the-awkward-narwhal asked: What do u do when ur ribcage is unproportional to ur breast size. I wear a 34D (the cup fits but the band is too big) if I go down to a 32 D the cups are too big. I have the same problem with bathing suits. I need a large but the the band is huge!

Are you sure that the cups fit on a 34D but are too small on a 32D? I’m asking because due to sister sizing, the cups on a 34D are the same size as the cups on a 32DD. Not only that, but a too-large band can often mask a bad fit in the cups. For example, if your cups were too small but the band was the right size, you would know that the cups didn’t fit because you would feel constricted. But if you loosened the band, then the cups wouldn’t feel as constricting due to the extra band length, and you might never know that your cups don’t fit. So I would expect that the 32D would feel too small in the cups. Maybe that’s what you meant? If that’s the case, here’s what to do (if not, feel free to skip past these instructions!):

1. Try on a 32D bra backwards. This way you can know if the band fits without any interference from the fit of the cups. If the backwards 32D bra fits fine in the band, then you’ll know that the band is the correct size but cups are too small. If the bra suddenly feels too loose in the band, you’ll know that you need a smaller band size and a larger cup size.

2. When you figure out which band size you need (which means the bra fits well when tried on backwards), the next step is to try bras on frontwards and increase the cup size until the cups fit.

3. Another step that would be helpful here is to measure yourself and figure out a good starting point before you try on bras. This could save you a lot of time, especially if you end up fitting well in a size outside of the 32-36 A-DD range. (And a lot of average-sized people DO fit in bras outside that range, it’s nothing to worry about!)

However, if the 32D bra you tried did feel too big in the cups while your 34D bras feel just right, this could be due to the style or brand of the bra. Unfortunately, bra sizes aren’t completely standardized across all brands–most people find that there’s a range of sizes that fit them depending on the brand. (For example, I have bras in 28FF, 30E, 30F, and 28G that all fit me well!) Not only that, but the shape of the bra can make the bra seem like it’s the wrong size, when really it’s just not the right shape for you. Kind of like how a curvy-hipped person might feel like a pair of jeans is too big because of extra room in the waist, but in reality, if they try the next size down, the jeans will feel too small in the hips even though they fit in the waist. Boobs are the same way! Maybe the 32D’s cups were very projected, so there was extra space in the middle. Maybe the cups were very open on top, so there was extra space in the top. Who knows. :)