Sister sizing

[Traveler]

Welp it finally happened. Been on a weight loss program and it’s going well. Feeling pretty good by following the program without starving myself, so while progress has been a little slow, it’s progress.
 
Just started wearing a bra full time  around three months ago. Now that I’m wearing one I can’t believe I waited so long to do it, but I guess I needed to go through the process to get to this point. Due to the weight loss I’ve lost band size but not one bit of bust. If anything they actually look a little rounder! Due to breast migration? Seems so.

I’m now wearing a 40DD! Sister sizing from a 42D. The 42D bras I was wearing were a little roomy but there was no way I could fit in a C cup because I have the typical wide male breast. I now fully fill the double D’s because while I’ve lost band size I haven’t lost breast volume. It’s apparently not unusual for this to happen. 

I plan on continuing losing weight and improving my overall health. I still have no problems with presenting male but at some point it may be difficult. I know some us here are dealing with the same problem. Guess I just needed to vent. Thanks

[blad]

I still have no problems with presenting male but at some point it may be difficult. I know some us here are dealing with the same problem. Guess I just needed to vent. Thanks

We can always present a s a male, just one with breast bumps.

[Johndoe1]

You are not alone. I recently dropped band size too after losing about 10 lbs, but not bust size. I had several bras that were at or beyond life and even though I was at the tightest set of hooks with a 38DD, things were not fitting right nor did I have the support I had been getting. I bought several 36DDD/F bras and the support was back and the girls still had all the room in the cups they needed. While I technically sister sized down, in reality, 36DDD/F is now my correct size.

[aboywithgirls]

Unfortunately, too many people are of the assumption that if a man has breasts, it's from being overweight. We know that is not the case. I am 5'10", 160 pounds. I am under the BMI for both men and mid range for women. 

After I lost 40 lbs, I went from a 38G to a 36H in UK sizing which is the sister size. I was looking at a bra conversion chart earlier. I didn't realize that a 36H UK is a 36K US! I know that the size is just a number and letter and that the fit is the only thing that matters. However, a 36K! I'll stick with the UK sizing. It makes me feel better.

[JohannK]

Unfortunately, too many people are of the assumption that if a man has breasts, it's from being overweight. We know that is not the case. I am 5'10", 160 pounds. I am under the BMI for both men and mid range for women.

After I lost 40 lbs, I went from a 38G to a 36H in UK sizing which is the sister size. I was looking at a bra conversion chart earlier. I didn't realize that a 36H UK is a 36K US! I know that the size is just a number and letter and that the fit is the only thing that matters. However, a 36K! I'll stick with the UK sizing. It makes me feel better.

Ah, yes.  BMI.  I'm 182 cm (5'11.5), and currently 63 kg (138.9 lbs).  That gives me a BMI of 19 (which is supposedly very close to underweight).  I have actually been down to about 61.1 kg (guesstimate on an old mechanical scale), which gave me an underweight BMI of 18.4.  According to the internet my ideal weight is 73 kg.

But in reality, I still have a decent amount of abdominal fat, and when I peaked at 71 I was actually decently overweight.  There's no way I'd want to go up to 73...

[Traveler]

Funny thing is I don’t think I look like a double D! While I understand that the male breast is wider and shallower it’s not until the swoop and scoop that I fill the cups (and maybe a little over) that makes me go wow, it is the right size.

I’m also 5’ 11.5” (182cm) and could technically lose another 30 to 40 pounds to reach the “perfect” weight, but I just down sized my pants to a 34 waist, so I’m not that big. I still buy x-large shirts though to cover the girls.

Wish society was at the point where I didn’t have to jump through so many hoops to keep them hidden, (mostly).

[Johndoe1]

Wish society was at the point where I didn’t have to jump through so many hoops to keep them hidden, (mostly).

If it meant in order for my chest to be accepted as a woman's, I would gladly jump through all the silly hoops women have to. This way really sucks. I would love to have my chest be taboo like a woman's chest is. Not open season like it can be. I just want to live my life in peace. I am what I am. I didn't ask to be this way.

[aboywithgirls]

I totally get that John! It can be very frustrating. I think I always knew what I would need to do for acceptance. Not only having others accept me but more importantly, for me to accept myself. 

Our breasts shouldn't be a source of embarrassment. There is no reason why they can't be a source of pride. We shouldn't be embarrassed because we put on a brain the morning because it makes our daily activities more bearable. We should be able to put on our bra with the top we want to wear and look in the mirror and like our lumps.

For myself, I can say I do now. For me, now, wearing a is not only accepted, its expected.

[Evolver]

Sister sizing isn't always right! Using the following chart as an example, it can be seen that that going up ONE band size demands going down TWO cup sizes to end up with the same overbust measurement:
Bra Size Chart | Breast Sizes in inches and centimeters - All Bra Sizes

I have been caught out before. Years ago, when a 36B fitted me perfectly cup wise but I needed an extender for the band, I purchased a 38A only to find that the cup was far too large. Admittedly it was a different style of bra but the sister chart said! The sister chart said!!

