Demystifying the DD

Bras are a fun but complicated article of clothing and finding a correctly fitting bra can be a challenge. A truly proper fit comes from taking measurements and a little experimentation (aka TRYING BRAS ON) our bras are essentially containers for our boobs, so the cups of the bra rely on volume and while measurements are a great starting point, there a lot of factors that go into how they fit breast tissue density, breast shape, torso height, style of the bra and more.

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These ladies had all been fitted previously into incorrect sizes. The woman wearing the 32F was wearing a 34C and 36B at times. The woman in the 32H wore a 38DD for almost a decade. The woman wearing the 34DD had previously been wearing a 34C.

There is a lot of confusion about bra fit and cup sizes mostly revolving around the letter D, there is this fantastic myth that a DD is HUGE and that anything at or beyond is a massive cup size when in reality a DD is roughly a 5” difference between your ribcage measurement (taken right underneath your breast tissue, not above your breast tissue, not adding inches to your measurement, not around your waist, right parallel to where your breast tissue stops on your chest). There is also no such thing as a ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ bra size, we are all unique individuals with different body types, different heights, different needs. Our bodies change over time, our breasts grow and shrink weather through puberty, weight gain or loss, breast feeding, finishing breast feeding, hormonal changes and more. This means that our bra sizes aren’t static and just because you were fitted 5 years ago, a year ago or even 6 months ago in one size doesn’t mean you’ll always be at that size.

To make bras even more fun and confusing every brand fits differently, every style fits differently heck even different color ways fit differently, most countries use different size labels and numbers. This means you REALLY need to try them on, every single time. Some brands are more consistent in their sizing but every now and then a style will run loose or tighter.

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A well fitting 34D, modeled by one of our customers. This customer usually wears a 32DD, however this particular bra was running a band size tighter than usual.

Ideally a well-fitting bra will be supportive; bras are intended to be a support garment after all. This means you’ll probably need a firmer band than you are used to. This firmer band helps lift the breast tissue up, and will quite literally relieve some weight and strain off your shoulders and for a lot of women can help relieve neck and shoulder irritation. Having a firmer band can accentuate “back fat” this however doesn’t mean that the bra doesn’t fit, it just means that the band is firmer and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We have layers of skin and fat, we are human after all. But the less firm of the band the less lift and support you get, which means the lower the boobs will hang.

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A Well fitting 32H, modeled by Hollis, one of our owners. She prefers a tight band due to her cup size even though her rib cage measures at 33″ and could wear a 34 band instead, but finds they stretch out too fast for her liking.

Did you notice how both Hollis and the customer above are wearing their bras on the loosest set of hooks? This is because bras will stretch out over time, if you start them at the tightest setting when they are new you won’t be able to tighten them up as the elastic expires. If you know your body fluctuates weight regularly try a band that you can easily start at the middle hook so you can loosen or tighten as needed, or get bras at your highest and lowest fluctuation point.

If you feel like your bra is perfect then great! We will have bras for you when you’re ready to get a new one. However, if you’re not sure if your bra is fitting correctly, let us give you a hand! We’re more than happy to answer any questions or bra fitting concerns you might have.