Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I measured myself to see what my bra size is supposed to be, and my band measurement is 40 inches and my bust measurement is 43 inches. I was very surprised to find that every chart and calculator I can find says that I'm a C cup? My impression was that a C cup is somewhat larger than average for a ciswoman, and that most transwomen don't get larger than a B max after even many years of HRT. Now, I've always known that I had somewhat larger than average man-boobs, but they've never seemed comparable to the average ciswoman's in size.

Do I just have very large breasts for a male? Or does a male physique screw up the measurement? Or am I not measuring right? I put the tape exactly where the guides said to, made sure it was level with the floor, and held it just tight enough that it wouldn't fall down.

Quote from: Lucca on June 29, 2018, 05:25:15 PM
I measured myself to see what my bra size is supposed to be, and my band measurement is 40 inches and my bust measurement is 43 inches. I was very surprised to find that every chart and calculator I can find says that I'm a C cup? My impression was that a C cup is somewhat larger than average for a ciswoman, and that most transwomen don't get larger than a B max after even many years of HRT. Now, I've always known that I had somewhat larger than average man-boobs, but they've never seemed comparable to the average ciswoman's in size.

Do I just have very large breasts for a male? Or does a male physique screw up the measurement? Or am I not measuring right? I put the tape exactly where the guides said to, made sure it was level with the floor, and held it just tight enough that it wouldn't fall down.

@Lucca: You measured and calculated per the way it is supposed to be done, however, your male upper body is built a lot differently of course than a cis-female upper body.  You may in fact only have an A or a B cup but the measuring system my be wrong for you.   Best thing you could do, if for whatever reason that you don't want to go to the store's fitting room to try them on,  is to buy some inexpensive bras in a few sizes an determine how they fit you.... keep the receipts so that you can return them if need be. .. 
I would suggest that you might start with a 40B and go from there. 

There are also what are call sister sizes... the sister sizes to a 40B might be a 38B or 38C .... or a 42A or 42B

Bra sizing is confusing and many times difficult for cis-females too....  the sizes vary a lot from manufacturer to manufacture and also from one style of a bra to another....   trying them on is the only way that you will know for sure.
Danielle

Sizing of women's clothes is approximate at best.  Sizing of bras is even worse.  There are several different "right" ways to calculate the size, including an old way that is still in use and a new way that produces different results.  I totally don't get it.

I have given up on trying to measure myself, because, no matter what I do, the measurement comes out the same, even though my breasts have unquestionably grown in the last year and a half.

So what I do is go to the lingerie store, get myself measured, get them to bring me a bunch of bras that "ought to" fit and try them on.  I have done that exercise a couple of times, and both times ended up with one, out of about 20, that actually fit.

I would never rely on a specific size.  That may give you an approximate starting point, but there is no substitute for trying it on.

I'm 39 - 45 in that area and the calculator comes out at DD or DDD something way wrong. What actually fits perfectly even a bit snug for some is a C cup. So my take on it is... try a b cup first and see it fits. Ignore the calculator its wrong.

I went to Victoria's Secret and asked for a fitting. The girl asked what size I usually wear, and I told her I was transgender and had just grown them, so it was my first bra. She got super excited about it and it was a very pleasant evening for me. 36B was the number, she said since they were a bit over an A and growing, that I'd grow into the B cup, and that's exactly what happened.  :)

There is a five step and a six step measuring system that makes it much more accurate for measuring the male chest. I get the same numbers all the time any way I measure and the store measures. With wide set male chests you have more width that pushes the calculation up
In cup size which is why a smaller cup will still work when the breasts are pulled into the cup.  Once you start carrying the breasts more forward a bigger cup comes into play.
I have heard all the comments about sizes over time A max B max maybe the odd C. Some get crazy sizes as well. Know one knows what will happen.
I'm larger than my sister and my mom and seem to take after grandma.
I just got fitted and bought a new bra a week ago. I'm now wearing a 38 DDD. A  year ago I was a 46C, November a 42C, January a 40C and then I started estrogen and now I'm where I'm at now. I've documented it all the way thru with pictures but lost the one prior to October due to the app being incompatible with ios11.
Best luck going forward and remember fit also can change across bra lines and companies. If you can try it on first it way better.

