With brands increasing their cup sizes and articles such as ‘Why Don’t More Designers Make Plus Size Bras?‘ on the increase, we should be rejoicing; but it seems women are still confused and disillusioned when it comes to bra sizes.

Changing Times

With a US lingerie site introducing a 12D cup (instead of using K), we’re increasingly thinking that in the case of bra sizing there’s some sort of phobia about the letters that follow D. To illustrate how ridiculous this is, a 12D is literally a DDDDDDDDDDDD. Why is it so difficult for people to get their heads around a K cup? Big boobs ain’t going to bite, but those suffering with back, neck and shoulder pain due to ill fitting and non-supportive bras, may well do!

One of Knickers’ most read articles, America’s Denial of Larger Cup Bras, is still being found and commented on, three years after it was posted; judging by the comments, the problem is still very much alive for far too many women. But it’s not just the denial of cup sizes that is the issue, it’s also the outdated measuring method so many stores use for bra-fitting, and it’s not just the US who are getting it wrong. I’ve just entered my measurements into a UK bra-sizing calculator and incredibly, it came up with a 36A when I’m actually a 32E. Given the scale of inaccuracy for my own size, I’m quivering at the thought of someone actually going by these results and spending money on a bra. It’s no wonder there doesn’t appear to be a shift in the ’85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size’ statistic.

Get Real!

It doesn’t help that well-known busty women have publicly claimed completely wrong bra sizes. The UK’s national ‘boob treasure’ Jordan, aka Katie Price, apparently claimed to only be a G cup, but only after her self-named D-G cup lingerie range was introduced. Other famous busts like Pamela Anderson and Dolly Parton claim to be DD cups, which should put my E in the realms of fantasy. But I’m perfectly real; I’m a fairly slender UK size 12, with a bust that fits into size 12 clothes (if you need to be convinced, check out the photo here).

Although the message of needing larger cup bras is important, it’s the availability and the ability to properly fit a bra that now needs to happen as well. Bra fitting isn’t just about larger cups, it’s about achieving a good fit for any size. If you want to find out your correct bra size, our advice is, don’t use a bra calculator; use your dress size as a guide and check out our DIY bra-fitting guide, which will help you to decide whether you’re wearing the right bra size. We also like the video below, which perfectly demonstrates how much better a proper-fitting bra looks and feels, without the hindrance of a bra calculator or measuring tape!

Getting Fitted Properly

If you go to a store to get fitted, remember to go to one where larger cup bras are sold (look for sizes like G and H); this will make it more likely for you to come out with the right size, as stores won’t suggest a size that they don’t stock!

And remember, size does matter because once you find the right size, you’ll never look back!

Get it at

Homepage image Elle MacPherson Artistry (up to a G cup), available from Boudiche.

Check out Bravissimo good sizing and buying advice and a wide variety of sizes. And Curvy Kate (images above) for band sizes from 28-40 and cup sizes up to a J.

How many of us can claim we’ve never had a low self esteem day? For some of us, how we look on the outside is a big part of how we end up feeling on the inside. While self esteem and self confidence ultimately come from the inside, seeing ourselves in a different light on the outside can often help us to feel differently.

Boost Your Assests

For so many of us a strict diet, bootcamp or, heaven forbid, surgery won’t change our lack of satisfaction with how we look – we all know that even those who are an ‘enviable’ size 8 can be dissatisfied, so what can we do? When a friend visited me recently it soon became apparent that in spite of me seeing a beautiful girl in a fabulous dress, she wasn’t feeling it. Her dress didn’t feel right and she didn’t feel right. I know that feeling well and I also know that there are ways to get around it!

That evening I was on a mission and dragged my friend (in a kindly, I-want-to-help way) to my room where I got out all the shapewear I own. I managed to convince her to try it on and asked her to decide which felt most comfortable and which matched the functionality she required. Next I pulled out a great bra (we have the advantage of being the same size), she tried it on and loved it. A moment later, dress back on and the addition of a string of beads and my friend’s face had changed. She was amazed that by putting on a couple of extra garments underneath, her confidence had grown. She stood tall, smiled and was ready to go out.

Make it work!

Wearing a bra that fits well is imperative and wearing one that suits the outfit you’re wearing is absolutely necessary – it doesn’t occur to everyone that a bra can make or break an outfit. It’s a similar story with shapewear, think of it in terms of smoothing and giving you a more supported, youthful look, rather than thinking it’s going to take inches of you. Both a properly fitting bra and shapewear garment can help the way you look from the outside, which in turn can help you feel better about yourself.

It’s worth remembering that ingerie and underwear is not just about being pretty, it’s also about functionality. Use it to your advantage, make it work and darn well let it do the job it’s supposed to! Get a proper bra fitting and some good, comfortable shapewear (yes, it’s all out there), and contrary to belief you don’t have to spend a fortune, just spend wisely!

Those who think there’s more to life than appearance are probably right: but it’s not about vanity, it’s about seeing ourselves in a different light. Giving ourselves a boost in the right direction is often all we need to change our attitude – and lingerie can and does help!

We’ve got nothing against Ashley Stewart or Jill Scott, but we’ve got to call shenanigans on their much-hyped release of the “The Butterfly Bra,” a bra designed to solve discomfort problems for fuller-figured women. Here’s a video introducing the bra:

(Watch at YouTube)

We can’t fault the creators’ intentions – fuller-figured women do have an incredibly difficult time finding a well-fitting bra. But we’re concerned that this ‘solution’ is going to cause more problems than it solves, and one of our biggest concerns is about the sizing: The Butterfly Bra, the “must-have bra” for larger women, is only available in sizes 38D to 44DDD.

DDD isn’t a real size!

How in the world did such a well-intentioned project for larger women settle on such a bizarre sizing scheme? Putting aside the issue that D-DDD is nowhere near a large enough size range to cater to larger-sized women, why do manufacturers insist upon using this faux-size DDD? What does DDD even mean?

To understand the DDD, you first have to understand the A-D mentality. We’ve touched on this in the past, and nothing has changed since our last article – countless people, especially in the States, think that bra sizes begin at A, end at D, and anything above that is the realm of monsters and plastic surgery. When considered in that context, “DDD” starts to make more sense — letters like E, F, and G would sound comically huge within an A-D framework, so manufactureres tack a couple extra D’s on a D-cup to make what is really an E or F-cup sound more consumer-friendly.

