At the end of a fitting, this was one of the most common questions customers would ask. If I’d been in their position, I’d have asked the same question. This is the answer I’d have gotten:
“A 32DDD in Wacoal, a 32F in Simone Perele, 32E in Fantasie, 34DD in that Goddess sport bra- but we are altering it to be a 32DDD, since they don’t make it in that size. In Chantelle this one is a 32F, this one a 34E. But these are all about the same size, the brands just use different size ranges.”
…and face goes blank with confusion. Can you repeat that in English please???
I suppose it sounds like a special “Bra Language.” But there is a pattern here. The main reason for the different sizes is because these are almost all different brands, who choose to follow a different size range. It’s like metric vs. imperial measuring- you can have the same length in both, but they are going to sound different. If you wrote out a chart, like this, it makes more sense:
Even if you know what size you normally wear in a certain brand, you need to know which size range each brand follows if you’re looking for something new. Some companies do put all the different correlating sizes on the tags, which can help if you’re shopping in person. If you’re purchasing online, make sure you pay attention to what size range the website follows- as you can see those F’s and G’s can be very different physical sizes!
There is still another important oddity in the sizes I wear: how am I two different sizes within the same brand? You’d assume that within a brand you would always wear the same size in everything they made! I mentioned Chantelle as the brand I wore in two different sizes, because I actually have both in my lingerie drawer. Already I owned two Chantelle 32F’s that I loved, a t-shirt bra and a plunge style. So I then wanted to try the lovely demi bras that Chantelle is known for; of course I ordered a 32F. But when I put it on, oh the wires under my arm were so uncomfortable!
Why did this style suddenly not work? Mostly, it was because I was moving to a different style. Brands want to create variety to cover as many body types and market demands as possible, and the demi style wasn't as well suited to my shape. Additionally, sometimes you will find places where size jumps (grading is the technical term) are a bit skewed on purpose for certain sizes. Fuller cups need more support, and the construction may change ever so slightly at certain sizes to accomodate this. If you look closely at bras, you might notice these little changes. Some styles jump to wider straps at a certain size, or in this case the F and above wires become taller than the E and below.
That pink bra is waaaay taller under the arm! Ouch!
This bra was quite beautiful, and I didn't want to give up that easily. I noticed the wire change, so I tried the sister size 34E. By going up in the band, I wore the E cup, just before the wire sizing jump. It worked! The cup was much, much more comfortable and still supportive for my frame. The band is a little loose, so I'll alter it to make it more like a 32. Yay! :)
Now, this doesn't always work; sometimes it's best to just let certain styles go and move on. The Natori feathers lace bra is wildy popular at the moment, and it fits many women beautifully- but I am not one of them. I've tried to make it work many times, but it just doesn't. And that's ok. I'd rather have something that fits!
As a fitter, I got in the habit of trying on as many styles as possible, to learn these little details of fit and sizing. Sometimes I was surprised by what worked on me, and what didn't! When you’re shopping for bras, don't be afraid of trying all kinds of bras. Or, find an experienced professional fitter. A good one will know the product well and help you save alot of time trying to learn the nuances in all the different brands.
Now that you know some of the basics, you can understand why you might end up in a few different sizes. And that's ok! Forget the label and spend more time focusing on what you feel fantastic wearing. :)