How to Measure Bra Size

Ever wonder if you’re wearing the right bra size? According to reports, 80% of women don’t get their bra sizes right. It’s because most women think that the band size should be parallel to a woman’s back, when it fact it should ride to a woman’s waistline instead.

To make sure you’re up to date with your bra size, measure around the rib cage and add 5 inches. You can also use a tape measure above the breast tissue to know your exact band size. As for measuring the cup size, take the measurement of the fullest part of the bosom. If it’s similar with the band size, you’re an A, an inch bigger and you’re a B. Continue this format and you’ll be surprised to know that you’ve been wearing the wrong bra size all along.

Though this undergarment cannot be seen as part of your daily wardrobe, trying on bras should be like trying on jeans to make sure you get the right size for you. And since a variety of stores offer professional fittings to customers, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Fittings should also be done twice to ascertain the exact measurements. For excellent results, the bust should be measured not once but twice. First is while standing upright and the second is while bending over at the waists with the breasts hanging down.

If the number between the two measurements is more than 10 cm, take the number halfway between the two measurements to come up with a starting point for calculating the cup size. It’s also necessary to take your new measurement if such circumstances as weight loss, weight gain, pregnancy and nursing come into play.

Bra cup sizes were first used in 1932 while band sizes became well-known in the 1940s. Before bras became a staple as women’s undergarments, corset was first widely used particularly by Western women.