I have been looking into different bra measuring calculators and found that the results are bad no matter which one is used. I have been told by one that I am a 36C and by another that I am a 32F. I am confident that I am neither.
Both the plus 4/5 inch method and the new method of using your underbust measurement as your bra size are wrong. The plus 4 method is wrong because it gives you a band size that is too big. The new method as per Linda's bra size calculator is wrong because it gives you a cup size that is too big by ignoring the fact that the old plus 4 method included an extra 4 inches in the cup.
I will use my measurements to demonstrate:
Old method:
I am 31 underbust and 39 around the bust
31+5= 36 band size
Bust is 3 inches bigger than band size= C cup
But this bra is far too big in the back and rides up. The cups do fit though.
Conclusion: I need to go down a back size
Linda's bra calculator and the braband project
I am 31 underbust and 39 around the bust
31 means I can wear either 32 or 30 size bras. I will go for 32
There is now a 7 inch difference between the band and bust.
According to this, my cup size will be F because
1 inch=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=DD, 6=E, 7=F
But this bra would never fit me because my breasts are simply not big enough to be an F cup. I can go braless if I want, they don't get in the way when I run, they are fairly perky. They look like mid size boobs, nobody would really call them large. They are clearly not an F.
So, where is the braband wrong then? Because they ignore the fact that the old method takes into account 4 extra inches when calculating the cup.
And how can I work out what bra I need to wear that actually fits?
My method:
My size according to the traditional method is 36C. The band is too big.
I need to go down in the back to a 32. I also need to go up in the cup (but nowhere near as much as the braband project says I do). I only need to go up a cup size for each back size I go down.
So: Originally a 36C, I go down two back sizes and up 2 cup sizes. Result: 32DD. And what do you know? It fits perfectly.
This is based on UK sizes by the way so I am not sure how it would work in the US. I worked this out after becoming stressed out with both versions of measurements.
Both the plus 4/5 inch method and the new method of using your underbust measurement as your bra size are wrong. The plus 4 method is wrong because it gives you a band size that is too big. The new method as per Linda's bra size calculator is wrong because it gives you a cup size that is too big by ignoring the fact that the old plus 4 method included an extra 4 inches in the cup.
I will use my measurements to demonstrate:
Old method:
I am 31 underbust and 39 around the bust
31+5= 36 band size
Bust is 3 inches bigger than band size= C cup
But this bra is far too big in the back and rides up. The cups do fit though.
Conclusion: I need to go down a back size
Linda's bra calculator and the braband project
I am 31 underbust and 39 around the bust
31 means I can wear either 32 or 30 size bras. I will go for 32
There is now a 7 inch difference between the band and bust.
According to this, my cup size will be F because
1 inch=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=DD, 6=E, 7=F
But this bra would never fit me because my breasts are simply not big enough to be an F cup. I can go braless if I want, they don't get in the way when I run, they are fairly perky. They look like mid size boobs, nobody would really call them large. They are clearly not an F.
So, where is the braband wrong then? Because they ignore the fact that the old method takes into account 4 extra inches when calculating the cup.
And how can I work out what bra I need to wear that actually fits?
My method:
My size according to the traditional method is 36C. The band is too big.
I need to go down in the back to a 32. I also need to go up in the cup (but nowhere near as much as the braband project says I do). I only need to go up a cup size for each back size I go down.
So: Originally a 36C, I go down two back sizes and up 2 cup sizes. Result: 32DD. And what do you know? It fits perfectly.
This is based on UK sizes by the way so I am not sure how it would work in the US. I worked this out after becoming stressed out with both versions of measurements.