Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

(un)covering what's under everything

European Bra Size versus American Bra Size – What’s the Difference?

December 09, 2008

 

One of our fabulous Customer Service Representatives, LaBresha, emailed me recently and told me many of our customers ask about the difference between European bra sizes and America bra sizes.  She then suggested I blog on the subject.  Well LeBresha, thank you for your suggestion, and here you go!

Let me begin with a little history.  The bra cup letter sizing as we know it today was first introduced in 1935 by The Warners Company.  Shortly after this measuring system was accepted in the US, the European corset manufacturers followed. 

The numbers used today for our bra band size (e.g. 34, 38 etc.) were devised shortly after WWII.  Back then, women with the measurements of 36-24-36 were determined to be the ideal hourglass silhouette of the day.  But, since the band size represents a woman’s underbust measurement, the true measurement would be something more like a 28 or 32. Now, this is where marketing came in.  The industry decided to have the bra band sizes sound more appealing to women.  So, they took the underbust measurement, added 4-5 inches to it, and came up with the band sizes that we use today. This is why you add the 4 or 5 inches to your underbust measurement when you are calculating your bra band size. 

 So, now let’s talk about cup sizing today. A recent inquiry came to us from a woman stating that she’s a 36F in European bra sizing.  She wanted us to tell her what her US bra size would be.  There is no easy answer to her question, unfortunately.  This is because there is no consistancy in bra sizing between European brands and American brands when it comes to cup sizes larger than a D.  Over the years, various bra manufacturers, in their attempt to be unique, have varied their bra sizing from the traditional naming of cup size.  It used to be that American manufacturers would size their bra cups as follows: AA, A, B, C, D, DD, DDD, DDDD.  European manufacturers sized their cups: AA, A, B, C, D, E, F, G.  But, British manufacturers had their own scheme: AA, A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF.  So you can now see why it would be difficult to convert one size to another.

Here is my personal suggestion to women who have breasts larger than a D cup, and want to find their bra size in a different brand.  Know how many cup sizes larger you are than a D, and then you can always find your correct size.  Cup sizing up through a D is universal.  The grading of cup sizing is also universal.  Therefore, if you know you are 3 cup sizes larger than a D, you can simply find the D cup size on any bra manufacturer sizing chart, count up 3 cup sizes from there, and that will be your size.  Here’s is an example: suppose you know you are a DDD cup in the US which is 2 cup sizes larger than a D cup.  Using our cup sequences method, you would be an F cup in the European example, and an E cup in the British example.

But let me make it even easier for you.  At HerRoom, we have this great fitting chart we always keep current that compares all the brands we offer.  Simply find your cup size under the brand you know fits, then go up and down the column to determine your size in other brands.

 

Now what about band size?  Well, thank goodness this is pretty standard across all brands.  However, some European brands do like to use the centimeter number to identify your underbust measurement – and they don’t add 4 to 5 inches to make it sound better.  So, a 32 band size would be a 70, a 34 band size would be a 75, a 36 would be an 80 and so on.  The good news here is that at HerRoom, we only offer traditional band sizing for all our items, regardless of country of origin.

So there you have it.  It’s really not that difficult to understand and adjust to once you know the system.  And of course, if you have any further sizing questions, my ace Customer Service Representatives like LaBresha are there to give you any assistance you need.

 

 

Posted by Tomima at 8:49am
7 Comments »

The 5 Lingerie Must-Haves For Your Closet, on Oprah

October 29, 2008

 

The other day, Oprah had a show about women getting their sexy back. Her style team from O Magazine took 5 women and transformed them into really attractive and sexy looking goddesses.  It was truly impressive.  Part of the show had a segment from Susan Nethero sharing her list of 5 lingerie must-haves every women should have in her lingerie drawer.  Here they are:

1. A Date Night Bra – This is a bra that is pretty and makes you feel pretty when you wear it out in the evening.  One idea was for this bra to be in a color other than nude – like red.  I think black can be a good choice as well.
2. A demi cup or cleavage showing bra – A demi cup bra has cups that cover less of your upper breast tissue.  This allows you to wear lower necklines. A cleavage showing bra, I call a plunge bra. The center panel is cut very low so that you can wear lower v-necks or be able to keep one more button unbuttoned.
3. A strapless bra -  I find myself more and more reaching for a strapless.  With today’s unusual necklines, a strapless sometimes seems like the only choice if you want to wear a bra.
4. An elegant camisole – I must confess that I frequently forget about the camisole option.  It’s a great solution as a layer under jackets and sweaters.  As winter approaches, and we all must go in and out of hot and cold temperatures, having a pretty camisole as your base layer can give instant relief when you want to take off something to cool down.  And, there are great support camisoles that not only look pretty, but give you the added smoothing benefits.
5. Matching bra and panty sets – After this recommendation, Oprah polled her audience as to how many women were wearing panties that matched their bra.  Not many raised their hand. A conversation between Oprah and her stylists ensued.  The overwhelming opinion is that women who wear a matching set feel more confident when they walk and talk – even if no one but themselves know they have it on.

