When To Use A Bra Extender

Bra accessories are one of the easiest ways to tailor bra fit to your body. The most popular bra accessory we sell is bra extenders. This useful bra accessory is used to make your bra band longer. There are a few times when a longer band is helpful:

1) A brand new bra can be very tight but after a few wash and washes the elastic relaxes. An extender can be used in the early weeks to make the bra more comfortable while it breaks in. This way you don't lose the longevity of a band's elasticity and you don't have to suffer an excessively tight band while the fabric relaxes.

2) If your ribcage measures an odd number, 33 for example, then you might find that the band size up (34 in this example) is too loose or stretches out too quickly and the band size down (32 in this example) is too tight. The bra extender allows you to turn a 32 band into a 33 or 34. The extender can then be removed when the band stretches and you don't lose any life of the bra.

3) Lots of women experience weight fluctuation and bra extenders are an easy way to maintain a comfortable band fit without having to buy bras in a bigger band size.

4) Many pregnant women find that their cup size doesn't alter in early pregnancy but that their band starts to feel tight. This is due to the increase in fluids and sensitivity around the upper abdomen. Rather than buy new bras that will fit for a matter of weeks you can use a bra extender to give you more breathing room in early pregnancy.

5) Some of our customers have told us that they use their bra extenders on days when they have pain flare ups. From arthritis to fibromyalgia, there are conditions that can cause increased pain. On those days the bra extender allows for a looser fit while still retaining some support. The extender can then be removed for better support on days of lesser or no pain.

It's important to remember that your band is the most important foundation of good support. It needs to be snug so that it can support the weight of your breasts. Don't forget to remove the extender from your bra as the band loosens and you can use the bra's own hooks. Bra extenders are a great way to have more size flexibility without compromising on fit. Let us know why you use your extenders xx

3 Responses to Our Bra Size Calculator Explained

Last week I posted a link to our Bra Size Calculator on Facebook and it was kindly shared by quite a few people. I read some of the comments under the links and realized there are 3 consistent responses to the calculator and they are so telling about bra fitting as a whole. Here are 3 common responses and what they tell us about bra fitting:

1. "The calculator says I'm a 30H! That can't be right!"

When our calculator returns a size that is much smaller in the band than you're used to wearing or a cup letter that much higher in the alphabet it can be a shock. Considering that most stores and online boutiques fit women into bands that are too big for them so that they can sell them a size that they carry it's not surprising that many women don't know sizes like a 30H or 28GG even exist. The key thing that most people still don't know is that cup letters mean NOTHING without the band size. Lots of people still think that all F cups are enormous and all C cups are average. Georgina at Fuller Figure, Fuller Bust explains the myth of cup letters so well. She says "a cup letter without a band size is like saying it's half past without saying an hour" and she's so right. Half past 3 is quite a different time to half past 9, so too, a 30F is quite a different cup volume than a 40F (5 cup volumes different in fact).

Related Article: Not All D Cups Are The Same Size

If you're wearing a band that's too big for you but your cups 'fit' then your cup letter will be lower in the alphabet. For example, a 38DDD (or a 38F in UK sizing, which we use at Butterfly Collection) has the same cup volume as a 36FF, 34G, 32GG, 30H and a 28HH. If you measure 30 inches around your ribcage then our calculator will recommend a 30H and it looks like a big shock but in reality the cup volume is the same, only the band is more proportional to your body.

2. "This is way off for me, it says I'm a 40F and I'm a 42C."

This is rarely talked about but body fat and height make a difference to bra fit for some people. Here are some generalized correlation between body proportions and bra size:

• Women with little body fat often add inches to their band size to improve comfort
• Women with a lot of body fat often need a smaller cup and smaller band than a calculator can account for as part of the measurements are body fat and not breast tissue.
• Women under 5ft 5" often need more cup volume than a calculator can account for as the ratio of bust to torso length alters the volume.
• Women over 6ft often need a smaller cup volume than a calculator can account for as the ratio of bust to torso length alters the volume.

3. "The cup size is way too big for me. It says a 36FF and I wear a 36E."

Taking two measurements can never tell you the whole story about someone's breasts. The most important things it can't tell you are the shape of your breasts or the shape of your torso. If you have a flared torso or have shallow breasts then the results of a calculator are going to be wrong. Very often if the results come back at a larger cup volume than you're wearing then your torso shape or breast shape plays a significant part in your bra size. Calculators are only ever a starting point, they are NEVER gospel, how could they be when women are so infinitely different?

There are lots of bra calculators out there and lots of them are rubbish and some of them are good (I hope ours is still on the whole good!) One thing is for sure; every single bra size calculator will be wrong for lots of women. They are one bra fitting tool that needs to be used in conjunction with other tools to arm you with the knowledge you need to understand your unique breasts and bra fit xx