How to Measure Your Correct Bra Size

Measure your bra fit correctly to increase comfort.

Measure yourself at least every two years to determine the correct bra size for your body. Wearing an improperly fitted bra can cause bulges around your arms, an unflattering roll around bra lines and unattractive, painful indentations. Wearing the correct bra size can help eliminate breast pain, reduce neck, shoulder and back pain related to not having enough support, and reduce skin infections under your breasts.

Things You'll Need

• Soft tape measure

Instructions

1. Measurements are best obtained without a bra on.

2. Wrap the measuring tape around your body, directly below your breasts. This is where the band of the bra rests. Lift your breasts, if necessary, to place the measuring tape under them. Expel all the air from your lungs and take the measurement where the end of the tape meets, rounding any fractions up or down to the nearest whole inch, i.e., round down for anything less than one-half inch and up for anything over one-half inch.

3. Add four inches if the number is even and add five inches if the number is odd. This is your band-size measurement.

4. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your breast. This is typically across the nipples. While taking the measurement, stand straight with your arms hanging down by your side. Do not pull the tape tight or apply any pressure to the breasts. Once again, round any fractions to the nearest inch. This is your cup measurement.

5. Subtract your band-size measurement from your cup measurement. Each inch of difference is equal to one cup size. As an example, one inch would equal a cup size of A and four inches would equal a cup size of D.

6. Pair your band-size measurement and your cup size letter to obtain your accurate bra size. If your band-size measurement was 36, for example, and your cup letter was C, your bra size would be 36C.

Tips & Warnings

• Larger-breasted women who need support and women who have become victims of gravity should wear a bra with the least amount of restriction.

• After cup size D, bra sizes and naming patterns vary by manufacturer. Some manufacturers, for example, will market a "DD"; others will market the same size as an "E." Always try the bra on before purchase to ensure proper fit.

References

• BBC Home: How to Measure Your Bra Size and Buy a Bra that Fits
• Her Room: Measuring & Calculating For the Right Bra Fit
• Tow Texas Belles: The Importance of Proper Bra Fit
• The Breast Chronicles: The Importance of the Right Bra