Hey so I want to add - I’m a bra fitter. As in, I fit women for bras for a living. Specifically large breasts (it’s a large cup size retailer).
We stock everything from D-K from a 28 inch band to a 44 inch band.
Breasts are NOT as large as they think you are. AT ALL!
Most traditional gra fitting involves measuring the ‘underbust’ (top of rib cage under the boobs) and then the ‘bust’ (widest part of the boob). Then they add 4 inches to that underbust measurement and the difference between the underbust and the bust is the ‘cup size’.
Each inch is a cup size.
By that measurement, women end up wearing too large a band and too small a cup and get the wire digging into their breast tissue, etc etc etc.
How we measure is we count directly up from the first measurement to the second. We don’t add the unnecessary 4 inches. This means several things: cup size is relative to band size, and no one is wearing the right size.
DD is not large. DD is a five inch circumference difference from the top of your rib cage. The shape of your breast, where it sits, etc, all affect breast size. DD is actually fairly small all things considered. Fun fact: your breast tissue actually starts under your armpit usually, and all of that has to be in FRONT of the wire of the bra.
There’s also the shape of the breast, placement on the upper torso, and fullness, which all affect sizing. Also each retailer sizes differently, each country too. French cups are smaller (I’m a French I cup, UK/AUS don’t do I cups, some places have DDD, some places don’t do double letters like HH or FF).
Example: I am an UK8GG. That means I have a 30 inch band/30 inch top of rib cage circumference, and the largest part of my bust is 10 inches larger, 40 inch circumference.
8GG sounds massive, right? Nah. Actually not that big. Honestly the average size we fit is a 12H. So a 34inch underbust and an 11 inch difference to bust.
I fit dozens of women every week and let me tell you, it is EXCEEDINGLY rare to find any women who look anything like the ‘large breast’ pictures.
Looking at those pictures of sex dolls, guessing by the protrusion based on the width of their ribs The ‘small’ would be between a C-E cup, the ‘medium’ would be at LEAST a HH-J and the ‘large?’
I’ve met one person who looks like her. One. She is a 24 inch band (a UK4) with L Cups. Bras aren’t even made in that size commonly. My boss has been fitting for 10 years and not seen anything like her before. 10 years of fitting over 2 countries, in major cities both times.
I’ve never seen anyone with the ‘huge’ category boobs in real life. I imagine she’d be very uncomfortable.
None of those dolls would have a band size bigger than a 34 at MOST. More likely a 30.
So the breast ideal in this article is, frankly, fairly unobtainable.
Anyway I’ll read the rest of the article now but seeing as I know my shit here I thought I’d interject.
Ladies - find a bra fitter who doesn’t do the +4 method. Your bras will fit tighter at first but they’ll actually fit BETTER. At least go down ONE band size. Start on the LOOSEST hook and work your way in as the bra stretches. Your bras should be replaced every two years (I’d prefer one some stretch quick especially when super cheap) but to make it last wash them by hand in cold water. Make sure you scoop all your breast tissue so the wire is behind it and you aren’t spilling out the front. Make sure the wire sits right underneath your breast tissue, so your breasts are properly in the cup and keep your straps tight. The weight will be held up by your ribs and back not your shoulders and neck.
MEN: boobs aren’t as big as you think.
Anyone in between: Take what advice you need.