Forgive me ... I've been focused on my results on cis calculators and charts and completely forgetting what I actually use daily...

On the cis charts/calcs I have about 2" difference which comes up B/C on those charts but it's important to note—sorry I didn't say this before—I tend to actually go either braless or wear bralettes. At my particular stage I find bralettes to be particularly friendly... with bralettes, the right size is really about band size where any cup or cup-like area has enough to hold my current size.

Tonight I went into my storage bin of clothes I don't actively wear to get out 40B bras I picked up years ago... they are still too big in the cup.

In my drawer of active clothes I have 40A bras which fit perfectly... but I rarely wear bras like that (almost never) ... usually I'm first braless, or if wearing a see-through shirt I wear an M or L bralette or cami depending on brand. The goal there is really about not being naked in public more than control. Otherwise I'm braless which with the right top looks better because it obviously doesn't have the subtle "binding" effect.

I think there must be something different in the cis-sizing charts and methods, or maybe I'm measuring incorrectly... but I've done it tons of times and always end up with that 2" difference which is really the key that seems to select B/C.

I can't be sure about this, but I'm under the impression trans-women who start HRT tend to have breast growth which is further apart (wider cleavage) for various reasons. I wonder if, for that reason, the area of the measuring tape becomes larger on the breast because the breasts are further apart, perhaps pointing more widely outward than closer together. I really don't know... just thinking aloud.

I got the idea of a bralette by shopping in the store... it's amazing what happens when you transition out of that petrified "online shopping only" mode. Once I started going out and shopping I got great ideas from the very caring people who helped me.

If I simply throw out all the calculations and measurements, I can say the growth is impressive to me though I know it's not There yet.  I wear some shirts which look better than others because they accentuate the size I have now. In other cases, it appears as if not as much is there... this relates to the shirt, its color, how tight/heavy it is, etc. That's why I have some fav t-shirts.

I think this is all to say, while cis charts seem to have me at B/C, I feel like its realistically an A and I tend to wear A-like things... and 3 different 40Bs I own still do not fit... I estimate there's a gap of about 0.5".

That's what I should have focused on in my earlier post, not my current measurements per cis charts... I have just been so impressed with my changes there so far that earlier I just got focused on measuring my current size according to the cis charts and plumb forgot to share what I actually use/do day to day.

I plan to get implants but I'm only at one year into HRT, need to wait about one more I think. That will be a great day.

Ashley that is very interesting. When I do the measurements I get 42 and 46 which gives me a c/d cup. There is no way I can fill that...I am guessing I am maybe a b cup or even slightly smaller. Mens rib cages are bigger which is why we tend to have that wider measurements when we grow breasts (I think). I wonder if that is why I get the odd measurement. I tried on a d cup and that was just silly. There has got to be something wrong with the way I am doing it...or it really does have to do with the width of our rib cage.

I actually wear a first Bra crop top but am starting to find that I need some support. I noticed the other day that when I was walking briskly I could feel movement on my chest for the very first time(bit of a thrill). So I am guessing I am in need of more support.

Liz

ive seen this kind of thread pop up a lot over the years and so I found one of my old posts that answers some of these questions

Quote from: Lady_Oracle on January 28, 2016, 12:11:05 PM
Its probably cause all of your muscle mass around your back and chest area hasn't rounded out yet. Until that muscle mass is gone and your fat has redistributed into female patterns then bra sizing in general will be sort of awkward, any calculator wont work accurately either. Best bet is just to measure your underbust/ribcage and go from there rather than focus on the cup size difference. Go to any shop and experiment with that band size in various cup sizes, find whatever fits best.

like I had little muscle mass when I started hrt. It made a profound difference in how bras/top fit me when I lost it all. I started at a 36 band size prehrt, shrunk down to a 32 after about 2-3 years.

on another note we really need an all purpose bra thread stickied so everyone can come to the same thread and find quick answers to these issues with bra sizing and what to expect.

Quote from: Lady_Oracle on October 05, 2016, 04:26:19 AM
ive seen this kind of thread pop up a lot over the years and so I found one of my old posts that answers some of these questions...

That's a great post, thanks for sharing that... it's common sense and I agree fully. Going to the store is when I stopped wasting time/money. I think that's how I ended up where I did... band size is really the main one because I'm not at a stage where I need much of a cup despite apparent significant growth. And to the best I can tell, it is significant and fairly good for HRT at my stage... perhaps typical but I was setting myself up for much less given all I'd heard. With bralettes and camis, there usually isn't a cup to deal with... I have a bunch of those, my favorite thing to use currently.