You might be asking, what’s the harm in calling an F a DDD? Not a lot, until women start needing a G-cup bra, or even H or J. If i’m a 36G, does that mean i should be a 36DDDD for Ashley Stewart? If i gain a few pounds, am i now a 36DDDDD? Beyond a few D’s, this sizing scheme not only gets ridiculous, but pretty embarrassing and impossible for larger-sized women – the very women who Ashley Stewart are trying to help.

Band sizes too big, cup sizes too small

Because The Butterfly Bra doesn’t acknowledge real larger-cup sizes, the rest of the design suffers as well. Notice in the video how they keep focusing on the bra straps digging in, and to solve this problem, they pad the straps with a gel lining. Any good reader of our Top 5 Bra-Sizing Myths knows that digging straps are usually a sign that your band size is too big and forcing the straps to support the breasts. They shouldn’t be padding the straps in their larger-size friendly bras, they should be offering smaller band sizes and teaching women how to properly support their breasts.

Also pay attention when they show the new bra’s underwires (about 56 seconds in). Notice anything funny about the bridge, or center, of that bra? It’s not even touching her chest, and her breasts look flattened into the bra as a result – another key indicator that a cup size is too small.

Perpetuating the Myth

As we said, we’ve got nothing against the very well-intentioned project to create a bra for larger-sized women – this is an issue that we’ve been talking about for ages, and are delighted to see promoted, especially in the States. We’re even intrigued by their double-black clasp design, something that worked really well on the Shock Absorber bra that Danae recently tried out.

What we’re very disappointed to see is that even a well-intended project is continuing to perpetuate incorrect assumptions about bra-sizing, assumptions that lead many, many women to wear ill-fitting and uncomfortable bras. Just like Jill Scott says in the video, a bad bra doesn’t just impact your comfort, it impacts your personality and self-confidence, too. We would love to see someone create a bra that truly addressed the needs of larger-sized women and to finally help liberate them from an industry that refuses to acknowledge the truth about larger-cup bra-sizing.

Here at Knickers we do bra “street-fittings” all the time (and bar-fittings, and bus-fittings…), and have learned how to fit a bra without worrying with measurements and calculators. To help you find your perfect size this new year, we’ve condensed our bra-fitting technique into a handy guide you can use yourself:

Do-it-yourself Bra Fitting

Pick your bra type

Before you start sizing, you need a good idea of what kind of bra you’re looking for – do you want a new everyday bra to wear to work? Do you need a bra for party dresses? We’ve broken down some common bra types by the occasion you might want them for:

• Parties, dressing up and going out: You need a good multifunction bra, which will let you swap between halterneck, strapless, and a regular style. If you don’t typically wear halterneck/strapless styles, a plunge bra is a great way to wear low-cut tops without showing any bra.
• Everyday / Work: A traditional full-cup bra, maybe with a moulded cup will disappear under your work clothes and will provide maximum support.
• Date night: Depending on your taste and cup size, a balconette or plunge bra will be perfect. Balconette is great to wear with a square or round neck to lift the breasts overall (think Jane Austen boobs), and plunge is great for low or v-necks.

Generally, balconette bras are better suited to smaller-cup sizes (DD and below), while full-cup and plunge are perfect for larger-cup sizes. (Editor’s note — There are exceptions to this rule — the balconette shape has been beautifully adapted for larger cup sizes by Miss Mandalay, Freya and Mimi Holliday to name a few). Once you’ve picked your bra style, you’re ready to size!

Bra Style Guide

How do you tell the difference between bras in the store? Each bra will be labeled with its style (multi-way/multifunction, plunge/push-up, full-cup and shelf/balconette) or you can compare the shape to the examples given below:

(all photos from Figleaves.com)

Find your test bra size

Now that you know what bra you want, you can start your DIY Bra Sizing. But don’t go looking for your measuring tape! Measuring might feel accurate, but thanks to the sheer variety of body shapes/manufacturer sizes/bra styles, measuring is often wildly innacurate for bra sizing (i’ve been told i was a 42D when i’m a 36G!). We prefer to take a much more common sense, DIY approach to bra sizing: all you need is your current bra size and a little bit of trial and error.

No measuring-tape bra sizing

1. Test your band size – Reach around and pull your bra band away from your back – is it loose (more than an inch or so from your back)? If so, your band size might be too big. If it’s really loose, subtract two band sizes (always subtract by two, e.g., 38 to 34), if it’s just a little loose, subtract one band size (38 to 36). If you’re not really sure, get someone to try a playground bra-snapping on you. If it hurts, your band size is probably too big.
2. Test your cup size – Feel under your arm for your bra’s underwire. Is the underwire directly below your armpit, or is there breast tissue poking out beyond the underwire?
   Now check your underwires at the front of the bra – do they lie flat against your skin, or do they stick out? If there is breast tissue beyond the underwire and your underwire isn’t flat, try adding two cup sizes (e.g. D to F). If the underwire is only wrong in one place, add one cup size (e.g. D to E)
3. Do the math – Take your current bra size, do your additions/subtractions from Steps 1 and 2, and that’s your new bra size to test. Don’t panic if your test size sounds too big/weird/no-way-am-i-that-size/am-i-a-mutant. Just trust us for now – you’ll be testing this size in the changing room!

Time to go shopping!

Once you’ve got a new bra size to test out, pick your bra style using the guide above and grab your new size in the store. Also grab some sizes around the test size, so if you were a 36C and you’re testing out a 32E, also grab a 30F and a 34DD for a little experimentation.

Where to shop
If you can’t find the sizes you need, don’t just make do and fudge the sizes, make an effort to find a good bra store (it will pay off in the long run!). U.S. readers should try higher-end department stores like Nordstroms, Macy’s, or Dillards, and UK readers should try Bravissimo, M&S, Frasers, or local boutiques. Try to avoid the “usual suspects” lingerie stores like Victoria’s Secret and La Senza, as they won’t have the variety in sizes and styles that you’ll need – take this opportunity to find a new lingerie retailer!

The changing room checklist

Once you have your test bra and a few variants, you’re ready to try them all out. Here is a simple changing room checklist for making sure your new bra fits:

Hook the bra on your middle hook (or the second one) – you need your band to be snug and tight, but also need an idea of how the bra will feel once the bra loses some elasticity. With the middle hook, you’ll get an idea of the looser fit, but can always swap to the first hook if you need it when the bra starts to age.

