Making Sense Out of All the Bra Cup Sizes
March 08, 2008
Let me just state up front that if you wear a D cup size bra or smaller, you can ignore this posting - you won’t know what I’m talking about. IF, however, you’re bigger than a D, read on - I’m finally going to explain to you why you think different bra brands don’t fit you right when you buy what you think is your size.
Here’s the set up. Okay, you purchased a 36DDDD in Lunaire. You love it. It’s the perfect fit. You’ve found your size - hurray! Now, you see a bra by Freya that you want. You pull down the sizing options and… no 36DDDD. What’s going on? You find a Chantelle bra you like. Again, you look for your size; it’s not there. You see a Goddess bra. Again, no 36DDDD. “What is going on?” you say. “Is my size unique?” “Am I stuck with only one bra brand that fits me?”
Well, here’s what’s going on. Sizing for A to D cups is the same for all brands I’ve ever worked with. So, a C cup in one brand should be the same cup size in any other brand. And most of the time, this is absolutely true. However, once a brand goes beyond a D cup size, for some reason the naming of cup sizes became a free-for-all with every brand deciding for themselves what to call those cup sizes. Put another way, It’s not that your bra size is different in the various lingerie brands, but rather your size is simply called by another letter or group of letters.
In the scenario above, here are your proper bra sizes in the aforementioned brands:
Lunaire = 36DDDD
Freya = 36F
Chantelle = 36G
Goddess = 36F or 36FF
Here’s another frustration. You are told you’re a 36F. So now, armed with this fact, you march into a lingerie store and start trying on 36F bras. But many of them don’t fit. Why?
Again, 36F is not the same across all brands. If you are a perfect 36F in a Goddess bra, a 36F in Freya will be one cup size too big. In Elomi, their 36F bra will be 2 cup sizes too big. And, in some specific Goddess bra styles, your 36F could actually be too small.
After seeing this, I know you probably want to throw up your hands in disgust and frustration. Well, I don’t blame you. It took me a long time to wrap my arms around all the sizing names myself. But, having gone through this analysis, I discovered a simple trick to help you find your correct size in any lingerie brand. So, pay close attention, I’m about to make your bra sizing/fitting dilemma go away.
First, know that regardless of the cup size name, your band size number will always be the same. In our example of a 36DDDD, you can count on your band to be a 36 throughout all bra manufacturers. Now, for the cup size. Here’s my trick: don’t try and find a specific cup size when shopping. Instead, know how many cup sizes you are larger than a D cup. In our above Lunaire example, Lunaire sizes their cups as follows: D, DD, DDD, DDDD. As a DDDD wearer in Lunaire, you are 3 cup sizes larger than the standard D cup. So, when you want to find your size in another brand, simply find what out what cup size letter (or letters) they give to the 3rd size past D. Let’s look at a Chantelle bras. Chantelle cup sizes go D, E, F, G, H. The third cup size after D is G. So, you’re a 36G in Chantelle. Let’s look at Panache. They size D, DD, E, F, FF. You’re a 36F in Panache. Voila! You’ve got it!
Now, I can’t help it; I’m an Internet retailer. I would be remiss if I didn’t drop a pitch in for why you women above a D cup size should shop for bras on-line. So, here’s my argument. Online retailers have a greater selection of plus size and full figure bras to choose from, AND at HerRoom, I make sure the sizing is displayed sequentially from the smallest to largest on every style. This makes figuring out your size in any brand much easier. You can’t do this at a retail store, because the bras are not hanging in any specific size order. There’s my pitch.
After reading all this, if you’re still finding it all a little confusing, this chart is the ticket. Simply find your best fitting bra by size and brand. The vertical column will be your size in all other brands on the market today.
Here’s the chart: available at HerRoom.com
Posted by Tomima at 8:23pm
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So, What’s the Difference between “Full Figure” and “Plus Size”?
March 03, 2008
Full figure vs. plus size. The terms "full figure" and "plus size" have been in the lingerie lexicon since the beginning. They’re frequently mentioned and used interchangeably so often that many consider them synonymous. Well, they aren’t. That’s right, there is a difference between the two terms; you can be full figured without being plus sized. Let me explain.
In the lingerie business, the term, full figure means you have a cup size of D or greater. Plus size means you have a cup size of D or greater AND a band size of 40 or greater. So, a 34DD would be considered a full figure bra size. A 42D would be both a full figure and a plus size bra.
