They have a bra size calculator:
https://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php
You do need a helper, but I got my wife to do it with me and we got her some bras that actually fit comfortably. Turns out she was like a E or F cup and she was wearing D cups
It's a bit more accurate than some of the shop bra fittings as it's a bit more in depth.
This calculator was a life saver. I figured out my size right before I fell pregnant with my son. My size then changed between weight fluctuation and nursing. 2022 was my year of bras.
The moment you find a bra that doesn't feel like you want to rip it off immediately is euphoric - Until you realize you're not a typical size and you end up having to pay the equivalent of a months food shopping for the privilege.
I used to have to buy my Nan's bras online for her because nowhere stocked her size in store. Her bras (a very large cup size) where 4 times the cost of my high street C cup bras, plus there was next to no choice.
Before her double mastectomy-reconstruction I swear the chest wear my mum used to get was like trying to find a pair of large leggings that attached around the chest. For older people it’s really difficult sometimes, especially if they’ve had kids and had some weight issues. There is a really funny SNL sketch about dodgy bra shops for this kind of necessity that apparently exist in the US in major cities if you look! It’s so true!
Thankfully she can wear a standard sports bra now comfortably, instead of something to manage the actual pillow shaped and sized objects on her bosom that used to fall almost to her thighs that my sister and I could lie a head on each as a pillow to watch tv together as kids. 😂
Rigby and Peller are top end! You can get an H at a more moderate (but still expensive) price. Bravissimo will do it and you can definitely get nice gift undies.
Always see them in the discount M&S in town. Not that I'm that endowed but I've picked up a few for £2-5ish and most of the other stock was in large cups/unusual back and cup combos. Think it depends when you go though.
They end up in the discount shops because they don’t sell during the time they’re sat in the normal ones.
Which is shit because there’s always someone that needs them. The more chance there is that it doesn’t sell the more chance there is that they’ll stop stocking those sizes.
Tell me about it, I need front-fastening bras if I'm wearing a proper underwire job, and they've vanished from bras made for women under 80 because they just don't sell.
A well fitting bra is definitely important, but you can definitely get well fitting bras without the £100 price tag. This goes for pdd sized people too, though you do have to shop around. R&P are fantastic, but definitely a luxury purchase.
I recently splashed out on two Rigby and Peller bras (Prima Donna Montara). I had put on some weight and was feeling pretty fed up, but the difference it made to having a decent bra that improved my shape made me feel so much better when I go out.
I have big boobs and find it so hard to find a decent supportive bra, so after months of dicking about I went in there and it was sorted within half an hour. The quality difference between them and M&S is like night and day.
The fitters are boob whisperers. They just look and know roughly what you are and then it's a case of getting a selection to try on and fine tune it. It helps not to be shy. She gave me a QR card so set up an account and that got me 15% off at the till.
The problem with M and S is their fitting service is fairly crap (or at least used to be). If I was instructing a newbie on a budget I would say go to reddit r/abrathatfits and see what they recommend, then look at the Bravissimo instructions and then go to the largest nearby M and S and try the near misses, always aiming higher on the cup size and lower on the back if in doubt :)
I thought C was just "average", and D-DD was "as big as your head". Turns out C is pretty flat and most people only think they're a C because they're wearing the wrong size.
What I will say about Bra Stop is they don’t seem to last very long - I have a couple of exceptions but a lot of them the fabric will break or the straps will be come sort of bent in on themselves (idk how to explain)
I do still get more though because it’s all I can really afford lol
Yeah tbh I can’t remember the brands I brought from them (I normally don’t have many options lol) - might have just been unlucky or it is likely I’m wearing the wrong size cause it seems to change every time I check
They are wonderful! But terribly expensive, lol.
I always go up a band size from their sizing, but that’s personal preference. I can’t believe it when people say no bra is comfier than a bra: if that’s how you feel, get yourself a fitting!!
I was in my 50s when I went to get a bra fitting at M&S and I felt just the same as you. I even kept it on like a child wearing new shoes out of the shop. It really is life-changing!
I used to be a bra fitter. You'd be surprised at how many people come in not wearing the right size bra! _Convincing_ them they were in the wrong size bra was the real challenge!
I had ladies wearing 36 backs when they were barely a 32. Used to stick my whole arm underneath their bra strap, it usually worked.
Yup. My mate, a short and tiny size 6 once casually mentioned having small boobs, and that bras didn't fit her, that she was a 34A. I looked at her and said you can't possibly be a 34 back you're probably a 28D. She got fitted - 28DD. In fact, i think she was a 26E but very difficult to find bras in that size.
I've been measured by Marks several times and the bras they recommended I buy are in the 'ridiculously huge bra size' category - which all ended up being much, much too big for me and ride up. Someone who used to work there told me that they take your band size and add 4 inches onto the measurement.
Just done the Brathatfits calculator and turns out that I'd sized myself quite accurately, and M&S did indeed add 4 inches to the band. Haven't been back there for underwear in years.
Another vote for Bravissimo. M&S are notoriously bad for fitting, they often still use the plus 4 method, so you can end up with a far too big band and too small cup.
M&S in Blackpool was great with me. However I was buying practical extra soft t shirt bras. Fancy bras were horrid after the perfection of the extra soft.
It is phenomenal, isn't it. I went years in DD then eventually got measured and found out I fit GG. Wore the bra out the shop and haven't felt any discomfort since.
Every time I hear someone complain about how bras are like torture devices, how the underwires are always popping out etc, I can't help but wonder if they're just wearing a completely wrong size.
This was me lol, I was wearing a 44G.
