How to measure your bra

About bra sizing

We've all heard the statistics: 75% or 80% of all women are wearing the wrong bra size. Is it true? We sincerely hope not. The truth is that our bodies change all the time (even just within a year or two), as we gain or lose weight, as we gain or lose muscle tone with exercise, with pregnancy or nursing, and simply as we age. So even if you were wearing the right size just last year, you may need a change now. We're here to help.

Should you measure?

We're not big fans of measuring. Why? It's an art…not a science. The fact is that it's difficult to measure your bra size, especially if you're wearing a bra that doesn't fit well. It seems like a catch 22, and it is. That's why we advise that you check your fit with our troubleshooting guide first - it's the best starting point. Click here to Check your Fit.

Call for a fit consultation

We can help you troubleshoot your fit. Put on your best fitting bra, and give us a call 8112064250. We'll talk you through how to check your fit, and help you determine next steps. Often, it's a matter of adjusting your cup size or your band size- not necessarily both. Many women are wearing too loose a band size, or two small a cup size - we can help you figure that out.

Bra fitting is an art, not a science

Bra fitting takes many years to perfect. We've been fitting bras for over 5years. So we understand the intricacies of doing it well. Women's bodies are all different, that's why a cookie-cutter measuring system isn't going to deliver the best results for you. If you need a starting point, it does help to measure your band size - we'll show you the basics below.

If you need to measure

Sometimes you really just need a starting point. When that's the case- you can start here. But remember, it's typically more accurate to use our bra fit checklist and troubleshooting Q&A if you already have a bra. If you need to start from scratch, here are the basics on bra size measuring. Remember - you can always call us and we'll gladly walk you through it.

Measuring band size

There are two ways to measure your band size. The best bet is to do it both ways to see if you get a consistent measurement.

 

Bring the measuring tape around your back to the front, keeping it under the arms and bringing it up across to the middle of your chest (see image). If you get an odd number, round up to the next even number to get your band size.Measure across the bottom of your band, directly under the bust and across your ribcage. Make sure to keep your measuring tape straight around the back to front. Again, if you get an odd number, round up to the next even number to get your band size.

Measuring cup size

This is where it gets tricky - if you already have a bra and can talk us through how it's fitting, we might be better off stopping here- we can help you troubleshoot your fit. You can also Check Your Fit and see our Bra Fit Q&A for help assessing your fit. The first step (above) will tell us if you might be in the wrong band size. This one becomes much more subjective. Here's how to do it:

 

Measure loosely around the fullest part of your bust, with the tape straight across and around your back, bringing it to the front.Subtract your band measurement (from step 1) from this bust measurement. The difference calculates your bra size - each inch represents a cup size. For example, if you measure a 34 inch band size, and a 36 inch cup size, the difference is 2: which would indicate a B cup.

About bra sizing: Size conversions

Many of our beautiful bras are from designers in the UK and Europe. If you wear a cup size DD or above, you should check your bra's style description carefully to see whether it's a UK or European size (we'll tell you that right by the size chart on the product detail page). If the style comes in European or UK sizing, you will want to find your equivalent in the chart below, and select that size on the product page.

BAND
MINUS BUST DIFFERENCEUS CUP SIZESEUROPEANUKless than 1"AAAAAA1"AAA2"BBB3"CCC4"DDD5"DD/EEDD6"DDD/FFE7"DDDD/GGF8"DDDDD/HHFF9"DDDDDD/IIG10"JJGG11"K H12"L HH13"M J14"N JJ   K

Remember, the best way to check your fit is to troubleshoot the bra you're wearing. Here are several great ways to check your fit at Bare Necessities: