This method involved measuring the breast hemi‐circumference from the medial to lateral inframammary fold, across the nipple, while the large‐breasted subjects were supine, braless and with their shoulders slightly abducted. 18Īcknowledging the importance of a correct‐fitting bra, which is impeded by a lack of standardisation in bra sizing, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 Pechter 7 developed an alternative method of bra cup size measurement. 6, 7, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19 That is, women are willing to give up physical comfort for physical beauty. 6, 7, 17, 18 Instead, factors such as cost, appearance and restriction of breast movement have been cited as important selection criteria. 3, 6, 9, 10, 16 Marketing studies suggest that comfort is not a primary selection criterion for many women when they purchase bras.

13, 14, 15 It has been suggested that correct‐fitting bras can alleviate some of these symptoms, allowing women to exercise in greater comfort and possibly reduce the need for breast reduction surgery. 13, 14, 15 These symptoms can be so severe as to force large‐breasted women to seek reduction mammaplasty 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 or inhibit these women from participating in physical activity. These include upper limb neural symptoms and deep bra furrows caused by excessive strap pressure non‐cyclical mastalgia, neck and back pain 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and exercise‐induced breast discomfort. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8Ī correct‐fitting bra is imperative to good health, as ill‐fitting bras have been reported to contribute to numerous upper quadrant pains in women who seek treatment by sports medicine practitioners. For example, some studies 6, 8 consider correct bra size to be based on a manufacturer's sizing instructions, which are not consistent among manufacturers others 7 have considered the size each subject reported as being most comfortable as the “correct fit”, although the ability of women to accurately assess their bra size has also been questioned. 6, 7 Inconsistency exists in bra fit research regarding what constitutes “correct” bra size.

It has been suggested that 70–100% of women are wearing the wrong size bra, with this fitting discrepancy greatest in large‐breasted women. Further, band size is not a standard length (eg the length of a 10C band in one bra style may differ from another 10C band). Cup size is therefore dependent on band size, although the volume of the same cup size (eg C cup) varies between different band sizes (ie a 10C cup has a different volume from a 12C cup). The difference between the OBCC and the band size dictates cup size. Cup size is calculated by measuring the over‐bust chest circumference (OBCC) at the level of the fullest part of the breast. An arbitrary number, described in the Methods section, is then added to the UBCC value to derive band size. Band size is calculated by measuring an individual's under‐bust chest circumference (UBCC) at the infra‐mammary fold. Bra size usually incorporates two components, the band size, expressed as a number (eg 32 and 34), and a cup size, expressed as a letter (eg A and B).

Bra size calculator from picture