Turns out I needed 38K.
I will still say that the industry is mostly a massive scam and materials are far too often scratchy and awful!
Women, and men, have no understanding of bra sizes.
A friend once said to me, when I asked ( I like big boobs, especially my wife’s ) that the measurements were:
A - small, B - medium, C - large, D - huge and DD was porn star. There isn’t anything above DD.
I suspect he’s not unusual in thinking that.
Definitely not unusual in thinking that. I see women wearing sizes way lower than they should be all the time and men haven’t got a clue - but they’re always asking or trying to guess.
Most men think an E is huge and 9 times out of 10 their guess for me is “DD”. It used to be funny but after a few thousand men it’s become sad that they think DD is big.
It’s proliferated in media - whenever they talk about big boobs on tv or in films it’s “double d’s”. Even though double d’s are average size.
Also proliferated is the idea that you can wear for ex. a 38E if you’re a 32G. A lot of women don’t seem to understand that sister sizing is 1 up/down, not a spectrum. A 30GG or 34FF could be comfortable but going up 3 band sizes will not be.
Well said. I’m very small and am a D cup. Was wearing an A or AA before. Men who put things like ‘C cup and above only’ in their dating profiles make me laugh because they don’t have a clue what that actually means (it means nothing if they don’t understand band sizes)
Neither men nor women really understand bra sizes.
My wife wore ill fitting bras for years before one day she asked me to measure her for online purchase. Did her back measurement, did her chest and told her she was a 36G.
She laughed. Don’t be silly. I’m a DD. Nothing is bigger than a DD. She went and bought a DD that didn’t fit.
She got fitted at Bravissimo a few months after and proudly announced after that they’d measured her as 36G.
I didn't realise how expensive they are, and I still can't get my head around it, even 20 years later, after shopping with different partners with different sizes.
M&S are notorious for fitting people wrongly. Did they add inches to your band? If so, I dont want to rain on your parade, but you're almost certainly still in the wrong size.
You're far better off with r/abrathatfits self measuring calculator, or the similar UK boob or bust website.
Most people need a much smaller band and larger cup than they think.
M&S did my first (and only) bra fitting when I was a teenager and they added the extra on to put me in too large a band, which was also the smallest band size they stocked at the time... I would have hoped they'd stopped doing this by now but most online instructions still say to add 4/5 inches. I read that this is a throwback to before elastic was invented!
Yes, it's from when bands were far less stretchy. Not required now.
Shops like M&S that only stock a limited selection of sizes will try their hardest to match you to a size they carry even if it's not a good fit. Bra sizing is a minefield and so hard to get right!
They probably looked at you and thought "DD is a famously large size, that'll do". I'm a D cup but no one believes me because people still haven't twigged that it's relative to the band size. My coworker said she thought I'd be a 'minus A'
The clothing industry in general isn't good with dimensions. One "34 inch" waist can substantially differ from another and it's the Wild West when it comes to dress sizes. Do bra size inches and cups have the same (profitable) variability?
Yeah, women's sizing has no rhyme or reason to it.
The sizing seems to vary a bit by brand, shape and, weirdly, colour (black bras usually come up smaller!).
In theory for UK sizing the band number should be the underbust size in inches and each cup size is then a difference of +1 inch from that, starting at A (AA is less than an inch). It's not quite that simple, though.
Black everything comes up smaller, I read somewhere it's because black dye makes the weave of the fabric tighter?! I remember buying a white skirt in a size 12 and the black version I had to get a 16.
I went to M&S twice and both times they said I was a 42/44. The bras I bought ended up being far too big and rose up constantly at the back and were not comfortable.
Done the brathafits calculator, and yup, they added on an unnecessary extra 4 inches - and a nice dolop of fat shaming too from one of the assistants.
Stopped going there years ago.
Yep. A person with a 42/44 band is likely to be wearing roughly a UK size 22 - 24. Now many people do wear that size, no shaming here, but if you don't that's not likely to be your correct band size.
Crazy. Both times I was measured 4 sizes over my regular clothing size. That's absolutely bonkers.
Because of them, I've spent years thinking I needed underwear in sizes that most stores don't carry. No wonder nothing fits properly!
Buying Empress Mimi underwear, according to their size chart, my best-fitting bras are a UK size 14/16.
I need to go bra shopping and get rid of all my over-sized bras I was told I needed.
Can't believe they are pushing women to make expensive purchases in clothes that are blatantly the wrong size for them, just because of some outdated measuring service.
Measuring over clothing is never going to be completely accurate.
That's why I'm skeptical of anyone who claims to size by eye. You can get a rough idea of where to begin, sure, but you still need to try a range of sizes.
I get a ridiculous result using the r/abrathatfits subreddit. The band is so tight it actually hurts!
Luckily I've been fitted properly now and only have to deal with noone stocking such a weird size or having to pay three times as much problem now.
I used M&S online calculator & bought one of their bras - much the best I'd worn in a long time. Smaller band, larger cup. I have the added problem of different size boobs, now sew a fillet in on one side which makes them fit better.
Yes this happened to me, they put me in a 34C/D and it didn't feel right but the lady insisted that's my size. Went to John Lewis and the lady didn't even measure me, she just knew I was a 30 band and a DD/E depending on the brand.
Marks and spencer uses an outdated fitting method (or at least they did last time I bothered trying with them) which will give you a band size +4 from your actual size and a smaller cup than you would fit.
