Bra Fit Mathematics

Drastic changes in cup size can come as a shock after a proper bra fitting. When you understand the math behind the measurements, it's much easier to accept.

Cups and Measures shared a clear and informative description she found on reddit in her blog.
http://cupsandmeasures.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/reddit-to-the-rescue-8/

"The letter is a measurement of the difference between the whole boob measurement and the around the ribcage under the boob measurement. So as the number (ribcage measurement) gets smaller, the same sized “boob measurement” gets larger, as the difference would be growing, giving you a higher cup size.So in this case, she thought she was 34C and found out that she was actually 32E, right? Her “boob measurement” (presumably 37″) is the exact same it was, meaning her boobs are actually no different, but the “ribcage measurement” is two inches less than she thought it was (she thought it was 34, but it was actually 32). This means that the difference between the two is actually 5″ different instead of 3″ which, according to the chart given to us by mywifesbusty, changes her assumed cup size from C to her actual cup size of E.The easiest way I can think of this is imagine huge boobs on a small woman. Then imagine the exact same boobs on a larger woman. The boobs seem to be more noticeably large on the little woman, giving her a bigger cup size out of the deal."

Butterfly Collection's "5 Reasons Your Bra Straps Slip"

Do your bra straps often slip off of your shoulders? It might be time to start trying on a different bra size. The exact reason why it's happening to you could be one of these 5 described on Butterfly Collection's blog:

1. Your Band is Too Big
2. Your Cups are Too Small
3. Your Cups are Too Big
4. Your Bra is Designed for Taller Women
5. Sloping Shoulders

For more details on each of these reasons, read their blog post: http://blog.butterflycollection.ca/2012/10/5-reasons-your-bra-straps-slip.html

A Perfect Fit

No woman is average, and that is why True & Co is on a mission to create the perfect bra fit for women's unique figures. They studied the secrets of lingerie experts who are able to analyze the bra sizes of women at a glance and came up with a formula to determine the perfect bra fit! And it's all measuring tape-free.

See a bit of the work behind the algorithm this company is creating for making bras that fit the woman rather than the measured and predetermined definitions of bra sizes (as hazy as they are) here:
http://www.limelife.com/blog-entry/Forget-the-Measuring-Tape-A-Scientific-Formula-Now-Creates-The-Perfect-Bra-Fit/139483.html

"So what did they do? The pair began researching the untold secrets of lingerie experts around the country, many of whom never even use a measuring tape to determine a woman's bust size.
'We went to bra fitting after bra fitting and spoke to experts, and the best ones didn't use measuring tape," Lam said. "They had these unwritten rules where they could look at a woman’s body and say, we think this would be best. We were able to take these rules and distill them into code.'
All you have to do is fill out a short survey about your size and problems with your current bras, then make an order. Once you get your new bras, try them on and report back to True & Co. about how they fit. The site then recalculates your needs accordingly.
Want to try it out? Head over to the website now to get free shipping."

Variation of Bra Size by Brand

Do you find yourself needing bras of different sizes depending on the style, material, or brand? The variance of bra sizes among brands makes finding the perfect fit feel like a guessing game. Finding your size through rough estimates makes finding the correct bra size challenging for some women.
Lucky Magazine investigates this by observing 5 bras from different brands, measuring them at identically marked sizes and comparing results.

"To help figure out which size you are at what brand, we measured the end-to-end length of T-shirt bras from five popular lingerie lines—Calvin Klein's Level 3 Seductive Comfort Customized Lift, Victoria's Secret's Full Coverage, Gap's Favorite T-Shirt, Bali's Back To Beautiful and Elle MacPherson's Bare & Bold—to compare proportions. Consult the charts below to see how you size up. (Or down!)"

See the charts here: http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2012/03/sizing-up-your-5-favorite-lingerie-brands#slide=1 

Your Bra Transforms Your Body

Wearing the incorrect bra size can really do some damage on a woman's silhouette. With the right bra size, a body can be completely transformed into a smoother, leaner figure with breasts held upright in the right place. These women's before-and-after pictures show how drastic of a difference a bra fitting can make.

See the Shape Magazine before-and-after bra fitting collection here: http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/change-your-bra-change-your-body