Comments on: European Bra Size versus American Bra Size – What’s the Difference? http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/ (un)covering what's under everything Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:31 +0000 hourly 1 By: Sunflower http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-25462 Sunflower Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:25:19 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-25462 Hello. Tomima. Thank you for your wonderful and informative blog! I am very interested in historical context and development of bra sizing. You write, that it was a decision of the manufacturers to add 4/5" to the underbust measurement to get the numbers closer to "ideal" hourglass sizes. This sounds reasonable - but there are so many things that sound reasonable and still are not quite true. Do you know any advertisments or interviews or anything from that time, that can serve as a reference for this theory? I would love to learn more about it! Sunflower Hello. Tomima.

Thank you for your wonderful and informative blog!

I am very interested in historical context and development of bra sizing. You write, that it was a decision of the manufacturers to add 4/5″ to the underbust measurement to get the numbers closer to “ideal” hourglass sizes.

This sounds reasonable – but there are so many things that sound reasonable and still are not quite true. Do you know any advertisments or interviews or anything from that time, that can serve as a reference for this theory? I would love to learn more about it!

Sunflower

]]> By: Sophia http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-25460 Sophia Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:48:20 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-25460 I'm not entirely sure whether you are suggesting that you should or shouldn't add the 4-5 inches to your underbust. I'm from the UK, and through measuring my bras and testing out these theories, I would say that a 32 band is pretty perfect for my 31 underbust; In some brands I even need a 30 band. It seems the stretchy materials are what makes the sizes more accurate these days - back then the materials would've been stiffer and far less malleable. Very interesting to read about the 'vanity sizing' from the 36-24-36 measurements. I already knew about it, but you explained it very well. I’m not entirely sure whether you are suggesting that you should or shouldn’t add the 4-5 inches to your underbust. I’m from the UK, and through measuring my bras and testing out these theories, I would say that a 32 band is pretty perfect for my 31 underbust; In some brands I even need a 30 band.
It seems the stretchy materials are what makes the sizes more accurate these days – back then the materials would’ve been stiffer and far less malleable.

Very interesting to read about the ‘vanity sizing’ from the 36-24-36 measurements. I already knew about it, but you explained it very well.

]]> By: Maria H. http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-20944 Maria H. Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:08:19 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-20944 "Cup sizing up through a D is universal. The grading of cup sizing is also universal." Sorry, but this is b***sh** and your chart is worthless too. US and UK manufacturers increase cups by 1 inch, 2.54 cms. Continental European manufacturers increase cupsizes by 2 cms. Thus if you go up 5 cupsizes from D in a European bra you need to go up 4 cupsizes from D in a US or UK bra. Take a look: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cupumrechnung_en.png To make this even more complicated some manufacturers like Empreinte increase cupsizes by 3 cms. “Cup sizing up through a D is universal. The grading of cup sizing is also universal.”

Sorry, but this is b***sh** and your chart is worthless too.

US and UK manufacturers increase cups by 1 inch, 2.54 cms. Continental European manufacturers increase cupsizes by 2 cms. Thus if you go up 5 cupsizes from D in a European bra you need to go up 4 cupsizes from D in a US or UK bra.

Take a look: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cupumrechnung_en.png

To make this even more complicated some manufacturers like Empreinte increase cupsizes by 3 cms.

]]> By: Miguel Rosas http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-7433 Miguel Rosas Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:40:48 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-7433 My fionce lives in Iran and i want to buy some interior clothes for her, her Bra is 75B and 38/40 panties. Can some one help me to convert this numbers to the right USA size,, Thanks for your help... A 75B is a 34B. and a 38 = extra small, and 40 = small. Tomima My fionce lives in Iran and i want to buy some interior clothes for her, her Bra is 75B and 38/40 panties. Can some one help me to convert this numbers to the right USA size,, Thanks for your help…

A 75B is a 34B. and a 38 = extra small, and 40 = small. Tomima

]]> By: Bonnie http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-4162 Bonnie Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:28:00 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-4162 It doesn't make sense to still be adding all those inches to our band measurements now that bands are made out of spandex and stretch up to 10"! I have a 27" ribcage and wear a 28C. In the brands I wear it doesn't even come close to being too tight. A 32A was madly uncomfortable, slid all around and the underwires were too small. I think you should give some thought to overhauling your measurement system. Other than this issue, I love the site and blog. It doesn’t make sense to still be adding all those inches to our band measurements now that bands are made out of spandex and stretch up to 10″!

I have a 27″ ribcage and wear a 28C. In the brands I wear it doesn’t even come close to being too tight. A 32A was madly uncomfortable, slid all around and the underwires were too small.

I think you should give some thought to overhauling your measurement system.

Other than this issue, I love the site and blog.

]]> By: sexy http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-3538 sexy Sun, 17 May 2009 14:15:07 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-3538 very confused. very confused.

]]> By: Dorothy http://www.tomima.com/2008/12/09/european-bra-size-versus-american-bra-size-whats-the-difference/comment-page-1/#comment-1412 Dorothy Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:01:57 +0000 http://www.tomima.com/?p=198#comment-1412 I don't understand one thing. Why did bra manufacturers think that naming a band "34" would be more appealing than naming the same band "28"? It seems to be quite the opposite of vanity sizing. I don’t understand one thing. Why did bra manufacturers think that naming a band “34″ would be more appealing than naming the same band “28″? It seems to be quite the opposite of vanity sizing.

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