fit you. I went year being told I was a DDD, just to find out that I am actually an H cup. No wonder my boobs were never supported and spilling out all over the place. I live in Canada and we do not have as many options for larger sized bras, but I was able to find a good store with proper fitters and a good selection. I would highly recommend every women to get herself properly fitted at least once just to make sure you are wearing the correct sized bra. Thanks for the website, I'll be curious to know what it tells me I am :)
  • arhzon
    arhzon Posts: 150
    So I was very careful to measure correctly... and I am a 38A.
  • Kitiara47
    Kitiara47 Posts: 235 Member
    This is great! I went to VS and they told me I was a DD!! No way in crap are these things that big... I'm a complicated C. Bs are waaayy to small, but Cs get big. It's really confusing!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    most people are wearing too small a cup and too large a band.
    Youre not supposed to add 4 or 5 to the band size anymore as it doesnt give good enough support.

    your rib cage measurement IS your band size, or round it up one to make it the nearest even number, then measure round the fullest part of your bust, and subtract the difference.
    For each inch difference its one cup size. This is how most modern bras fit now, and its soooooo much more comfortable and supportive when you get the right size.

    Of course its still better to try them on too because different bras fit differently
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    Yup, I just stepped into the bathroom and took my measurements: 31 and 36, respectively. It puts me in a 32DD, which is probably right. I currently wear a 34 band on the tightest hook, with either a C or D cup, depending on manufacturer (hate to say it, ladies, but brand AND style of bra will also affect fit!) so the calculator's pretty spot-on! Happy sizing, ladies!
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Rule of thumb for measurements - A cup size for every inch difference between your chest and bust measurement (at least for those of us on the Imperial system, from the looks of the other numbers, I'd guess they have a similar logic behind at least most of them). That's really all that calculator does is do that math for you (which is a nice convenience factor) using that guideline. At least it's honest!

    As for Victoria Secret - they cater specifically to smaller women (like seriously, have you seen their models? That's their ideal demographic). If you're anything larger than about a 38 or DD, don't expect to find much (and even on that upper end, don't expect to find much other than maybe sportswear). I used to do work for them and when we asked about them carrying larger sizes, they said they never will, as that's not their target demographic and they have no interest in changing that.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Or you can do it this way:

    With a bra on, measure your rib cage right at the band line (ex: 34)

    Measure around at the fullest part of your breasts in the bra (ex: 38)

    Each inch larger than your band size is a Letter in your Cup size. (34 + 4= 34D)

    Don't be shocked if your real cup size is not one that you've ever heard of~ bra cup sizes can go up as high as L & M!!

    I was wearing a 38DDD and I am really a 36H!!

    If you fall into this category, there are PLENTY of websites to get PERFECT fitting bras from so you can look your BEST!!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Question about bust measurement -- I get how to measure my rib cage, but what about the actual bust? Mine grew in kind of southward, so if I'm not wearing a bra there's not really much difference in measurement, but I worry that if I'm wearing a bra that doesn't fit right, that will give me the wrong measurement as well. Advice?
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    XFit--huh...I suppose nothing is perfect...however, you know that bras are sized in such a way that if your cup volume stayed the same and your band size got smaller your cup size would get bigger as you go down. Confusing but example:

    Vic's secret had me at: 38DD
    If they had one they would have tried me in a 36DDD
    and Nordies put me in 34DDDD

    That's because the "cup volume" of all of these bras is the same--however, because I had the wrong band size there was NO support.

    Or if your band size increased but your cups stayed the same (heaven forbid!) the inverse would be true as you got larger:

    34DDDD
    then 36DDD
    then 38DDDD
    and poss. eventually 40D.

    Etc.

