A Big Boob!

Ladies, we have to talk.
This is important.
It could change your life!
This is a subject which is close to my heart in more ways than one!

Yesterday, after a full weekend in the garden, basking in the gorgeous, positively balmy weather, getting sorted for the coming growing season, I sat down to do some blog hopping but was waylaid by a sewing website describing how to sew your own bra. I like the idea of making a bra, and knowing the intimate details of how one is constructed will help my corsetry skills no end. BUT, for a long time I have been horrified at the traditional method of measuring one's assets because it just doesn't work whichever way you look at it. It's a crime against womanhood if you ask me.

This is not a case of divide and conquer. It is a matter of taking things in hand and getting to grips with the situation and it just so happens that I am a perfect example of how this traditional method does not work.

For many years I was often reduced to tears of frustration and hopelessness when shopping for underwear or swimwear. Using the traditional method rendered my search for the perfect fit utterly impossible.

Why? I'll show you.

These instructions are the same as you will find anywhere on the web, and also the method employed by Marks and Spencer and other lingerie fitting rooms countrywide.

The instructions say

"Taking exact measurements is the first step in making a bra that fits. You'll need to calculate your bra-band size and your cup size by measuring around the rib cage and full bust, wearing your best-fitting bra. (Large-busted women especially need support for accurate measurements.)"

I say:

Taking exact measurements is very very important. But this must be done WITHOUT a bra on in the first instance. How is it possible to take a measurement around your underbust area when there is a bra band or a couple of wires in the way?

The instructions say:

"Using a full-length mirror, measure around the rib cage, making sure the tape is level around the body and pulling it snug. To this measurement, add either 4 or 5 in. to get an even number. Example: if the snug rib cage is 29 in., add 5 for a total of 34 in. This is the bra-band size."

I say:

WHY add 4 or 5 inches to the underbust measurement? What you measure is what you are. You would not add this much in such an indiscriminate way if you were dressmaking.

The instructions say:

"Next, measure the bust around the fullest part, again keeping the tape level, but this time don't pull it snug"

I say:

Right .. this is where you DO need to be wearing a bra - just to keep them upright while you measure.

The instructions say:

"To determine the cup size, subtract the bra-band size from the full-bust measurement. The difference, in inches, tells you the cup size: 1 in. for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, 4 for D, 5 for DD (or E), 6 for DDD (or F), and 7 in. for FF. For example, if your bra band is 36 in. and the full bust 38 in., the cup size is B; you'll make a size 36B."

I say:

Riddlemeree! This is nonsense and un-neccessary mathematics! Why make things complicated and invent measurements?

Using this method, see what happens with my measurements:

Underbust: 30" (what I measure) + 4" (to get an even number) = 34 inches.
Full bust: 34"

Can you spot the boob already?

There is no differential which means I have a concave bust. Or in bra speak, I am a size 30AA.

This is me ladies!

Do they LOOK as if they are non existant?!

A size 34AA bra on me, covers about about as much as these do !

Is it any wonder I couldn't find a bra to fit and left all the lovely ladies at M&S completely perplexed while I quietly despaired every time they brought me a different bra having at once deviated from the inadequate formula they were using, included more than a touch of their own guesswork and been lost for words when each and every suggestion failed miserably and left me bulging in all the wrong places!

A badly fitting bra will give you no support, bad cleavage, and a bra strap which rides up your back in a most unsightly way as the weight at the front pulls it down. It will adversely affect your posture and your confidence - especially if you fit into the category of "fuller bust".



Luckily a couple of years ago, my Sister-in-Law started working for a relatively new company which has thankfully revolutionised this silly fitting method. She told me one day that as someone who is a size 8-10, my bra size should be no bigger than 30 inches because that is what I should measure around my ribcage. A bra band should be like a corset - ie; tight, so that the support comes from underneath and the strain on shoulders is minimised. She herself as a size 12, wears a size 32 bra. She then estimated with absolute conviction, despite my goggle eyes, that I would be an E or F cup, so still unbelieving, I booked myself an appointment at the shop she managed the very next day and tried on a couple of these new sized bras. She was absolutely spot on! I was a size 30E and my boobs never felt better! What's more than that, my bust must have heaved a huge sigh of relief because since wearing a correctly fitting bra, I have gained a cup size and am now an F! I mentioned this to my expert SiL - she said it was a common occurence amongst Bravissimo girls! Bust enhancement without the surgery or the huge bill! ... Now what could be better than that!?

So here's the rub. If you are a D cup or more, go to Bravissimo. If you are not quite a D, measure your rib cage, try bra's with that size band, and increase the cup size as necessary. Remember that smaller band = bigger cup size and vice versa.

I know that many of you reading this will already know this marvelous secret! But if you struggle with uncomfortable lingerie, try this whatever size you think you are, and trust me. It works!