Breast sizes

[taleya]

now that I have your attention...

How do americans work out breast sizes? I mean seriously? Like someone being 36D - if the 36 is inches, and underbust, then Angelina Jolie is a hell of a lot bigger than I thought - I'm only freaking 27DD (and no, I'm not a waif)

so is it overbust? Underbust? eh?

And what about the UK?

Australian method is here At 70cm and 100cm, I work out to a 10E (which doesn't exist. I know. I've looked.)


*sticks to Australian convetions...they make sense*

EDIT fixed up the size, I'd misconverted it.

DOUBLE EDIT BIGGER THAN A G CUP? YOU AMERICANS ARE FUCKING CRAZY

Comments

[the-10thdoctor.livejournal.com]

Badly, I'd say. There's two measurements - the underbust is the band size(the number) and then there's a measurement taken across the biggest part of the breast to get the cup size.

Despite that, I have a terrible time finding a good fit.

[miriam-heddy.livejournal.com]

Here's a site for US measuring:
http://www.blooberry.com/bformfaq/measure.html

It's essentially the number as an inch measurement, under the bust. And then you measure across the breasts at the fullest part of them, without pressing in. The first measurement is the number, and the cup size is determined by the difference in the two numbers.

If that makes sense.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

Ok. I'm pretty damned sure I'm not working this out right.

27inch torso
40 over breasts (across fullest without pressing in)

Larger than G cup? wtf? they fit in DDs! (Actually, fit in from D to E depending on the time of month)

[miriam-heddy.livejournal.com]

Well, I dunno what to tell you. For point of reference, in US sizing, I tend to wear a size 18 top. At places like Old Navy, I tend to buy knit tops in size XL.

And I'm a 40 C.

One of the things you hear about a lot (and I tend to agree with this) is that most women are wearing the wrong size bra. Lots of larger breasted women buy bras that are too small for them in terms of cup size and/or band size, and they end up with spillage, and with their shirts looking ill-fitting.

If you've ever watched that UK show "What Not to Wear," one of the first things they usually do for women is get them a good bra, and it's always miraculous how much better the women look--like they have better posture, and like their more proportionate.

I mean, I've seen women on that show who start out with what look like four breasts, because they're wearing bras that are sized too small, and that cause spillage out the front, back, and sides.

I think it might be a phenomena like men and their trousers. Lots of guys never buy up when they put on weight as they age, and so they end up with their pants hanging too low, and look ridiculous.

And with women, they tend to settle on a bra size that worked when they first started buying them, and then sort of ignore most bodily changes (weight change, weight redistribution, childbirth, ageing) that might cause a bra-size change.

I mean, when I was 18, I wore a 36 nearly B. After having 2 kids, I'm a 40C.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

That's why I like the AU ones...I don't actually have spillage, they're comfy, the minimise bouncing and only one bra is a little ill-fitting and that's chiefly on purpose because I have to pretty much hog-tie the twins when I want any exercise.

How can a woman wear a bra that ill-fits to the levels you were describing? do they not try them on and check that they fit and they're comfy before actually buying them??

[miriam-heddy.livejournal.com]

How can a woman wear a bra that ill-fits to the levels you were describing? do they not try them on and check that they fit and they're comfy before actually buying them??

Denial. And also, I think that it becomes routine for women to buy the same size every time, without thinking about it, and without trying it on, especially if they also tend to buy the same brand.

And after years of this, some changes in their body aren't reflected in the bra they buy.

I mean, I've seen *lots* of women on the street everyday who are quite clearly wearing the wrong size.

Now part of that may well be that, in American stores outside of plus-size clothing stores, it's rare to find band sizes over 38 on the rack, and if you do, it's a 40D. And bras at large sized stores cost much more than bras at, say, a discount store, and a woman of limited funds and a large chest is much less likely to have a good bra.

Meanwhile, if you go to a plus sized store (like LaneBryant, for instance), they rarely have an C cup bras, and if they do, they have so much fabric that it's quite ridiculous looking on a woman with a C cup, so I've found it somewhat difficult to find a 40 C, and if I see one on the rack, I buy several at once.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

ugh. THankfully that's not so much of a problem down here - I mean, I have trouble finding a correct fit, but then again I'm like bullshit tomb raider proportions - its' just not common.

