Tiramisu Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Dd asked me about this after going shopping with her friends yesterday. She was sized by a professional bOOkshelf sizer, and the results didn't seem quite believable. But recently, I went bOOkshelf shopping and needed a bigger size. I thought it was just weight gain. Any thoughts about this, fellow bOOkshelf owners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I think fitters are doing a better job. Most women wear a band size that is too big, so when the band size goes down the cup size will naturally need to be bigger. I assume that is what you are talking about re vanity sizing? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 It's not vanity sizing. It's just that most of us have been wearing bands too big with cups too small. My proper band size is about the same as my rib cage measurement in inches. My proper cup size is determined by the largest bust measurement minus the band measurement. The number of inches different determines the cup size. The old way (which resulted in the wrong size and a poor fit) was to add 5" to the rib cage measurement to get the band size. When my band size is too big, I don't get any support and the cups don't fit properly. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I noticed this a couple weeks ago when I splurged on a more constructed lingerie-style one instead of the stretchy cotton b00kshelves I normally wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 There are different ways of sizing. Some brands have the band size as your actual measurement in inches - you are 30" around just underneath your booKs, therefore your band size is 30. But others (like Victoria's Secret) take that measurement and add 5 to get the band size - you are 30" around just underneath your booKs, so add 5 and your band size would be 35 (or 36, since you round up). And since the cup size is determined by how much bigger your around-the-booKs measurement is than your under-the-booKs measurement, the cup size will be much larger with the first way of measuring than the second way. For example, my under-the-booKs measurement is 29", and my around-the-booKs measurement is 33". By the first method, that means my band size is 30 and my cup size is C or D (one cup size for every 1" difference between the two measurements). But with the second method, my band size is 34 and my cup size is AA (actually, this method makes it look like my booKs are *smaller* than my chest). And I used to wear a 34A in VS bras for a long time, but after getting properly measured elsewhere I learned just how badly that fit compared to a 30D. That said, my experience is that push-up bras *totally* vanity size. In push-up bras, I wear a 32DD. All I can think of is that 32DD is the size it makes me *look* ;). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Agreeing with the posters above: in my experience it's not vanity sizing, it's proper sizing. For years I wore ill-fitting bras that were always riding up on me and annoying me to no end. I was using that "add five inches" method, which I realized did not make any sense once I actually thought about it. Why would I need five extra inches??? So, once I went down the correct band size, which necessitated going up to the appropriate cup size, I found that I could comfortably wear a bra all day without it riding up on me and driving me batty. Edit: ill got autocorrected to I'll. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I don't know--could be some vanity sizing going on. Having trouble getting a proper fit for dd and what was finally fitting was a D cup, but it's just not a very big cup--not sure it would have even been a C "back in the day." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 After getting fitted properly, my band size went down a size and cup went up a size. Because of my fibro and bras giving me back pain though, I'm back to the bigger band and smaller cup. I miss the support and look of a good fitting bra though. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I don't know--could be some vanity sizing going on. Having trouble getting a proper fit for dd and what was finally fitting was a D cup, but it's just not a very big cup--not sure it would have even been a C "back in the day." Cup sizes vary based on the size of the band - a 36B is a bigger cup, in terms of the volume it holds, than a 34B. In fact, a 34B is the same size cup volume as a 36A, which is the same as a 32C and a 30D. (Sizes that have the same actual physical cup size, but different band sizes, are called sister sizes.) So going down in the band size and up in the cup size isn't as much as a true change in the actual size of the cup as you might think, and in fact could be no change at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I don't know...Victoria's Secret measured me once and made the case that I am in the wrong size, saying I am buying too-small cups. But putting me in a C is *reeeeediculous*. My bOoks swimm around lost in a cup that size! I nursed three babies and have had no alterations to the milk-making equipment. The south-bound region of the bOOks is more voluminous than the other 75%. So, no, a C fits me horribly and I am in no way ashamed to slap on an A if that is what I require. I do much better just trying on a few variations between 34A and 36B and buying the one that looks like it fits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 If she's got a small band it's totally reasonable than a D cup might look awfully small. We tend to think that D means "Damn that's big!" but a 30D is a similar volume to a 34B. I wear a 32G/34F depending on the stretch of the band and if I try on a 38D, it fits just about perfectly on the cups. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I'm trying to figure out the "vanity" part of this. I'm assuming that "vanity" would mean people would WANT to have a bigger cup size? LOL I have not found this to be the case. Of course, this is just my experience, but most people don't WANT to have bigger boobs. It may be something people joke about, but in reality, nobody I know want it. I don't know when or how this "add 5 inches" nonesense started but it has never been accurate for me. The bigger the bOOks, the more important it is to have a snug band. Most support comes from the band and shouldn't come from the shoulders. