Breast Shape Affects Bra Size

Traditional Bra Measuring May Not Tell Your Correct Cup Size!

Why does breast shape affect your cup size?

Let me tell you a little story about a special lingerie boutique called Rigby & Peller which holds a Royal Warrant by the Queen of England (June Kenton is the Royal Corsetiere there).


Curious about what I would find behind Rigby & Peller's wall to wall wooden drawers housing luxurious lingerie, I asked what they had for someone who wears a 36A. "Love, you could never be a 36A."

"I was recently measured. I am a 36A," I said, knowing that I had been measured by a sales person at that pink lingerie store taking over the planet one mall at a time.

"I'm certain your frame is much smaller than a 36. Have you been fitted here before?"

"No."

"Would you like to be?"

Smaller than a 36... If Queen Elizabeth trusts them with her jewels, then there must be something to it. "Yes. I'd love to."

Instead of tape measuring, Tanya, my personal fitter at the Knightsbridge shop, looked at me bare breasted and announced that I was a 32C. Which of course, made me giddy with laughter. You see, there is no way I could be a 32 "C" because my breasts are, quite frankly, too small. A "C" cup belongs to a woman with large breasts.

How could a woman with small breasts wear a "C" cup?

Tanya explained to me that, like many women, the shape of my breasts are wider. It's common for many small breasted women to go up a cup size or two to get the correct fit. Through time, our breasts change due to weight loss, pregnancy, the birth control pill, age, sports and other factors. All of this affects our cup size.

I had to stay and find out if Tanya was right about me. She proceeded to bring me in the most beautiful, girlie bras that I've ever seen in 32C. Guess what? They fit!

All I could do was hug her.

Not only did Tanya make me feel completely comfortable in my new gorgeous, cleavage enhancing bras, but also she gave me the best lingerie experience ever! After all, who goes into a store thinking they're a 36A and walks out a 32C?

How could I have such discrepancies in my measurements?

1. The sales person at the "nameless" pink lingerie establishment measured me in clothes--which could have made my band size larger
2. I'd lost five pounds between fittings--which will make the band size smaller. For this reason, Rigby & Peller recommends getting fitted (or measured) every six months
3. Tanya, the fitter at Rigby & Peller, took into account my breast shape (which called for a wider cup size, even if my breasts don't look like a typical full "C")

What does all of this mean?

I consider myself small breasted. To look at me, you'd think that I could never in a million years fill out a "C" cup. But what I learned at Rigby & Peller is that the shape of a woman's breast is just as important and the band size.

Rigby & Peller has established that of the women who go into its store "...approximately 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. The most common mistake is wearing a bra too large in the back (band size) and too small in the cup which causes all sorts of unsightly problems."

What will wearing a band size that is too big and a cup size that is too small do?

1. The band will ride up the back. Look at yourself in the mirror sideways. Instead of your breasts being level with your band, your breasts are lower than the band in back. Your band size is too big. The band should fit snug, but not cut into your skin, producing back cleavage
2. The cups will gap at times, giving the impression that you aren't filling out your cup. This is not true, the cup size is too small
3. You will see material crease on the sides of your bra, signaling that the band is too big
4. You may feel the need to adjust or pull down your bra in front or back as it rides up

If this is happening to you, do the following:

1. Figure out your band size. Get a tape measure. Measure it snugly around your back and under your chest. If the number is even, add 4 to get your band size. If the number is odd, add 5 to get your band size. For example: If you wrote down 32, add 4 and your band size will be 36. Voila!
2. Go shopping. At a store, try on bras in your band size with cups 1-2 sizes larger than your original cup size. For example, if you normally wear an "A" cup, try on "B" and "C" cups. More than likely, you'll find that due to your breast shape a larger cup size will flatter your breasts and enhance your cleavage

* Keep in mind, when shopping, try on several brands. Each brand will cut bras a little differently. You'll find there are a couple brands that work best with your breast shape.

It's highly recommended that if you've measured your bra size (cup and band) with a tape measure and you're are still having trouble, try getting fitted the old fashioned way like Queen Elizabeth. Get personally fitted at Rigby & Peller in London. If you can't go there, then you can get the royal results by doing it yourself. Either way, you'll feel good about yourself and look confident no matter what the tape measure says about your cup size!