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Ok girls need some help with this one. New to this on a regular basis and havent built the curage to get measured. Ive measured myself and looked at several size calculators online. So the question....whats the right way to measure? Ive seen calculators that say measure underbust (39.5), some say thats the band others say add 3 inches others say add 5. The cups fullest part standing like some say (41). Others say bend over at the waist (43). Others say measure from bottom breast to nipple. Ahhhhhhh, lol, which is it? Iin a sporys bra m is tight band but gives good support, L band fits good but the cups are too big and rub my arm pits, those are great when stuffed so i figure i dont have the chest to pull it out. Cup bras i just confused.
Any help is appreciated
I've gotten good fitting bras by measuring around my chest below my bust to get my band size and mesuring around the fullest part of my bust to get my cup size. My band measurement is 36". My bust measurement is 40". That makes my bra size 36D. I have yet to wear a 36D bra that has not fit me well. If I do find one that doesn't fit right, and the manufacturer recommends a particular way of measuring for size, I will try it.
I've had good luck with A Bra That Fits. Very trans/cd friendly. Besides their calculator (below), they have an extensive support forum on another well known site. I would ignore any sites that tell you to add inches, round up, etc. Those methods of calculating bra size are dated.
https://https://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php
Emily
We're lucky compared to cis women insofar as we get to choose our cup size! It's all a bit trial and error - you can't measure properly without forms, and you can't buy forms if you don't know the cup size.
My first bra - I measured below my man-boobs (38) and bought a C cup, purely on the basis that a B sounded a bit teenager, and a D sounded a bit matronly. I must have struck lucky, since the 38C does the job. I do have some D forms for my corselette (yes, matronly, but with age comes jiggle!) but they squeeze into a C bra just fine. I also have some B's which don't need a bra at all, just a tight tee - they just stick to my moobs.
I guess I'm saying that there's a certain amount of trial and error, but hey, playing with boobs is fun! Just remember that they need to look proportionate to your bodyplan. Don't stick Bs on the Hulk and don't put DD's on Twiggy.
Have fun
Connie
xxx
There is an element of fantasy vs reality with bra fitting. The girls have given some sound advice. The best way is to go for a bra fitting which, for some, is not an option.
The girls have given good advice above. My only addition is that you may wish to use inserts or bra forms. If you are wearing a standard style bra make sure the band of the bra is quite snug. I found that the forms slipped out and soon realised I had to get a smaller band and that resolved the issue.
I just measured my band size (US). It was about 38.5. My breast forms were E cup. But I had just ordered some GG's. So I went with the 38G bra. It fits the GG's fine. But is a tad on the tight side. Still very wearable for hours and hours. I then ordered a 40G, which fit's better.
I have 4 set's of forms. from a B up to the GG's. But since my chest is wide, only the bigger boobs look right. I don't even wear the smaller ones now.
It's really that easy. It doesn't seem like it, until you get that first bra.
I hope this helps :
all these years of CDing, i've been wearing the wrong size of bra. I based my first bra purchase off of my swimsuit chest size, 38. That was highly inaccurate, and nowhere close.
I too was confused about bra band size and cup size, until the kind folks at the breast form store helped me out. The breastforms I wanted to buy were out of stock, so I picked another one, but then they asked me if I knew the difference about concavity.
From there, they got me to measure my over/under bust measurements. That was when I found out my bra band size was 48. Nowhere near the 38 I thought I was.
Because I had already spent a sizeable chunk of $$$ on the new breastforms, I had to make due with an existing 44/46 bra band bra, using a bra extender. I have to say it fit really well and much more comfortable.
HA HA!!
Hi Melissa!
Add some rose petals, dandelion root, unicorn eye lashes, and some chest hair of yours to a boiling cauldron of water. Let simmer for 3 days. Don't forget to stir the pot at midnight on each day. Then drain all the water, but not the contents, and let sit for the next solstice or equinox. Then look inside the cauldron and you should get your bra size.
I have found this link helpful. I'm a 40" band and a 44.5" bust, so a 40D. Weird...
https://babeappeal.com/bra-size-calculator-and-chart/
Sounds like you're having fun with it!