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I had the same question 8circles. Where is the "vanity" part? Women in general want super big ones? I certainly do not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Well I for one would sincerely love to need a bigger cup size! ETA: But not due to just vanity sizing! :lol: Mine didn't get any bigger when I was pregnant, they don't get any bigger when I gain weight. Short of surgery, there's nothing that's actually going to make me need a bigger cup size, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Well I for one would sincerely love to need a bigger cup size! ETA: But not due to just vanity sizing! :lol: Mine didn't get any bigger when I was pregnant, they don't get any bigger when I gain weight. Short of surgery, there's nothing that's actually going to make me need a bigger cup size, sadly. I'd love to share, how much do you want? :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I'd love to share, how much do you want? :D As much as you'd be willing to give! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I'd love to share, how much do you want? :D Well, as long as you're feeling generous... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Well, as long as you're feeling generous... It's not all its cracked up to be. Trust me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 It's not all its cracked up to be. Trust me. Yeah, I'm over it. When I was 22, four of the six secretaries where I worked had enlargements done. It did seem somewhat appealing at the time, but I was/am too health-conscious (not to mention under-financed) to seriously consider it. But now I am really happy I did not go that route. Some of the ladies I used to work with now look...odd, I think. Like "one of these things is not like the others" odd. BoOks look twenty, everything else, fifty. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 If some people don't want bigger, I'm wondering why so many bOOkshelves these days have such thick padding. I've felt some that have nearly an inch of foam in the bottom half. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 Yeah, I'm over it. When I was 22, four of the six secretaries where I worked had enlargements done. It did seem somewhat appealing at the time, but I was/am too health-conscious (not to mention under-financed) to seriously consider it. But now I am really happy I did not go that route. Some of the ladies I used to work with now look...odd, I think. Like "one of these things is not like the others" odd. BoOks look twenty, everything else, fifty. I'd rather have it the other way around, with the twenty-something face. At least if the bOOks look fifty, or eighty, you can cover them up. :laugh: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I don't know--could be some vanity sizing going on. Having trouble getting a proper fit for dd and what was finally fitting was a D cup, but it's just not a very big cup--not sure it would have even been a C "back in the day." This is what I was thinking only it was a DD vs. a D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Just was thinking about this, then remembered sister sizing. I've lost weight so I went from a 42DD to a 38DDD. I obviously didn't gain cup size, in fact I lost a bit, but by going down in the band it changes things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 If some people don't want bigger, I'm wondering why so many bOOkshelves these days have such thick padding. I've felt some that have nearly an inch of foam in the bottom half. I certainly don't need bigger, but I need the lift. I prefer bras with padding at the bottom, not for the size but for the shape. Things aren't as perky as they used to be! Regarding the sharing of size, I'd be happy to trade some bOOk size for some booty size... anyone?? ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Dd asked me about this after going shopping with her friends yesterday. She was sized by a professional bOOkshelf sizer, and the results didn't seem quite believable. But recently, I went bOOkshelf shopping and needed a bigger size. I thought it was just weight gain. Any thoughts about this, fellow bOOkshelf owners? You mean the sizes are larger than what they used to be? I hope not. :( I've gone down in size. I'm hoping it's the fitting advice I got from Oprah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I think proper sizing only matters to those whose books are actually affected by gravity. If I can pay $15 for a super comfy, no underwire 34B WHY would I bother hunting down an elusive and expensive 30D??? At my size, I see no benefit to wearing a tighter band. I get the point if your bra is a weight-bearing device, but when it serves as a glorified slip why bother? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I think proper sizing only matters to those whose books are actually affected by gravity. If I can pay $15 for a super comfy, no underwire 34B WHY would I bother hunting down an elusive and expensive 30D??? At my size, I see no benefit to wearing a tighter band. I get the point if your bra is a weight-bearing device, but when it serves as a glorified slip why bother? Well, speaking as someone who's wearing a 30D right now (though I float between 28E or DD and 30 D or DD), wearing the proper bra makes a HUGE difference in how I look in clothes. I used to always feel a bit frumpy when I saw pictures of myself. I could never figure out why I looked so frumpy in pictures. I'd be standing next to similarly-sized friends, wearing the same type of t-shirt even, and yet they looked good, and I looked frumpy and lumpy. There was just something unflattering about my shape in 34 B (also the same as you!) bras. Getting the proper size made a world of difference in how clothes fit me. My top half looks much more slender and shapely, and less slouchy, bumpy, and frumpy. I was shocked at the difference, and now that I've seen it, I will not go back to the ill-fitting 34 Bs! It is sad that my days of cheap bras are over, but I'd rather pay more and look much better! