What are small cup sizes?

[MarcoB]

I can grab a small handful, on one side only.  To remedy the problem that started almost three years ago of extreme nipple irritation and pain and even bleeding on bike rides from my clothes moving against the nipple, I started wearing first a very plain sports bra, and then bralettes.  What a relief!!  Before that, I tried other supposed solutions I found online, but that seemed to only increase the nipple sensitivity, so I finally gave in to the sports bra / bralette suggestion from other male athletes who have had the same problem. Now I need protection nearly all the time.

I've been pretty happy with the Jockey Seamfree Air, but it's still a compression-type bralette, and I think it would be more comfortable if it didn't just squash that breast.  There are very few companies that make bras with really small cups, one being Lula Lu which goes clear down to AAA in a 38.  What I have not been able to find out is what AA and AAA mean, for example in the fruit analogy of A being like half a lemon, B like half an orange, C like half a grapefruit, D like half a cantaloupe; and at $60 a pop, I can't afford to be doing trial-and-error, hit-and-miss experimenting.  What enlightenment can you give?  The usual measurement methods put me at a D cup which is ridiculous, arriving there because a fit man's back muscles give the back kind of a V shape, giving a much larger measurement as you move the measuring tape up, even with small or no breasts.

The attached pictures are what I have.  This is the bigger side.  The other side seems to have no breast tissue at all.  The bralette in the one picture is a cheap, no-name Chinese one, marketed as a sports bra.

[JohannK]

Since you're a bit lopsided, I'd say get a professional fitting.  I don't think this whole size-analogy thing will work, because there are too many shapes to deal with (mine for example are very shallow, with little projection), and measuring by yourself will be way off anyway since the measurement assumes close to equal size.

[SideSet]

You look good in that bra.  From your topless picture. I can see how you would be more comfortable and confident in a bra.  You should go in for a bra fitting

[MarcoB]

Thanks.  I'm not nearly as big as some of you.  As long as I'm wearing a shirt, no one would ever see any unusual protrusion, so so far it's not really a matter of looks.  I should have mentioned that although there's a little jiggling on the one side, I don't feel the need for actual support yet—and I hope it won't grow any further, although this first amount snuck up on me, and I know there's no guarantee there won't be more.  My undiminished performance on the bike, even at age 60, suggests there's still plenty of testosterone.  I've never been on any medications either.  At this point the bra/bralette is just to keep the nipple irritation away.  [Edit, a few weeks later:  A couple of days ago I bounced down the few steps into my office at home before putting on a bralette for the day, and wow—I got some bounce and tug on that left side that I don't remember ever feeling before!]  The lopsidedness has made me wonder how a non-compression-type bra would work.  I suppose I could put a pad in the other side to even things out.  The Jockey Modern Micro bralettes I got (but not the Seamfree Air) came with removable pads, which I removed since I don't need to hide headlights.  I suppose I could use one or two of those in the other cup.

[gmast]

The cup size is not a specific size, it is a size relative to the band size.  A 40A, 38B, and 36C all have the same size.  Many places say the band size is your measurements around your chest under your breast.  However, If you go to the manufacturers web sites most say to add 4 inches if even, 5 inches if odd to the chest measurement to get band size.  Some use charts that give similar results.  If you are looking at a 38 inch band size, you would probably be an A.  Anita has several sports bras in 38A and 40A sizes.  They also have one bra in the 38aa and 40aa size.  These are encapsulated bra.  New balance also has 38A and 40A bras.  They are a combination encapsulated bra with some compression.  They are expensive, but Amazon sells both, and they can usually be sent back if they don't fit.  If you wait a while, some times you can pick some up cheaper in some less desirable colors.

[MarcoB]

Anita has several sports bras in 38A and 40A sizes.  They also have one bra in the 38aa and 40aa size.  These are encapsulated bra.  New balance also has 38A and 40A bras.  They are a combination encapsulated bra with some compression.  They are expensive

Wow, you're not kidding!  Many or most of their bras are mastectomy bras though (I seem to remember Amoena was a similar case), and I've wondered what that means for size, as they have pockets to insert a prosthetic breast.  Would the outside be limp and wrinkled if you don't?

[gmast]

The Amoena are mastectomy, but most of the Anita are regular.  I like the dynamix star.  They are thin, but supportive.  

[Johndoe1]

I have several Anita bras, but they are E size (DD US) and they are very supportive and comfortable and I like them very much. I have no experience with their smaller cup size bras.

[MarcoB]

I just found out Triumph (in the UK) has 38A and AA sizes. I might be especially interested in their Triaction Fitness sports bra and the Soft Sensation (non-sports).  Does anyone here have any experience with them?  Trial and error with them would be half the price of Lula Lu!  I still don't know what A and AA mean though, so it would indeed be trial and error.  I suspect I'd need the A, not the AA.  I have a B in another brand and I'm a bit short of filling it.  I'm hesitant to "go for a fitting," not only for the usual reasons, but I know very few shops stock the smaller cups in the larger bands, so I would not want to waste their time if I can't give them a sale because they don't have anything that fits, let alone without flowers, lace, feminine colors, and possibly other feminine features I don't want.

[Edit, a few weeks later:  I just ordered a couple of different bras from Chinese suppliers via eBay.  Their size chart said to get a 42 band for my underbust measurement of a little under 38".  They were so cheap I don't know what to expect for quality, but it was partly just to try the cup size before spending more.  These were cheap enough that if they don't work out, it's no big loss except for the time required for the free shipping by boat.]