“In a decade plus of bra-fitting I have never fitted a single woman as a 34B.” – Sarah C, Odyssey Boutique.
…Or a 34A…and don’t get me started on 36B’s.
Here’s the truth about A, B & C cups and some insider tips to help you get the best out of your next bra.
In the last blog I mentioned how so many of us were fitted for first bras by our mum; usually a classic 34A. Then as breast size increased we naturally reached for a 34B and continued to up the cup size as our body developed. Maybe moving to a 36 if it still felt snug.
I too started out with a mum-fitted, high-street-certified 34A. There were gaps (big ones), my bra was visible through clothes (always), and no matter how padded bras were I still felt as if I were swimming around inside them. I knew something wasn’t right but couldn’t put my finger on it and in-spite of multiple fittings (some too upsetting to speak of again) spent many years wearing something that made me feel like my body was wrong.
It wasn’t until my late-twenties, when I came face-to-face (or rather chest-to-face) with a real lingerie fitting expert that I discovered actually my bra was wrong.
Not only did she convert me from a 34A to a 30D, but she showed me there’s a whole lot more to bra-fitting than A-B-C.
You might think a D cup to be a ‘bigger’ bra size – by no means do I have big-boobs, hence my original 34A – but on fitting a band firmly and scaling the cup to sit exactly where it should it’s not uncommon for women sporting wildly popular A-B-C sizes to turn out to really be a D, E or even F-cup.
Cup size needn’t be confusing but there’s a surprising amount of breast tissue under the arm that the untrained eye doesn’t necessarily recognise as part of your boobs. (Plus it’s incredibly difficult to see yourself.) So like having a hair cut or booking your motor in for an MOT – some things are best left to the professionals. A few millimetres too big or small in the cup is all it takes for the poking & pinching to begin.
Combine an incorrect cup with a too big band (absolutely the most common fitting faux-pas) and your bra can become a real pain in the t**ts.
Here are my key cup-size checks:
- Does the underwire sit firmly & comfortably against your body? …All. The way. Around?
(Psst…A bra doesn’t need to be uncomfortable to be in-correct.) - Do cups sit smoothly in place and feel secure?
A sense of too much space, serious jiggle, dimples under the arm or dis-comfort at any level is a sign you could use a tweak in the bra-size department.
Calculating true cup size mightn’t be as easy as A-B-C …for the girl about town at least, but getting it right will boost B-cups, control curves and knock body-confidence out of the park.
In Part 3 of the 3 Bra Fitting Secrets to Boosting B-cups and Controlling Curves I’ll expose exactly why straps slip off and how to stop it happening.
But if you’ve peeked at your own bra and realised there are some rogue gaps or bumps…
If you’re ready get properly fitted and to finally find the bra of your dreams…
If you cannot wait to put on a bra that’s such a pleasure to wear you’ll never want to take it off…
…the Odyssey Fitting diary is now open just click here to book your appointment.
I can’t wait to see you in the fitting room.
Always a pleasure.
Sarah C
With my signature fitting service I’ll find you lingerie that’s such a pleasure to wear you’ll never want to take it off. Practical, pretty & provocative lingerie that fits, flatters and feels great.
