Measuring yourself

[Justagirl💃]

Interesting observation I made yesterday a a lady came into the store to be measured. Of course the Torrid girls measure over the top of your clothes. They grabbed a "starting point" of bras to work with and off they went to the dressing room.

Being it's cold lately, I was wearing several layers. Understandably Torrid procedure is to pull the bust measurement "snug". This takes away any clothing and other discrepancies out of the results.
I measured myself with sweater and all just out of curiosity, and came up with 57". With a 46" band that placed me off the charts in cup size. Of course I am not that big.

This morning I measured myself both naked and wearing a well fitting bra, and I am 53" with the 46" band. That placed me in an F cup, and that is the bra I wear. The bra measurements I pulled snug but the naked measurement I measured just barely snug enough to hold the tape up.

In my opinion, the naked measurement is a much better result than over clothes or over a "well fitting bra." You don't have to "pull it snug" to remove extra clothing room. It is truely measuring actual tissue.

I'm adding a video about breast shapes, and best bras for them:

https://youtu.be/cXkuXPXPpe4?si=ZkXJn6ck6th7le-K

[taxmapper]

Measuring myself I follow the same procedure each time. 
I stay seated and pull the tape around from the back and arch my back a bit then reset the tape. 

If I am wet from a shower or sweat the tape will stick and give a false reading always on the short side.  

Sometimes Ill put on a thin t shirt and get the same result.  If with a bra on, sometimes the padding gives about an eighth to one quarter inch difference on the large side.  This with the tape covering the back of the bra.  Making them negligible.

I dont have thick clothing so for your end of i I havent seen any results. 

I am with you that the “thinner” or naked measurements are more accurate. 

Additionally my latest measurements have put me at 49-49 1/2 to just tickling 50 inches. Band has stayed at 43-1/2.   But still fill a B cup. 

Although not yet to pencil territory, my breasts are starting to fold over and feel much heavier.  I also cant go braless while out and about due to the bouncing. 

[AlfaQ]

The Pencil test.  No chance of achieving this in the morning but after a day wearing my bra I can sometimes achieve it when I  take it off at bed time.  I think this shows how your bra shapes your breast tissue with extended wear. 

[Evolver]

The Pencil test.  No chance of achieving this in the morning but after a day wearing my bra I can sometimes achieve it when I take it off at bed time.

Interesting.

I also fail the test in my natural state unless I slouch forward ever so slightly, but wearing a bra or crop definitely adds shaping that looks like I could hold a pencil. I must experiment, both when wearing one and after 12 hours of wearing one!

[Gotboobs]

Under bust I am a 38 1/2 inches pulling the tape snug but not tight.
My question is how to measure your bust?
I mean pull the tape so it is just touching your breasts, snug or tight?
My bust measure 44 1/2 with the tape kinda snug. I wear 38 B cup bras. Some fit well and some brands I spill out the top a little. So am i measuring correctly?

[Justagirl💃]

Under bust I am a 38 1/2 inches pulling the tape snug but not tight.
My question is how to measure your bust?
I mean pull the tape so it is just touching your breasts, snug or tight?
My bust measure 44 1/2 with the tape kinda snug. I wear 38 B cup bras. Some fit well and some brands I spill out the top a little. So am i measuring correctly?

At Torrid we are taught to pull the tape snug over the bust to remove extra clothing layers being measured and/or fat. That seems to work okay but braless naked I seem to get best measurements.

Torrid would start you out at a 40" band and a D cup for starters. Then keep adjusting different styles and sizes from their until they found what works. The measurements are just a starting point.

[Gotboobs]

So I should measure with clothes on with a snug tape instead of topless with a kinda snug tape?
I will try that

[Gotboobs]

It’s clothes on and bra on I measured 40.5 inches underbust very snug and 46 overbust snug

[Justagirl💃]

It’s clothes on and bra on I measured 40.5 inches underbust very snug and 46 overbust snug

If I was fitting you at Torrid, being that men are usually wide set I would start with a 40 Double D bralette underwire. I would also stay away from molded cups since men are normally full on the bottom. Unless you have a lot of boobage the molded cups usually fit the very rounded boobs only.

From there I would try different cup sizes and styles until we found something that fit your chest.

[Gotboobs]

Thx for the advice. I have a couple of molded B cups I fill up and then some. But I like the idea that you came up with….i will try those bras. Thank you

[Justagirl💃]

Thx for the advice. I have a couple of molded B cups I fill up and then some. But I like the idea that you came up with….i will try those bras. Thank you

Best way as to just go into Torrid to try on different bras without buying each one. But if you don't want to go in person you can always order a selection off the website and return the bras that don't fit (don't remove the tags until you find the right one). 

[Traveler]

Hey Birdie,
I normally wear the Torrid T-shirt bras in a 40 DD. But, my measurements come in at 40 underbust and 50 across the bust. Should I be wearing a different style bra?

[Justagirl💃]

Hey Birdie,
I normally wear the Torrid T-shirt bras in a 40 DD. But, my measurements come in at 40 underbust and 50 across the bust. Should I be wearing a different style bra?

T-shirt bras work great, but you have to adjust cup sizes a bit in the Torrid bra because of the molded cups. 
You might find in an underwire bralette you could wear a more fitting bra.