Happy New Year!
Hugs, Barb 🙂
I went to a well store here in the UK that stocked everything for everyone, when I wanted a new bra that fitted properly my wife took me to this store and I was measured by a young female sales assistant no comments about me being a man. She measured me and told me I was a 38 C cup she left and came back with a selection of bras to try on Needless to say I tried them all I picked 2 that I liked while wife went off the sales girl brought some matching knickers to go with the bras. I paid for the knickers and thanked the young lady for her help and assistance. Since then I have been to many shops and asked for help when choosing new items of clothing
I guess I was just fortunate enough to find an open minded shapewear lady. She measured me and basically said that I should go no smaller than a 44 inch band and no bigger than 46. I have some natural boob so she suggested a bralette that can stretch to cover both 44 and 446. Fashion Nova has these kinds of bralettes that I love. I think they're called pull over bralettes in some cases. Once you know your band size, you can play around with what cup size you want depending on how big of a bust you want.
Have fun
Kisses...
I measure 38 under my breasts, I wear a 38 band in every bra I own. I do have a couple 40" bands and wear them on the tightest hook, so I still say 38". I am not sure where the +4" came from. I wonder if it is from way back when bras did not had the elastic and Lycra they have today. Bras come in even sizes, of you measure over an even number, round up. 39" becomes 40".
I like to mess around with my breast size. I have bras ranging from 38A to 38M! My go too is 38DDD.
Hi Melissa,
Yes, bra sizing is confusing. As Eileen says men’s shoulders are wider. And because of that the upper torso spacing will be different than a woman’s. So your bra cups don’t necessarily center over the moobs. And your bra band material or type of bra will contribute to it’s elasticity. A sports bra is tighter to hold the girls securely.
The best approach is to visit a local lingerie boutique for a bra fitting. If you use breast forms bring them with you. Lane Bryant carry’s larger band sizes and is CD friendly. With COvid they aren’t measuring but the dressing rooms are open to try on a bra. The under band measurement offers a starting spot. Because of the larger shoulders you may need to go up in band size.
The overbust measurement may be off if your bra doesn’t fit right. So subtracting the underbust figure from the overbust number could mislead you. As you’re aware a 3 inch difference is a C Cup, 4 for D etc. But the cup design is based on volume and sister sizes enter the picture. If you increase the band size the cup size decreases.
Even more frustrating is finding a large band with a small cup size. Some styles start with a B cup, others a C. If you don’t use a breast form a pull over style might work or a sports bra style but again, you might need to size up the band. So be sure to try on the bra, adjust the straps, and don’t buy if the bra is uncomfortable.
Alice
I have my personal preferences. My daughter insists I should be larger. My SO insists I be smaller (preferably no bra at all). My choice depends upon who I am with and who I wish to please most. If underdressing in public I go with an A or B cup and no forms. If with my SO I do the same or just use enhancers... no forms. If on my own I go larger, a B or C cup with forms... never larger... unlike most CDs, I don't favor the look of large boobs; but cleavage is nice, and that is best achieved with a tight band that pulls the breast tissue together... tighter than most women would like, but I like the feel of a tight bra and the looks of cleavage so a tight fit is not a problem for me. If with my daughter that thinks I should be larger, I use larger forms and larger bras, but never more than a C cup. If with other daughters, who would probably prefer I be less obviously feminine, I go smaller... what I personally prefer. To heck with the measurements. As they say, "happy wife, happy life." If I'm with a family member that is more accepting if I present in a certain way, that's what matters most to me.
Be aware that different brands and styles will fit differently even if they are the same band size.
I have some non wired soft B cup bras that are not too tight and fit very comfortably and on the other hand some of my underwired D cup bras fit very tight and snug. Both bras are the same 40 band size but different brands and construction. Its trial and error.
I have a 40 band playtex 18 hour bra that fits so snug that it never moves at all no matter what I'm doing and is still comfortable. I now understand why some GG's find a comfy bra and will only wear that one brand and size over and over again.