I saw a really good post on ->-bleeped-<- about transgender bras. Been awhile since I needed sized up, but that reference guide did give me a start.

I was measuring myself around 48D at the start of my transition. The Bras I tried fit, but something felt off.

Victoria Secret measured me at like 48DD, someone even measured me once there at 52DD!

I went to a place in Atlanta during a trip to Six Flags, honestly cannot remember the name and wish I did... I will find it eventually. They only do lingerie there and had a few attendants knowledgable in transgender figure. They measured me at 42D and it fit like a charm. Bought a parfait bra, loved it to. Expensive however.

I lost weight, and the 42D didn't fit me anymore (lost weight)... Though the place I bought my bra from says they will do 1 alteration for free within a year, and I think I am coming up on that year.

I went to Torrid (my absolute new favorite store). They measured me there also and were relatively close to the previous measurement, 42D.

I am now at a 40C. Weight loss is wrecking havoc on my bra size. I believe I may have dropped down to 38 band as my 40 band bra is getting a bit lose.

My endocrinologist believes I have been on HRT before (which I haven't) because I have gynecomastia in both breasts. But on that note, my estrogen levels were high for someone who hasn't been on HRT before, while my Testosterone levels were on the low side. I suspect this has been the case my whole life.

But basically, I do recommend going to get a professional fitting. I think I went through a good $100 on bras before finding my right size. Victoria Secret is hit or miss with sizing. Torrid was the best local spot for me with sizing, though before my fitting in Atlanta even they got it wrong.

I do wish you the best of luck though.

Hi Lucca,

I have given up on my bra size. I have, and still am, measuring with a tape but it has been the same each time... a difference of 5 inch. However I can tell by taking pictures that the girls are growing, maybe not in size but shape?

Anyway dear, I went to Victoria Secret one time but they stop at 38, I'm a 40. She didn't measure me but looked at me in the fitting room and sold me a bra 38 something with a 2 cup additional filling. This was when I first started HRT and was looking for the 2 cup additional filling.

Later after a friend gave me two (duh) prostheses, I went to Nordstrom for a fitting where I got a 40C, but that's a mastectomy bra with pockets for C cup prostheses.

Then I went to a local store and tried 38b, 38C, 38D and 40C. The 38C was the best fitting bra.

Since they don't sell 40A and 40B locally, I went to eBay and purchased a 40A and 40B. The 40B fits the best... but these are Chinese, so can I trust the size?

Assuming the sizes are correct and matching up, then that means, in my case, the 38C and 40B are the same and both fit comfortable. My band measure at 40 and over the breast 45 inch, which is a 5 inch difference. Has been 3 inch since my start, and been anywhere from 4.5 to 5 inch over the last 2 years. In cis-gender world that sounds like a D - DD cup right? But in our trans world that's more of a B or C cup?

Any way, a few months back I started buying a sports bra, size XL and it fits perfect. (Reebok brand)

So the day before yesterday I went to Walmart and bought a XL sports bra (off brand) and it choked me to death, so to speak, exchanged it for a XXL.

Today I bought 4 bra's at Walmart, 2 strapless, 1 sports bra and 1 with cami (spaghetti ? ) straps. All XXL. 3 of them fits perfect and yet 1 strapless bra fits tight... very tight, I might need a bra extension.

Anyway, moral of my story... Bra's and breasts are the most complicated pretty things to measure.

Good luck on your search to find your size. Funny thing? Once you find your size, hopefully 1 year later is different again. :)

http://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

I tried it once and got my first bra with it, and it fit great.