Keep your straps loose – too many women rely on the straps for support in their bra, but the band should be giving support, not the straps. Pull out the straps so they sit comfortably but aren’t bearing any real weight, and you’ll get a true idea of how the bra supports you.

Make sure your bridge is lying flat on your sternum — poke the piece of fabric between your cups (that’s the bridge), does it lie flat or does your whole bra move when you poke it? If it’s not lying flat, try going up a cup size.

Lean over and pull the girls in – this is the part where people start thinking we’re crazy. Seriously, it works – lean over so your breasts are pointing to the floor, reach into the cup and pull your breasts into the cup. Now stand back up, and marvel at your rack! If you see a bit of flesh hanging over the top of the cup, that’s a sign that you’re either wearing the wrong style (balconette or half-cup instead of full), or your cup size is too small.

Jump up and down – we call this the Jiggle Test, and it’s great for larger-cup women especially. Do the girls stay in place when you hop up and down a few times? If so, you’re doing well. If your breasts start bouncing like crazy you’ve probably got a band size too large, and if you get a lot of flesh wiggle on the top of your boob, your cup size could be too small, or you should try a fuller cup.

Put a tight tee-shirt on – we always wear or bring a snug, thin little tee with us for bra shopping, so we can see the shape bras give us – once you’ve pulled the girls in, slip on your tee and check out the general shape/lift. Is there not enough lift? Try a smaller band size (and maybe size up a cup to compensate). Are there bumps around the cups? Try a bigger cup size.

Try on all three of your test bras (the original test size and the two variants) and pay attention to how much lift you get, how flat the bridge lies, and how snug your band is against your back. Then, compare these with the bra size you’ve been wearing. With a little trial and error, you should be able to narrow down your size pretty quickly.

If none of the bras feel or look right, try a different style of bra (full-cup is a great default style) with your test sizes and repeat the checklist. Keep experimenting until you feel well-supported!

Your New Size

Bra-sizing isn’t an exact affair – there are simply too many manufacturers, sizing standards, body shapes, and styles for any woman to be one final size. Your “new” size won’t be the same in every brand, and may not even be the same between different styles in the same brand (that’s why we made you pick at the beginning). The trick is to find a good base size, then adjust that size as required by using the criteria above.

This whole process may take a little time, but will be worth it. You can do this process in a one-day blitz, or can simply pay attention to how different bras fit over time and work your size out gradually. Either way, you’ll soon start to learn your size range for your favourite brands and styles, and after a bit more experimentation, you’ll have a whole range of bras that fit you, not a bra size!

For more information on bra sizing, check out our Top Five Bra-Sizing Myths.

Loulou loves you!

Are you a frilly-underwear kind of girl? Do you skip past the bra sets and head straight for the adorable pairs of knickers? If so, meet Loulou Loves You and their inaugural collection of adorable silk underwear. Handmade by Loulou herself (who is also a Knickers reader!), these panties are sweet and simple frilly goodness.

Loulou’s signature knickers (pictured above left) are silky, frilly concoctions available in four bold colours for £35. If you’re already having panic attacks about your panty line with all those frills, head straight for the simpler “Lorelai” (£30, pictured above right), or her checked version, “Dorothy.” (£22).

Loulou will be adding more lingerie to match these knickers, so check back to her lovely site!

EU Introduces Standards in Bra Sizing

The European Union has issued a sizing standard designed to replace the patchwork sizing system currently used across Europe. The standard includes all clothing, but has a detailed section on bra sizing as well. The bra sizes are based on bust girth minus underbust girth, and are measured in metrics. The British Standards Institute are currently looking for feedback on these guidelines, so if you’re a lingerie designer, check it out. For those of us who just wear bras, there may be salvation in sight for the russian roulette that bra-shopping currently is!

Cashmere, free money, and a quick pick:

Here’s a few more tidbits of news worth checking out:

• UK readers, did you like the cashmere bra set we recently wrote about? You can now buy Play by Julien at chic London waxing-bar Strip. I suppose they’re selling you the lingerie to look fabulous in after you’ve had your wax!
• Want to win £500. Discount designer store Koodos has just launched their refer-a-friend system, which lets you give a £5 Koodos gift voucher to a friend just by e-mailing them. To celebrate the launch, they’re having a £500 giveaway for one lucky referrer!
• Finally, here’s a quick pick for a unique bustier: this blue satin bustier is part mermaid, part fierce, and totally brilliant at just $47.

Psst!

By the way, are you checking out our bargains page? Our new writer Katie is keeping an ever-vigilant watch over it, and is posting some fantastic deals over there. We’re convinced that Katie can smell a bargain like a shark drawn to blood – she’s amazing!

If you’ve got a killer bargain of your own, just e-mail katie@knickersblog.com.

While Europe has traditionally led the lingerie market, there’s signs that the U.S. is starting to get the lingerie fever as well. Fabulous brands like Kiki de Montparnasse and the Lake and Stars are popping up everywhere, and the Chicago Tribune recently reported that the lingerie market is only second to handbags as a fast-growing apparel item. Seizing the trend, retailers like J.C. Penny, Target and Kohl’s are re-vamping their existing lingerie lines, launching new labels, and offering professional fitting services.

These retailers are hoping to usurp Victoria’s Secret’s rule over American lingerie, and they may find an Achilles heel to exploit: Victoria’s Secret is still limited to sizes below a DD, while newcomers like Le Mystere are rising in the ranks with their wider range of sizes and emphasis on fit. As more and more women avail themselves to these new fitting services and alternate brands, many will discover that their “new” bra size simply isn’t available at Victoria’s Secret. Another large brand just needs to create and maintain that bra-sizing momentum to become a major contender.

At the moment, however, few American brands have embraced bra-sizing and larger cup sizes. It’s a sore point here at Knickers that larger-cup bras are so rare in the U.S. — when I visited my family back in the U.S., I couldn’t find one national store that could sell me a G-cup bra. I wandered five shopping centres over the course of my visit, and not one had a cup size above DD. My great hope, Lane Bryant, even disappointed — they seem to equate “plus size” in the lingerie world with “large back,” instead of “large cup size.” I encountered a number of 40DDD’s in their stores, but not could find one E, F, or G-cup (they do, however, have a limited set of ranges online in these sizes). Even a plus-size retailer seems afraid to break the D barrier, choosing instead to just keep adding D’s to the bra size and expanding the back.

