bra rant

[dragonlady7]

As many as 8 in 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra, all these sites say.
Why do you think that is?
Maybe because the bra sizes are meaningless?

I buy from UK manufacturers because I can understand their fit directions. Measure your body where the bra band is going to go. How big is it? That is your band size. Measure the fullest part of your bust. How big is it? Look on this chart! That is your cup size.
Even that is a bit tricky, as the measurements don't take certain aspects of your shape into account.
And then the numbering system breaks down. DD is stupid-- sometimes there's a DDD, seldom there's a DDDD, occasionally there's an E or an EE, and occasionally, very occasionally, they'll double the F too, but once in a while they just go on straight to G.
Why not just have one letter be one size? That's so stupid. And at that size, it's starting to really matter.

Then I found this page yesterday. A US company! That has large-cup bras in attractive designs! And has a how-to-fit page! Wheee!
This one tells me to do something I have never ever ever done before: measure a part of my body where the bra does not go. It wants me to put a measuring tape under my arms, over my shoulder blades, and over the top part of my chest.
A bra does not go there.

It makes more sense, however, than the US manufacturers' charts that say, "Measure where the band of the bra will go, and then add a random number." This chart cracks me up because then it says, "Beware, because European sizes run small!" No they don't, they just measure a different part of the body-- a part of the body where the bra actually goes.

Depending on where I put the measuring tape, I get either 36 or 38 inches. Which is kind of a big difference; if it's 38, then I'm a DDD, which would be a relief because sometimes department stores carry DDDs-- but I know it can't be true, because I've tried on DDDs and bulged out of them to a ridiculous extent. But if it's 36, then I'm an FF, which is ludicrous because I've never seen an FF in any store anywhere. I know Frederick's of Hollywood's largest size is a DDDD which they call an F, and I don't fit that one. So I think I probably am a FF, by this chart, but sweet Jesus, could they make it more confusing?

Ha ha ha ha, I'm looking through their site now and they have both DDDD and F, and then FF. How's a girl to know which size she is, if one of those isn't on the size chart? They're listed separately.

I don't like buying British bras because they're so expensive, but this site is sort of showing me that it sort of doesn't matter. Apparently bras for normal people can be $25 if they want, but large-cup bras are $60 or more no matter what currency I use. Bah.

Head a splode.

I'm going to come up with my own measuring system, and make up a massive list of what bra manufacturers' bras are in Real Sizes. That's going to be my crusade.

Comments

[moralanqua.livejournal.com]

I feel your frustration but redemption came for my boobies in the unlikliest place - Asda. They are owned by your Walmart and have a simple chart thing. I measured around my chest under the tits and then over and voila! I'm a 38DD. Tried this on and it was the best fit i've ever had. Plus it cost £3.00 which is like $6.00.

Which UK shop are you buying from? Maybe I can source you another, cheaper manufacturer?

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

Heh, most "normal" bras stop at D. Then the "full-figured" bras stop at DD. Then there are the "Large Cup" bras. Most of those stop at E.
I'm a FF in British sizes. I remain confused as to what that is in American sizes. Maybe G?

Any bra manufacturers you know of, I'd be glad to hear about.

Boobies

[moralanqua.livejournal.com]

I found the following sites that sell big bras at reasonable prices. I don't know if they sell and ship to USA but you can always ask.

http://simplyyoursuk.drct2u.com/home.jsp

www.naturallyclose.co.uk

http://www.naturalfigures.co.uk/

http://www.figleaves.com/uk/home.asp?cm_re=menu-_-menu_top-_-home

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Ms-Cuddles-N-Curves

http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/PROBABLY-THE-BEST-E-BAY-SHOP_bra-36ff_W0QQftsZ2QQsaselZ105889204QQsatitleZbraQ2036ffQQsofpZ0


Basically, FF is a readily available cup size so you should find it easily. Ebay is especially handy because you can check your exact measurments and get special orders to the States.

Personally I think £11.00 is expensive for a bra but you may need to pay up to that for a perfect fit. You should get a decent one for around $10.00 though.

[kkatowll.livejournal.com]

>>I'm going to come up with my own measuring system, and make up a massive list of what bra manufacturers' bras are in Real Sizes. That's going to be my crusade.<<
OMG, we need to do this not just for bras but all clothing. I would worship you for just having a bra-size list. (I have four bras. All are difference sizes. Granted, they're $20 each and I can try them on in the store, but still...)

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

I should start with bras and expand to fashion. We'll see how ambitious I want to be.

Apparently if you shop for clothing on eBay most sellers, cleverly, will include the garment's actual dimensions. This has been a great help to one friend of mine who wears very short jeans, and has found innumerable great buys.

My problem is that I don't currently own anything that fits properly, be it bras, shirts, or trousers, so I can't measure what I have that I like and go from there-- I don't have anything I like!!!
Argh.

[taoflaherty.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/thirty_twod/6752.html has a list of attempts to show how bra sizes match up to reality, but some parts of it aren't quite right.

I used to think I was a band 42. I'm actually no bigger than a 30. When a sizer first tried to put a 36 on me, I thought they were psycho for using such a tight band. But now I realize that the tighter the band, the better supported I am, so the more comfortable I am. Keep going down in band size until you can't go down anymore, and order online from a place that accepts returns and pays for return shipping, such as figleaves.com

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

I was fortunate enough to go to Britain when I was 18, and after some months, a friend said, 'Honey your bras don't fit you.' This sort of thing is apparently much more acceptable in conversation there than here. In fact the assistant house warden (herself a woman)'s usual party trick was to look at women, tell them their real bra size, and tell them what size they were actually wearing. She was astonishingly often right. I think she ended up a lawyer rather than a bra sizer, more's the pity. She herself was something like a 32C, moderately busty but not outside of average.
It was then I realized I wasn't a 38C, but a 34E.
Since then, of course, I've gained and lost about 100 pounds cumulatively (never very much at once, but it's been 10 years), and I have repeatedly flung myself against the hard wall of intolerance at US stores. Fortunately I had that one good experience, as a young woman, that told me that my boobs were beautiful and not freakish at all, and so I was able to keep firm in the belief that the problem was with the stores, not with me.

It doesn't mean I don't wear 38DDs and bulge out of them, because I have no choice; it just means that at least I know why it's wrong.

Bra shopping on the Internet is a newish phenomenon for me.

[taoflaherty.livejournal.com]

I need to learn how to say "Honey your bras don't fit you" in America.
Large breasts are beautiful, and incorrectly fitting bras just hurt them.
Bra shopping on the internet is a newish phenomenon for me, but I highly recommend it. Even though I don't think I've got a bra in my size yet, what I've gotten from the internet is far better than anything I've ever tried in a physical store.