Help! How Do I Measure My Bra Size?

Whether you are bra shopping out of necessity or just to splurge on something pretty for yourself, you should know your true bra size. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but the truth is, most women are wearing the wrong bra size. 

Most women have never been measured—they simply take their best guess when it comes to choosing the right fit. Improper fit can lead to wearing uncomfortable bras that dig in, ride up, or don’t give you the coverage or support you need, not to mention the time and money wasted. 

If you’ve never been measured, a professional bra fitting is a good idea. The sales associate working with you can offer suggestions for styles and fit that would work well for you. Keep in mind, most stores have limited inventory and may not be able to accommodate a hard-to-fit body type. 

But don’t guess. Be better prepared the next time you go bra shopping. Learn to measure yourself, so you buy the perfect bra for your body.

How do I calculate my bra size?

We’ll show you how easy it is to calculate your bra size.  Find your band size first. (We don’t recommend wearing a bra with a lot of padding when you measure. A style with unlined or lightly lined cups works best). 

To measure your band size, wrap a tape measure around your chest below your arms and above your bust. Keep it parallel to the floor. The tape measure should rest comfortably against you; don’t wrap it too tightly, or you’ll get an incorrect number. Round down to the nearest even number, and write down the number where the two ends of the tape measure meet.

Next, measure your bust size. Wrap the tape measure around your chest at the fullest part of your bust (and again—don’t wrap it too tightly), keeping it parallel to the floor. Write down that number. 

How can I figure out my bra size without a measuring tape?

It’s great to be prepared for everything, but we get that sometimes you just don’t have a tape measure on hand. No worries—you don’t necessarily need one to measure your bra size. 

You can use a belt or a piece of string to take your measurements. Wrap the cord around your chest just as you would the tape measure, then mark the spot where they meet with a pen. Then, hold a ruler against the belt or rope to read the dimensions.

How do cup sizes work?

Now that you know your band and bust sizes, you can calculate your cup size. Next to the band, the cups are an essential part of the bra. Most women base a new bra’s comfort level on how well the cups fit.

If there’s too much room in the cups, the fabric is gaping by the underarms, or it’s fastened on the tightest hook, the bra is too big; if you’re spilling out of the cups, it’s too small.

If you’ve ever shopped for a bra or referred to a bra size calculator to determine your correct size, you’ve seen that they come in sizes consisting of a letter and number—for instance, 36B, 38B, and so on. 

But what do those letters and numbers mean? The number is your band size; the letter, your cup size. One of the easiest ways to calculate your accurate cup size is to subtract the band size from your bust size. 

The difference in inches equals the cup size—for instance, one inch is an “A” cup, two inches is “B,” and so on. Keep in mind; bra sizes can vary from one company to another, so always refer to the company’s bra size chart before making a purchase.

Besides measuring, how can I figure out my cup size?

Here are a few simple ways: 

1. Bra size calculator. 
2. Visual test. Put on your favorite bra and look in the mirror. Is any breast tissue spilling over the top or poking out from under the cups?  Do you notice any underarm bulge? If not, you are wearing the right kind of bra. 

Sports bras and regular bras are sized the same. When shopping for a sports bra, once you know your correct size, you just have to find bras that can hold up to your workout, whether it’s low-, medium-, or high-intensity.

 

As a final test of wearing the correct size bra, try on some of your tops and see how the bra looks and feels under them. Ask yourself:

• “Is everything staying in place?”
• “Are the straps too tight? Too loose?”
• “Is it riding up in the back?”
• “Do I notice any bumps or gaps?”
• “Does the bra give me a smooth line under this top?”

Your bra should make you look good but feel even better. We cannot stress the importance of proper fit enough. But it’s especially essential for women who wear a hard-to-find size.  Understand your body and how a bra should look and fit on it, so you know exactly what to look for while shopping.