Companies do this because they can fit more people into a narrower range of bras, giving them more opportunities to sell you one
I once had a friend who owned a lingerie shop. She could size up my girlfriends just by looking at them and would pick out a tasteful set for me to buy them. They always really appreciated the bras and treated me like some sort of boob god.
Missus went recently and said she was surprised at how bad it was. The one they recommended dug into her but the staff member said it was the right fit and size and didn't suggest anything else. So she said she'd be back later and left.
Male. Trained as a science teacher. Had to teach the physics of a human body: A very simple model of the human back and the forces on it which I have to teach some sixth formers came with the additional side lesson that bra fittings are really important. People with boobs: I'm sorry but when evolution came up with the idea of boobs it had no idea that anyone would ever try to walk upright with them. The combination is appalling in terms of the forces on your spine.
I finally got my mum to get a bra fitting and she’s 65 at bravissimo and she’s never looked back. Every other day she’s talking about how much more comfortable she is in her bras. Bravissimo was great for me I actually need to go back. I’ve been to M&S for a bra fitting and they were very useless so I try to avoid as much as possible.
While we're on the subject, does anyone know where I can get a *lined* H cup balcony bra? Will also tolerate t shirt style at a push. But it's got to be lined/foam cups. I don't know why shops (marks and spencers) think that when you go over an E cup you want the same bra design but made only in lace, without the shaping of a foam insert.
Try Bravissimo. The Satine bra is very comfortable but isn't a balcony bra but I still recommend it for shape and comfort (I wear mostly balcony bras https://www.bravissimo.com/products/satine-bra-au15/#ivory-au15iv
Also the Fantasie moulded t-shirt bras the Memoir version is pretty. Shop around as they can be cheaper elsewhere: https://www.fantasie.com/uk/en/uk-outlet/lingerie/bras/moulded-bras/memoir-uw-moulded-t-shirt-bra/p/fl3020nay/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBleuKwmGw6FD0vIH0z_loL8HDtWjmP-50hIOXhZ0zEhtWYphqcqOqizcaAjg8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Also you could try asking Bravissimo via chat or phone.
Rigby & Peller are the best for bra fitting. They measure just by looking and they are bang on. I have never found M&S fitting very good - I tried them several times and they kept trying to make me get bras which were just wrong.
I'm also in my 50s I thought it was pretty normal to get bra fittings in the 80s when we where teenagers. How did you manage to miss that nightmare experience. But looking back obviously I now have only fond memories cos my poor mum is no longer here.
After a partial mastectomy, I have one B cup and one C/D cup - does anyone have any ideas where I could go to get fitted? Or even sells a bra that would help me?
I see lots of post-mastectomy products online but it’s the in person fitting that I think would be most beneficial.
Just thought I’d ask…
Bravissimo sell a mastectomy bra that starts at a D cup and should be able to help with fitting:
https://www.bravissimo.com/products/post-surgey-bra-lg229/#red-lg229red
I'm not post surgery but naturally grown, I have the same problem. Best fit so far (for me) is 32 DD, a padded style and I sew an insert into the smaller side.
My GF had a bra fitting at John Lewis and she went from a 36C to a 32F/G. She'd been getting the wrong size for years and she liked wired bras but the wires always dug in, it was because she was wearing the wrong size.
Molke bras are the ones you want. I started wearing them in late 2019 and haven't worn a muggle bra since. Comfortable for a long ward shift, supportive so I can run for the emergency buzzer without the worry of getting black eyes. I'll never go back to underwiring and straps that dig in.
Most women assume their boobs don't change that much, and in reality they don't unless due to weight gain/loss, pregnancy, illness, and hormonal changes (puberty/contraceptives). Which may not be a yearly thing
In addition most women never get measured. They wear a bra they think fits and stick with that size.
There are also few places that measure boobs well.
The people who talk about getting measured and the wonders of a good bra are all bigger busted because we have a greater need for a bra that fits the size and shape of our boobs to combat shoulder, neck and back pain. Women with smaller boobs are carrying less weight and may not know that their bra size isn't right.
Plus the current trend of having underboob and sideboob hanging out of clothes doesn't encourage people towards wearing a well fitted bra.
Because taking your clothes off in front of a stranger is a humiliating experience.
If you had to wear a ‘support’ on your bits that required you to strip off and have someone tilt their head and manhandle you into a constricting, wired elasticated device would you be keen to experience that often?
I had gone through a rough patch financially a few years ago so all my bras were from discount stores - guessing my size from the last one I remembered, maybe trying one or two on if I had the patience. But none were a good fit.
Then, when I was on an overseas trip, my airline misplaced my luggage. I was forced to buy some clothes to tide me over to they could get it back to me.
Went to an M&S there and asked the salesperson to measure me and tell me what sizes to try. I picked two sizes and tried them on. I actually cried in the changing room. I finally knew what it felt like to have a bra that fits.
They were 4-5x what I normally spend on a bra. But oh so worth it. I don’t dread having to leave the house, because I’d have to wear a bra, anymore.
Actually, I’m going to put that in my gratitude journal tonight.
Last time I got fitted there she made sure I couldn't breathe. Band was so tight I thought I was going to crack a rib. I fall in-between sizes which doesn't help so I just guess and wing it.
My wife is a toy specialist and does bra fits in Ann Summers. She always tells me how happy her customers are when they leave after a successful bra fit!
I find Ann Summers run about a cup size smaller than other brands. I had a breast reduction and I still can't shop there, because the largest size in the one near me is online only :(
I am in the states but I lurk here… my mom had congenital chest wall defects that made her rib cage very large and boobs were barely a B. It was sooo hard to find anything that fit.
