Let’s face it. It’s depressing not finding a bra that fits and laboring under the misconception your bra cup, which keeps gapping, is too big for you. So when you find out that you need a larger cup size, it’s enough to make you to want to throw a parade in your own honor.
MYTH
Small breasts mean that I wear an AA or an A cup.
TRUTH
All small breasts are unique. There are small breasts that fit an AA or A cup AND there are small breasts that fit a B or C cup.
The cup size is dependent upon two factors:
- Fullness of Breast Tissue
- Width of Individual Breast
Fullness of Breast Tissue dictates how the breast will fill out a bra cup.
Many women with shallow and medium breast tissue think that they have cup sizes smaller than their true size due to the fact that their breast tissue isn’t full. Consequently, many women with shallow breast tissue think that they’re an AA or A cup, only to find out that they’re a B or C cup.
(The above 32B bras are Blush Coquette Bra, left, on a shallow breast tissue body type and The Little Bra Company Isis Push Up Bra, right, on a full breast tissue body type.)
For example, two women wearing the same 32B soft cup bra have different results. One woman has cleavage while the other woman does not. The woman with full breast tissue has more tissue on the top of the breast, allowing for her breasts to create cleavage. Whereas, the woman with shallow breast tissue, due to a slopping affect of tissue on top of breast or deflation from pregnancy, will fill out the bra cup enough for a good fit but not allowing for cleavage. If she wants cleavage, she’ll need a plunge bra, demi cup bra, push up bra or will need to use bra inserts. Both women wear a 32B, but the fullness of their breast tissue fills out the bra differently.
Width of Breast Tissue dictates the cup size that is needed. What is the width? It’s just under the fold of the breast and is where the underwire on the bra fits. How do you know if you need to go up a cup size?
- If all of your breast tissue isn’t fitting into the cup, then you need to go up a cup size.
- If a bra looks like it fits but your breasts are squished to the center, causing your upper body to look excessively wide with the bra on, then you need to go up a cup size.
- If your bra cup is gapping then you need to go up a cup size.
To find out about my own experience in getting a proper fitting at London's Royally connected Rigby & Peller, click on a Proper Bra Fitting for Small Busts.
Click for more information on Bra Advice based upon breast tissue and to get a Bra Fitting Online.
All lingerie on this page can be found at www.evesappleslingerie.com.
