Although this tag has five sizes, all five describe the exact same Panache bra. Internationally, there are many sizing conventions in place.[1]
Bra sizing by country, or international systems for labeling bra size, vary widely, which can lead to confusion when purchasing bras elsewhere. Currently, there are six systems still in use.
Although measurements between systems may not exactly correspond to one another, approximations can be drawn.
International bra size conversion
Band size conversion
Band sizes vary greatly among countries. The following table should prove a reasonable starting point for estimating band size.
| Under bust (cm) | 63-67 | 68-72 | 73–77 | 78–82 | 83–87 | 88–92 | 93–97 | 98–102 | 103–107 | 108–112 | 113–117 | 118–122 | 123–127 | 128–132 | 133–137 | 138–142 | 143–147 | 148+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 | 130 | 135 | 140 |
| B/E/F | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 | 130 | 135 | 140 | 145 | 150 | 155 |
| I | ? | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| US/UK (in) | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 60 |
| AUS | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 |
Cup size conversion
Cup sizes also vary greatly among different countries. However, they do not always exactly equate one another across different international sizing systems, as cup size labeling for each system falls into one of two different methods: increasing cup size every inch method (US and UK), and increasing cup size for every two centimeters (all other systems).
However, one inch does not equal two centimeters, but, rather, 2.54 centimeters. Thus, each time a US/UK cup increases one size, it increases by an extra 0.54 centimeters to which the EU cup will never catch up, creating a greater discrepancy between the systems as cup sizes increase.[3]
International systems
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) uses the inch system in bra sizing, meaning that for every 1 inch of difference between chest circumference and bust circumference is a letter increase in cup size.
The number in the UK system is the band size; this directly corresponds to chest circumference. A chest circumference of 34 inches means a band size of 34.
Band sizes typically begin at 28 and increase in incremements of two, yielding the bra sizes of 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, etc. Some companies create bras based on a band size of 26; one such company is Ewa Michalak (EM), but band-sizing by EM follows both the EU and UK method, so care needs to be taken when purchasing from this manufacturer).
Cup sizes generally start at AA, indicating 0 inches of difference between bust and band measurements. From there, with every 1 inch increase in the bust-to-band difference comes an increase in cup size.
United States
Like the UK, the United States (US) also uses the inch system in bra sizing. However, unlike UK sizing, US sizing can greatly vary from manufacturer to manufacturer in cup size, particularly for cups between D and J.
| 0" | <1" | 2" | 3" | 4" | 5" | 6" | 7" | 8" | 9" | 10" | 11" | 12" | 13" | 14" | 15" | 16" | 17" | 18" | 19" | 20" | 21" | 22" | 23" | 24" | 25" | 26" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AA | A | B | C | D | DD | E | F | FF | G | GG | H | HH | J | JJ | K | KK | L | LL | M | MM | N | NN | O | OO | P | PP |
| US | AA | A | B | C | D | DD/E | DDD/F | DDDD/G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
As this chart continues, up to a 16 inch difference can be found.[4] Thus, take care when purchasing from US manufacturers. Plus Size Bra appears to have a cup-size comparison chart by company, which may be useful to this end, but it's out of date and the validity is unknown.[5]
Europe and Japan
Bra sizing in Europe and Japan (EU) is similar to that in the UK and US as there is a band size that depends on under bust circumference. However, there one significant difference: the band size number is not equal to the raw under bust measurement, as a band size includes the addition of 4 or 5 inches that old sizing systems followed.
Thus, to find one's correct EU band size, a rough rule to follow is to round the under bust measurement to the nearest 5 (as band sizes increase in multiples of 5 centimeters, such as 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, etc.), then subtract 10.
To illustrate these principles, a woman measures her under bust at 73 centimeters; she rounds that to 75 centimeters, then subtracts 10 centimeters, yielding a band size of 65. However, as this woman has a borderline band size measurement, based on her level of comfort, she may find that a smaller band size proves more comfortable. Thus, she would round down to 70 centimeters, and try on a band size of 60.
Cups increase by 2 centimeters for every band size, instead of the 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) that UK and US manufacturers follow. As the cup is not increasing by an extra 0.54 cm with ever size increase, and these 0.54 centimeters add up over time, this means that the higher-lettered the cup, the greater the likelihood of an EU cup being smaller than the corresponding UK/US cup. Double letters, such as DD, are also not used by EU sizing. Cups instead increase linearly from A to Z.
The Japanese labeling system differs only from Europe's in that cup size is listed before band size, such as "B70" instead of "70B".
Australia and New Zealand
The bra sizing method of Australia and New Zealand (AUS) is based on the UK method, differing in that band size is measured by dress size instead. However, these dress sizes are only based on women with B and C cups, leading to inaccuracy if one chooses a bra based solely on dress size. Circumference of chest, as used in dress size, does not relay information regarding band size or cup size.
Belgium, Spain, and France
The system used in Belgium, Spain, and France (BEF) is similar to the one of Europe and Japan, except that the band size's numbered label is exactly 15 greater than EU's. For example, an EU band of 65 would equate to a BEF 80 band.
Italy and Czech Republic
The bra sizing method of Italy and the Czech Republic (I) is listed for mostly historical reasons, as most manufacturers have switched to the EU system.[6]
Integers, given in roman numerals, were used for the band size, starting with 0 for the European band size of 60. Cup sizes used to increase via the 2.54 cm (the 1 inch) system used by UK and US manufacturers.
Cup labeling patterns
In spite of these intrasystem discrepancies, within a particular system, cup sizes still increase linearly. Do not confuse the following table with a conversation chart, which is above.
| UK | AA | A | B | C | D | DD | E | F | FF | G | GG | H | HH | J | JJ | K | KK | L | LL | M | MM | N | NN | O | OO | P | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AA | A | B | C | D | DD/E | DDD/F | DDDD/G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| EU | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| BEF | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| I | - | A | B | C | D | DD | E | F | FF | G | GG | H | HH | J | JJ | K | KK | L | LL | M | MM | N | NN | O | OO | P | PP |
| AUS | - | A | B | C | D | DD | E | F | FF | G | GG | H | HH | J | JJ | K | KK | L | LL | M | MM | N | NN | O | OO | P | PP |
See also
- Company size comparison
- How-to bra shop
- How-to determine bra size
- How-to tell if a bra fits
- Online retailer