[Dale Warnio]

I will only buy bras that I have gone in and tried on.   When trying on my bras, I will consider sister sizing then.   

[bikerbob]

When you are sister sizing, whether it is an underwire or non wire may make a difference.  A while back I found a nearly new non wired 42B molded cup bra in a thrift store that looked like it would be perfect for me but I didn't come close to filling the cups.  However, when I swoop and scoop the underarm boob into an underwire bra, I look pretty good in a 42C.  My wife and most other women can wear wired and non wired pretty much interchangeably but I can't.

[gmast]

When I was a kid, we all knew that a women that was D was big chested, and DD was huge.  This was before breast implants were common, and bra sizing was traditional.  With traditional sizing an A cup had a breast measurement 5 or 6 inches bigger than the underbust measurement.  A DD was 9 or 10 inches bigger.  For instance a women with underbust of 31, bust measurement of 41 would be 36DD.  Now, some seem to use the band measurement as the band size, so a 31 underbust is a 32.  Then for the cup size, some start A and  with +5 inches over the band, and some +1 over the band size.  Going with the latter, this is a 32J.  With this in mind, a 32J is huge, but not ginormous, as was a 36DD years ago.

Some of the brands I've looked at like Hanes (bali, Playtex, Maidenform) use the chest measurement for the band size, with is typically a couple of inches more than the underbust measurement.  An A cup is +1 inches over the band.  So someone 36 underbust, 41 bust with a 38 inch chest measurement is 38C.  Under traditional measurements, that would be a 40A.  A 38A would be a 40AAA.  And not surprising, Hanes starts most of there 38s with a B.  When it comes to bra sizing standards, there are so many to choose from, that giving a bra size doesn't mean a whole lot unless the method used is included with the size.

[Traveler]

Gmast, 
Guess I fall under the old sizing better. I do have a 10 inch difference between under bust versus on the bust measurement.
Here’s a current pic of me wearing a Torrid 40DD front clasp tee shirt style.

[taxmapper]

When I was a kid, we all knew that a women that was D was big chested, and DD was huge.  This was before breast implants were common, and bra sizing was traditional.  With traditional sizing an A cup had a breast measurement 5 or 6 inches bigger than the underbust measurement.  A DD was 9 or 10 inches bigger.  For instance a women with underbust of 31, bust measurement of 41 would be 36DD.  Now, some seem to use the band measurement as the band size, so a 31 underbust is a 32.  Then for the cup size, some start A and  with +5 inches over the band, and some +1 over the band size.  Going with the latter, this is a 32J.  With this in mind, a 32J is huge, but not ginormous, as was a 36DD years ago.

Some of the brands I've looked at like Hanes (bali, Playtex, Maidenform) use the chest measurement for the band size, with is typically a couple of inches more than the underbust measurement.  An A cup is +1 inches over the band.  So someone 36 underbust, 41 bust with a 38 inch chest measurement is 38C.  Under traditional measurements, that would be a 40A.  A 38A would be a 40AAA.  And not surprising, Hanes starts most of there 38s with a B.  When it comes to bra sizing standards, there are so many to choose from, that giving a bra size doesn't mean a whole lot unless the method used is included with the size.

Its that to which I have found unusual. My measurements (still growing and fluctuating) runs between 46.75-48 inches depending on the day. (yes it fluxuates.) 

My chest (underbust) is 43.5 cold.. 
hasn't moved for years.   
By old standards that puts me in the A category. 
But by new measurement that puts me into the B-C category.  

I have tried unpadded bras and they are just too large in the C category and bareilly hits B.  

But a sports bra with padding fully fills the cup and is actually starting to push out a bit. 

[gmast]

Traveler says that his bust is 10 inches longer than the band and wears a Torrid 40DD.  When I go to Torrid's web site, they don't have a size chart for bras, but they do have a video.  The video says the band measurement is the band size, and the difference in measurement between the band and the bust is the cup size, with 1 inch being a A Cup.  So his size would be a 40I (they use DD and DDD then F) .  However, they only list 40B to 40G in there search.  One of them must be wrong.

Anita has a size chart and a size calculator, and they give different bra sizes for the measurements.  So with a 36 41 as measurements, the charts say 40A, the calculator says I'm 38E.    When I asked them about the sizing because I was considering a couple of different models and wondered if all bras fit the same, and what method is appropriate, they said to use the calculator, and they were in the process of getting rid of the charts.  However, it is the 40A that fit me.  Then they said that that bra (and a couple others) had a short band.  There is a lot of inconsistency in bra sizes and confusion on how to estimate the proper size, even from the manufacturer.

I cringe every time someone posts advice on what size bra someone should be, unless they can give a bra brand or even better, specific models to go with it.  Most people seem to suggest using abrathatfits to estimate sizes, which seems to be similar to using the band measurement as the band size, and 1 in difference is an A cup.  Many of the manufactures seem post using band measurment +2 or +3 for the band size, and +5 off the band measurement for an A cup.  As a kid, I didn't understand what the measurements of a model with a 38D was, but I new she was big.  I still don't know what the measurements of a model with a 38D are, but now I don't even know if she's big.