Because a few of you have asked - here's my rant on US bra sizing scams
If you're one of my American friends - especially if you're one of my larger-busted American friends, you're probably wearing the wrong size bra. And sorry, you won't make it better by getting a "professional fitting" at a department store or lingerie boutique.
As far as I can tell, very few American places will properly fit you for a bra. There's some weird math they do to make everyone's size magically fit within the rigid confines of what's profitable for the American bra manufacturers to produce. So if you're, say, a 29E, they'll tell you you're a 34C. And if you're a 36G? They'll tell you you're a 40DD. According to one calculator I just used online, I am a 34H. Um....NO. This bullshit math means women are walking around with band sizes that don't support their breasts (leading to sagging and discomfort and constant "hitching" of the bra) and cup sizes that don't contain the overflow (leading to the dreaded multiboob).
I was originally fitted in an old lady specialty undergarment store at age 13 or 14 because my boobs very plainly did not fall within any standard size range for a young lady, and for 2-3 years wore 32EEE bras. At the time, those were hideous white nylon affairs with 3" wide straps that always broke anyway, forcing me to suffer repeated puncture wounds from when the safety pins I shored them up with inevitably also gave up the fight. After my breast reduction, I was told I had been made into a "34C" and for years, that's what I wore. Until it became obvious that a 34D....no, a 34DD...No........anyway, I kept going up in cup size and still, the things never fit. Because I didn't realize there was an alternative, I put up with the awful fit and felt like a freak.
Then I went to London and chanced upon Bravissimo. I went in for a fitting, not knowing what to expect. I walked out with 2 bras. One was a 30F, the other was a 32E. Both fit like no bra had ever fit before. I also walked out with a completely different understanding of how a bra works, and how one should fit. Friends, your band is supposed to do most of the support work - not your straps. A bra should be almost uncomfortably tight around the band when you first buy it because IT WILL STRETCH. If it feels completely loose and you can get it all the way to the last hooks - it's way, way too big. And no part of your boob should be poking out under, over, or out the sides of the cup. That's a clear sign that you need a bigger cup size.
So if you can't make it to the UK to get fitted by a Bravissimo shop, and you don't have an old lady undergarment store near you, I'd recommend measuring your band size at a snug but not excruciating tension, and don't add any inches to that number. Just write it down, rounded up to the nearest even number. If it's a 29, write down 30. If it's a 38, write down 38. Then, measure around your torso right at nipple level. Again, the tape should be snug but not tight. Use the chart here (p.s. DDD and DDDD can both be read as E, duh) to determine your cup size based on the difference between the two measurements. Now, you have a basic idea of your true bra size. However, different brands and even different styles within a brand vary a lot in size. You can usually go up one band size/down one cup size and get good results. I am very comfortable in a 30F with the Gossard Superboost Plunge, but I need a 32E in the Freya Retro Plunge.*
Here is a helpful guide to assess whether your bras are correctly sized. Figleaves and Bare Necessities both carry a number of the same styles and brands as Bravissimo, often for less $$ due to the exchange rate - and they're both on Amazon. If you find a bra you love at Bravissimo, check these other 2 shops to see if you can get it for less. Bravissimo, however, has CLOTHES made for big-boobed women. Jackets! Button-down shirts! Jersey tops! Wrap dresses! BIKINIS! And strappy tops! None of which pucker, sag, obscure your waistline, or fit you all kinds of wrong. The clothes are expensive, but I treasure the pieces I own, especially the strappy tops. They really, really fit. OMG.
This site has a lot of related resources for large-cupped ladies, with honest reviews. And Bravissimo has a fitting guide to help you with questions. They will also help you via email or on the phone if you want to get precise about your size, and even recommend a bra style or brand that might work best for you.
I hope this was helpful! And I hope someday the American bra industry figures out that women would like to wear bras that actually fit, not bras that are profitable to make in mass quantities. Grrrrr.
*Actually, that's a lie right now, because thanks to 8 months on fertility drugs, I recently had to order some 32F bras from Bravissimo. My band size didn't change much, but my cup size definitely did. Hormonal changes, age, and weight gain or loss can all change your bra size. Hopefully this is temporary in my case.