This is important for a couple of reasons. The bra size 38D is the cut-off size for the largest bra size in many brands. A bra can therefore have a size range up to a 38D and be considered an "average figure" bra. But, bra styles that include and exceed a 40 band size in their size run are considered a plus size bra. By contrast, a bra style that only goes up to a 38 band size, but includes cup sizes larger than a D is considered a full figure bra style, but not considered a plus size bra style.
The point here is that you need to pay attention to what term is actually being used on a bra style. If you wear a 42E, don’t be so sure that a bra claiming to be full figure will come in your size. Conversely, if you wear a 34DD, don’t think you need to be looking only at plus size bras in order to find your size.
There has been an increase in manufacturers who cater to the full figure market. These brands include Lunaire, Panache and Chantelle. Plus size brands are also on the rise. They include Goddess, Le Mystere, Fantasie of England and Freya.
If you need help with full-figure sizing, see HerRoom’s full-figure fitting guide.
Posted by Tomima at 4:28pm
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The New Spanx Bra - Bra-llelujah 216 - Is it really a Halleluhah?
March 03, 2008
With great fanfare, the highly anticipated Spanx Bra-lleluhah Bra style 216 launched this January. Three years in the making, this Spanx bra claims to be "So comfortable… You’ll forget you have it on!."
So what’s so different about this bra? Unlike other lingerie manufacturers, Spanx approached its 
design more from a shapewear and hosiery perspective. The bra is fashioned out of a unique hosiery fabric. Spanx claims it conforms to your body like a second skin, and thus reduces any visible bra lines under your form-fitting tops. The straps have no hardware adjustments. Instead, the unique hosiery fabric naturally adjusts the shoulder straps to the appropriate length for you. And, a new technique claims the underwires are contained differently so that no wires will peek or pop out. This new bra concept is also patent-pending.
Given this bra has the Spanx name behind it, many would predict opening sales would be brisk… and they were. So good in fact that Spanx is now saying they’re sold out and will not have more inventory until August of 2008! This is a good sign, but does it put to rest the initial cautions being voiced before its launch?
Here were the pre-launch concerns with the Spanx bra. The shoulder straps are unusual in that they’re not adjustable. These non-adjustable straps could be probl
ematic for petite and tall women who need strap adjustability. Also, as this bra is worn over time, will these straps stretch out of shape? This Spanx bra is a front closure bra. Hence, it has no band adjustability - unlike the traditional 3-position hook and eye back closure. Again, as this bra is worn, will it have a shorter life-span because the back has stretched out? Finally, it appears this bra is really designed for an average height woman who has neither a broad nor narrow back, because anything other than normal can not be adjusted for in the band length.
So far, the reviews at HerRoom.com have been mostly raves. 38B and 34C sizes have given it 5 Star reviews:
"Loved 
the Bra. I do wish that they offered bigger cup sizes in the smaller sized bras. ie: 34 D/DD or 36 D/DD"
"I love this bra. It is the most comfortable bra I have owned. I hardly know I have it on!"
However, a peek at early returns is showing a trend. There is a higher return rate in D cups. Perhaps these recent review explains why:
"Did not like this at all! I am probably a 32D-32DD and although the band is big enough around (maybe even a little too big), the cups are too small!" 32D
"It is not comfortable, does not fit well and is almost no support at all." 38D
"This bra is extremely comfortable, and perfect for under T-shirt and fitted tops. The drawback is that you cannot adjust the straps and it does not offer a lot of support. I would not recommend this bra to anyone who requires larger than a C-cup due to the lack of support. If you have smaller breasts and want a smooth line under your clothes, this would be perfect for you." 34D
Bottom line: the Spanx Bra-lleluhah bra is so far, quite popular. However, if you’re a full D cup, or you’re out of the norm in terms of height, just understand that this bra may not be the best choice for you. Hallelujah!
Spanx Sighting Update! As rumors spread that Carly Smithson, a top American Idol contestant, was pregnant, she confessed to wearing Spanx for her performance in an effort to show that no, she isn’t pregnant. She did look unusually trim and got knowing looks from American Idol judge, Paula Abdul at her mention of Spanx. And by the way, Carly really isn’t pregnant.
Find Spanx lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Panties
Slips
Shapewear
Posted by Tomima at 12:55pm
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