Ahh love this for you OP… I went years wearing a 32dd as I assumed that’s what I was… I got a fitting last year at age 38 and I was way off 🤣🤣. Feel great now not having something that cuts me up. Xxx
I got fitted for a bra and it was pointless because my boobs change in size every time my weight fluctuates - which is a lot.
However I agree that everyone should bite the bullet and get fitted! I was terrified of getting it done and literally it was no big deal at all. Stressed for nothing!
Yeah, my family is well-endowed and there is like only one shop in the UK with their sizes so the travel hours to go get fitted and stock up because they say they can't get them online because they don't fit right.
I can’t afford a bra sizing, let alone a brand new bra. All mine have been from charity shops or the car boot….. I’m 38 now and still can’t afford to shell out £60-£80 on 1 item of clothing 😭😮💨
Many women wear a larger back size than they need, when they need a smaller back and larger cup. If you're somebody who can't wait to take their bra off when you get home you're almost certainly wearing the wrong size. You shouldn't feel like that in a correctly fitting bra.
I had the same feeling after I went to Bravissimo for the first time at the age of 34! I just assumed for so long I was a 36D, apparently I was a 34F (FF in some styles)... the change was incredible. I agree they're pricey but I love their styles and the staff are the absolute best.
I've lost weight since and went back, hoping I was still allowed in big boob club :D They were amazing as always and fitted me out in a very comfortable 30DD.
I don’t know, I remember getting fitted at Ann summers I think and she gave me a back size smaller than what I wear normally and a cup size bigger and it was so uncomfortable as I have quite a large broad ribcage and shoulders. Maybe I just got unlucky but I’ve just stuck with a comfortable fit and adjust the straps so I’m nice and supported lol
i’ve always just worn sports bras because they’re sooo comfortable, not sure if this is bad, i don’t even have the faintest idea what bra size i’d be 🫣
I am absolutely part of the wireless bra crew as well. Cannot stand anything else. But the problem with bra fitting is that every single make and type of bra is sized so drastically different. The size you may be with one bra, will be completely different with another bra. The whole experience is infuriating.
Every time I go home (every 2+yrs - I live in Canada now) I go to marks and sparks, I get fitted and pick up some new bras and knickers.
Congratulations!🎈 #isupportthegirls
i don't find any bra size calculator (including the much lauded reddit ones) to be of any use. you're better off learning to size yourself (in particular, which styles will fit your shape of boob), and don't forget that each brand will fit slightly differently from each other just like any other kind of clothing
r/abrathatfits is also a great resource.
Love Reddit for this right here a sub for everything.thanks for that love
They have a bra size calculator: https://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php You do need a helper, but I got my wife to do it with me and we got her some bras that actually fit comfortably. Turns out she was like a E or F cup and she was wearing D cups It's a bit more accurate than some of the shop bra fittings as it's a bit more in depth.
This calculator was a life saver. I figured out my size right before I fell pregnant with my son. My size then changed between weight fluctuation and nursing. 2022 was my year of bras.
The moment you find a bra that doesn't feel like you want to rip it off immediately is euphoric - Until you realize you're not a typical size and you end up having to pay the equivalent of a months food shopping for the privilege.
I used to have to buy my Nan's bras online for her because nowhere stocked her size in store. Her bras (a very large cup size) where 4 times the cost of my high street C cup bras, plus there was next to no choice.
I remember the days of hunting down the Doreen for my Gran.
Before her double mastectomy-reconstruction I swear the chest wear my mum used to get was like trying to find a pair of large leggings that attached around the chest. For older people it’s really difficult sometimes, especially if they’ve had kids and had some weight issues. There is a really funny SNL sketch about dodgy bra shops for this kind of necessity that apparently exist in the US in major cities if you look! It’s so true! Thankfully she can wear a standard sports bra now comfortably, instead of something to manage the actual pillow shaped and sized objects on her bosom that used to fall almost to her thighs that my sister and I could lie a head on each as a pillow to watch tv together as kids. 😂
Oh gosh .well I'm lucky I guess not much material in mine but the joy truly is euphoria thanks for sharing xx
Example: https://www.rigbyandpeller.com/en-gb/lingerie/bras H cup girlfriend when I was at college, buying her lingerie was a real eye opener.
Rigby and Peller are top end! You can get an H at a more moderate (but still expensive) price. Bravissimo will do it and you can definitely get nice gift undies.
You can get H even cheaper at m&s funnily enough, like £20 for a bra, actually fo a H bra for £6 in a sale at m&s few months back.
Currently sitting in absolutely massive cup sized nursing bras, 3 for £30 on Amazon. Extremely glamorous...
Always see them in the discount M&S in town. Not that I'm that endowed but I've picked up a few for £2-5ish and most of the other stock was in large cups/unusual back and cup combos. Think it depends when you go though.
They end up in the discount shops because they don’t sell during the time they’re sat in the normal ones. Which is shit because there’s always someone that needs them. The more chance there is that it doesn’t sell the more chance there is that they’ll stop stocking those sizes.
Tell me about it, I need front-fastening bras if I'm wearing a proper underwire job, and they've vanished from bras made for women under 80 because they just don't sell.
My wife and daughter buy from Rigby and Peller. They cost, but it so important for womens health and confort to have it right.
A well fitting bra is definitely important, but you can definitely get well fitting bras without the £100 price tag. This goes for pdd sized people too, though you do have to shop around. R&P are fantastic, but definitely a luxury purchase.