QuoteAssuming the sizes are correct and matching up, then that means, in my case, the 38C and 40B are the same and both fit comfortable. My band measure at 40 and over the breast 45 inch, which is a 5 inch difference. Has been 3 inch since my start, and been anywhere from 4.5 to 5 inch over the last 2 years. In cis-gender world that sounds like a D - DD cup right? But in our trans world that's more of a B or C cup?

Thats exactly my experience. The shop sold me a 40 D way too big. Through experimenting at my fav discount place I found a Uk size 14 C fits just right (round 38 C I suppose). The calculators all say d - ddd but theres no way that would fit. I think its to do with the fact they are a bit more widely spaced and although there is a 5 inch difference they are tall but overly full. That may change with time.

Quote from: Devlyn on June 29, 2018, 10:07:34 PM
I went to Victoria's Secret and asked for a fitting. The girl asked what size I usually wear, and I told her I was transgender and had just grown them, so it was my first bra. She got super excited about it and it was a very pleasant evening for me. 36B was the number, she said since they were a bit over an A and growing, that I'd grow into the B cup, and that's exactly what happened.  :)

This is my same experience with Victoria's Secret.  Plus they are always having a sale on panties.

Thanks for the replies!

Quote from: samanthabwolfe on July 01, 2018, 01:20:25 AM
http://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php

I tried it once and got my first bra with it, and it fit great.

That one gave me a D cup, which is an even more bizarre measurement  ;D.

I felt like bra shopping today and was just looking for a second bra in a different color. My favourite has been Ashley Madison but they do tend to run a bit small in the cup size. So the SA grabbed a 38DDD for me and damn if I'm not quad boobing that. Guess no more demi cup and full cup from now on.

I just wear camis, I'm a, ahem, liberated woman.    ;D  Bras strike me as largely unnecessary for us, since our larger frames splay things out so much we don't project enough to warrant heavy support.  My cami never comes off, most women tear their bra off as soon as possible, and many of them put themselves in a lot of pain wearing ill fitting garments.  I've a drawer full of unused bras, the sizing is completely illogical - some C cups work, the A cups I bought online don't at all.  The gore doesn't lie flat, or there's a ton of gap in the front, etc. 

Going to a store and trying on everything in their inventory is much less hit-and-miss, but you only have access to what they have in stock.  Really, bras should be bespoke - tailor-made.  Maybe someday we can 3D print what we need.  The resources online such as the link I provide will get you closer to finding something, too.  Don't settle for something that kind of fits but hurts to wear!

Quote from: Lucy Ross on July 01, 2018, 09:18:27 PM
I just wear camis, I'm a, ahem, liberated woman.    ;D  Bras strike me as largely unnecessary for us, since our larger frames splay things out so much we don't project enough to warrant heavy support.  My cami never comes off, most women tear their bra off as soon as possible, and many of them put themselves in a lot of pain wearing ill fitting garments.  I've a drawer full of unused bras, the sizing is completely illogical - some C cups work, the A cups I bought online don't at all.  The gore doesn't lie flat, or there's a ton of gap in the front, etc. 

Going to a store and trying on everything in their inventory is much less hit-and-miss, but you only have access to what they have in stock.  Really, bras should be bespoke - tailor-made.  Maybe someday we can 3D print what we need.  The resources online such as the link I provide will get you closer to finding something, too.  Don't settle for something that kind of fits but hurts to wear!

If I was to liberate the girls when running, there would be a rebellion, with pain involved.  Gotta keep them still, especially since they still hurt like heck just touching them.  I love it though.
My issue is my girls have clearly grown and started to fill out, but they still have the same bust measurement (40"), but the band has lessened from 38" to 35".  Some charts have me at D cups.

