Cup Size Woes.

[Crime Scene Scarf]

I work at the local bra emporium, Bras Galore! as a sales assistant. Part of my job is measuring women to help them find the correct bra size, as most women are wearing the wrong sized bras. Unfortunately, this often causes trouble.

The biggest issue is that people think that bra sizes are standard. If you're a 32D in one place, you might be different elsewhere. Much like dresses, trousers and shirts are different all over, so are bras. Not that difficult a concept, right? Wrong.

A-Cup? More like A-hole.

The players in this scene include Me, a young woman with great ambition, and a nice rack. Playing a supporting part is Insecure Thirteen Year Old Girl, or ITYOG. Standing there doing nothing is ITYOG's mother, who has to be there as a chaperone.

Me: Right, so we've found your size, and it looks like you're a 36A.
ITYOG: What? No! I am NOT an A-cup! Bring me a 36C.
Me: (Um, sure, but they'll be really gappy on you. At least this keeps me from having to scrape gum off of the floor.) Sure, I'll be right back.
ITYOG: Does it fit?
Me: No. It's too big, see, the cups don't actually sit against your body.
ITYOG: I'm not an A-cup! Mum, tell her!
ITYOG mother: She's not an A-cup.
ITYOG: See!

Eventually, I hunt around the store, and find the one bra that comes up small, so that she can have a 36B that still gaps, but not quite as much. ITYOG is smug, and phones somebody to brag about her giant mammaries.


Unfortunate Man to the rescue!
Later, another person requests a fitting. This one is a grown woman, and so I assume she might have manners. This scene includes Me, a young woman of short stature, and big dreams. It also includes DD, a woman who believed that naming her child Ashileigh was a good idea. Lastly, as a special guest, we have DD's husband, Unfortunate Man.

Me: Okay, you're measuring up as a 34 back size, and I'll need to get you to try on a bra or two to find out what cup size you are.
DD: okay, great!
Me: (Exits fitting room through door)
Unfortunate Man: Excuse me, you're fitting my wife. Just to let you know, she won't buy anything above a double D.
Me: Unfortunately, the double D she's wearing at the moment is a bit small for her, she's probably an E.
Unfortunate Man: She won't wear it.

Even so, the unfortunate Me finds an E-cup, and brings it to DD.

DD: Oh, no, that's not my size.
Me: (explaning)
DD: No. That is not my size. Bring me a double D.
Me: (Does so)
DD: (Does not fit into bra) No, bring me my size! What is so difficult about finding a double D cup bra! Look at this! It doesn't fit!
Me: (backs out slowly)
Unfortunate Man: I found these bras. She'll like them, and I've paid for them. Can you just cut the tags out, and tell her they're a double D?
Me: Sure.

Back into the fitting room.

Me: I found these.
DD: What size are they?
Me: Double D. (oh, such horrible lies! They are all E-cup!)
E-cup bra: (Fits perfectly)
DD: Finally! Okay, great, I'll take them! Thank you so much, you've been so helpful!

It was then my duty to inform everybody else in our section of the store the proper procedure on dealing with her.

[LillFilly]

That's...Some serious denial there. Especially when it means sacrificing comfort. Poor husband!

[Treasure]

at least hubby is smart, and a bit wiley.... Might I recommend DDD (yes a triple D) if you read it wrong, it looks like DD .... and its actually interchangeable with E....

[Comechatcha]

*facepalms*

Oh ladies, cup size doesn't mean anything. As someone who wore bras that were too tight in the chest AND cup for a year because I was too naive to ask to be properly fitted and wasn't sure how they were supposed to fit, a properly fitted and comfortable bra is the best thing in the world.

[Sparky]

Gotta fess up -- that A cup story?

That would be me. Once. I finally found a B that fit me, and I was Then a saleslady told me I needed an A and I was So I turned into and the poor saleslady was

Sorry, poor saleslady. I know better now.

[Nayeli_Sabia]

Sparky, the first time my mom filled out an A cup... was when she was pregnant, lol.


I have been measured, but still struggle to find bras that fit. I wish I had an Epic Bra Store with Epic Workers of Measuring Awesomeness.

There may be one here, now that I've moved, but I haven't been able to go bra shopping yet, since I'm pregnant it can wait, lol.

[SuperRTL]

I get remeasured every time I go bra shopping. Most times, they tell me, yeah, we have these 2 ugly ass ones in your size or you can go online and get these other 2 ugly ass ones. Oh, the cute ones? No, those only go up to a DD.