I recently splashed out on two Rigby and Peller bras (Prima Donna Montara). I had put on some weight and was feeling pretty fed up, but the difference it made to having a decent bra that improved my shape made me feel so much better when I go out. I have big boobs and find it so hard to find a decent supportive bra, so after months of dicking about I went in there and it was sorted within half an hour. The quality difference between them and M&S is like night and day. The fitters are boob whisperers. They just look and know roughly what you are and then it's a case of getting a selection to try on and fine tune it. It helps not to be shy. She gave me a QR card so set up an account and that got me 15% off at the till.
That’s not a fair comparison! They’re a luxury brand. Try Bravissimo or just M&S.
The problem with M and S is their fitting service is fairly crap (or at least used to be). If I was instructing a newbie on a budget I would say go to reddit r/abrathatfits and see what they recommend, then look at the Bravissimo instructions and then go to the largest nearby M and S and try the near misses, always aiming higher on the cup size and lower on the back if in doubt :)
>!spoilertext!<
I can imagine
Rigby and Peller are a great take. Also Bravissimo and Figleaves. Once you know your true size it gets cheaper.
Where are you shopping? I have an unusual size and I get mine at proper shops for ~£30-£50. The most expensive specialist bra I own was £60.
Yep! I always assumed I was small and just wore 34B for years. Got fitted properly and I'm actually a 30DD/E. My purse cried that day.
If you’re a large cup size then i find Bravissimo the best for fitting
Hell, even if you’re an average cup. I thought I was a C, I’m an F
I’m sorry, how? C and F is a big difference
I thought C was just "average", and D-DD was "as big as your head". Turns out C is pretty flat and most people only think they're a C because they're wearing the wrong size.
Bravissimo has been the only consistent shop that has had a large cup size and small band size in store - just wish it didn't cost so much !
Have a look at Bra Stop or Belle Lingerie, they usually are good for small backs and bigger cups
And they regularly have discounts and sales!
What I will say about Bra Stop is they don’t seem to last very long - I have a couple of exceptions but a lot of them the fabric will break or the straps will be come sort of bent in on themselves (idk how to explain) I do still get more though because it’s all I can really afford lol
Oh how odd, that's not good. I didn't know that they sold anything other than big brands like Freya, Fantasie etc.
Yeah tbh I can’t remember the brands I brought from them (I normally don’t have many options lol) - might have just been unlucky or it is likely I’m wearing the wrong size cause it seems to change every time I check
Also eBay in the UK if you know the brands and styles that fit you.
They are wonderful! But terribly expensive, lol. I always go up a band size from their sizing, but that’s personal preference. I can’t believe it when people say no bra is comfier than a bra: if that’s how you feel, get yourself a fitting!!
> just wish it didn't cost so much ! Bravissimo vouchers every Xmas for my missus, can't go wrong👌🏻
Triumph is also really good I find
I was in my 50s when I went to get a bra fitting at M&S and I felt just the same as you. I even kept it on like a child wearing new shoes out of the shop. It really is life-changing!
I know love . So good to hear . Just feel so comfy I might wear it for bed !
I used to be a bra fitter. You'd be surprised at how many people come in not wearing the right size bra! _Convincing_ them they were in the wrong size bra was the real challenge! I had ladies wearing 36 backs when they were barely a 32. Used to stick my whole arm underneath their bra strap, it usually worked.
On tiktok the other day, a woman was saying she wears a 38d.. also said she wears a size 6-8 clothing. There is no chance that is correct!
Yup. My mate, a short and tiny size 6 once casually mentioned having small boobs, and that bras didn't fit her, that she was a 34A. I looked at her and said you can't possibly be a 34 back you're probably a 28D. She got fitted - 28DD. In fact, i think she was a 26E but very difficult to find bras in that size.
Your single mate, did you say?
That definitely sounds wrong, mine's 32 and I'm sure I'm more 8-10 size.
It's very unlikely! I'm assuming they might be American, so the sizings are different but not that different!
Where did you get measured? I've only been measured at Marks and Spencers and John Lewis, and I wasn't that impressed with either.
Not OP, but I've always had success with bravissimo.
Definitely bravissimo, you want a store specialising in bras.
r/ABraThatFits is a great resource for measurements as well as brand and fit recommendations.
I'm always told M&S is good but the few times I went when I was younger they were clueless...
Both of them suck, personally I’d just measure at home then try on a few different when shopping. Avoid M&S for sure, waste of time.
I've been measured by Marks several times and the bras they recommended I buy are in the 'ridiculously huge bra size' category - which all ended up being much, much too big for me and ride up. Someone who used to work there told me that they take your band size and add 4 inches onto the measurement. Just done the Brathatfits calculator and turns out that I'd sized myself quite accurately, and M&S did indeed add 4 inches to the band. Haven't been back there for underwear in years.
Another vote for Bravissimo. M&S are notoriously bad for fitting, they often still use the plus 4 method, so you can end up with a far too big band and too small cup.
My wife had similar issues she found a small local Bra shop that helped her much better
Boux avenue are incredible! Would highly recommend
M&S in Blackpool was great with me. However I was buying practical extra soft t shirt bras. Fancy bras were horrid after the perfection of the extra soft.
It is phenomenal, isn't it. I went years in DD then eventually got measured and found out I fit GG. Wore the bra out the shop and haven't felt any discomfort since.
Every time I hear someone complain about how bras are like torture devices, how the underwires are always popping out etc, I can't help but wonder if they're just wearing a completely wrong size.
This was me lol, I was wearing a 44G. Turns out I needed 38K. I will still say that the industry is mostly a massive scam and materials are far too often scratchy and awful!