Distorted Bra Perceptions

In a way, we can understand the retailers — many women seem unable to accept a cup size larger than D. Somehow in our lives, we’ve been indoctrinated that a D+ cup is “huge,” or “fat,” and women simply don’t want that stigma attached to their breasts. Just look at this cartoon, a popular e-mail forward and video shown below:

In the video, by the time the bra size goes past DD, the breasts are at comic proportions, and H is dismissed as too ridiculous to even show. Even as a joke, this demonstrates a common misconception that DD is the biggest bra size possible, and anything beyond that is simply vulgar. In reality, this is what a 32DD cup looks like:

Not so ridiculous, huh?

That’s why we try to cover lots of larger-cup lingerie here at Knickers — if we keep telling women these cup sizes exist and they’re not for mutant sizes, hopefully more will get used to the idea!

Hope for the U.S. larger cup market

Of course, all hope is not lost for our larger-cup U.S. readers. They’ve been paying over the exchange rate for British labels like Rigby and Peller, Fantasie and Freya, but home-grown labels are starting to appear. Le Mystere and independent designer Jodi Gallaer are both available up to a G-cup, and Jodi plans to introduce a H-cup as well. With the success of UK brands such as Bravissimo and Freya (the latter recently entered into a 7-figure TV sponsorship deal), U.S. businesses will hopefully start to see the potential in larger-cup sizes and start offering women a better service.

We would love to hear from our U.S. readers on this topic — are you a larger cup size? What brands do you wear? Do you have a favourite label we should be checking out? Tell us in the comments!

US lingerie label Le Mystere has rocketed to the top of the American lingerie market, given a huge boost when Oprah crowned their “Tisha” as her “favourite bra.” We also confess a big soft spot for the label — with a tagline like “it’s all about fit,” this is one of the few mainstream U.S. labels that caters to larger cup sizes and embraces responsible bra sizing. Following their “all about fit” mantra, Le Mystere has released their latest bra: No9, a bra specially designed for women with breast augmentations. We’ve got all the details (including a not-safe-for-work picture) after the jump:

We know breast augmentation is a controversial issue, so we started looking into the topic after learning about this bra. We found that women get augmentations for all sorts of reasons — weight loss, self-esteem issues, correcting breast irregularities, and very commonly, restoring breasts after breastfeeding permanently alters their shape. As a G-cup, we can’t say we understand a woman’s desire for augmentation, but we can certainly understand that breasts link strongly to a woman’s self-esteem, and improving them can improve a woman’s confidence.

Finding a bra after augmentation

(photos courtesy Wikipedia)

Ironically, once a woman has an augmentation she throws herself into a new minority: women who can’t find a good bra. As illustrated in the picture above, augmented breasts are much rounder and circular than a natural breast, meaning “normal” bras won’t be designed with the right underwire. Furthermore, an augmented breast is deeper (from the sternum to the nipple) than a natural breast, meaning cup sizes (which go up according to width) will be sized all wrong for them.

And that’s where No9 comes in. Designed specifically for a deeper, rounder breast with a wider bridge between the breasts, these bras are tailor-made for augmentations. The bra took years to develop, and involved the help of plastic surgeons and clinical research. It’s an amazing offering for what is essentially a niche market — 329,000 American women had augmentations in 2006.

Controversy aside, we love that women of every breast shape and size are able to buy lingerie that actually fits — it’s such a small thing to have a well-fitting bra, but becomes a big problem if a woman can’t find one. Le Mystere will also do quite well from this move — by catering to this niche market they’ll have a loyal clientèle, as long as they keep providing the perfect fit.

If you want to buy the No9, you can get it from Bare Necessities in the US for $76, or UK readers (and Australians) can buy it from Zodee at £42. We’d love to hear from any women who have had augmentations to see what they think about this product!

Jump straight to the evidence

As celeb-gossip blog devotees, we’re delighted that Britney is getting healthy, out of rehab and no longer attacking photographers with umbrellas. Even so, we’ve still got a serious problem with America’s favourite train-wreck: girlfriend needs to do something about her lingerie. We don’t mind that she’s romping around LA in her underwear (in fact we expect it), if only she would wear a bra that actually fits her breasts. Frankly, it’s embarrassing that one of the most well-known women in the world is walking around in a state of lingerie ignorance, so we just had to call her out on it:

Britney, please get a bra fitting, because your bra is way too small. Here’s how we know:

The evidence

Brit-Brit’s bra atrocities first came to our attention with this worrying photo. In it, she’s proudly exhibiting a classic case of quadra-boob, or wearing a bra that’s so small, the boobs are pushed out into little mini-boobs, leaving questionable lumps and bumps all over your chest. Here’s the photo, with our annotations:

In the photo, the blue dashed line represents the offending bra’s underwire, and the white dashed line represents where the bra’s underwire should be. As cup sizes go up, a bra’s underwire gets wider to accommodate and support all of the breast tissue — a good bra’s underwire should extend all the way back to below the underarm, encircling the entire breast. The pink bra above cuts off a few inches before the breast ends, and all that boob has got to go somewhere – in this case, down!

How to check for this problem
To make sure you don’t have Brit’s problem, use your fingers to feel your bra’s underwire. Can you feel a bulge of tissue just behind the underwire? Does the wire end halfway along the side of your breast, instead of under your arm? If so, your cup size is probably too small – try on a bra with one size lower in the band, and one size higher in the cup, then do the test again.

Need a few more examples of this problem? Here are a few more Britney photos illustrating a too-small cup size, with illustrated explanations:

Another tell-tale sign of a too-small bra can be found at the bridge, or the panel that holds the two cups together in the centre. If the bridge lies flat against your sternum, that means the cups are adequately covering your breasts and are the right size. If you can put your finger between the bridge and your skin, that means the cups are stretching across your breasts and probably not big enough. As you can see, Britney seems to be having that very problem.

Here’s another angle on the problem illustrated in picture 1. You can see where the bra should be ending, and the big stretch of fabric that’s there instead. This points to Brits wearing too large of a back size, trying to accommodate her larger cups by giving more room along the sides. Typically, women who wear the wrong bra size have their band size too large and their cup size too small, and we definitely think that’s the problem here.

