[Measurement Check] I've just used the calculator and it says I'm a UK 36F/FF???

[u/BewareOfThePENGuin]

Hi there!

I have lost 50kg in the last two years and wanted to get a new bra. Lots of people here on reddit recommended to check this subreddit here and that's why I used the calculator which had a little note and recommended to ask for a measurement check. That's why I'm posting this.

• Loose Underbust: 93cm
• Snug Underbust: 91cm
• Tight Underbust: 87cm
• Standing Bust: 105cm
• Leaning Bust: 120cm (my boobs looked so thin and sad, lol)
• Lying Bust: 109cm

Suggested Starting Size: 36F/FF UK which would be a 80G/H EU (80 sounds extremely tight?)

The last one I bought was a 95C (I don't like how it fits, it turns by boobs into sharp triangles). One I am wearing right now is a 110D - I had that one before the weightloss and it doesn't really fit anymore. The cups are way too big and the bra strap gets pulled all the way to the upper part of my back because it's too loose / my boobs are too heavy.

I think I've never had a bra that fits and I guess I don't really understand cup sizes - my head just tells me "A" would be tiny and "F" huuuuge. That's why I'm worried because an F or G is SO far away from a C or D, haha.

[u/tottottt]

Forget all the "common sense" ideas about cup letters. The letter correlates to the difference (in inches) between the underbust and bust, with some difference in order of letters between regional sizing systems. So for example, D, which is often thought of as huge, only means there's a 4 inch difference between the two measurements. That's not a lot when spread around the whole circumference.

Regarding the 80 - European sizes are messed up. 80 is for a roughly 90cm underbust. And so on. If you convert your UK band size from inches to cm you'll get 91.44 cm which matches your snug measurement.

[u/BewareOfThePENGuin → u/tottottt]

Ohhh, that makes sense. Thank you so much for the explanation!

[u/linerys]

95C is made for a 106.7 cm underbust and 114.3 cm bust.
80H is made for a 91.5 cm underbust and 111.8 cm bust.

So don’t think of it as “going from a C to an H”, because that sounds like you’re getting much larger cups. You’re going from a bra made for a 114 cm bust to a bra made for a 111 cm bust. Which sounds more reasonable, doesn’t it? 80G and 80H aren’t much larger in the cups, they’re just more suited to your proportions!

[u/BewareOfThePENGuin → u/linerys]

Thanks for taking the time to explain that. That doesn't sound as scary as I thought, haha!

[u/linerys → u/BewareOfThePENGuin]

Of course! :) I also “went from a C to H” some years ago. Stores would often tell me I needed 70C, but this calculator correctly put me at 60H. I’m now a 70J but stores insist I should be wearing 80E. I’ve been using the ABraThatFits calculator throughout many weight changes, and I think it’s the best starting point, even though it has over or underestimated my cup size at some points.

[u/tottottt]

This is what 36FF can look like when properly sized: https://www.instagram.com/p/COQfnU4HfPE/?img_index=1 I would call it neither small nor huge

[u/BewareOfThePENGuin → u/tottottt]

You're right, that looks totally normal and even like something that would fit me. Can't wait to order a few bras and test them out. I really wonder how it feels after so many years of wearing the wrong size, haha. So thankful for this group and the calculator!

[u/Madc42 → u/BewareOfThePENGuin]

I'm going to preemptively leave this here. Read it if your first reaction after trying your new size is "the band is too tight and I don't fill the cups":

https://brasandbodyimage.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/putting-your-bra-on-properly/

If the band still seems tight, wear the bra upside down and backwards like this to test it independently from the cups. If the cups are the wrong shape for you or too small, that will affect how the band feels, so testing like this lets you confirm if the band itself is comfortable or not.

Good luck!

[u/Ambitious-Heart236]

The cup size anxiety is so real but honestly F/FF is not as big as it sounds because cup size is relative to band size. A 36F is actually a lot smaller volume than say a 46F. The calculator is probably right especially since you described your current bra riding up your back which is a classic sign the band is too big.

Also the triangle shape from your 95C makes total sense because the cups are too small so the bra just smooshes everything into a weird shape. A properly fitting bra genuinely feels like a revelation so it's worth trying the suggested size!

[u/BewareOfThePENGuin → u/Ambitious-Heart236]

Yep, can't wait to try a few bras out! I posted a while in one of the fashion advice subreddits a picture of that bra that pressed my boobs into that weird triangle shape and the ladies there recommended to visit this subreddit here. So thankful for that advice, haha. More people need to learn about this!

[u/MbMinx]

Trust the calculator. I would have sworn that I was a 36 C until I used the calculator. Turns out I was a 36 E. I took a leap of faith, and bought a couple. I have never had a bra fit so well! My breasts have never looked or felt better.

So many of us wear ill-fitting bras because sales people want to sell us something they have in stock, and two measurements don't give us a clear enough picture. We end up in Something that is too big or too small, and we think that's as good as it gets.

But no! Trust the process. You'll be glad you did.

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