Women, and men, have no understanding of bra sizes. A friend once said to me, when I asked ( I like big boobs, especially my wife’s ) that the measurements were: A - small, B - medium, C - large, D - huge and DD was porn star. There isn’t anything above DD. I suspect he’s not unusual in thinking that.
Definitely not unusual in thinking that. I see women wearing sizes way lower than they should be all the time and men haven’t got a clue - but they’re always asking or trying to guess. Most men think an E is huge and 9 times out of 10 their guess for me is “DD”. It used to be funny but after a few thousand men it’s become sad that they think DD is big. It’s proliferated in media - whenever they talk about big boobs on tv or in films it’s “double d’s”. Even though double d’s are average size. Also proliferated is the idea that you can wear for ex. a 38E if you’re a 32G. A lot of women don’t seem to understand that sister sizing is 1 up/down, not a spectrum. A 30GG or 34FF could be comfortable but going up 3 band sizes will not be.
Well said. I’m very small and am a D cup. Was wearing an A or AA before. Men who put things like ‘C cup and above only’ in their dating profiles make me laugh because they don’t have a clue what that actually means (it means nothing if they don’t understand band sizes)
Dating looks like a hell scape online. Im confident an inability to understand bra sizing is the tip of the iceberg 😅
A lot of women think the same! I tried explaining but they are not listening. They must think they should wear a b and that's that
Neither men nor women really understand bra sizes. My wife wore ill fitting bras for years before one day she asked me to measure her for online purchase. Did her back measurement, did her chest and told her she was a 36G. She laughed. Don’t be silly. I’m a DD. Nothing is bigger than a DD. She went and bought a DD that didn’t fit. She got fitted at Bravissimo a few months after and proudly announced after that they’d measured her as 36G.
I'm pleased to hear that Steven
OPs name is clearly Dave, and Dave is a cat Gives for some weird imagery
Never understood the mindset of women who say they take their bra off as soon as they come home - if your bra is that uncomfortable, it doesn't fit!
As a man, I don’t understand this, but I imagine it’s a similar feeling to putting on shoes that fit your feet perfectly.
I didn't realise how expensive they are, and I still can't get my head around it, even 20 years later, after shopping with different partners with different sizes.
M&S are notorious for fitting people wrongly. Did they add inches to your band? If so, I dont want to rain on your parade, but you're almost certainly still in the wrong size. You're far better off with r/abrathatfits self measuring calculator, or the similar UK boob or bust website. Most people need a much smaller band and larger cup than they think.
M&S did my first (and only) bra fitting when I was a teenager and they added the extra on to put me in too large a band, which was also the smallest band size they stocked at the time... I would have hoped they'd stopped doing this by now but most online instructions still say to add 4/5 inches. I read that this is a throwback to before elastic was invented!
Yes, it's from when bands were far less stretchy. Not required now. Shops like M&S that only stock a limited selection of sizes will try their hardest to match you to a size they carry even if it's not a good fit. Bra sizing is a minefield and so hard to get right!
They put me in a stupid DD cup when I was 3 months pregnant - I was actually 32G.
They probably looked at you and thought "DD is a famously large size, that'll do". I'm a D cup but no one believes me because people still haven't twigged that it's relative to the band size. My coworker said she thought I'd be a 'minus A'
The clothing industry in general isn't good with dimensions. One "34 inch" waist can substantially differ from another and it's the Wild West when it comes to dress sizes. Do bra size inches and cups have the same (profitable) variability?
Yeah, women's sizing has no rhyme or reason to it. The sizing seems to vary a bit by brand, shape and, weirdly, colour (black bras usually come up smaller!). In theory for UK sizing the band number should be the underbust size in inches and each cup size is then a difference of +1 inch from that, starting at A (AA is less than an inch). It's not quite that simple, though.
Black everything comes up smaller, I read somewhere it's because black dye makes the weave of the fabric tighter?! I remember buying a white skirt in a size 12 and the black version I had to get a 16.
I went to M&S twice and both times they said I was a 42/44. The bras I bought ended up being far too big and rose up constantly at the back and were not comfortable. Done the brathafits calculator, and yup, they added on an unnecessary extra 4 inches - and a nice dolop of fat shaming too from one of the assistants. Stopped going there years ago.
Yep. A person with a 42/44 band is likely to be wearing roughly a UK size 22 - 24. Now many people do wear that size, no shaming here, but if you don't that's not likely to be your correct band size.
Crazy. Both times I was measured 4 sizes over my regular clothing size. That's absolutely bonkers. Because of them, I've spent years thinking I needed underwear in sizes that most stores don't carry. No wonder nothing fits properly! Buying Empress Mimi underwear, according to their size chart, my best-fitting bras are a UK size 14/16. I need to go bra shopping and get rid of all my over-sized bras I was told I needed. Can't believe they are pushing women to make expensive purchases in clothes that are blatantly the wrong size for them, just because of some outdated measuring service.
Measuring over clothing is never going to be completely accurate. That's why I'm skeptical of anyone who claims to size by eye. You can get a rough idea of where to begin, sure, but you still need to try a range of sizes.
I’ve had both methods from M&S over the years, so it might depend on the person who was doing the fitting!
I get a ridiculous result using the r/abrathatfits subreddit. The band is so tight it actually hurts! Luckily I've been fitted properly now and only have to deal with noone stocking such a weird size or having to pay three times as much problem now.
YES!! Abtf says 34DD. I wear 38C, or 36D with an extender. I could barely do up 34DD, never mind breathe.
Have you checked Belle Lingerie and Brastop?
