Ask a big busted woman wearing a comfortable, correctly fitting bra if she cares about her cup size and she'll probably laugh. When you have a bust that needs daily support being in the right size bra is essential. So why are so many women afraid to feel the joy of a correctly fitting bra simply because that bra has a cup size over a D?
In an effort to keep the status quo but accommodate some of these unforeseen big busted gals, bra manufacturers began making DD then DDD bras. Now I don't know who thought having a bra size called triple D was easier than saying F cup but that guy was smoking something funky. Why was it such a problem to use the rest of the alphabet? The introduction of DD and DDD sizes came in the 1950s when boobs were still something to keep under lock and key. I can only assume that to call these oversized bazoomas E and F would have caused men to spontaneously combust so it was just safer to stay in the D-zone. Women have been brain-washed into thinking that big boobs are for wanton women and that stigma stays with us today.
It's time for us to reclaim the rest of the alphabet and recognize that cup letters are proportional to our body size. I think the photo below from Brittany at Thin and Curvy, shows that your band size has everything to do with proportionality.
Being proud of your body and knowing how to dress it well starts with wearing the right bra size. It is quite literally the foundation of your style and confidence. If you know you are languishing in a giant-banded D cup bra simply because you have D+ fear I invite you to call us and let us help you find your real size 1-888-225-0474 or use our Bra Size Calculator to find your best starting point. Living your life in the right bra is a liberating experience. xx
Haha, I was really cracking up at your comment about men exploding if we added more letters to the braphabet. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been lucky to never have anyone assume that I have had surgery but I wonder too if that's because I have yet to get my correct bra size so I always look pretty saggy. Hopefully soon!
I've got my fingers crossed for you June! I am following your story with great interest! Claire x
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so happy to have found this post. I'm 4'10" and 32 years old and slender, and I always assumed I was a 34B -- until I got properly measured a couple of months ago. Imagine my shock when I learned I was actually a 32D! Nobody believed me. Not my husband, not my closest friends, not my mother. It took me a while to come down from the shock. Of course, I realized my errors in the past because I had been shoving my whole hand into the band while breast tissue spilled out the sides, which meant the band was too big and the cup was too small.
ReplyDeleteI was told that 32D was the same volume as 34C and so I told that to my friends and added "If that makes you feel better." Sure, I can wear that 34C bra from Target (since they don't carry 32D or above, of course). But the 32 band feels so much more naturally snug. Some bra-expert friends told me that my breast tissue will most likely re-shape and migrate over time, and I might go up to a 32E. Others insisted "Oh, no, honey, that would be a DD!" Actually... it would be an E. And I'm proud to say I am (currently) a 32D at 4'10" and with a slim figure. Ladies, please don't be afraid of the bra alphabet. It really will help your form look so much better!
Dear Brightrosefox - You have made my day (well night now actually!) You have obviously embraced your shape and taken ownership of your boobs. GOOD FOR YOU!!! You have written your inspirational story so beautifully, thank you so much for sharing. I hope one day we can send you a beautiful bra for your beautiful new size!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I clicked on the link to this that Georgina (@FFigureFBust) put in her latest post!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid you're spot on about some women's attitudes to women with larger cup sizes. I was just walking down the street once and a woman looked at my E-cup bust and muttered "slut"!!! Come on man, I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans!
Autumn xx(ClassyBras from Twitter)
Oh Autumn, that is just so awful. It says so much more about other people's insecurities than your figure, but it's still hurtful behaviour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting and for your fab information at http://www.classybras.com/ xxx
I'm fifteen and size 28HH. A few weeks ago, when I was shopping with my friends in H&M, they suggested we would all buy some new bras there. I told them that H&M doesn't carry my size. "What do you mean, they have D-cups here, you can't be bigger than that!"
ReplyDeleteAnnoying.
First of all - CONGRATULATIONS ON KNOWING YOUR SIZE!!! So few women, let alone teenagers, know their correct bra size so you are leaps and bounds ahead in wearing the best size for your body. I'm so sorry you are experiencing the lack of bra knowledge that is so common. Rest assured you are looking after your breasts far better than your friends who don't know that bras go beyond a D cup. If you ever want to share your experience with our readers then I would welcome a guest post from you. So many teenagers are in your position but many of them don't know how to feel OK about their shape - if you would like to share your story (anonymously is fine) then you can email claire@butterflycollection.ca xx
DeleteWhen I visited the US for the first time a few years ago, my bra had exploded on the flight over. Sick of the underwire digging into my armpit, I went to a Victoria's Secret and asked to be measured as my UK sizing would be wrong. I can't believe how rude the women were to me! They didn't even tell me what size I needed, plucked a bra out of a drawer and then laughed when they asked me how it fit and I told them it didn't! "We don't carry your size" was the final response before I walked out in tears.
ReplyDeleteI think more stores need to be cautious in addressing everyone as just another pair of boobs that need a bra. The experience of bra shopping still gives me chills...
