Bra Sizes
Buying a bra can be more challenging than shopping for a pair of jeans. At least with jeans, the sizes are “obvious”. That is, if you’re looking for a 26 x 32, this means that your waistline is 26 inches and you need a pair that is 32 inches in length. Unfortunately, bra sizes do no make use of the same system of measurement. For a better fit, you have to deal with an alphanumeric code. Yes, determining bra size means dealing with the ABC’s and 123’s.
We all know that the breasts have different sizes and shapes, based on the “bulk” of fatty tissue making up the breasts. A woman’s specific breast shape and size are determined according to the classification set by the lingerie industry.
The function and the ability of the bra to provide comfort are largely dependent on the right fit and size. There are a wide variety of bra sizes to satisfy the different breast shapes and sizes.
Bra sizes generally differ in two ways: band size, or the strap length which goes around the woman’s body; and cup size, or the volume of the bra cups that serve to cover the breasts.
It is crucial that a woman’s bra should both dimensions. The band size is mostly adjustable since most bras provide alternative hooks. The shoulder straps are rarely fixed. Thus, women can choose to loosen or tighten the straps. Women’s breasts are generally expressed in terms of bra sizes.
Bra labels speak about their sizes. However, a lot of women feel that the best way to obtain the perfect bra size is by trying each one out – that is, the bra of their size, and their preferred brand and model. This is considered a reliable method of choosing a bra because there are a lot of techniques that provide bra sizes. Furthermore, the systems of bra sizing greatly vary between manufacturers, brands, designs, and countries.
A bra size involves two values: the band size, and the cup size. The band size is the number (or numbers) taken from the chest circumference, just under the breasts. The cup size symbolizes the volume of the breasts and is expressed in terms of letter, with the smallest cup being A and so forth. Thus, for a bra size 32C, it means that the band size is 32 and the cup size is C. Even though there is a general understanding regarding the significance of cups A to D, those that are beyond letter D are very unreliable. Some brands may use double letters like AA, in which case, it means one size smaller than cup A.
A lot of women think that getting the right bra size is too difficult. Thus, to get hold of the perfect size, have one that is custom-made. Since most bras are produced as “one-size-fits-all”, there are women who are not comfortable with their bras even if they took proper measurements.
Several establishments offer professional bra-fitters. These specialists are trained to conduct the appropriate technique of getting your bra measurements to provide you with the right bra size recommendation. But then again, bra-fitter experts have varied suggestions sometime. Hence, most manufacturers are advising women to try on various bras and get the feel of a proper fit. It may sound rather tedious to do a trial and error method but the resulting purchase will be well worth the hard work.
Women are discouraged from buying bras “off the shelves” or via the internet unless they have tried using the particular model and brand. Otherwise, their bras won’t serve their real purpose and won’t do much about aesthetics either.