Brassiere

A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women which covers and supports the breasts. Bra types are quite varied, depending on style, function, and materials. Styles include front-closure, back-closure, strapless, convertible, push-up, demi-bra, full-cup, three-quarters cup, half-cup, longline, underwire, padded, triangle, soft-cup, shelf-bra, and T-shirt.

Bra sizes

The size of women's breasts is often expressed in terms of bra size, which consists of two measurements: the "band size", given by a number, which is the circumference around the body excluding the breasts, and "cup size", given by a letter, which is the volume of the breasts themselves.

Related Topics:
Size - Breasts

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It is important that a woman's bra fits correctly, both to ensure a flattering shape and to avoid discomfort. Back pain is particularly common amongst large breasted women who wear bras which offer insufficient support. In extreme cases, such discomfort can lead to a woman seeking breast reduction surgery. It is estimated from the result of surveys that up to 70% of women in the UK wear incorrectly fitting bras, which is perhaps due to a lack of understanding about the fitting of bras, as well as the difficulty in obtaining larger bras.

Related Topics:
Back pain - Breast reduction - UK - Fitting of bras

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Bras are commonly available in cup sizes A-DD, and one generally has to go to a specialist lingerie store to find larger cup size bras. The sizing of larger cup sizes can be confusing, since some manufacturers use multiple letters (such as DD or EEE) instead of proceeding in the logical alphabetical order. A common cup size system amongst European manufacturers, in order of increasing size is AAA-AA-A-B-C-D-DD-E-F-FF-G-GG-H-J.

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Any system for bust size measurement is not without its problems, and the only real way to determine one's bra size is by trying them on. However, there are several methods which may be used to provide an approximate size by measuring alone. Bra sizing systems differ widely between countries, aside from the complication that some countries use the metric measurement system, rather than the Imperial system used in the UK and US.

Related Topics:
Determine one's bra size - Metric measurement system - Imperial system

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Band size is usually determined by measuring body circumference under the breasts and then adding a specified amount to account for the fact that the ribcage is generally wider at the height of the breasts that at the height one measures at. An alternative method to determine band size involves measuring under the arms and across the top of the breasts. In the US, various manufacturers and boutiques recommend adding different numbers to the measured circumference to determine band size, generally from 4 to 6 inches. A further complication is that some manufacturers say that when the under the bust measurement is 35 in (89 cm) or more, only 3 in (76 mm) should be added to determine the band size.

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The cup size is dependent on the difference between the band size and a measurement of the chest circumference over the fullest part of the breasts. For many manufacturers, a difference of 1 inch (25 mm) requires an A cup size; 2 inches (50 mm), a B cup; 3 inches (75 mm), a C cup; and 4 inches (100 mm), a D cup. This is by no means universal, as a simple Internet search reveals. There are probably more than a dozen systems for determining bra size, including calculators that can be used online.

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It is also important to remember that the correct bra size for a woman will depend on a number of factors including bra manufacturer and may fluctuate with weight gain/loss and stage in the menstrual cycle.

Related Topics:
Weight - Menstrual cycle

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