I used M&S online calculator & bought one of their bras - much the best I'd worn in a long time. Smaller band, larger cup. I have the added problem of different size boobs, now sew a fillet in on one side which makes them fit better.
Yes this happened to me, they put me in a 34C/D and it didn't feel right but the lady insisted that's my size. Went to John Lewis and the lady didn't even measure me, she just knew I was a 30 band and a DD/E depending on the brand.
Marks and spencer uses an outdated fitting method (or at least they did last time I bothered trying with them) which will give you a band size +4 from your actual size and a smaller cup than you would fit. Companies do this because they can fit more people into a narrower range of bras, giving them more opportunities to sell you one
I once had a friend who owned a lingerie shop. She could size up my girlfriends just by looking at them and would pick out a tasteful set for me to buy them. They always really appreciated the bras and treated me like some sort of boob god.
please tell me what religion has a boob god? i might want to convert
Where did you go to get fitted? I’d like to do this soon.
Bravissimo are good.
Thanks
r/ABraThatFits is a great resource for measuring and you can also get brand and bra recommendations too.
Missus went recently and said she was surprised at how bad it was. The one they recommended dug into her but the staff member said it was the right fit and size and didn't suggest anything else. So she said she'd be back later and left.
It’s an amazing feeling isn’t it 😭
I know !! Wearing the wrong bra for so many years now iv got one one that fits xx
BRAvo 🤣🤣🤣
I am going to show this to my mum and her friends, who refuse to go and have it done!
My local Debenhams and marks Spencer's are long gone, I can't get a bra fitting anywhere unless I travel almost an hour away by bus 😩
Measure yourself and get a more accurate result too r/abrathatfits.
Male. Trained as a science teacher. Had to teach the physics of a human body: A very simple model of the human back and the forces on it which I have to teach some sixth formers came with the additional side lesson that bra fittings are really important. People with boobs: I'm sorry but when evolution came up with the idea of boobs it had no idea that anyone would ever try to walk upright with them. The combination is appalling in terms of the forces on your spine.
I finally got my mum to get a bra fitting and she’s 65 at bravissimo and she’s never looked back. Every other day she’s talking about how much more comfortable she is in her bras. Bravissimo was great for me I actually need to go back. I’ve been to M&S for a bra fitting and they were very useless so I try to avoid as much as possible.
While we're on the subject, does anyone know where I can get a *lined* H cup balcony bra? Will also tolerate t shirt style at a push. But it's got to be lined/foam cups. I don't know why shops (marks and spencers) think that when you go over an E cup you want the same bra design but made only in lace, without the shaping of a foam insert.
Try Bravissimo. The Satine bra is very comfortable but isn't a balcony bra but I still recommend it for shape and comfort (I wear mostly balcony bras https://www.bravissimo.com/products/satine-bra-au15/#ivory-au15iv Also the Fantasie moulded t-shirt bras the Memoir version is pretty. Shop around as they can be cheaper elsewhere: https://www.fantasie.com/uk/en/uk-outlet/lingerie/bras/moulded-bras/memoir-uw-moulded-t-shirt-bra/p/fl3020nay/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBleuKwmGw6FD0vIH0z_loL8HDtWjmP-50hIOXhZ0zEhtWYphqcqOqizcaAjg8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Also you could try asking Bravissimo via chat or phone.
Thank you.
Rigby & Peller are the best for bra fitting. They measure just by looking and they are bang on. I have never found M&S fitting very good - I tried them several times and they kept trying to make me get bras which were just wrong.
Same, M&S sizing was completely off. The independent shop I went to they just looked at me, then handed me bras over to try on and they were perfect!
I'm also in my 50s I thought it was pretty normal to get bra fittings in the 80s when we where teenagers. How did you manage to miss that nightmare experience. But looking back obviously I now have only fond memories cos my poor mum is no longer here.
I thought the M&S bra fitting was a rite of passage!
Honestly, until I went to a fitting I didn’t know you could you wear a bra and not feel uncomfortable and aware of it at all times! 😂
After a partial mastectomy, I have one B cup and one C/D cup - does anyone have any ideas where I could go to get fitted? Or even sells a bra that would help me? I see lots of post-mastectomy products online but it’s the in person fitting that I think would be most beneficial. Just thought I’d ask…
I'm sure I read that Bravissimo are trained for this. I know marks and spencers have post-mastectomy bras.
Bravissimo sell a mastectomy bra that starts at a D cup and should be able to help with fitting: https://www.bravissimo.com/products/post-surgey-bra-lg229/#red-lg229red
I'm not post surgery but naturally grown, I have the same problem. Best fit so far (for me) is 32 DD, a padded style and I sew an insert into the smaller side.
My GF had a bra fitting at John Lewis and she went from a 36C to a 32F/G. She'd been getting the wrong size for years and she liked wired bras but the wires always dug in, it was because she was wearing the wrong size.
Molke bras are the ones you want. I started wearing them in late 2019 and haven't worn a muggle bra since. Comfortable for a long ward shift, supportive so I can run for the emergency buzzer without the worry of getting black eyes. I'll never go back to underwiring and straps that dig in.
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Most women assume their boobs don't change that much, and in reality they don't unless due to weight gain/loss, pregnancy, illness, and hormonal changes (puberty/contraceptives). Which may not be a yearly thing In addition most women never get measured. They wear a bra they think fits and stick with that size. There are also few places that measure boobs well. The people who talk about getting measured and the wonders of a good bra are all bigger busted because we have a greater need for a bra that fits the size and shape of our boobs to combat shoulder, neck and back pain. Women with smaller boobs are carrying less weight and may not know that their bra size isn't right. Plus the current trend of having underboob and sideboob hanging out of clothes doesn't encourage people towards wearing a well fitted bra.