Also on this show, Susan highlighted the Mary Jo Avero plunge convertible bra as her preferred date bra.  It’s pretty, has fabulous detailing, a low center and convertible straps.

I must say that I agree with this list, with the possible exception of the camisole.    So, breaking this list down into figure types, here is my list of favorites for each of these 5 lingerie must-haves:

 

Petite Plus size: Chantelle Legende Demi Underwire Bra

Posted by Tomima at 10:46am
2 Comments »

Help! My Bra Straps Keep Slipping Off My Shoulders!

August 17, 2008

 

I hear this complaint all the time. "My bra straps keep falling off my shoulders!"  Most think it’s because their shoulders slope too much or they have narrow shoulders.  Both of these could contribute to the problem, but you’ll be surprised to know that there are several additional reasons your straps could be slipping off your shoulders. And most have to do with the way your bra fits.

1. Your straps are not tight enough.  This may seem obvious but many women simply don’t adjust their straps.  Straps are only supposed to support about 10% of your breast’s weight.  But they need to be providing some support or they will just fall off your shoulders.  Make sure your straps are tight enough to provide support, but not so tight that they pull up your bra back.

2. Your cup size is too big.  Many women, with age, lose their breast volume along the tops of their breasts. This loss of volume along the top of your breasts creates an empty space in the top of your cup.  Without the cup being completely filled, the straps will tend to slip.  Either go down a cup size, or make sure you lift and place your breasts into your cups so that the cup is properly filled.

3. You’re using bra extenders.  A bra extender is an accessory that adds more length to the back of your bra.  I sell them at HerRoom, but I really don’t like them.  They can create additional problems, and shoulder straps falling off is one of them.  When you expand the length of the bra back, you move the straps farther apart and closer to the edge of your arms.  This increases the chances that your straps will fall off your shoulders.  Instead of an extender, consider going up a band size and down a cup size.  This will give you 2 more inches around your chest while keeping your cup volume the same.

4. Your bra back is not in the proper position.  I know we’re all in a hurry when we’re getting dressed in the morning.  But making sure you put your bra on correctly and getting it in the proper place is critical to your comfort the rest of the day.  The final thing you should do after putting your bra on is reach back and pull it down so that it’s under your shoulder blades and even with the front of your bra.  When you don’t do this, and your bra is left too high on your back, the front of your bra slumps, and the straps fall off.  I can’t tell you how many times suggesting this simple thing to women has solved their strap slipping problem.

5. Your bra band is too large.  Similar to the back extender problem, if your band size is too large, your straps will be further apart.  This too can cause your straps to fall off your shoulders.  A loose band also causes the back of your bra to hike up.  If you are experiencing both these symptoms, try going down a band size and up a cup size.  This will tighten your band size while keeping your cup volume the same.

6. Wrong bra style for you.  Not all bra styles are for everyone.  Women with very square shoulders can wear the popular bras with wide-set straps.  Women with slopping shoulders will have trouble.  Women with narrow shoulders need to carefully look at the strap placement to make sure they are not too far apart for her frame.  The bottom line is to know your body style and what styles do and do not work well.

Several manufacturers have worked hard to design bras to address this issue.  For example, several Olga and Olga’s Christina bras have what they call a "Comfort Back" design.  This back style brings the straps closer together in back and thus reduces shoulder slippage. 

    

Racerback bra styles are also an option.  However, there are a few issues with this style.  First, racerback bras tend to be front closure.  This is limiting in terms of adjusting for your best fit.  Additionally, racerback bras can cut close to the neck and provide pressure to neck tendons which can become sore after hours of wearing.  So, keep this in mind before selecting racerback bras.

 

Leotard back bras look like the back of a leotard, rather than a traditional t-back where the strap comes down and attach perpendicular to the garment.  This styling tends to give less slippage, but there are leotard back bras on the market that also slip.  So, you really need to look and see how close the straps come together in the back.

As you can see the bra back is very important.  Seeing how the bra back looks and fits will greatly help you in finding the right bra to solve your problem of slipping bra straps.  The good news is that HerRoom photographs every bra with a back view.  And, what’s even better is that while you are looking at a selection of bras at HerRoom, if you’ll scroll down, you will see a link underneath the collection of images called "click for back view."  When you click on this link, all the bra images on the page instantly change to a back view of the bras.  You can now swiftly shop for the bra with the desired back qualities that work for you. 

So, you don’t need to have slipping bra straps.  A simple evaluation of your needs and the selection of the correct bra will have you comfortable and content.

You can learn more about the bra strap problem in HerRoom’s Bra Fitting Problems & Solutions.

 

 

Find various strap and back styles at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

Posted by Tomima at 7:44am
5 Comments »