It wasn't until we measured ourselves that we found our correct size. Even Victoria's Secret sized us wrong which was disappointing. We are petite so our 28 and 30 band sizes are hard to find. For all you petite gals we highly recommend going to http://www.evesappleslingerie.
For women with larger breast this might be a better way to measure yourself to find out your correct bra size:http://www.thinandcurvy.com/2010/10/how-to-measure-your-bra-size-correct.html since Eve's apple caters to women with smaller breast.
We have tried both calculators and all are accurate in the cups sizes and almost accurate on the band size. The "Thin and Curvy" way to measure puts us in a smaller band size but the cup size was correct, but we used that as our starting point. The "thin and curvy" way to measure is accurate with the lingerie brand Panache. Always start with the smallest band size and if it is painfully tight than go up a cup size first, if the cup looks big and the band is still painfully tight, than feel free to go up a band size and down a cup size. Sometimes when the bra band feels painfully tight it means the cups might still be too small, so go up a cup size first to double check. If the band is riding up in the back and you have to wear it in the tightest hook than go down a band size and go up a cup size. When you have a new bra the band should be snug on the loosest hook so the bra will last since bras stretch out when you start wearing them. Bra Size calculators are just a starting point so you know what sizes in bras you will try on and than pick the size that is comfortable snug in the back and make sure the cups cover all the breast tissue. Remember not all D cups are the same exact size. The cup size gets larger as the band sizes also gets larger. For example bra sizes 28dd,30d,32c,34b,36a are all the same cup size, the difference is the length of the band.
One company that we love to buy bras from is: figleaves.com
They carry many different sizes big and small.
Currently we wear http://www.figleaves.com/us/product/FIG-123506/Just-Peachy-By-Figleaves.com-Daisy-Embroidery-Padded-Balconette-Bra and we like it! It is lightly lined with no padded push up. At first the bra fit very snug but after wearing it three times it fits perfect now, and the material is also very good. We think this bra will last a good while. Also the design is very pretty and it comes in white and hot pink.If you don't like underwires then this bra might not be for you. You can always purchase wireless bras at figleaves.com and they carry most sizes! We also like barenecessities.com and herroom.com because they have smaller band sizes and different cup sizes not just A-D but they go even up to cup size K! They even have smaller band sizes as small as 28! Once you find your size these three websites are the best to find a bra that fits! These are pictures of the figleaves bra!
Macy's has great bras on clearance sometimes but most of the time their band sizes start at 32 which is not cool for those who have smaller backs. However Dillard's and Nordstrom carry small band sizes 28 and 30! If you have a smaller band size Dillard's and Nordstrom are the place to go! A downside to the Calvin Klein bras is that the smallest band size they carry is 30 and I have only seen band size 30 in the customize lift line and in basic colors like black, nude, ivory. The good side of the CK bras is that size 32 is very snug. For example if you wear a size 30DD in the Panache bra brand, CK bras in 32D will fit you perfect. If you wear a 28d in the the Panache bra brand a 30C in Calvin Klein will fit you perfect. Speaking of Panache if you like a soft cup bra this bra might be the right one for you: http://www.barenecessities.com/panache-tango-balconette-bra-3251_product.htm?pf_id=Panache3251&search=&manual_cm_sp=SlotLocation-_-R1C1-_-Panache3251
Here is a picture of the bra. The bra is a lot prettier in person once you put it on! Just make sure you have the correct bra size with this bra, if you wear a 32D in Calvin Klein bras, we suggest you wear a 30DD in this bra below. Panache bra bands tend to run one size larger than Calvin klein bands. If you wear a 30DD in Calvin Klein, we suggest a 28E in this particular bra.
This bra gives your breast a good lift without any padding and makes them round and perky! The downside of this bra is that it is not seamless, the design shows through sheer tops, it is not a t-shirt bra. This bra is perfect for thick sweaters in the winter! You can also use it as part of sexy lingerie for that special someone! ;o)
Other cool blogs about bra fitting that have very good information on bra sizes are:
fullerfigurefullerbust.com and sophiajenner.wordpress.com
-Krystal and Elisa
