How to work out your bra size by hand
Your band is your snug underbust rounded to the nearest even inch. Your cup is the number of inches your bust measures above that band: 1 is an A, 2 is a B, 3 is a C, 4 is a D, and so on.
Say your underbust is 33¼ inches and your bust is 38 inches. The underbust rounds to a 34 band. The bust is 4 inches above 34, which is a D cup, so you would start with a 34D.
Letters split after D. The same fifth inch is DD in the US and UK, but E in Europe, and the sixth is DDD in the US and E in the UK. Bra cup sizes in order has the full list for each country.
Underbust gives you the band
The band does most of the supporting, so it needs to be firm. Keep the tape level at the back, and check it in a mirror.
Bust gives you the cup
Keep the tape resting on your skin at the fullest point. Breathe out and read it at the front. See the full measuring guide.
Quick or detailed: which should you use?
Quick mode takes two measurements, which is enough for most people. Choose detailed mode if your bust is fuller, your tissue is softer, or quick results have let you down before. It adds a loose and a tight underbust, plus leaning and lying bust readings, because soft tissue measures differently in each position.
What makes this calculator different
- It uses your real underbust. No adding inches to the band, so you are less likely to end up on a loose band with a cup that is too small.
- It tells you when you are between sizes. When your numbers sit close to a line, you see the neighbouring size and why it is worth trying.
- It shows the working. Every result explains how the band and the cup were reached, so you can check it.
- It catches slips. Enter 85 while set to inches, or swap your two numbers, and you are told before you get a wrong size.