Bra sizing

[TonyaW]

My problem is that while I have A cup (maybe small B) boobs, they are the A cups of a 14yo cis girl on the body of a 56 year old Amazon woman.

The cups get bigger as the band size goes up even though they have the same letter.
One band size down with an extender can work, but I'd need to go down at about 4 to get to the right cup. That many extenders just doesn't work.  Shoulder straps to short then and other fit is out of whack too.

I've found a few that work for now. Hopefully another year of HRT will help to fill out the cups. If not I may have to pick up a couple of cheap ones and create a Frankenbra

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[Zoey421]

Today I ventured into Victoria's Secret to try on bras, and I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect, you know, a 54-year old man picking up 38B bras then asking for a dressing room. As I have experienced the last 6 weeks, no one really cares what you are doing, they generally ignore you.

So, into the dressing room I go to try on the bra. The first issue is flexibility. How in the world do women do up the bra strap when it is behind you? You have to be fairly flexible. Doing up the bra was an experience.

The second issue is I am pre-op, pre-HRT, and just have plain old "man boobs". How the do you fit these into a bra?

I wasn't really sure about the fit so I asked Nicole, the VS Beauty Consultant, to help me out. Nicole was lovely and understanding. I did ask her how many men come into the store for bra fittings. She said she had helped one man before. I did tell her that I came out recently and this was a new experience for me. She was wonderful and very helpful. Thank you, Nicole.

So, Nicole reminds me that even she has issues doing up the bra behind her back. The trick, attach the strap on the front and spin around the bra so the strap is at the back and the cups at the front. Easier said than done but it worked eventually.

With Nicole's help, I was measured a 36C which means a lot more choice than a 38A, the other option. It also means clothing will drape better and I can wear V-necks, which I am currently avoiding.

At the end of the day, work up the courage to go into a lingerie store and ask for help. We tell ourselves horror stories about how we will be treated and invariably these stories turn out to be FALSE. I had a great experience, know what size of bra to purchase, and the styles of VS bras that suit me best.

When I saw myself in the mirror I was happy to see me with more shape that the bra helped create. I felt whole.

I left the store without purchasing a bra because I'm still at home with my kids and didn't want the bra to be accidentally found with the inevitable questions to follow; my kids don't know I have come out. So, I will wait until I find my new home after I move because of a pending divorce, that is not really related to coming out, just a marriage gone wrong many, many years ago.

I look forward to the day I can choose to dress wearing a bra and women's clothing together.

Hugs Zoey

[Linde]

My problem is that while I have A cup (maybe small B) boobs, they are the A cups of a 14yo cis girl on the body of a 56 year old Amazon woman.

The cups get bigger as the band size goes up even though they have the same letter.
One band size down with an extender can work, but I'd need to go down at about 4 to get to the right cup. That many extenders just doesn't work.  Shoulder straps to short then and other fit is out of whack too.

I've found a few that work for now. Hopefully another year of HRT will help to fill out the cups. If not I may have to pick up a couple of cheap ones and create a Frankenbra

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

I tried around, just like you.  I have several cheap bras to find he size to fit me.  First I tried out with the bras of a young friend that she was wearing when she developed her breasts.  This way I found that a 34 B would have the cup size I would need.  I tried out with a 40 B cup, and found out that my boobs and the weekly grocery shopping would have enough room in that one.  I could not find any thing of that bandwidth with an A cup.  I thought that a 38 A with a bandwidth expander might work, and ordered it.  I found out that the material was stretchy enough to fit me without a bandwidth extender, which means that I am actually a little larger than 38, but not the 42 I thought is was.

The cups are sitting in the right position on my chest to have my girls being centered in them.  I am wearing the bra now for hours, while being quite active, and it still feels comfortable and is not feeling that it hurts.
I am pretty sure that I can wear this bra an entire day without any problem.

I am happy now that my bra question has been solved!

[AnneK]

I wasn't really sure about the fit so I asked Nicole, the VS Beauty Consultant, to help me out. Nicole was lovely and understanding. I did ask her how many men come into the store for bra fittings. She said she had helped one man before.

This demonstrates the importance of finding a good bra shop.  At the one where I bought my bras, they won't hire a clerk who's not prepared to fit men.

[KathyLauren]

Today I ventured into Victoria's Secret to try on bras, and I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect, you know, a 54-year old man picking up 38B bras then asking for a dressing room. As I have experienced the last 6 weeks, no one really cares what you are doing, they generally ignore you.

Zoey, I just wanted to congratulate you on getting up the nerve to go into Victoria's Secret.  Some day, this will be normal for you.

My wife uses the fasten in front and spin around technique.  I learned to fasten a bra behind my back when I was 12, because I didn't know any other way and I wasn't about to ask anyone!  It does take a little bit of flexibility.  Learning as a teen helps, and in that respect, cis girls have an advantage over those of us who go through puberty as adults.

[Linde]

Zoey, I just wanted to congratulate you on getting up the nerve to go into Victoria's Secret.  Some day, this will be normal for you.

My wife uses the fasten in front and spin around technique.  I learned to fasten a bra behind my back when I was 12, because I didn't know any other way and I wasn't about to ask anyone!  It does take a little bit of flexibility.  Learning as a teen helps, and in that respect, cis girls have an advantage over those of us who go through puberty as adults.