    Weird...clearly bra sizing was invented by men. Ha ha!
  • MrsWendyQ
    MrsWendyQ Posts: 125 Member
    Seeing as I am currently able to comfortably wear about 3 bras in my drawer since losing some "boobies" I will definitely check this out! Thanks!
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    OK, looks we're all on the same page!!
  • djthom
    djthom Posts: 651 Member
    I tried it, it said I was a 34H. I've tried on 34s in the store but they're always too small, so I end up with a 36 or 38. If I wear too small a band size my back and underarm fat surround it and look awful. Where do you find an H? I've never seen anything higher than a DDD and even those are hard to find when you drop bellow a 40 band.
  • Joisgettingfit
    Joisgettingfit Posts: 160 Member
    i love it, a while ago when I weighed a bit less I had measurements of a 29 underbust and a 32 round the middle and all the calculators I was trying kept telling me I was something like an 34a
    and I knew by looking at my boobs I was not a 34a but this one gave me a 30C for those measurements which seemed much more like what I was.
    I can't wait to be back in that bra size.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Question about bust measurement -- I get how to measure my rib cage, but what about the actual bust? Mine grew in kind of southward, so if I'm not wearing a bra there's not really much difference in measurement, but I worry that if I'm wearing a bra that doesn't fit right, that will give me the wrong measurement as well. Advice?

    You might want to consider measuring while wearing a bra or something that supports them while not compressing them into your chest (a sports bra would likely compress them). It might not be quite as accurate (especially if you don't have something thin to do that with, or if your bras don't fit right), but it will give you a starting point and you can play with cup sizes until you find the size that fits.
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    AJ try measuring while wearing a push up, or I've had good results laying down and measuring (so the flesh spills to the sides instead of down. I can't remember the link, but one calculator I tried measured how much support you needed for droop by how many pencils your tissue could hold under your breast (sadly I had 3 or 4 I think...thanks for that genetic downfall mom!). So I understand the support issue

    Honestly, you can measure without a bra on it's just a little harder...just make sure you measure around the back and then across the center of your nipples and you should at least be in the ball park.

    The tighter band might be a little uncomfortable for a few days, but you'll get used to it--tough it out, it's worth it for the support! And! A good bra can make you look thinner--'cause the girls are finally where they're supposed to be! Yay!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Thanks for the answers about the bust size. :) I appreciate it! I just did some measuring and my rib cage is 32, but it gave me a band size of 34. Didn't we just discuss that your rib size is the band size?
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    I tried it, it said I was a 34H. I've tried on 34s in the store but they're always too small, so I end up with a 36 or 38. If I wear too small a band size my back and underarm fat surround it and look awful. Where do you find an H? I've never seen anything higher than a DDD and even those are hard to find when you drop bellow a 40 band.

    Check out stores that stock clothing that range from petite to plus size, such as Fashion Bug or Layne Bryant.

    If you still can't find any in brick and mortar stores, check out the Internet. I just did a quick search for "34H bra" and it found a number of retailers that stock TONS of stuff in that size.
  • pammyedmunds
    pammyedmunds Posts: 608 Member
    bump....
  • Jenscan
    Jenscan Posts: 694 Member
    Thanks for this - and I had to laugh because my right-pane advertisement is for Victoria's Secret. LOL
  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    If it was higher then 32 (like 32.75) or something, it would round to 33 and because that's odd it would then round up to 34. When you go to the store see if you fit at 32 or a 34 band and adjust cup size up or down accordingly. :) This is just a tool to try and get you in the right ballpark, different brands will fit a little different so you still need to try on. But I hope it helps some.

    Someone asked where to get an H. Nordstrom (not "the rack," but the store itself), there are a lot of small boutique stores that specialize--in Seattle, Zovo is great, Macy's is a crap shoot (they may have a bra, but you won't find a person to help you), online http://www.biggerbras.com/m-large-cup-bras.shtml is pretty awesome. Also good for shirts and dresses: http://www.hourglassy.com/2010/01/bustin-out-blouses-at-aj-rumina.html
    and if you like retro clothes at all, the 40s and 50s were MADE for us larger busted ladies (esp. if you've slimmed down to an hourglass or pear shape at all) http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/.

    Happy hunting!
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