How to Shop for a Bra
You've been putting it off long enough.
You know you need a new bra but hate the thought of bra shopping.
Bra Shopping...
You grab a handful of different brands of bras and head for the dressing room. But even though the tags say all the bras are the same size, no two fit the same way! Why?!
I make bras. And when I first started making them, I tried to find out what the standard sizes were. Well, there is no standard for bra sizing. What is one size for one manufacturer is a totally different size for another manufacturer.
But the saleslady told me...
The way sales people tell us to determine our size is only “common wisdom”.
Common wisdom states that you measure your chest size then add 5 inches to get your band size. With today’s highly stretchable fabrics, this most often gives a band that is way too loose.
Here's some help to make your bra shopping a little less stressful.
A better way to measure...
Instead, you measure your chest immediately below your bust and only round up to the nearest even number. Then measure directly over your bust. The difference between the two measurements is the cup size. If the difference is 3” that's a C-cup, 4” a D, 5” a DD or E, and so on.
Some helpful videos...
This video does a nice job of explaining how to measure to find your bra size.
Here is another post with a really good explanation of how to measure to find your bra size.
Help for Plus Size...
Plus size women also need to consider that there is more material to stretch in a larger size band. Here is a post that talks about sizing considerations for plus sizes.
How to tell if the band on your bra is too large...
1. Band rides up in back.
2. Shoulder straps fall off.
3. Underwire doesn't sit against your chest.
4. You fall out under the cups.
If you have some or all of the above fit problems, try going down 1 or 2 band sizes.
Remember that the cup size is a difference between the chest and bust measurement. So for every band size you go down, go up a cup size to keep the same fit in the cup.
For example: If your current non-fitting bra is a 38B, try a 36C or a 34D.
Your band should be snug without restricting breathing.
Now go hit that dressing room...
Since manufactures can't agree on a standard size, you may find that you still have to go up or down a bit in the band or cup size for a particular brand or style. But at least you’ll be starting out with a better fit. And maybe you’ll only have to bring 3 bras into the dressing room instead of 12!
Good Luck and let me know if this helped!
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