8 out of 10 women wear the wrong bra size, because there is a lack of understanding as to how bra sizes work. I've even talked to some employees at Victoria's Secret and the ones I talked to did not understand nor place any value on correct bra sizes.
So when you hear 32AA, 34B, 36DDD, or 30G, what do these numbers and letters mean? Well the number is your band width, and the letters are your cup size. A couple different opinions exist as to how to measure this, but the one I was taught to do has been accurate for myself and my beloved thespians I've costumed.
Take a tape measure and wrap it around your ribcage right below your breasts. (Pictured above as the blue line labeled "1") Add 2 to that measurement. This is your bandwidth.
Now what most people don't know is that your cup size is the DIFFERENCE between your bandwidth and the fullest part of your breasts. A lot of people, even Victoria's Secret employees have the notion that there is a set cup size like a C cup that is plopped on to a 30 band bra or a 36 band bra, but the truth is that the cup size of a 30C will look a lot different than a 38C.
So, to find your cup size, take the tape measure and measure around the fullest part of your breasts without flattening them. (Pictured above as the green line labeled "2") Take that number and apply it to the oh so simple equation below...
Full Bust- Bandwidth= Cup size
AA= Less than 1 inch difference
A= 1 inch difference
B= 2 inch difference
C= 3 inch difference
D= 4 inch difference
E= 5 inch difference
F= 6 inch difference
G= 7 inch difference
H= 8 inch difference
I= 9 inch difference
J= 10 inch difference
etc, etc, etc...
So what about DD's and DDD's? where do they fit into the chart? They are pretty much alternatives for anything after D for people who don't know any better.
DD= E =5 inch difference
DDD= F = 6 inch difference
DDDD= G = 7 inch difference
etc, etc, etc...
Other double letters like FF often indicate half inches, or are bumped up to the next size like a G. It really depends on the manufacturer, bra specialist who is fitting you, etc.
So for an example, a woman measures around her ribcage and gets 30. She then adds 2 and finds out that 32 is her bandwidth. Next, she measures around the fullest part of her breasts and gets 36. 36-32= 4. Because she knows there's a 4 inch difference between her bust and bandwidth, she is a 32D
Math + Boobs! Huzzah
Other Boob Facts:
One boob is always larger than the other. Can you guess which one? Whichever one is on the side as your dominant is always slightly smaller than the other. I have heard of a rare instance where the breast was a full cup size smaller than the other... I believe one was an E and the other a D... that would suck! She ended up getting a breast reduction on both.
Recent surveys by bra companies have found that British women have the largest breasts in the world. Half the population has a size D or higher. I do know England sells high cup sizes more than the US does, in fact, most bras I personally wear are imported from Britain; and I don't know if that is because England genuinely has larger busts or if Americans and other countries wear the wrong bra sizes and are unfamiliar with anything higher than a D or DD.
It is normal for women to have anywhere from 2 to 15 small hairs around their nipples. It's not weird, it doesn't mean you have too much testosterone, that's just how boobs are made. I assume it's for various pleasure reasons such as arousal during sex or attachment while breastfeeding. But if you don't like them, do not fear! They are easy to pluck, wax, or shave.
The skin around breasts are stretched very thin because they stretched while developing. They are more prone to dryness and dermatologists recommend moisturizing them from time to time. I'm sure it would be healthy for generous someones to help a poor girl out with such things, you know. :P It's for her health.