Quote from: ElizabethK on October 05, 2016, 01:50:27 AM
... or it really does have to do with the width of our rib cage.
I actually wear a first Bra crop top but am starting to find that I need some support. I noticed the other day that when I was walking briskly I could feel movement on my chest for the very first time(bit of a thrill). So I am guessing I am in need of more support.
Liz

I did a small experiment on paper, forgive the crude ascii art...


                A
           |---------|
   
          /\         /\
B       /  \       /  \
        /    \     /    \
   ----------------------------
   |                          |
   ----------------------------

                A
         |--------------|

        /\             /\
B     /  \           /  \
      /    \         /    \
   ----------------------------
   |                          |
   ----------------------------


... not sure if it's accurate but I notice as the size of A increases, the measurement created by the "tape measure" going around to the back increases. In one test it seemed to increase by 0.5".

It seems clear that B decreases (no measurement line is shown for 'B') at a rate slower than an increase of A. Since an increase in A increases the entire measurement around the back, and since, in that scenario, B decreases in length at a slower rate than A increases, it seems that breasts further apart should generally increase the overall length around the body. How much obviously depends on a number of factors.

This doesn't seem to account for everything but perhaps it's a combination of things, the above plus some other factors (i.e., like some of the things Lady_Oracle mentioned).

I'm saying this off the cuff so I may be all off here... give me something like this to think about and I'll gladly take it too far. 

There is a post around here which had a link to a gallery of normal female breasts of various kinds, and the types, sizes and distances all varied, some very far apart... so I'm beginning to think it's not merely a wide cleavage thing, perhaps more along the lines of what Lady_Oracle was mentioning.

Here is that other post from the thread Do mtf breasts look like cis female breasts?

Thanks all that is making more sense. Love the analysis Ashley. The geek in me loves when the science comes out.

I suspect my non-typical torso may be contributing to my results.

When I started dressing a couple of years ago, it was all about what size I wanted to present and then how to achieve it. Of course I thought that I wanted BIG and played with different solutions of padding, forms and cup sizes to find what I liked. Amazing how perspective changes after spending time learning your own style. Now, being just over 3 months into hrt and such increased sensitivity, it is all about being happy with the changes and comfort and appreciating a lot smaller presentation. Different manufacturer's calculators peg me anywhere between a  34 DD to a 40 AA. When wearing a bra, a 36 A is comfortable and not overflowing.....but I am so in agreement with Ashley on the bralette. My favorite solution is grabbing a VS medium size pullover bralette. They have a thin padded removable liner that offers just enough protections to take the surprise out of random breast bumping. They are comfortable, create a look that I like and are affordable. They are now my go to daily wear.

Anne

Hi Anne

I had a feeling it had more to do with measurements than anything else. According to my calculation I should be a c/d cup which is a size I am familiar with and I can assure you I am no where near that, it would seem that a combination of back fat/muscle and the width issue(I haven't read the other link yet). I think what you are calling a bralette is what I am talking about. I was taking the padding out but put it back in once I realised it felt far more comfortable when I got clumsy so put them back in. The padding only makes a subtle difference but even still it is quite a pleasing shape. I now need the support and protection.

Liz

I mostly where sports bras, but once in a while will wear my VS bras.  My Nike sports bras do not need any sizing other than to fit around my chest.  Only my Lorna Jane sports bras are shaped and then it is pretty light.

I have noted, my VS bras actually make me look bigger, but it is all to do with shaping my breasts to be a little closer together and lifted.  Same mass, different distribution.

I believe this is what you are referring to Ashley?

Quote from: RobynD on October 05, 2016, 09:51:10 AM
... The geek in me loves when the science comes out. ...

That is encouraging because I'm never sure folks won't change the channel when I start going down that path. LoL

Quote from: kaitylynn on October 05, 2016, 08:17:08 PM
I mostly where sports bras, but once in a while will wear my VS bras. ... I have noted, my VS bras actually make me look bigger, but it is all to do with shaping my breasts to be a little closer together and lifted.  Same mass, different distribution. ... I believe this is what you are referring to Ashley?

Yes... not exact but close or really close enough to be the same to a sports bra (but maybe not your VS choice not sure... maybe you can share a VS link showing the product?)... While they are not labeled sports bras though they are exactly that type of thing. I don't currently have any VS bras but sounds like I should try them out... thank you.

The following are similar but not exact to what I use normally (bralette and cami)...

Modern Micro Seamless Bralette

Supersoft Cami

... but really it's the same thing ... I consider it to be a bra which is like a t-shirt sort of, with maybe a little extra something. It's lighter and easier. I also don't like padding to hide my natural look when I wear t-shirts. I use nude or tan color so when I have something that is see through to some extent, it properly hides what can be seen, yet doesn't let the bralette or cami show too much if at all.