A couple of friends of mine from the US have remarked that Australian women tend to have bigger breasts than they're used to seeing. Could be cultural clothing (it's freaking hot, we wear less) or the large amount of Greek stock. Or anything from healthier weights than they're used to seeing, or a million other factors.

But it definitely makes it easier to buy decent sized bras ^_^

Have your kids ever worn your bras as a yamulke? Cj used to do that all the time, but they were more like pith helmets. *little bastard*

[miriam-heddy.livejournal.com]

My own bras tend to be unpadded, sometimes with underwires, and not having much of a shape when I'm not wearing them. So they don't really make very good hats. My daughter, however, does like to put it around herself like a scarf. *g*

[fire-wuff.livejournal.com]

" The usual bra measuring system may not work:
Some people have written to me suggesting that the previous measurement scheme does not work at ALL for them. Why? The previous measurement guide is an approximation. Each person is unique, and all busts differ in volume, shape and spacing, just as each person's unique body size, height, and weight can affect a bra's fit; a tape measure and simple formula may not always tell the whole story. Plus, even if the measurements ARE accurate, there are no real "standards" for bra sizing, so differences between manufacturers is common. "

The system is an approximate and a bad one at that, shape as much as volume will affect the cup size not mentioning that cups sizes are not standard anywhere just approximatly the same. Not uncommon to fine 1/2 a cup size in two different runs of the same bra, less so since cutting is often done with computers to minimise waste.

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

The UK convention is thus:

1) Measure under your bust. If the result is even, add four, and if it's odd, add five.
2) Measure round the fullest part of the bust.
3) Check the difference in the numbers. If the fullest part is the same as the underbust +4/5, you're an A cup. If the fullest part is 1" more, you're a B, 2" more is a C, and so on.

Confuses the hell out of me. It's why when I first measured myself I came out as a 46AA when I came out a 38D when professionally measured. :/

[taleya.livejournal.com]

ok, so that way it works out nine inches difference..what does that come to?

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure! I really don't understand ANY country's way of measuring the bust *gibbers*

[taleya.livejournal.com]

go the aussie one. At least you can get something that FITS. (well, for a given value, apparently my dimensions don't exist, but I can cheat with a 12D)

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

Not sure of the Aussie measuring conventions. Anywhere I can find out? :)

[taleya.livejournal.com]

edited the post to include them. have a gander :)

(generally you can go down a cup and up a size if you're borderline..but always try for fit first)

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

That'd put me at a 26B, I think, which also doesn't exist *sigh* I really am a fat bastard ;) But losing all the time. :)

[kataclysmic.livejournal.com]

How the hell does that work? Because I am really not a 40B.

*boggles*

[taleya.livejournal.com]

Sure you are. You're lancastrian. it's the sheep in you.

*ducks*

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

Yep, I know. Really stupid system. Doesn't take into account where on your ribcage your bust actually begins, as I don't think *any* measuring system does. For instance, I can't fill any cup size, really, but my boobs actually start really far apart, which is what pushes me up to the D size.

You can tell a man invented the measuring system...

[k0s-m0s.livejournal.com]

Ashley's band size went down from 44-46 to 42, as she's lost a lot of weight, but her cup size jumped from DDD to H. I think she was bigger than DDD all along anyway. All those bras did was squish her up some massive cleavage (No complaints from me). Just be glad YOU don't have to lug around a 42H bustline all day.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

actually in US I work out to something like 27I or sommat :P

So yea, I do lug around a giant bustline. All day. Every day. Every. Freaking. Day. of. every.freaking.year. for over ten years.

[vash3g.livejournal.com]

i dont fuckin care what size you are, as long as theyre pretty thats all that counts. ive seen your jubblies in a bra, and i wanna hold/carress them cause they do look pretty.

Keep posting girls :P

[kintarooooo.livejournal.com]

I only noticed now taleya added me to her friends, so now with the common friend bit, I will now revel in the hilarity of this thread :p

Re: Keep posting girls :P

[taleya.livejournal.com]

yeah, no prizes for guessing who Vash3g is :P

[ryttu3k.livejournal.com]

Bra sizes are bloody weird. That's how I somehow fit perfectly into a 16E and an 18DD...

...Of the same brand.

*is confused*