The bright side

At least there is a bright side to all of this — just as Britney has taught us to avoid marrying our backup dancers, avoid walking barefoot in public bathrooms and to avoid velour tracksuits as wedding attire, she can now serve as a shining example to women everywhere for how not to wear a bra. If these photos look familiar, check out our Top 5 Bra Sizing Myths to find out more about how your bra should fit, and how you can find out your proper size.

This time in Ask Knickers, a confused reader hands over her tape measure and asks for help — how do these measurements translate into a bra size, anyway?

Question:

I’ve been remeasuring myself to find a new bra since my current ones are fitting tight due to pregnancy. My ribcage measures 41″ (add 5″ = 46″ band size) and my bust measures 46″, so does this mean I’m a AA cup?? I’m currently wearing a 40C and spilling out of them (even full coverage bras). I’m not flat-chested in the least and needless to say very confused! What size should I be wearing?

Answer:

Our reader has done everything exactly right — she’s measured over her bust and across her ribcage, the two measurements required for the well-known bra-fitting formula of subtracting bust size from rib size. The problem is, this formula simply isn’t comprehensive enough to be reliable, and can lead to a wildly incorrect size for women — in our readers case, a 46AA! With our tried and not-so-true formula out of the window, how can we find the correct size?

To puzzle out this size we turned to our two favourite bra-sizing experts — Beverly Johnson, the author of the Bra-Makers Manual and an incredible resource to anyone interested in bra-making, and Izzy, the creator of 85b.org, a site dedicated to helping women try to puzzle through the increasing web of bra sizes all over the world. Both women agreed that the two-measurement system was letting our reader down. Izzy elaborated:

It’s evident that an AA cup is not right and this is a major fault with the two-measurement system.

In my experience, this system can work for what I call “petite” sizes – those most commonly found in stores: band sizes from 32 to 36 and cup sizes from AA to C or perhaps D. But even in these cases these two measurements may not be sufficient.

Beverly theorised that our reader’s recent pregnancy could be creating the false measurement, offering:

She doesn’t say whether she is still pregnant, or whether it is recent, but in any case, the ribs may have expanded and not gone back down to their former size. This is making her rib cage bigger, so when the measuring is done, the difference between the rib cage and the full bust is actually very little, therefore a “false size” of 46AA is showing up.

She doesn’t mention if it is the band and cups that are too tight, or just the cups. If it is just the cups that are compressing, I would go into a 40D, or DD if they are really tight. However, if the band is tight as well as the cups, going into a 42C would give her a band increase but only a 1/2 size increase in the cup. Going to the 40D would give her a full cup size of 1/2″ and might solve the problem.

The reality is that no quick and easy formula can account for the incredible variety of women’s shapes and sizes, so measurements can only be judged as a starting point for fitting. While as a first step our reader can try going to a larger cup size, Izzy, Beverly and myself all agree that the best solution is for our reader to be professionally fitted. An experienced fitter will be able to help her experiment with a variety of types of bras and sizes, which is the only real way to guarantee a good fit. There’s always a great bra-fitter in every town, you just have to find her — just stay away from the big chain lingerie stores and look for an older boutique, or try one of the larger department stores with experienced staff. You can also read up more on bra-sizing with our Top Five Bra-Sizing Myths, and over at Beverly’s blog where she explains the craziness that is band sizing.

Update: Welcome to readers from CNN / Time Magazine! Here are a few resources about bra-fitting that explain why finding your correct bra size is much more important than just selling bras. Thanks for stopping by!

We’re pretty proud of our readers this week — nearly half of you have had a professional bra fitting within the last six months! Out of the 38 respondants, 41% fell within the last six months, 15% within the past year, and 42% in over a year ago. Our results might be a wee bit off, though, as my own mother kindly pointed out, we forgot to add a “Never” category! While it may be hard to believe for us sitting in our ivory lingerie tower, quite a few women (including my own mother) have never actually had a bra-fitting. In a lot of ways, we can’t blame them — who wants to let a strange woman attack you with measuring tape and grope at your breasts in a small enclosed space? It doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal way to spend an afternoon. But it’s not bad at all — the trick to having a good fitting experience is to find someone that you’re comfortable with, and to treat the session like a doctor’s appointment — they’re the professionals, and they’re going to diagnose your bra problem and write you a prescription. Then suddenly it’s not all about breasts and frilly bras, it’s about making sure you are comfortable and supported. Now isn’t that better? Here’s your Mickey Mouse band-aid.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out or Top Five Bra-Sizing Myths, and book an appointment for a fitting at your local lingerie shop! Don’t bother with the big chain stores, find a little shop that’s tucked out of the way, and go visit the lingerie doctor!

Many thanks to the lovely Moose in the Closet for tipping us off to Rebecca & Drew’s lovely outerwear, which is not only beautiful, but also unique in its sizing — women can buy Rebecca & Drew shirts and dresses by their bra size, rather than a traditional number size. The company uses a “Trio Fit” system for their clothes, allowing you to customize by bust size, waist size, and hip size when buying a shirt. This gives women a great compromise between chancing it with regular shirts and going for a full-tailored solution, and it doesn’t hurt that the designs are great as well. Some of our favourites is this cheeky yellow corset and a new offering of halter tops, not to mention traditional button-up shirts in either plain or more colourful designs. The prices range from about $150-$300, but if you’ve always struggled with finding a good classic shirt that fits well, this could be a perfect investment. Unfortunately, the bra sizing options only go up to a DD cup, but if you’d like the same idea for larger sizes, check out Bravissimo and their cup-sized clothes selection.

We’re always looking out for our readers at Knickers, and in the same spirit as our professional fitting poll, we’re here to make sure you’re getting the most out of your bra. We’ve talked to our readers, quizzed lingerie store owners, and offered ourselves up as fitting guinea pigs to find out just why women aren’t wearing the right bra size. After hours of bra-talk, here are Knickers top five bra-sizing myths:

Bra-Sizing Myth Number 1: I’m wearing the right bra size, and it is x.

