Have bra cup sizes changed?

I was ALWAYS a 34C. I've lost weight, I know for a fact my boobs are smaller after having 2 children and I am now a 34D. What is that? Has anyone experienced this?

Thu. Apr 17, 8:51pm

Oh, oh, oh...same here

At my heaviest I was a 38D, then a 36D...now that I am running again and have started losing weight with PT's help...my 36D bra's are gaping. I HATE IT! Because I love my boobs and my butt...they are my curves! Bye, bye boobies!

Friday, April 18, 2008, 12:47 AM

OP, I haven't really heard of that before! Mine went bye after losing some weight, and so did my cup size. Hmm, other than the numbers, do they seem bigger or smaller visually? I wouldn't doubt though that certain manufacturer's change their cup size, to make people feel better. Kinda in the same way jeans do. Some companies make theirs smaller - I used to wear a size 8 in one brand, now, at the same size it's a 12!) and visa versa.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 1:56 AM

Try getting measured professionally.

Bra sizes seem to differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, unfortunately. I was measured professionally in a store (Marks and Spencer, do you have them in the States?), and in their underwear I was found to be a 38F in underwired bras, and a 38E in non-wired ones. All very well until I tried on bras in my size in another store, Evans. I took at least 6 different ones into the changing room, and every single one was far too small!

I must recommend being properly measured to every woman on PeerTrainer. It's amazing the difference it makes being in the correct fitting bra. When the fitter put the right-sized bra on me my breasts were so perky they could have had someone's eyes out! I was like one of the Fem Bots in the Austin Powers film! ;-) Just remember that you may have to be re-measured if you choose a different brand make.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 9:58 AM

Sure. Before I ever gained weight in the first place, I was a 38C. At my heaviest (about a year & a half ago) I was a 54DDD. ALL FAT! Though we all do know that breast tissue is mostly fat anyway, right? Well now, at 55 lbs down, I'm wearing 46DD. Probably will never get back to a 38C (due to being over 40 and sagging from the weight, etc), but I'm hoping for at least 38D some day.

Big boobs aren't all they're cracked up to be. I'll never understand why some women get implants. The bigger they are, the more trouble they cause -- achy back, sore shoulders, inability to sleep on your stomach, inability to talk to someone with their eyes looking you in your eyes, etc.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 10:10 AM

Depends where you shop. "Trendy" places, such as Victoria's Secret, etc., have "vanity sizing" for their bras, where women want to think their boobs are bigger than they are. When I was an A cup elsewhere, I was a C at Victoria's Secret! Now that I'm a D or DD elsewhere, even the biggest cup sizes at Vicky's don't fit me.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 4:29 PM

Interesting PP - i have only worn victorias secret bras for about 8 years now...and while I have bigger brests I never thought i looked like the D i wear there (c now w/ weight loss!) - i wonder what my size is in "real life".

Friday, April 18, 2008, 4:33 PM

Another thing to keep in mind is that bra sizes only take two things into account, when there are more considerations.

Your number reflects the width around your rib cage. Your letter, the depth of the cup. However, how wide the base of the cup is will vary from mftr to mftr, as the base width of a woman's breast will vary from woman to woman. Some women's breasts are spread out further than others, some have wider backs than others- all these are the kind of things that cannot be reflected in a number/letter size, so that you simply have to find a brand that is made for a woman with your proportions, or try on all different kinds.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 4:36 PM

Amen 10:10. I so feel your pain. I just wish the girls would get smaller with my weightloss. Instead, they stay the same. GRRRRR. 38DDD so not fun. My back is screaming at me.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 5:11 PM

I was a 38 DDD and had a breast reduction. Afterwards I was a 38C. Now, 10 years later I am a 38 DD. I actually weigh less than I did the day of surgery but my breasts keep growing.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 6:32 PM

4:36--this is wrong. The number is typically the measurement of the area under your bust plus 4-5 inches to make it an even number. The cup size is a reflection of the difference between the measurement of widest part of your bust and this calculated band measurement; this is why someone who wears a 36D does not typically have larger breasts than someone who wears a 40C. Look at bras; a 32B will have a much smaller cup than a 38B.