Hugs (ow) and smiles, Jessica

I mainly like the idea of wearing a bra since I have rather pronounced, pointy nipples. I've always felt self-conscious about them poking through my shirt. My breasts are big enough that they can flop around a bit when walking, too, so the idea of having some support sounds nice as well. I don't really care about wearing a bra to "feel" more female or anything, I just think that as a functional clothing item it might improve my comfort, and not display my nipples if I'm wearing more form-fitting clothes.

Really, the idea that bras are a women's clothing item and are never intended to be worn by men is a bit silly... some men/AMABs have large enough breasts that they would benefit form the support just as much as most cis-women would, and some women/AFABs have small enough breasts that they don't need them, just like most cis-men. Having bras be such a gendered article of clothing makes about as much sense as if one gender was expected to not wear underwear.

Quote from: Lucca on June 29, 2018, 05:25:15 PM
I measured myself to see what my bra size is supposed to be, and my band measurement is 40 inches and my bust measurement is 43 inches. I was very surprised to find that every chart and calculator I can find says that I'm a C cup? My impression was that a C cup is somewhat larger than average for a ciswoman, and that most transwomen don't get larger than a B max after even many years of HRT. Now, I've always known that I had somewhat larger than average man-boobs, but they've never seemed comparable to the average ciswoman's in size.

Do I just have very large breasts for a male? Or does a male physique screw up the measurement? Or am I not measuring right? I put the tape exactly where the guides said to, made sure it was level with the floor, and held it just tight enough that it wouldn't fall down.

Just a quick comment,

When I started HRT a year ago I was wearing 36B (Walmart cheap brands). Before long I went to a 36C. They're starting to get tight. Bad news is I can't afford to replace all my bras right now. (I do have two in 36D, both Maidenform, which fit just fine.)

Other friends of mine have been on HRT for three and four years and they're still in B-cups.

I was reading a post by another girl named Donna in a different area of the forum and she's up to DD (so far) at less than a year HRT.

I understand the "standard" growth mentioned by clinicians is usually about 2 cup sizes larger than when you started.

The "normal" may be true for the broadest spectrum of the bell curve but some do get bigger and some barely grow at all.

Our community's physiques are as diverse as those of the Cisgender community.

I find that one of the side effects of the HRT makes the tissue behind the aureolas extremely tender (they're growing, you know). I prefer wearing a bra not only for support (which I'm starting to need) but as protection from inadvertent bumps. Sometimes it hurts if I just brush my wrist against them when I move my arm. The bra helps with that.

Plus, I'm 66 and present as fairly conservative in appearance. Flashing nips all over just isn't my style. But, I can appreciate a nice low cut top.

Flaunt 'em if ya' got 'em; revel in your cleavage!

Some camis are made from heavier fabric and can cover up pointy-ness.  You can always use pasties.  What, does that mean you're an off-duty stripper?  :D  One I have is a Maidenform crop top that's almost like a sports bra, which I'd use if I did any jogging/running, yes; when I break into a trot things sting a bit.  I don't know what I'm up to, looks like 38C in volume terms, but I doubt I'm past an A cup for protrusion, which is all we really care about.

One of the resources at my link is an image showing the wide range of breast sizes and shapes.  We tend towards wideness and shallow roots owing to our frames, and bra manufacturers cater to ciswomen who project a lot more, thus the shapes of bras I've tried are almost all unsuitable and uncomfortable for me, and trial-and-error shopping is too much bother for me to care about at this stage.

I tried some "normal" style bras with thick, defined cups that didn't fit at all, so then rather than try to find the proper size, I bought some stretchy "comfort" bras that don't have wires or pads, and therefore don't need to be such an exact size. They're great! They keep my nipples from showing through my clothes and keep them constrained a bit so they don't flop around. I've been self-conscious about my chest my whole life, now I feel like I've finally found something that helps. Again, why are bras such a strongly gendered item of clothing? Any cis-man with large man-boobs could benefit from something like this.