As far as I can tell, very few American places will properly fit you for a bra. There's some weird math they do to make everyone's size magically fit within the rigid confines of what's profitable for the American bra manufacturers to produce. So if you're, say, a 29E, they'll tell you you're a 34C. And if you're a 36G? They'll tell you you're a 40DD. According to one calculator I just used online, I am a 34H. Um....NO. This bullshit math means women are walking around with band sizes that don't support their breasts (leading to sagging and discomfort and constant "hitching" of the bra) and cup sizes that don't contain the overflow (leading to the dreaded multiboob).
I was originally fitted in an old lady specialty undergarment store at age 13 or 14 because my boobs very plainly did not fall within any standard size range for a young lady, and for 2-3 years wore 32EEE bras. At the time, those were hideous white nylon affairs with 3" wide straps that always broke anyway, forcing me to suffer repeated puncture wounds from when the safety pins I shored them up with inevitably also gave up the fight. After my breast reduction, I was told I had been made into a "34C" and for years, that's what I wore. Until it became obvious that a 34D....no, a 34DD...No........anyway, I kept going up in cup size and still, the things never fit. Because I didn't realize there was an alternative, I put up with the awful fit and felt like a freak.
Then I went to London and chanced upon Bravissimo. I went in for a fitting, not knowing what to expect. I walked out with 2 bras. One was a 30F, the other was a 32E. Both fit like no bra had ever fit before. I also walked out with a completely different understanding of how a bra works, and how one should fit. Friends, your band is supposed to do most of the support work - not your straps. A bra should be almost uncomfortably tight around the band when you first buy it because IT WILL STRETCH. If it feels completely loose and you can get it all the way to the last hooks - it's way, way too big. And no part of your boob should be poking out under, over, or out the sides of the cup. That's a clear sign that you need a bigger cup size.
So if you can't make it to the UK to get fitted by a Bravissimo shop, and you don't have an old lady undergarment store near you, I'd recommend measuring your band size at a snug but not excruciating tension, and don't add any inches to that number. Just write it down, rounded up to the nearest even number. If it's a 29, write down 30. If it's a 38, write down 38. Then, measure around your torso right at nipple level. Again, the tape should be snug but not tight. Use the chart here (p.s. DDD and DDDD can both be read as E, duh) to determine your cup size based on the difference between the two measurements. Now, you have a basic idea of your true bra size. However, different brands and even different styles within a brand vary a lot in size. You can usually go up one band size/down one cup size and get good results. I am very comfortable in a 30F with the Gossard Superboost Plunge, but I need a 32E in the Freya Retro Plunge.*
Here is a helpful guide to assess whether your bras are correctly sized. Figleaves and Bare Necessities both carry a number of the same styles and brands as Bravissimo, often for less $$ due to the exchange rate - and they're both on Amazon. If you find a bra you love at Bravissimo, check these other 2 shops to see if you can get it for less. Bravissimo, however, has CLOTHES made for big-boobed women. Jackets! Button-down shirts! Jersey tops! Wrap dresses! BIKINIS! And strappy tops! None of which pucker, sag, obscure your waistline, or fit you all kinds of wrong. The clothes are expensive, but I treasure the pieces I own, especially the strappy tops. They really, really fit. OMG.
This site has a lot of related resources for large-cupped ladies, with honest reviews. And Bravissimo has a fitting guide to help you with questions. They will also help you via email or on the phone if you want to get precise about your size, and even recommend a bra style or brand that might work best for you.
I hope this was helpful! And I hope someday the American bra industry figures out that women would like to wear bras that actually fit, not bras that are profitable to make in mass quantities. Grrrrr.
*Actually, that's a lie right now, because thanks to 8 months on fertility drugs, I recently had to order some 32F bras from Bravissimo. My band size didn't change much, but my cup size definitely did. Hormonal changes, age, and weight gain or loss can all change your bra size. Hopefully this is temporary in my case.