You've hit the nail on the head Nicola about why there is such widespread mis-information and shame around bra sizing. Most of the women who work in chain stores like Victoria's Secret and La Senza (which is a completely different company in North American than it is in the UK) are not thoroughly trained to fit bras, they're trained to sell the bras in the store, which isn't the same thing. Boobs are attached to individuals and it's the woman, not the boobs, that need to be fitted. xx
DeleteI'm 18, and currently wearing a 28FF size. I only recently found out what my true size is, having been wearing 32DDs from La Senza before. I've become really interested in learning all about bras and proper sizing, and I love to look online at bras from Freya, Panache, Curvy Kate, Ewa Michalak, etc. For whatever reason, my sister and mother (although I love them dearly) almost think it's some weird obsession, and they've started mildly criticizing me whenever they see me looking at bras. I think it's such a shame, because I can tell neither of them are wearing the right size, and I just want to learn as much as I can about such an interesting (and vital!) thing for us as women. I just think it's crazy that it's such a "taboo" topic for so many women around me. I love talking about bras, so I'm happy I've found so many good blogs on the topic, including this one! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteIt because of women like you Rachel that future generations of girls will have much better bra fit. Unfortunately a lot of women simply don't understand the importance of well-fitting bras (or indeed what a well-fitting bra looks like). By breaking the cycle of pointless taboos you are shifting attitudes towards bras and fit. I am SO happy you have found your best fit and understand the importance and joy of well-fitting bras. You have our unceasing support and hopefully you will inspire your relations to pay more attention to their fit. GOOD FOR YOU!! xx
DeleteI can't believe the difference now that I've moved into the proper cup size. No more adjusting the @#$% band that is digging into me. I look 15 lbs slimmer. Heck, I bet people at work wonder if I'm pregnant because suddenly my boobs look bigger but their not.
ReplyDeleteIt's trial and error too. I measure 44FF (UK sizes) but ended up actually getting a better fit in 38G (no idea why I have ALWAYS worn a band size smaller than I measure), but hey, whatever works.
This blog post might help you understand why lots of women wear band sizes much smaller than their rib measurement Why Squidgy Torsos Need Smaller Bra Bands
DeleteI wear smaller than measured too. Idk, i just don't feel contained without it being snug. So while a 34GG may fit, i prefer the snugness of a 30HH
DeleteLots of women prefer the fit of a smaller band. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's whatever works for you. I wear a band size smaller than my raw underbust measurement and it works brilliantly for me xx
DeleteLaughing at men spontaneously combusting. My husband wanted to hand out cards announcing I wore an H after I got fitted. To him that was the thing of porn stars and strippers. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt also annoys me all the bra myths. I've assumed for awhile I am 36ish DD- even that sounds sort of big to most people. But thanks to your calculator and couple others, I'm more a 32 G/GG (UK). That may not always be my correct size, but it's closer to correct than most 'fitters' or online calculators say.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid the bra myths are the biggest reason why so many women are in the wrong bras. I am so glad that you have found your bra size is a much smaller band and larger cup. Glad our calculator was helpful on your bra journey xx
DeleteI'm wearing a 36E and was thinking I'm doing not too bad at accepting I'm bigger than a D, then I used your size calculator! It told me I should be trying a 36G and my head melted for a moment but I've had a few deep breaths & have regained control of my boobage.
ReplyDeleteHehe! I'm glad you have control over your boobage again! xx
DeleteI hate my 30F boobs. I'm small as it is and my boobs are the things people focus on. :(
ReplyDeleteAnyone who focuses on your breasts rather than who you are simply isn't worth caring about. The people who matter, who love you and care about you, couldn't care less what size your breasts are. I know it's easy to say and hard to do but if you can stop blaming your breasts for other people's stereotypes and narrow minds then you and your boobs can team up to be proud of your body, mind and personality. Your boobs do not define you. Don't let other people make you think that's all there is to you xx
DeleteIt's so interesting. My friends have made casual comments about the size of my breasts and I found that I was the one who felt resistant to accept that I might be a D cup or more. I'm not sure where it comes from. One friend looked at me and said - "No way you're a C cup; you're a D." When another friend told me I had large breasts, I got very self conscious and asked her how she would know and she mentioned seeing me in a tank top and that she'd noticed they were "quite ample." They didn't mean this in a hurtful way, but it was the feeling of not having control over how my body is perceived. My body was just my body to me and the comments my friends' made suddenly brought my body into the "public domain" where it can be observed and categorized. And they may have been viewing large boobs in a neutral category, but I felt embarrassed. Like large wasn't "normal." Couple that with never finding pretty bras (I always had to get the plain, extra supportive bras that came in a box from Sears and weren't necessarily attractive to me) in the stores that everyone else shopped at (LaSenza, Aerie etc), I thought I must somehow be abnormal. Normal girls get pretty bras from pretty stores.
ReplyDeleteI've tried out your bra calculator and I'm hoping my email consultation will help me find the right bra to order from your store - I think that will help me on my road to body confidence.
Thank you SO much for sharing your experience. How you became aware that you had a larger than average chest is exactly the same way as it happened to me. I was just going along thinking "well this is how my body looks" when I was on the bus home from school one day and a boy I barely knew said "look at the size of her boobs!" I was dumbfounded. I felt embarrassed, angry and shocked. I felt like other people knew something about me that I hadn't known. This can be a very rude awakening and a hard road to body confidence when you very articulately say your boobs had become part of the 'public domain'.
DeleteI hope you got your size consultation, it was sent last week. If we can help you with any questions you have about taking back control and ownership of your breasts with great bra fit then please don't hesitate to get in touch.
We all wish you the best of luck with your body confidence journey and feel sure that your keen perception and intelligence will go a long way in helping you get there very soon xx
Thank you! I did receive my consultation and I have ordered a lovely bra. I am excited to try it out. Thank you for providing such great articles and resources on your blog - I've visited many times since I've discovered it and am so pleased that there is a community of women who are providing a great service to other women. Thank you!
DeleteThat's great to hear! I hope the bra works out perfectly for you xx
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