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For context I am in the UK and using British terminology.
As I understand it, cup sizes on bras are proportional to band size? So a C cup on a 30" band will be smaller than a C cup on a 40" band.
I have a barrel chest, i.e deep but not overly wide and a proper band measurement for me is 42", now I can't find good bras at 42" with less than a C cup but a C cup at that size is quite wide and sides of the cups end up under my armpits and the fit just seems a bit wrong. May be if I shopped around a lot I might find a brand that has smaller or narrower cups but I was thinking I might be better off buying a smaller bra and using a bra extender? That way I get smaller cups and can still have the right band size.
Has anyone tried this? Does it seem like a reasonable idea?
@butteryeffect Have you considered a sports bra? I tend to use them almost exclusively. As long as you can get one to fit then the cup size is not a problem. I can't guarantee this will solve your problem but it might be worth looking into.
@butteryeffect Cathy, it certainly sounds like a reasonable idea. A 40C would be the same cup size as a 42B, a 40B similarly matches a 42A cup. Then add the extender to get the two inches of band size back. However the extender adds all the band size difference between the straps, whereas a larger band would be proportionate all round, thus having the straps slightly less widely spaced. So the fit over your shoulders might be slightly different.
Also note what @harriette says about some styles being better suited to wider-set boobs, some for closer-set ones. For that reason I would recommend from experience, booking yourself a fitting at your nearest Marks & Spencer, on their website. They will be properly trained, experienced and will know their product range for candidates by size and fit. If you're up-front about who you are on your booking form, you will be treated with respect and dignity. I went for mine en femme back at Easter but I don't see why they wouldn't help you if you were to present in drab - if anything, that would be the braver option in a lingerie department!
My guess is your band size is too big. The band should be quite snug but not uncomfortable.
If you can get a professional fitting at a good lingerie store (not VS), do it.
Do a search for 'A Bra That Fits Calculator'. It's an amazingly detailed way to estimate your true bra size. All you need is a cloth tape measure and 10 minutes to take careful measurements. The calculator is CD/TG aware. Check the AMAB box to get the most accurate estimate.
I've been using ABTF for years with great success.
Hope this helps.
/LK
@lizk That's an interesting calculator, it confirms the size that I determined 8 years ago by measuring my snug band size of 42" and just deciding that C cup would be big enough. 😀
@lizk thank you. I did, as an experiment try the ABTF calculator and it gave a result that agreed with my most comfortable bras.
@butteryeffect Have you looked at Marks and Spencer? They do a big variety of cup and band combinations. They do a crop-top type bra which is easy to put on and you can put the inserts in once it's on.
Hello Kathy,
you’re correct, the wider the bra the bigger the cup, first I would recommend to buy a good quality bra, after many years of trial and error, I have decided to stick with maidenform, good quality and elegant. I would definitely recommend you get an extender, best of luck.
@butteryeffect When I fiddled with the extender as a separate piece, I quickly gave up and squeezed the hooks once I figured out what the correct spacing was. Keeps me from fumbling with a loose piece.
@butteryeffect Cathy, a properly fitting bra is for me a must when presenting as female. I had trouble until I went to a Lane Bryant store and asked to have a fitting. The sales associate had no problem doing it for me even though I was in drab at the time. Good luck!
Many have posted doing exactly that. It works for some but not all. It sounds like a good solution for you since the biggest disadvantage to using a bra extended is that they tend to leave the cups fitting narrower on the chest and sunce men tend to have wider set nipples it is a problem. For you, since the cups end up too far under your arms and extender and narrower cups sounds like the solution you need.
If you have not done it, a bra fitting at a more specialized bra shop (not a VS or Soma which tend to cater to smaller band sizes) might be the ticket. Others have written here about such shops and when rhe fitter sees such issues as yours they tend to try extenders.
Yes, I went to a Canadian brand lingerie store and asked for some help finding a small cup bra for my 38" band size. I had ordered bras on-line quite a few times and couldn't find the right mix. 38s here don't generally come with a cup smaller than a B. The sales clerk set me up with a 36A (the last band size with an A cup) and with an extender. It works fine, and it is also pretty invisible under many of my shirts.
However, spacing of the cups can be, um, off. Some bras set the cups pretty close together or too high, even before adding an extender, and that can look odd on a more mature frame. Perky is one thing, odd is another.
Pear shaped breast forms can be turned towards your armpits, to add a bit of sag and spread to your shape.
@harriette Hey Harriette, I have a body that is difficult to fit too, (close boobs) so I've looked around at a lot of bras and found Madenform T-shirt bras work best for me. I'm a 36 small B and will use 36A or 36B bras and sometimes remove part of the underwire and then pinch and sew the cups closer together. I do that with my swimsuits too. Anyway the point that I'm making here is that just because it's sold that way there's no rule against us modifying it. I think of it like modding a new car. May the fit be with you. Hugs, Marg
@margprodue Off-hand, do you also have a way of separating cups that are too spaced narrowly? J/K
I have a few bras that I am going to have to donate. The cost of learning.
@harriette Hi Harriette, No problem, we do this all the time for dancers and performers. Just remove any cutesy bows or jewels between the cups (like found on Victoria Secret bras) and then just cut right through the middle of the bra where the cups join. Then just sew in an extra piece of material that you want to make the cups sit further apart (or use gold chain if you want to be exotic...lol). You need to use material that won't be scratchy and usually we use non-stretch material to keep the spacing correct and not floating around but you can use a rigid elastic if you want. Sometimes I graft material that I've saved from other bras and sometimes I use heavy swimsuit material if I think that there should be a little stretch between the cups. If you can't sew or don't have somebody in the family who can, then just look up seamstress on the internet or stop at a dry cleaners to find somebody to make the alteration for you. I'd suggest rather than donating the bras use them as practice to learn what will work with your figure. Then once you're happy and not trying to scratch or rip it off in the middle of the day you'll have a regular model to use for each new bra that you buy. I've modified about half of the bras that I wear daily (usually pulling the cups closer together or lengthening the straps). I hate bras that don't feel or look good on me. I hope that helps you. Marg
@margprodue Interesting, Marg!
I will look at what bras I have, to see if it is within my abilities. Thanks for the encouragement.
There is a great calculator out there that takes more measurements than just under bust and bust measurements. I takes into account looser and tighter measurements, measurements bent over and lying on your back and calculates the best bra size for you. I have tried different cup sizes, band sizes, underwire, wireless and through trial and error determined that 42C fits me best. I found the calculator and did all the measurements and viola 42C. I could have saved myself some time if I’d had that calculator earlier. You can switch from UK to US, inches to CM. I know that links are frowned upon in our replies, so I’ll just reference the name of the website. abrathatfits dot org. They have a PHP driven calculator and you can just enter your measurements and preferences and see what it suggests.
@florapgh My calculated size is going to be even harder to find than what I have found so far.
38AA? Wish me luck. I have seen some size charts that list this kind of size, but they don't make the product available, probably because it isn't made in the first place. The smallest standard cup size for a 38" band is a B. That's why I always stuff forms into my bras, unless trying to be very stealthy. Not enough natural material to be practical.
I have one 36A bra, but it can only work with an extender. Fortunately, this is also a smooth, stealthy bra.