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I cannot remember how much time passed between my two fittings, but I did get different results at different dept. stores if that makes her feel better. What defines a "professional" anyway? I got sized at Dillard's and Victoria's Secret in the past. Let's just say I was pretty deflated (no pun intended) when the second store said I was a "nearly A." I had never heard of such a size. This was all pre-kids. And I don't think I had a whole lot of weight change between visits. Honestly, I had the best results by doing it myself. Even the much-lauded ladies at Nordstrom sometimes seem to still add 4 or 5 inches to the band measurement, leaving women wearing too-big bands that don't provide good support. Then the same clerks insist that when you buy a new bra, you should only be able to fasten it on the loosest set of hooks. That doesn't really work when the band is two sizes too large! A Bra That Fits at Reddit is a good resource for general fit information. That pages has a link to a bra calculator that uses five measurements. I found I got the same result when using the simpler fit information I found at this page. In that last link, the author talks a lot in her bra-fitting posts about trying on different band and cup sizes to find what fits best. I went to a store that had bands down to 30 and tried a bunch on. In a few minutes, it was clear I was wearing a bra with a band two sizes too big. A few months later I tried a specialty lingerie store near my house that carries 28 bands and was fitted into 28 or 30 bands, depending on the brand. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Well, speaking as someone who's wearing a 30D right now (though I float between 28E or DD and 30 D or DD), wearing the proper bra makes a HUGE difference in how I look in clothes. I used to always feel a bit frumpy when I saw pictures of myself. I could never figure out why I looked so frumpy in pictures. I'd be standing next to similarly-sized friends, wearing the same type of t-shirt even, and yet they looked good, and I looked frumpy and lumpy. There was just something unflattering about my shape in 34 B (also the same as you!) bras. Getting the proper size made a world of difference in how clothes fit me. My top half looks much more slender and shapely, and less slouchy, bumpy, and frumpy. I was shocked at the difference, and now that I've seen it, I will not go back to the ill-fitting 34 Bs! It is sad that my days of cheap bras are over, but I'd rather pay more and look much better! You're very likely right, but how easy is it to find a 30D with no wires or padding? Honestly, I think the girls look great naked, but it's not socially acceptable to walk around naked, so I cover them as minimally and comfortably as possible. If I'm not leaving the house and nobody is expected, I won't even wear a bra. I mean, I understand the magic that bras can do that mother nature doesn't, but if you're just trying to cover and not reshape or lift or pad or minimize I fail to see the advantage to walking around in a properly tight band. I do own some of the 'correct' bras, and I'm a bellydancer so some of the costumes I perform in are literally made for me, but I'm not interested in being THAT trussed up on a day-to-day basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Cup sizes vary based on the size of the band - a 36B is a bigger cup, in terms of the volume it holds, than a 34B. In fact, a 34B is the same size cup volume as a 36A, which is the same as a 32C and a 30D. (Sizes that have the same actual physical cup size, but different band sizes, are called sister sizes.) So going down in the band size and up in the cup size isn't as much as a true change in the actual size of the cup as you might think, and in fact could be no change at all. except that doesn't always work either. when I was young, I was a 30D. I assure you, a 32c or even a 34C did NOT fit my bOOks. 32D was too big around, but fit my bOOks. of course, in those days, you couldn't buy a 30D. not even at Nordstrom. and as someone else said - a proper fitting bra is a huge deal (re: back) to someone with a generous chest. there were a lot of years I wore minimizers. I'm so glad I shrank after nursing babies. my sister ended up having a reduction because she had so much back trouble - even with decent bras. how clothes fit is just a perk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 You're very likely right, but how easy is it to find a 30D with no wires or padding? Honestly, I think the girls look great naked, but it's not socially acceptable to walk around naked, so I cover them as minimally and comfortably as possible. If I'm not leaving the house and nobody is expected, I won't even wear a bra. I mean, I understand the magic that bras can do that mother nature doesn't, but if you're just trying to cover and not reshape or lift or pad or minimize I fail to see the advantage to walking around in a properly tight band. I do own some of the 'correct' bras, and I'm a bellydancer so some of the costumes I perform in are literally made for me, but I'm not interested in being THAT trussed up on a day-to-day basis. I never would have thought it before, but the 30C/D bras that I wear now are so much more comfortable than the 34A's that I used to wear. I hated underwires before, but when the bra fits, and the wire stays where it's supposed to, I forget it's there. My current underwire bras are more comfortable than the wire-free ones that I used to wear. I don't feel trussed up at all, I actually feel kind of liberated, because I'm not fighting my bra all day. Now, let me be very clear that I am NOT trying to convince you to change! If you're happy with what you're wearing, then I wouldn't advise changing at all. I just wanted to say that I don't think it's as bad as you think it is. :) My bOOks are tiny, but they still appreciate the support. My old bras basically just smashed them against my chest, but my new bras give a little gentle lift, no smooshing. I did have to buy my new ones online, can't find my size locally. And they are more expensive. It's been worth it to me, but of course not everyone is going to feel that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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