Quote from: Ashley3 on October 05, 2016, 12:07:25 AM
... On the cis charts/calcs I have about 2" difference which comes up B/C on those charts ... Tonight I went into my storage bin ... to get out 40B bras I picked up years ago... they are still too big in the cup. ... In my drawer of active clothes I have 40A bras which fit perfectly.

Okay so I get up this morning and am staring into the bathroom mirror and I'm like "those are not A's" ...

Well, silly me, I've read it a million times, and it was mentioned earlier, you can't just look at A or B based on difference of bust and band... when you figure one out, and go down a band size, usually you go up a cup size etc.

So the calcs coming up with 'B' for me were 36B and 38B not 40B... I had gone into storage to get an unused 40B... that's a bad test. I would have to try a 38B or 36B and I bet at least 36B would fit.

So I think those calculations and charts are not far off... just slightly different because of genetics and/or simply the difference in one person to the next and that all sizing methods/charts are not the same.

Yippie! I woke up and realized I may actually be a B... I just needed to remember the band size there. One chart had me rounding down from 37.5 to 36 so I'll say 36B, maybe 38B.

Forgive my confusion on this, I just haven't sized a lot of bras.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Im discovering I cannot just go out in a t shirt anymore. It has to be loose fitting like a sweatshirt. I measure about a 2.5 difference which is firmly B. But they hurt so  often that I am sure there is more to come.

I didn't think I'd get any smaller but some of my 32s are slipping like my 34s were and I haven't had the chance to try a 30 band size yet. For me that would be a 30c since I currently wear 32b. If you go down in band size you go up in cup size. Cup size alone means nothing without the band size. So a 32B in volume is the same as a 34A. I feel like a lot of us don't understand that and get wayyyyyyyyyy caught up with cup sizes, like its not that simple. I technically have 3 diff bra sizings that work depending on the brand and bra style.

Quote from: DawnOday on October 06, 2016, 04:07:54 PM
Im discovering I cannot just go out in a t shirt anymore. It has to be loose fitting like a sweatshirt. I measure about a 2.5 difference which is firmly B. But they hurt so  often that I am sure there is more to come.

Congrats!

Quote from: Lady_Oracle on October 06, 2016, 09:34:26 PM
... Cup size alone means nothing without the band size. So a 32B in volume is the same as a 34A. I feel like a lot of us don't understand that and get wayyyyyyyyyy caught up with cup sizes...

So right on that... after getting good measurements of approx 36B/38B/38A I dropped band size and talked A/B, making matters worse and testing a 40B (not 40A mind you) and assuming I wasn't a "B". I see now there is no such thing as a "B".

Per what you're saying, moral of the story is generally: There is no cup size alone, and no band size alone, the two must be together for at least a general abstract discussion of sizes, and they only become specific when one tries on an actual brand (most all brands potentially being somewhat different).

True agreed, its just for so many years and till this day I still hear guys and women (cis and trans) talking in only cup sizes when it comes to boobs so I like to make a point about band sizes. "Band size is relative to cup size" should be like a name brand slogan by now lolol. 

I am pre everything and according to online calculators I am a 38B. With having a wide chest, the cups are way too close together.

I just had to buy new bras *again*... at this point (nearly 7 years on HRT), I suspect it's mostly that weight gain tends to go to my chest, mind you. (Although breasts are 30-50% fat, and some cis women also complain about all weight going straight to the boobs, so this is not unheard of). Apropos of the band/cup size discussion, which is a point I like to make often too, I also went up a band size. So I was a 38DD in my favorite bra style and I bought more last week in 40DD, which would be the equivalent of 38DDD in cup volume. Theoretically. The thing that gets me is that the new bras' cups are HUGE compared to the old ones - it really looks like a lot more than the volume increase from 38D to 38DD (I still have a couple old 38Ds lying around for emergency backups). They do fit in terms of cup even so, but the cups are a little wider and the underwire hits a little differently in a way that is less comfortable. I'm still debating whether to return them and go through the hassle of being fitted again.

Moral of the story: bra sizing is really annoying.

Jenna Marie, go back and get fitted if these new bras are not comfortable, you will never like a bra that is not comfortable to wear. You need one that fits so you can forget that you are wearing it.  An underwire bra that polks or hit you in the wrong spot will always be uncomfortable to wear.  A well fitting bra is worth the effort it takes to find one. Not all bra dept/shops have people that know how to do fitting correctly for some girls.

Yes, I know, I had a professional fitting the first time. Those bras were a dream, for as long as they worked. I do want to see if I made a mistake about upping the band size and a 38DDD is comfortable, though, before I commit to another fitting - I don't have much free time anymore, and the nearest experts are about half an hour's drive away, so it's an annoying errand that I'd rather be able to avoid.