How to Measure a Bust Line for a Bra
A bra that fits perfectly is an essential part of every woman's wardrobe. A properly-fitted bra promotes better posture and provides comfortable breast support, as well as a smooth, fashionable look under clothing. An ill-fitted bra can cause backache, headache and unsightly lines and bulges under clothing. To fit a bra correctly, you must first find your cup and bra size. This is done by using the size of the chest and bust line to determine cup size and strap length. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Wrap a cloth measuring tape around your chest, just underneath your breasts, to calculate your chest measurement.
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2
Write down the chest measurement, then add five inches to that number to determine your chest size. If you add five inches and the resulting number is odd, then round the number to the next even number. See Tip 1.
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3
Ask a female assistant to wrap a cloth measuring tape underneath your arms, behind your back and over your breasts at their fullest point, while your arms remain at your sides, to calculate your bust line measurement.
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4
Write down the bust line measurement, which will be larger than your chest size.
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5
Subtract your chest size from your bust line measurement to determine your cup size. The difference in the two measurements determines the size of the cup. See Tip 2 for cup size chart.
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Combine your chest size and your cup size to determine your bra size. See Tip 3.
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Tips & Warnings
1. If your chest measurement is a 25 and you add five inches, your chest size is 30 inches. If your chest measurement is a 26 and you add five inches, your chest size is 31 inches, which is an odd number. When you have an odd number for chest size, you must round up to the nearest even number so your chest size would be 32 inches.
2. If the difference between your chest size and bustline measurement is ½ inch, your cup size is AA, a difference of 1 inch is an A cup, 2 inches is B, 3 inches is C and 4 inches is D.
3. If your chest size is 32 and your cup size is B, then your bra size is 32B.
4. Many stores employ women who are trained to measure for proper bra sizes. Call your local department store or lingerie boutique to make an appointment.
