How-to determine bra size for transgender women

Measurements #1 and #5 work best for trans women.

This guide about proper bra size measurement will help a bra-wearers find the right size range for their body and spot whether or not a bra fits correctly, thereby allowing anyone to shop for a bra and avoid poor fitting advice offered by unscrupulous or unknowing fitters. This guide will detail the tools needed, dos and don'ts, the step-by-step measuring process, size calculation, the process of trying on a bra correctly, and ways to both recognize and fix problems with fit.

Materials

• Soft measuring tape (or a string, which you can measure against another measuring device)
• Paper
• Writing utensil

Measure

Measure band size

1. Remove all articles of clothing from the waist up, including your bra
2. Wrap the tape around your torso, directly under the root of your breast. Wherever your breast tissue terminates into the torso is where the band should be sitting, even if it seems high.
3. Take a deep breath in and pull the tape tight enough that it feels really snug (because bras are stretchy), but not so tight as to leave a red mark in your skin.
4. After exhaling, write down this number.

Note: If you have an underbust measurement of 36 inches or more, record the measurement when pulling the tape as tight as possible.

Measure cup size

1. Measure your band the same as the traditional method, by removing all clothing from the waist up and pulling the measuring tape so it's snug against the body underneath the breasts.
2. Write down this number.
3. To measure for the cup size, lay down on a flat surface, and wrap the measuring tape around the body at breast level. Do not move or manipulate the breasts while measuring; measure them where they naturally rest. Also make sure you do not let the tape fall in between the breasts, but let it lay across them like a bridge.
4. Write down this number.

Calculate

Since most bra calculators are not accurate, we recommend calculating manually.

Calculate band size

1. Round your under bust measurement (the first number) to the nearest whole number.
2. If it is odd, plus 1.
3. That number is your band size.

Calculate cup size

1. Subtract the band measurement (the first number) from the bust measurement (the second number).
2. Round up the difference to the next whole number.
3. Look up that number on the chart below.
4. That letter is your cup size.

Most common cup-size standards used by bra manufacturers

	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

See also

• How-to determine bra size
• Bra troubleshooting
• How-to bra shop
• How-to put on a bra
• How-to tell if a bra fits
• Offline retailer
• Online retailer