Anyone who has had to buy a bra knows that it can be a painful experience. From feeling self-conscious about your body to going home empty-handed, finding the perfect fit can be hard. To add to that, bra sizes aren’t standardized, so your bra size at one store might be totally different from a bra size at the other store. Unfortunately, many people wear the wrong bra size, especially the larger-chested.
Mismeasuring is partially rooted in antiquated bra sizing methods. According to Live About magazine, bra sizes previously operated by adding four inches to band size, which is based on your underbust. Now, different bands may require different amounts of added inches. And that’s only regarding band size. As it turns out, cup size is much more variable than one might think. It’s based on volume, which may be dispersed differently based on breast shape. What society traditionally conceives of as a “C cup” or a “DD” is often inaccurate. Instead, two differently shaped woman might have the same cup size even if they don’t appear to on first glance.
This erroneous perception is due to difference in breast shape. According to the ABraThatFits size calculator, this measure is based on projection and fullness. So, breast tissue can be spread over a larger surface area in a shallow manor or projected throughout a smaller one, and it may accumulate evenly or more at the top or bottom of the breast. Different fashion blogs and websites differ in listing breast shapes, but the gist is that some breasts may be narrower, wider, more asymmetrical or differently projected than the “typical” breasts, meaning one would have to adjust one’s own bra size to their own idiosyncrasies. Adjustments might include only buying certain cuts or researching international brands.
Differences amongst people’s bodies aren’t the only thing that leads to these misconceptions. Many more popular chains like Victoria’s Secret only carry up to a limited size, DDD, and often, customers tell stories of how associates default to the store’s largest size even when other self-measuring and other stores have prescribed a different, larger size the same day. Added to that, many advertisers fit models with bras too small for them for the sake of making the ad more appealing, when in actuality, they are misguiding their customers.
Discovering a bra size that not only gives you proper support but makes you feel comfortable is important. Misfitting can contribute to back problems and fit issues with other types of clothing. Many sites offer resources to address this issue, but one that might help is the ABraThatFits calculator as it takes multiple measurements to calculate your tentative bra size as well as a sister size, a comparable size that may work better for your breasts, as well as offering detailed descriptions for why a calculation produced could be incorrect.
Overall, if you wear bras, reevaluating your size could be a good idea. At the worst, you’ll experience some frustration finding just the right bra, but you’ll save yourself possible back pain later on in life and gain a new sense of confidence in your appearance.
