It's a miracle that anyone can find a bra to fit them properly. I've just been on the internet looking up how to measure my bra size. According to La Senza I'm a 34B, an online bra size calculator tells me I'm a 36 A and a BBC information site tells me I'm a 36D! What's a girl to do?! I'm wearing a 34B right now and I know its too tight, hence my searching for a better size, but what chance do I, and all women, stand, when we're up against this?

If you really want to get the right size, go to a professional fitter.  We're trained to fit women for bras.  Only M&S actually offers a measuring service, where they measure around the back and then around the fullest part of the bust.  Although I am trained to fit this way (I work for Debenhams), I find it can be inaccurate, because as Trinny and Susannah pointed out, every bra and every *** is different, so sizes can vary according to manufacturer and style, and sometimes even the fabric the bra is made from can make a difference.

I missed the part in that show which stores were measuring all those ladies!! Can anyone tell me and did one come out favourite for measuring? I hate shopping for bra's - ever since I was a teenager - 20 years on it's still a chore... M & S, Debenhams, Bravissimo, independant underwear stores... A miserable experience - I ranged from a 34GG to 38DD - every manufacturer is different - every fabric too..

The measuring system that a lot of department stores use, where they measure your ribcage and add 4 or 5 inches to get your band size, is totally wrong. I don't know why any so called professional bra fitters, notably M&S, still use it when it's so obvious that it doesn't work!

The method that I find works a lot better, is the same as the conventional one, but just take the underbust measurement to be the band size, i.e, just round it to the nearest even number rather than adding several inches. Then the difference between the band size and bust measurement gives the cup size - one cup size per inch.

My underbust and bust are 29" and 36", and I usually wear a 30F. According to my measurements I should need a 30E, which is only one cup size out - not bad compared to the conventional system that puts me at 34B!

You should measure under bust which gives your back size and then round bust. My underbust is 30" and over bust 37" and I usually wear 30F. I used to wear 34DD which didn't flatter my boobs at all!!

I find this works well and although bra may feel tight to begin with your posture will improve and you will look slimmer! 

 

zoggi:

The measuring system that a lot of department stores use, where they measure your ribcage and add 4 or 5 inches to get your band size, is totally wrong. I don't know why any so called professional bra fitters, notably M&S, still use it when it's so obvious that it doesn't work!

Hello - as some people have already said, the problem is as much to do with the bra manufacurers as the bra owners! Just like shoe sizes, they never seem to be consistent. I measure my bra size using a bra measuring tape (saw it on Lorraine Kelly - brameasurement.co.uk). It's dead accurate but still doesn't allow for the fact that one company's 36c is another companies 38b!!!! Hope that helps.