Link

Friday, April 18, 2008, 8:55 PM

I'm pretty sure I'm still right 8:55. This may be perhaps because I worked in a lingerie store for 3 years.

a) I said the number reflects your width around the rib cage. I didn't say it "IS" the measurement of your rib cage.

b) the cups size is the depth. The problem is generally the base of the cup increases with the band size- hence why you may think that a 32B will have a smaller cup than a 38B. There is NO standard measurement for how wide the base of a cup is, nor is there any standard for how close the cups are. And those two factors will vary from woman to woman, which means that like most women's clothes, bra sizes are not indicative of a universal fit.

Friday, April 18, 2008, 9:15 PM

All I know is after losing weight a few years ago I talked to a lady in the undergarment industry because I had ordered a smaller size around (since I was smaller) but stayed with the same cup size and the cup size was too small.
She said that as your measurements decrease so does the cup size. So a 48DD cup size is much larger than the cup size of a 40DD.
It can be so confusing.
I finally found a bra that shrinks and grows with me.
And it is the most comfortable I have ever owned.

Monday, April 21, 2008, 2:22 AM

4:36 is the correct one sorry to tell you. what the hell would be the point of 'adding 4 or 5 inches to make an even number'? that makes no sense, did you get that out of a friggin sears catelogue or something?

the number is around just below the bust. it should be tight enough to wear on the loosest connection so that as time wears out the bra you can tighten it... and also it should fit so that if you raise your arms there is no buldge in the middle between your breasts. your number generally will not change however the cup size differs for different companies. someone in a 36d DOES have larger breast than a 40c, they however have a smaller back.

i should know, i wear a 32 g/h if i "added 4 or 5 inches' like you say, i would be wearing a 36......which i was previously, which was way too big as advised by hmmmm all 4 different women who have properly fitted me in specialty lingerei stores.

dunno where you get your info from.

Monday, April 21, 2008, 3:54 AM

The poster posted a link, 3:54. And having worked at the lingerie department of a high-end department store for many years, I can attest to the truth in it. Sheesh.

Monday, April 21, 2008, 9:27 AM

Have bra cup sizes changed

Out of curiousity, I clicked on the link and followed the instructions on measuring. According to that website, my bra size is an A. I am a 44D! They go off the assumption that if your rib measurement (PLUS 5 inches) and your breast measurement are the same, then you're an A. My 12 year old daughter is an A, so just for argument's sake I placed one of her bra cups to my breast. That was a joke. Just because I've gained weight around the middle doesn't mean my breasts suddenly went on the Atkins diet all by themselves! In other words, my being bigger around the middle has no bearing on how big my boobs are. Who designed this measuring guide??!! Victoria Secret's evil twin??

Monday, April 21, 2008, 12:37 PM

Yeah I am a C...but C's are too small so I have to buy D's...I am guess that just like jeans and pants...everything is getting smaller. Hope that helps

Friday, April 25, 2008, 11:50 AM

bra sizes haven't changed...but there are more than you think.

It's very simple really, oprah says like 85% of women are in the wrong size so not only will our size change when you loose weight but since most of us aren't in the right size to begin with we can't really compare before and after unless we've been fit correctly twice. Just go get fit by someone who knows what they're doing. If the store doesn't have anything bigger than a D or DD cup, LEAVE! Only 20% of women fit in the sizes most stores carry. Go somewhere they have the smallest & the biggest sizes (bra cups go up to like a J or K or something). I go to Zoe & Co. in RI. They're online at www.zoeandcompany.com
And the cup letter isn't the "depth" or a volume measurement, it's a proportion. A woman who's a 32B and a woman who's a 38B have the same proportions but because the 38B has a bigger ribcage, her breasts are also bigger. This is why when your band size decreases but your breasts stay the same, you go up in the cup. A 38B is the same breast size as a 36C, a 34D, and a 32DD so that 38B is like, 4 cup sizes bigger than a 32B.

Link

Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 7:40 PM

I agree 7:40. It's all proportionate. At my current weight I am a 38D, but when I'm at my goal weight (haven't been there in a few years) I was a 32D. My boobs are definitely smaller when I weight less, but the cup size is still a D because my boobs shrink at the same rate my body does.

Thursday, July 9, 2009, 9:18 AM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge