The Art of Measuring
How To Measure for a Bra
Measuring for a bra is not always easy. It is helpful to keep in mind that the measuring process gives you a starting point, a springboard to explore from. It might take 2 or more tries before you find your perfect fit, even more so when comparing between brands and styles.
Our bands and cups are true to size. We try to make them fit their intended sizes properly without being too tight, nor too loose.
1) Measure your band size
Measure the underbust snugly without the tape cutting in. Ensure the tape is horizontal around the body. This is your band measurement. Do not add anything to the measure.
If your body is soft and you have a lot of compressibility in the measuring tape you may wish to round down to the next band. For example, if you measure 47” you might choose a 46” band.
If your body is firm and you do not have a lot of compressibility in the measuring tape, you might like to round up to the next band size. For example, you measure 29, you could select the 30” band.
That being said, if you simply like your band to be “tight”, choose the next size down.
If you prefer your band to be on the looser side, choose the next band size up. If you like it, it’s right for you.
2) Measure your cup size
Measuring the overbreast can be a little tricky. See detailed instructions here. If you have pendulous and/or soft breasts you can pull the measuring tape in a little snugger. If you have very firm breasts or implants, don’t cut into the breast tissue with the measuring tape. The tape should not in any way be loose on the body. In order to be as accurate as possible, it is best not to measure over a bra, especially a padded one or one that is too small.
If you wear a bra when measuring, try wearing a thin, unpadded bra to get the most accurate result. Avoid measuring the bra; the goal is to only measure breast tissue.
If your breasts are soft and you have a lot of compressibility in the measuring tape, round down to the nearest half inch increment. For example, if you measure 12 ¼” you should select 12” OB.
If your breasts are firm and you do not have a lot of compressibility in the measuring tape, you should round up to the next half inch increment. For example, if you measure 12 3/4”, you should select 13” OB.
It is very common to have two different sized breasts, but it is usually best to choose the larger breast as your overbreast measure (OB) because you can pad up the smaller side but can’t take away from the larger side.
Follow the instructions above depending on how soft your breasts are and then select the larger of those two sizes.
To make a bra for two different breast sizes enters the realm of custom bra-making. We wouldn’t be able to take returns for custom bras as the product would likely be not re-sellable.