Finding a bra with a great fit can be difficult, especially if you are right between standard cup sizes. It gets harder when shopping online or without a proper fitting session, but luckily there are ways around that. If you want to know what to order, you just need to know how to measure your size correctly.
Measuring Your Band Size
Band size measurements can be the most difficult to get right, because where you measure matters. For the best fit, you need to measure below the breast tissue, slightly below the bottom of the band or right at it, depending on the bra style you are most accustomed to wearing. If you are shopping at a site with an online bra fitting tool, it can talk you through the process with diagrams. Otherwise, the key is to measure so the tape is just touching the bottom of your go-to bra from your current collection.
One mistake that many women make when measuring band size is rounding the number. There are many manufacturers who offer half-inch increments for band size, and a few custom options that go for an even more detailed fit. Even if you wind up buying a size that’s a half to a quarter inch off because you don’t find those options, your notes from your measurements should be as specific as possible. That way, you know what the actual right size will be when you do find those manufacturers.
Measuring Your Cup Size
Measuring your cup size is done by measuring the circumference of your chest at the point where your breasts are most full. Since there are a variety of different bust shapes out there, the exact best point to measure will be a little different from one person to the next, but finding the maximum circumference spot should be easy once you look. Measure so that the tape falls evenly across that point because you want the measurement exactly at it, not with the top or bottom edge of the tape at it.
Make detailed notes just like you did for the band size, because some manufacturers also offer half-cup increments. Once you have both numbers, you want to subtract the first measurement from the second one. That gives you your over-bust measurement, which is used to calculate the cup size. For every inch above the band measurement, go up one cup. That means an A cup has a difference of one inch, a B has a difference of two, and so on. The more detailed the measurement, the easier it is for you to find the perfect bra.
Browse For Your Best Fit Today
The final step in how to measure bra size accurately is to identify your breast shape and the bra styles that suit it best, because a shape that does not flatter you will also put pressure on places that are not quite comfortable. Even if you have the right measurements, body shape goes a long way toward a comfortable fit and a great look. Now that you understand how to approach it, you should spend some time hunting down your top options.