But even the most able cis ladies need to use the spin around technique, once they had rotator cuff damage!
I have that on both sides, I could not even reach the closures back there!

[skipulus]

The number 38 is your chest size in inches minus the breast.
This is to tell you which category you should look in and is the size of the strap that goes around your chest and rests just under your breasts.
That number does correlate with small, medium and large but in the female range of these which are generally a size smaller than the male range, i.e. a small male is medium female etc.

The letter is your cup-size, i.e the size of your breasts. that is something you need to experiment with and can differ between the types of bra's, i.e. a sports bra vs a bra with a wires etc. This is because they have somewhat different functionality. A sports bra will keep things tightly in place and hopefully reduce bouncing and a bra with wires or more every day bra will emphasise comfort and support and positioning the breasts where they should sit.

Most large stores will post some bra sizing guides and you can go to the stores and try them on.
The better stores may even have someone who is willing to take your measurements. 

[skipulus]

So, into the dressing room I go to try on the bra. The first issue is flexibility. How in the world do women do up the bra strap when it is behind you? You have to be fairly flexible. Doing up the bra was an experience.

...

The trick, attach the strap on the front and spin around the bra so the strap is at the back and the cups at the front. Easier said than done but it worked eventually.

Exactly right, remember to pull up the cup-straps after you have fastened the chest-strap.

If the strap around your chest is very tight then it will be uncomfortable to wear for a long time but straps do get weaker with age.
The straps usually have three or four hooks and my trick was to go for a strap that is comfortable when hooked in its widest setting so that I can set it tighter when it starts to weaken. Makes the bra last longer.

when you have  found your strap size then you need to figure out a cup size. Be careful to not go to small for the cup or else you will pull on the chest-strap and it can give you back and shoulder pain and the breasts start to sag down and don't sit right.

In order to position the breasts well so that they sit and stay were expected, through out the day; many women choose wired bras because they have the best support. They often have added padding which can help, and they will lift the breasts into position and hold them there without straining the shoulders and back as much as cheap bras or sports bras can do.

Wired bras are the best choice if you want to pass well as a female.
FTM's often go for sports bras initially, before binding, because they tend to reduce the appearance of breasts and are considered more butch.

[Cassi]

Today I ventured into Victoria's Secret to try on bras, and I was nervous. I didn't know what to expect, you know, a 54-year old man picking up 38B bras then asking for a dressing room. As I have experienced the last 6 weeks, no one really cares what you are doing, they generally ignore you.

So, into the dressing room I go to try on the bra. The first issue is flexibility. How in the world do women do up the bra strap when it is behind you? You have to be fairly flexible. Doing up the bra was an experience.

The second issue is I am pre-op, pre-HRT, and just have plain old "man boobs". How the do you fit these into a bra?

I wasn't really sure about the fit so I asked Nicole, the VS Beauty Consultant, to help me out. Nicole was lovely and understanding. I did ask her how many men come into the store for bra fittings. She said she had helped one man before. I did tell her that I came out recently and this was a new experience for me. She was wonderful and very helpful. Thank you, Nicole.

So, Nicole reminds me that even she has issues doing up the bra behind her back. The trick, attach the strap on the front and spin around the bra so the strap is at the back and the cups at the front. Easier said than done but it worked eventually.

With Nicole's help, I was measured a 36C which means a lot more choice than a 38A, the other option. It also means clothing will drape better and I can wear V-necks, which I am currently avoiding.

At the end of the day, work up the courage to go into a lingerie store and ask for help. We tell ourselves horror stories about how we will be treated and invariably these stories turn out to be FALSE. I had a great experience, know what size of bra to purchase, and the styles of VS bras that suit me best.

When I saw myself in the mirror I was happy to see me with more shape that the bra helped create. I felt whole.

I left the store without purchasing a bra because I'm still at home with my kids and didn't want the bra to be accidentally found with the inevitable questions to follow; my kids don't know I have come out. So, I will wait until I find my new home after I move because of a pending divorce, that is not really related to coming out, just a marriage gone wrong many, many years ago.

I look forward to the day I can choose to dress wearing a bra and women's clothing together.

Hugs Zoey

Totally understand your "feelings" though I haven't ventured into Victoria's, I have in department stores, Target, WalMart, KMart, Ross, and a few others.  It wasn't until about 3 months ago that my daughter acknowledged it was fun to go shopping with me because I didn't look like a creepy old man checking out the bras.  Hang in there

[Beverly Anne]

Bra designs, breast shapes, and size variations are crazy. I can't get a bra that fits unless I try it on. Sometimes I fill out a 36B, sometimes a 36A works better. I don't like fake or exaggerating my size. My shape is more rounded, full and firm, than conical or pointed or large and droopy, so that's the bra design I look for. The main consideration is how does a particular bra look with what you're wearing at the time. Sometimes I wear a push up bra to stand out more when I need that look, and other times I wear something that downplays the feminine form. I wear sports bras when running or working out in warm weather, and none at all when I'm layered up in cold weather, like today. I could go without a bra just fine, but my nipples have gotten quite large on HRT, and they show thru. And there are times I wear a dress where I need to go strapless, and I have a flatter profile C cup bra that works well in that situation, even though I'm not that large. Breast size and shape is such an individual thing, you'll just have to spend a lot of time in the dressing room getting it right. The wrong bra look can make you stick out like a sore thumb, so spend enough time to get it right. Good luck and tits up!