So forgetting my bra size I know this is probably an old post but I went to Victoria Secret and had them measure me they made no complaints they had no problem doing it and they did it for free you know they wanted me to try on some but I was too sweaty that day too hot outside

Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk

Okay...sorry to bump this older thread, but doing a search didn't really seem to find anything else, curiously.

On the ABraThatFits thingie, I'm coming up with some really weird results.  I know it says that the AMAB results are less accurate, but c'mon...how can it be THIS inaccurate?!?

There is no way I'm a 38 D/DD.  I mean, I don't even have any underboob fold.  I mean, there's a crease, but I have no overlapping skin between my ribs and breasts.

My ex was a 36C and hers seemed pretty massive to me.  Okay, she was short but had a larger body size, and definite overlapping.

I've worn formed cup 36A bras and it doesn't feel like my boobs even fill out those cups.  On the other hand, I've tried some 36A bras that the band simply would not go around me without a bra strap extender.  Still, the cups seemed to be larger than I was.

Oh, but there's one thing more...I guess I do have a 4F bra (never heard of that size and honestly hadn't even looked at the tag nor looked it up until now) that seems to fit okay but is maybe just a little loose on my breasts.  The band feels great, though.  According to a chart that I just saw it converts to 38DD.

Color me highly confused.

Even after 16 years, I've never gone in for a bra fitting.  Guess now would be a good time.  :icon_confused2:

Quote from: Tribble on April 06, 2019, 03:42:49 PM
Okay...sorry to bump this older thread, but doing a search didn't really seem to find anything else, curiously.

On the ABraThatFits thingie, I'm coming up with some really weird results.  I know it says that the AMAB results are less accurate, but c'mon...how can it be THIS inaccurate?!?

There is no way I'm a 38 D/DD.  I mean, I don't even have any underboob fold.  I mean, there's a crease, but I have no overlapping skin between my ribs and breasts.

My ex was a 36C and hers seemed pretty massive to me.  Okay, she was short but had a larger body size, and definite overlapping.

I've worn formed cup 36A bras and it doesn't feel like my boobs even fill out those cups.  On the other hand, I've tried some 36A bras that the band simply would not go around me without a bra strap extender.  Still, the cups seemed to be larger than I was.

Oh, but there's one thing more...I guess I do have a 4F bra (never heard of that size and honestly hadn't even looked at the tag nor looked it up until now) that seems to fit okay but is maybe just a little loose on my breasts.  The band feels great, though.  According to a chart that I just saw it converts to 38DD.

Color me highly confused.

Even after 16 years, I've never gone in for a bra fitting.  Guess now would be a good time.  :icon_confused2:

Have you tried the pencil test?  Will a pencil stay in place if put between your breast and your chest?

It works with my boobs quite well, and I fit nicely into a 40 B, which would translate into a 38 C and a 36 D I think.  This means, if you really have a 36 D, you should be able to hold a pencil in that fold.

Can I use tape? :D

No, I do not "pass" the pencil test, which was what was confusing me so much about what the calculator was telling me.

I had a talk with my mom about bras yesterday (first time in 16 years!) and she agreed that I should probably start with a 38B and see how that fits.

It was kind of amusing, but at the same time satisfying, to hear her say that DDs would be like carrying around two hams. :D

I was aware of this, but again, I was so confused by that calculator.  The "normal" bra sizing method tells me I'm a 36C or 40A, which would put me right at 38B, eh? ;)

I will say that I don't think I said anything about 36D...

Quote from: Tribble on April 07, 2019, 08:02:51 AM
Can I use tape? :D

No, I do not "pass" the pencil test, which was what was confusing me so much about what the calculator was telling me.

I had a talk with my mom about bras yesterday (first time in 16 years!) and she agreed that I should probably start with a 38B and see how that fits.

It was kind of amusing, but at the same time satisfying, to hear her say that DDs would be like carrying around two hams. :D

I was aware of this, but again, I was so confused by that calculator.  The "normal" bra sizing method tells me I'm a 36C or 40A, which would put me right at 38B, eh? ;)

I will say that I don't think I said anything about 36D...