Chances are, you aren’t wearing the right bra size — roughly 85% of women are in the wrong bra, and even for the lucky 15%, it’s almost impossible to just have one bra size. Every woman has weight fluctuations throughout the year, and unless women are being re-fitted roughly every six months, they’re probably wearing the wrong size. If you’re not sure that you’re wearing the wrong size, here are a couple of tell-tale signs to look for:

• Do your breasts look weird underneath your shirt, like they’re sticking out over the top? That’s a key indicator that you’re wearing too small of a cup size, and that your breasts are spilling over the bra, and are not fully supported.
• If you lift your arm above your head and look at the wire of your bra, how far back is it going? If your cup isn’t actually covering all of your breast along the side of your body, this is another sign that you’re wearing too small of a cup. Another key indicator here is if you have skin spilling over the sides of your bra
• Do your straps dig in to your shoulders? If so, you’re probably wearing too large of a back size, and your breasts are not getting enough support.
• Does the cup of your bra stick out from your breast and bunch up in certain areas? This is a sign that you’re wearing too large of a cup size, and should size down a size.

Oprah’s site has a great before and after photo section of ill-fitting bras, and how bras should fit on different types of women. Typically, women are wearing too-small of a cup size, and are constantly battling with digging underwires and uncomfortable shoulder straps. If you suspect that you are wearing the wrong bra size, the remaining myths will help you narrow down your actual size:

Bra-Sizing Myth Number 2: All bras are the same

Once you’ve sussed out your size range, you’ll quickly find that some bras work better for you than others. There are a variety of bra types out there, the main four being:

• Full Cup: These are bras that go all the way up your breast at an angle (example here), covering a great deal of your breast.
• Balconette Cup: These bras (example here), also sometimes called “shelf” bras, are cut almost horizontally across the breast, rather than along the top. These bras cover much less tissue than full-cup, and are also called demi-cup or half-cup bras.
• Plunge: These bras cut away dramatically at the inside of the breast and cut farther down into the cleavage, allowing you to wear V-cut tops without your bra showing (example here)

Depending on your size, certain types might work better for you: for example, a woman with a smaller cup size may struggle with full-cup bras, as the fabric might often “pooch out” over the breast if the cup does not match your breast shape exactly. A balconette or a triangle bra might work better, depending upon your shape. Larger sizes may find difficulties with balconette bras, as their breast tissue might spill over the top, creating the unfortunate quadraboob effect. You should experiment with different bra types to find out which ones work best for you.

Bra-Sizing Myth Number 3: I can buy the same size across all kinds of brands

Just like with different bra types, your size can change dramatically across bra brands as well. There is no one standard bra-sizing convention for companies to go by, so just as your Gap jeans don’t fit the same as Rock & Republic, Rigby and Peller isn’t going to size the same as La Perla. As an example, I am at once a 36FF, a 34G, a 34FF, and a 36F, depending upon the brand. As the Bra-Makers blog explains, even the band sizes, which you’d think would be pretty simple, are wildly inconsistent between different brands.

The cup sizes are even worse — some brands use double-letters like DD, EE, and FF cups, some brands simply “round up” to a larger size like E, F, G, and some brands call what should be a G a FF. Sites like 85B.org bravely try to make sense of all the sizes by offering international converters and calculators, but even with this guidance, the reality is that you’ll need to experiment with each brand to make sure what size you are. This sounds pretty daunting, but once you find a few brands that you’re happy with, you can pretty comfortably stay within their ranges and be confident that they will fit.

Bra-Sizing Myth Number 4: To make my bra fit better, I just tighten the straps

This is a very common myth for bra sizing, one I believed myself for many years — if a bra wasn’t comfortable for me, I just kept tightening the straps until I thought I had a good fit. In reality, the straps are the least important part of your bra, and they should not be supporting your breasts. A properly fitting bra supports the breasts at the band, meaning you should be able to pull the straps completely down and still feel supported by the bra. If you’re trying this at home and thinking I’m nuts, read on to our last (and most important) bra sizing myth:

Bra-Sizing Myth Number 5: I have a big back size and a small cup size

This is the single biggest bra-sizing myth out there — women who wear the wrong bra size almost always have their back size too large, and their cup size too small. It’s no surprise — there is a huge stigma attached to any cup size above a D, partially because there’s much less choice after a D cup, and partially because it seems “unnatural” to go above the “normal” sizes. When I thought I was a 38D and was re-sized to a 36F, I couldn’t beleve it — was I fat? Was I going to have to wear ugly old-lady bras for the rest of my life?

In reality nearly half of women are over a size D, and while there may be less choices for D+ cups, there is a huge payoff in confidence and comfort when you do wear the proper size. Your entire body shape will change when you’re wearing a properly-supporting bra, and many say it is an instant way to look like you’ve lost ten pounds! Feeling great in your new bra will far outweigh any worry about wearing a “weird” size.

So How Do I Find the Right Bra Size?

At this point, you’re probably thinking that you’ll never wear a bra again, just to save yourself from the nightmare of weeding through different bra types, brands, and sizes. In reality, it’s pretty simple to find your perfect bra: you just need to find an experienced bra-fitter, and take an hour or so to experiment with a variety of types and brands. Your fitter will quickly have a rough idea of what size you are, and by trying a couple of sizes, they can start narrowing down the best styles and brands for you. From there, you can build up a basic bra collection for your lingerie drawer, and will have a solid base to experiment with new brands and styles in the future.

Lingerie works in seasons just like outerwear, so your favourite brands will have beautiful new collections twice a year for you to choose from, meaning you can always update your look without worrying too much about the size. And once you’ve found the right bra size, you will never go back — you’ll start hassling your mom, your girlfriends, even strangers on the street about their bra sizes too, because it’s frankly a revelation to feel comfortable and confident with your own breasts. Trust me, it’s the most valuable hour you’ll ever spend!

As mentioned in this week’s bra-fitting poll, I’ve just been re-fitted today, and my suspicions were confirmed that I’ve gone up a cup size. Luckily, I also went down a band size, so it’s not all bad! I picked the Miss Mandalay Emerald set for my new size, and must say, it’s really a beautiful set — I think Miss Mandalay’s pieces often don’t look fantastic on the rack, but once you get them on, they suit large cups beautifully. I really love that this style is a balconette, which full-cup women will know is quite rare for anything above an F cup. I also love the colour (which is brighter than this picture), it’s perfect for summertime and warmer days. The emerald will especially suit paler skin, but is bright enough for any complexion.

The matching thong is lovely, and I’m quite happy to report that to Miss Mandalay, a size “Large” is actually a large, not some ridiculously small medium. I normally wear XL, and this L fits just fine. There’s also an XS for women who have the opposite problem of sizes running too large.