Grrrr and stuff. There are days when I'd kill for a decent C-cup.

[Ghel]

Even if you're shopping at the same store, different styles of bra may fit differently. There's one style at one store that I like. One time when I did my annual bra shopping, they didn't have the size I needed in stock, so I ended up buying a different style. But I made the mistake of not trying them on first. Not only was the size slightly bigger than my regular style, they fit differently and were somewhat uncomfortable. Me being the stubborn person that I am, I didn't return them. I suffered through until I could afford to buy a new set in the style I like.

[Blue Ginger]

SuperRTL try Bravissimo. They have really cute and sexy bras that are for bigger sizes. They are a UK company but they now post to a lot of countries. Their clothes are good quality too.
http://www.bravissimo.com/

Nayeli Sabia, my mum was the same. I don't even fill most A-cups.

[SuperRTL]

The problem with buying bras online is that you can't try them on. And even if they have a pretty decent return/exchange policy, buying something just to try it on seems to be kind of a waste. So it's either that or go to the specialty store in town where I can afford 1 bra a year. Ah, well, I've been having this problem since high school. I'll just have to keep soldiering on. I'm just glad I'm not in denial like the lady in the OP!

[Solumina]

A store that sells E cups? In a 34??? I must venture to this place.

Last time I was measured the girl told me I was a 34C, she tried to insist that she was right despite the face that I had on a 32DD that even she admitted was too small, yet somehow going up to a 34 would make a C cup fit . Since then I've just kind fo gone with trial and error.

[Nayeli_Sabia]

Nayeli Sabia, my mum was the same. I don't even fill most A-cups.

Ironically, my Nana, aunt and I are all VERY buxom. My sister less so, but still bigger than mom. I claimed for years that I stole her inheritance ^_^

[dragon_wings]

I've been fitted twice in the last year. The first time (in October maybe) I was told I was 36C. I tried on a bra and it seemed to fit. But then within less then a week I realized it was so the wrong size. Then in February I has some money and went an got refitted. I found out I was actually a 36DD! No wonder my bra didn't fit. I've since bought 2 more bras. And I tried these on and made sure they fit and felt comfy.

[Crime Scene Scarf]

My problem is that my backsize is too small for a lot of places to stock, and my cup size is too large. I've found a few styles at Bras Galore! that are really tight, and luckily go up to a GG (which is beyond my needs), so I'm set.

I honestly reccommend getting fitted. As long as you get a salesperson who is pleasant, it'll be great, and I can promise, unless you act like the two ladies described, nobody will remember what you look like, so it's not as embarrassing as it seems at first. Honestly, if someone fitting you doesn't make you feel at ease, then they're not doing it right. I like to think I can make people comfortable, anyway!

[Andara Bledin]

The biggest issue is that people think that bra sizes are standard. If you're a 32D in one place, you might be different elsewhere. Much like dresses, trousers and shirts are different all over, so are bras. Not that difficult a concept, right? Wrong.

You'd think that something that went by a basic measurement system would be fairly standard. But cut and design can do a lot to make things fit differently.

Unfortunate Man: I found these bras. She'll like them, and I've paid for them. Can you just cut the tags out, and tell her they're a double D?

It's nice of him to know that his wife is insane and to be proactive in shielding you from further stupidity.

I've honestly never understood why people just won't admit that they're the size they are. I'd rather be comfortable than shelter in the self-delusion that I'm not actually as fat as I am.

a properly fitted and comfortable bra is the best thing in the world.

This. A million times this. I recently bought some bras off the Internet that are the most comfortable ones I've ever encountered. It used to be that the moment I was home for the night, I'd shuck 'em, but with these, I sometimes almost forget I'm wearing them.

Sparky, the first time my mom filled out an A cup... was when she was pregnant, lol.

This is the same with most of the women on my mother's side of the family. The only time she or two of her three sisters ever wore a bra was my mother when she was pregnant.

My middle aunt actually got out of wearing one while in the military (it's officially part of the uniform) by asking her CO, "If you were born without hands, would you wear gloves?"

The problem with buying bras online is that you can't try them on. And even if they have a pretty decent return/exchange policy, buying something just to try it on seems to be kind of a waste.

I was already aware of how to measure myself for a base fitting, and I read a lot of reviews on several different bras before choosing the ones I went with. Most of the comments were that they were super-comfortable but ran just a slight bit big with a whole lot of comments about them running "way too big" from women I wouldn't be surprised to learn didn't actually know what size they really were.

^-.-^