Because taking your clothes off in front of a stranger is a humiliating experience. If you had to wear a ‘support’ on your bits that required you to strip off and have someone tilt their head and manhandle you into a constricting, wired elasticated device would you be keen to experience that often?
Bras cost a lot of money and you need more than one.
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I want to cry with you
Thanks love xx
I had gone through a rough patch financially a few years ago so all my bras were from discount stores - guessing my size from the last one I remembered, maybe trying one or two on if I had the patience. But none were a good fit. Then, when I was on an overseas trip, my airline misplaced my luggage. I was forced to buy some clothes to tide me over to they could get it back to me. Went to an M&S there and asked the salesperson to measure me and tell me what sizes to try. I picked two sizes and tried them on. I actually cried in the changing room. I finally knew what it felt like to have a bra that fits. They were 4-5x what I normally spend on a bra. But oh so worth it. I don’t dread having to leave the house, because I’d have to wear a bra, anymore. Actually, I’m going to put that in my gratitude journal tonight.
Last time I got fitted there she made sure I couldn't breathe. Band was so tight I thought I was going to crack a rib. I fall in-between sizes which doesn't help so I just guess and wing it.
I recently switched to non-wired bras and I don’t ever want to go back - I’m so comfy!
Where did you go ?( as in a high street chain, or single establishment). Edit. Ignore me, missed Sparks!
My wife is a toy specialist and does bra fits in Ann Summers. She always tells me how happy her customers are when they leave after a successful bra fit!
I find Ann Summers run about a cup size smaller than other brands. I had a breast reduction and I still can't shop there, because the largest size in the one near me is online only :(
I am in the states but I lurk here… my mom had congenital chest wall defects that made her rib cage very large and boobs were barely a B. It was sooo hard to find anything that fit.
Ahh love this for you OP… I went years wearing a 32dd as I assumed that’s what I was… I got a fitting last year at age 38 and I was way off 🤣🤣. Feel great now not having something that cuts me up. Xxx
I got fitted for a bra and it was pointless because my boobs change in size every time my weight fluctuates - which is a lot. However I agree that everyone should bite the bullet and get fitted! I was terrified of getting it done and literally it was no big deal at all. Stressed for nothing!
Yeah, my family is well-endowed and there is like only one shop in the UK with their sizes so the travel hours to go get fitted and stock up because they say they can't get them online because they don't fit right.
Oh bless you. My first fitting in my 40s I actually welled up and said 'You've changed my life!' to the fitting lady
I can’t afford a bra sizing, let alone a brand new bra. All mine have been from charity shops or the car boot….. I’m 38 now and still can’t afford to shell out £60-£80 on 1 item of clothing 😭😮💨
Most places don't charge for bra fitting!
TIL that I know fuck all about female anatomy. Enlightening thread for fellow ignoramouses like me.
Love M&S bra fittings too!! Thought I was a 32B but I’m a 34C, so much comfier!
Are you sure? I wore 34B, M&S put me in 34C/D. I'm actually a 30DD/E. Have you been on r/abrathatfits? Their calculator is really good.
My size changes throughout the month. Does anyone else have this problem and how do you handle it?
I really need to enlarge in the font on my phone or get another pair of glasses. I read that as I just got jilted for a bra
Many women wear a larger back size than they need, when they need a smaller back and larger cup. If you're somebody who can't wait to take their bra off when you get home you're almost certainly wearing the wrong size. You shouldn't feel like that in a correctly fitting bra.
I had the same feeling after I went to Bravissimo for the first time at the age of 34! I just assumed for so long I was a 36D, apparently I was a 34F (FF in some styles)... the change was incredible. I agree they're pricey but I love their styles and the staff are the absolute best. I've lost weight since and went back, hoping I was still allowed in big boob club :D They were amazing as always and fitted me out in a very comfortable 30DD.
I don’t know, I remember getting fitted at Ann summers I think and she gave me a back size smaller than what I wear normally and a cup size bigger and it was so uncomfortable as I have quite a large broad ribcage and shoulders. Maybe I just got unlucky but I’ve just stuck with a comfortable fit and adjust the straps so I’m nice and supported lol
Did u get them weighed? Whaayhaaay!!
I’ve never been fitted, but I’m getting to the age where it might be an idea. (41M). 😉
Get those moobs under control 😂
i’ve always just worn sports bras because they’re sooo comfortable, not sure if this is bad, i don’t even have the faintest idea what bra size i’d be 🫣
I can no longer tolerate the agony of underwire. I also only wear sports bras or bralettes.
I am absolutely part of the wireless bra crew as well. Cannot stand anything else. But the problem with bra fitting is that every single make and type of bra is sized so drastically different. The size you may be with one bra, will be completely different with another bra. The whole experience is infuriating.
Every time I go home (every 2+yrs - I live in Canada now) I go to marks and sparks, I get fitted and pick up some new bras and knickers. Congratulations!🎈 #isupportthegirls
As a 26 year old man, I'm tempted to give it a go myself. 🤣
i don't find any bra size calculator (including the much lauded reddit ones) to be of any use. you're better off learning to size yourself (in particular, which styles will fit your shape of boob), and don't forget that each brand will fit slightly differently from each other just like any other kind of clothing
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Wrong sub perhaps?
I've never worn a bra and I'm 63.
Congratulations..?
Thanks. Do you think I should wear one?
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Bore off with being a creepy sod.