The best part about Miss Mandalay, of course, is that the bras are available in a great range of sizes — this set is available in back sizes 30-36, and cup sizes up to FF. The bra is £50 at Miss Mandalay’s site, and the matching thong is £23. On a bright day like today, this colourful, gauzy set seems like just what the doctor ordered. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up and can’t find anything special, this set might be just for you!

Beverly of the Bra-Makers Blog is writing some brilliant stuff over on her site, including a detailed discussion of smaller cup sizes, and featuring this beautiful bra made from a placemat! If you’ve ever been curious about the inner-workings of your bra or thought you’d like to make one yourself, this is a must-read.

Stay tuned this week here at Knickers for the launch of our US lingerie map, a featured boutique, and a list of the top 5 bra-sizing myths that women encounter everyday. Happy Monday!

Yesterday, we reviewed Agent Provocateur’s larger-cup bras and found that the fit wasn’t ideal for women with larger breasts. Agent Provocateur isn’t the only brand that is struggling with larger cup sizes — as more women request these sizes, designers are now trying to meet their needs. Unfortunately, the designers simply can’t “scale up” their existing bra designs, because it’s a little like architecture; when you need to support more weight, you have to build an entirely different structure. Larger-cup bras need to be specially designed with that intent, which means a much more expensive and time-consuming process for the designer. Lingerie designers often tell me that they would love to design for larger-cup sizes, but simply don’t have the resources to create two versions of each bra.

What does all of this mean for the larger-cup woman? We’ve put together the following tips for purchasing a large-cup bra:

• Be wary of the first season: As demand rises for larger-cup bras, designers may simply not have the resources to work out all the kinks in their new large-cup collections. If a designer has just launched a large-cup collection, try finding it in a local shop and trying it on before you buy, to make sure it meets your needs. If you have to order it blind, double-check the online store’s return policy to see if you can send it back if it’s not appropriate. If you do find a problem, chances are the designer will work out the problems from their first collection, and modify the designs for the next season.
• Double-check your size: It sounds obvious, but it never hurts to double-check that you are wearing the right size before buying a new bra. Your bra size fluctuates just like your jean size, so frequently checking your bra size is always a good idea. The best method for getting your size is going to a specialist lingerie store, or if that’s not possible, a high-end department store that sells quality lingerie. Chain shops will often not have enough trained or experienced staff to make the right recommendation.
• Check the style: Certain styles suit larger-cup sizes better than others. Balconette bras, or bras that are cut lower along the breast like a shelf (example here), can often be problematic as they offer less support and the breast can spill out over the top. Bra styles labelled as “full-cup” (example here). will often work better, as they are cut higher up the breast, and will provide better support. The general rule of thumb is, the more breast the bra covers, the better support you will get.
• Buy from specialty designers: There are a growing number of designers creating especially for large-cup sizes, and buying from these labels is a great way to ensure that you’ll find a good fit. Here’s a few of our favourites:
  • Miss Mandalay creates beautiful bras from C-GG, and is available in both the US and the UK. We’ve tried Miss Mandalay bras ourselves, and can vouch that they’re lovely and comfortable.
  • US-based Jodi Gallaer has just launched as a large-cup designer, and has a variety of bras and camisoles available.
  • Bravissimo in the UK is a retailer focused on large-cup sizes, and even sells shirts according to cup size
  • The Big Bra Shop is UK-based, but lists prices in Dollars and Euros as well, and ships internationally. They’ve got selections up to 56L, and have a few options that have some lovely colour selections, like this Simply Me bra.
• Once you’ve found a bra, take care of it: Machine-washing bras will cause them to strech out of shape and lose their elasticity before their time, so be careful to hand-wash your bras to keep them fitting longer. You can check out our tips for caring for your bra to find out the best methods

In the end, the best course of action is to always try a bra on before you buy it, even if it means asking a local retailer to order it for you to try. If any readers have any firsthand experiences about buying larger-cup bras, we’d love to hear from you — just get in touch at danae@knickersblog.com

We here at Knickers love a good expert, and when it comes to bras, Bitch, PhD is one of our favourites. Dr. B is a well-known blogger, loved for her no-nonsense attitude, in-dept political coverage, and of course, love of lingerie. We’ve been reading her for years, and asked her to let us know when she had finally written her “Ultimate Bra Post,” which shares all she knows about bras and how they work for women. The resulting post talks about how to size yourself, what nursing mothers should use, and what Dr. B’s favourite bra brands are. It’s a great read, so get on over there!

The lingerie retail giant Figleaves is planning to release a home bra sizer soon, according to reports from the Guardian and trade magazines. The product was first announced last year, with an anticipated release date of late 2005/early 2006. The product is called the “T-Bar,” and it will be a home bra-sizing tool, accurate to the half-cup. There are no photos of the T-Bra out yet, but here is a general description from this paper about its functionality:

Figleaves using a special tape measure, which works at constant tension and avoids the inaccuracies of a normal tape measure. The system also includes four specially-shaped volumetric cups and a set of instructions. In private, a woman measures her underbust with the T-tape and measures her breast volume using the cups. Via the Figleaves Web site or the telephone order line, she can then state her size – for example: “I am a 48 band and a 51/2 cup” The customer is then given a list of fitting bras.

While I’m a bit worried about women all over the world looking like Borg-queens in their bedroom, this is a fantastic idea and will undoubtedly make Figleaves a mint — considering that some estimate that 70% of women are wearing the wrong bra size, it could start a revolution in the lingerie industry. Consider how many women are going to discover that they’re really an E, F, or G cup, rather than the D they’ve been “wearing” all these years — will that then pressure manufacturers to finally create bras that suit every size?

I had the pleasure of trying on a Jane Woolrich designed corset today, and let me tell you — this lady knows her stuff. Based in Derbyshire, Ms. Woolrich does custom lingerie designs as well as an established collection – she can create for any size, any occasion, and her work is beautiful. I had a hard time choosing which photo to show, since there are so many stunning designs in her collection — be sure to check out the Nightdresses section to see some beautiful, flowly nightwear, as well as the coordinates section where you’ll find the piece pictured above. There are no prices on the website as all items are made to measure, but you can contact her for more information. If you’re a hard-to-find size or have a special occasion coming up, this is definitely a designer to look up.