I did throw the 36 D in, because it was the downsizing relation to my 40 B.  If you would have a 40 A, the lower band number would be a 38 B, or a 36 C.  You are correct with that!
It is very difficult to find small cup sizes with larger band widths.  Many females with that size of band width do not have it because of their rib cage, but because of some additional bacon on the rib cage, and that most often results in increased boob sizes, and hence the real large cups those bras have!

I was lucky and found some of my bras with an OK fit on Amazon.  I still hesitate to get measured, because my girls are hurting constantly, which means, they are still growing.  I do not want to buy any higher priced bras that I have to throw away in a few weeks from now.  My measurement system includes my female friends, who peek once in a while into my bra cups to see how my girls fit into them!  :laugh:

Quote from: Dietlind on April 07, 2019, 08:36:17 AM
I did throw the 36 D in, because it was the downsizing relation to my 40 B.  If you would have a 40 A, the lower band number would be a 38 B, or a 36 C.  You are correct with that!
It is very difficult to find small cup sizes with larger band widths.  Many females with that size of band width do not have it because of their rib cage, but because of some additional bacon on the rib cage, and that most often results in increased boob sizes, and hence the real large cups those bras have!

I was lucky and found some of my bras with an OK fit on Amazon.  I still hesitate to get measured, because my girls are hurting constantly, which means, they are still growing.  I do not want to buy any higher priced bras that I have to throw away in a few weeks from now.  My measurement system includes my female friends, who peek once in a while into my bra cups to see how my girls fit into them!  :laugh:

Ohhhh, I wish I had more local girlfriends!  Most of my friends are online.  Actually, I don't have many local friends at all.  I've been so repressed and living so much like a hermit that I haven't made time for local friendships.  I think my one real local friend is kind of sick of my depression and I rarely hear from her anymore.

I tried to be "clinical" about my boobs with my husband yesterday.  He agreed that we were being clinical, but that backfired rather quickly and he had to walk away in case I might see his reaction.  We're not romantic anymore and we even sleep in separate beds.

Hormones have done their work with me and yes, I do have some extra padding around my ribs, but I'm pretty confident that I can go in for a fitting.  If only I had the money right now to buy several bras.  On the plus side, Zuliliy seems to have a bunch of bra bundles available most of the time.

Quote from: Tribble on April 07, 2019, 09:12:06 AM
Ohhhh, I wish I had more local girlfriends!  Most of my friends are online.  Actually, I don't have many local friends at all.  I've been so repressed and living so much like a hermit that I haven't made time for local friendships.  I think my one real local friend is kind of sick of my depression and I rarely hear from her anymore.

I tried to be "clinical" about my boobs with my husband yesterday.  He agreed that we were being clinical, but that backfired rather quickly and he had to walk away in case I might see his reaction.  We're not romantic anymore and we even sleep in separate beds.

Hormones have done their work with me and yes, I do have some extra padding around my ribs, but I'm pretty confident that I can go in for a fitting.  If only I had the money right now to buy several bras.  On the plus side, Zuliliy seems to have a bunch of bra bundles available most of the time.

When I moved to here close to two years ago, I knew only one person through Facebook.  We met, and she and liked each other on a pure friendship base.  Through her I got other friends, and we started to do things together, which was easy for me because I am single.  But my really top fashion and makeup consultant is my barely 35 year old neighbor.  A pretty stunning looking young woman (married, nothing romantic between us).  We really got to know each other because of my dog, and she is now something to me like the daughter I never had.  She is doing my hair and the fancy makeup, and most of the time it is her who goes shopping with me.  She simply wants me to look good!
What I wanted to say, one has to be active and go out to find friends, they don't come to you!

And concerning bras, I found my best ones on Amazon.

I wish you luck for your life!
Linde