Men often want to surprise their partner with gorgeous lingerie, but don’t want to make the mistake of buying the wrong size. Never to fear, just in time here are a few tips to find out her size, and to make sure whatever you buy for her will make her nothing but happy:

Do’s

1. Raid the knickers drawer: This one is obvious, but it’s tricky to do this without getting caught looking like a perv with a fistful of panties. Wait till she’s in the shower or away for a while and check out the bra sizes (usually on a tag near the back clasp), and don’t forget the knickers sizes as well. If she catches you red-handed, be honest — she’d much rather have a ruined surprise than a creepy boyfriend.
2. Ask her friends: Girlfriends love finding out what their friends are getting for presents, and are usually delighted to help. She can drop questions about bra sizes much more casually than you, and can give other advice about your partner’s taste, too. Just be sure to pick a friend that won’t spoil the surprise!
3. Guess by her clothes size: There’s plenty of lingerie (such as babydolls, camisoles, chemises, and robes) that come in S-M-L, so have an educated guess if you can’t get any other information.
4. Ask her!: If you’re coming up for a special event and she might just be expecting it anyway, just coyly ask her size and refuse to give any other information. She’ll be happy to tell you, and you’ll probably learn a lot more about what she likes and doesn’t like. It won’t spoil the surprise, it will increase the anticipation.

Don’ts
These are all things that my boyfriend suggested, and are all very bad ideas:

1. Don’t judge by the shop assistant: As much as shop assistants love hearing, “no, her boobs are bigger than yours,” try to avoid basing your choices simply on guesswork and a quick squeeze. If that’s all you have to go by, stick with babydolls and other simply sized lingerie
2. Don’t call her mum: She might have the best idea of her daughter’s sizes, but her mum’s probably not interested in your plans for her on that special night. Unless you have a unique relationship with the mum, skip this idea and stick with her girlfriends

As a general rule, always buy something that you think she will like, not you. You might love those nipple tassels and that PVC catsuit, but unless she’s happy with how she looks, nobody is going to have a good time. And just in case you didn’t quite get the size right, always keep a reciept so she can exchange it. Don’t worry, she knows it’s the thought that counts.

Knickers has reported on the growth of the sports bra before. Bravissimo is a shop out of the UK housing “lingerie, swimwear, and clothing for big boobed women.” They carry some great lines including Panache (read more about Panache). This is Panache’s sports bra. It is available in black, white, or as shown in black and white. There are sizes to 40F but since it is on sale, you may have to choose size over color. Panache says this is suitable for medium impact sports. Pick it up for £21 (regularly £30) . Be sure to check out Bravissimo’s easy three step check for proper fit or drop by one of their stores to get fitted.

A new Japanese sensation is coming to the western world, and the revolution will have proper cup support. Ripplu is a Japanese “Foundation Clinic” (looks more like a fancy boutique!), now with a store open in New York City, that specialise in fitting bras to unusual sizes and ensuring that women are wearing comfortable lingerie. Not only do they do custom bra fittings, but they also alter almost any lingerie to suit your exact measurements.

Ripplu’s biggest claim to fame, however, is its 3-step system for shaping breasts. Using Bradelis bras, Ripplu sells three stages of bras – the first to collect the breast from the sides, the second to channel, and the third to lift the breasts into a comfortable and ideal shape. To prove their point, they have the usual before and after shots of women using their system.

While I would normally be crying chicanery, I think Ripplu’s system is worth looking into if you’re having trouble finding a bra that will fit you properly. At its basic level, the 3-step system is just good common sense: its finding a bra that will mould your breasts into a comfortable position, but is doing it in three ways. The prices aren’t too bad, so if you’ve given up hope on everything else, maybe try this system out.

Ripplu has an online store, and will ship worldwide.

For those who can’t make it to the store, the shop occasionally hosts Fit Events in other areas. You can give them a call or e-mail to get more details.

In theory, these Comfy Straps are a great idea for women – they’re designed to sit underneath your bra straps, keeping them from slipping or digging in during the day. Every woman knows the pain of an uncomfortable bra digging in, and might be tempted to give these a try.

In reality, though, this product is trying to alleviate a much bigger problem: women are often wearing the wrong bra size. If your bra straps are digging into your shoulders, it’s probably because you are wearing a back size that’s too big (the back size is the number in your bra size, like 34, 36, 38, etc.), and aren’t getting enough support. Most of the support of your bra should come from the cups themselves, rather than the shoulder straps. If you’re finding this isn’t the case for you, you should have yourself measured or measure yourself to make sure you’re wearing the right bra size. We’ve featured the Bra Sizing tape measure before here at Knickers, but you can always use a normal tape measure and try out the bra-sizing calculator.

Wacoal has been making lingerie for a very long time. In the US, they are traditionally seen as the manufacturer of everyday plain garments. But every year, they keep adding great pieces to their collection. This is the “Lost in Lace” collection and features a pretty but simple line. There is a bra, knicker, and string. Maybe even combine the knicker and string for a staged unveiling.

Bra $44

Tanga for $28

String $20

Wacoal is also a strong advocate of proper fit. They’ve combined that with their philanthropic goals and developed “Fit for a Cure” to fight breast cancer. Find out more about Wacoal’s Fit for the Cure

I’ve spoken about this before, but just had to re-visit the topic of bra sizing. Today I had my first official sizing — I went to Jenners (the Harrods of the north) and let the nice lady measure, prod, and pull me around. She was very courteous and friendly, and the whole process took less than 10 minutes. At the end, I had transformed from a 38D to a 36F, and let me tell you, there is such an amazing difference. You don’t realise how bras are supposed to fit until you get the right size – you feel secured, your entire breast shape changes, and your waist looks slimmer and longer as you’ve lifted your breasts with a proper bra. If you haven’t ever had a sizing (or haven’t had one in the last year or so), do it. Go to a big department store, a small specialty shop, anywhere. The sizings are free, and you’ll feel so much more confident once you fit into your own clothes.

Update: If you can’t quite make it to the department store, try this online Bra Size Calculator that a reader pointed out. It accounts for international diffferences in sizing, and while it’s not as good as an in-store visit, can be a great guide.

Breasttalk, a lingerie advice website, is offering this Bra Sizing Tape Measure for women who’d like to have a go at sizing themselves at home — in addition to showing inches, it shows sizes (34A, etc.) on the tape. Breasttalk is offering the tape for £8.50, but bratape.co.uk is offering it for £4.50, although there may be a minimum order of £20.

For anyone sizing at home, this home-sizing guide with a UK bra-size calculator should help you along your way.