How to measure your bra size at home

Most people are wearing the wrong size, and it is rarely their fault. Sizing is inconsistent between makers, and the advice online is written for a system that our bras do not even use.

Here is the short version: your underbust measurement chooses your size. Everything else is a check.

What you need

• A soft tape measure. A builder's tape will not follow your body and reads short.
• A thin, non-padded bra — or nothing. Sports bras and minimisers compress and will hand you a size too small.
• A mirror, so you can see whether the tape is level behind you.

The two measurements

Underbust

Wrap the tape around your ribcage directly under your bust, where a band sits. Not above it, and not at the widest part of your ribs.

Snug — you should fit two fingers underneath and no more. Breathe out, then read it. Round to the nearest even number.

Bust

Around the fullest part, usually across the nipple line, tape level across your back.

Let it skim. If it dents your skin, loosen it. Pulling the tape tight is the single most common mistake and it is why so many people buy a cup too small.

Two exceptions worth knowing: if your breasts sit low, lean forward about 45 degrees so the tape catches everything. If one side is bigger, measure that side.

Why there is no cup letter here

You will notice our bras are sold as 32, 34, 36 rather than 34B or 36C. These styles are cut so the cup suits the band, with the fabric taking up the difference.

So your underbust picks the size, and your bust is the sanity check: if your bust is more than about five inches larger than your underbust, choose something described as full cup, push-up or adjustable rather than a soft bralette.

Checking it once it is on

Fasten a new bra on the loosest hook. It will relax with wear, and the tighter hooks are what you move to later.

• Band riding up your back? Too big. Go down.
• Cannot slide two fingers under the band? Too small. Go up.
• Straps digging into your shoulders? The band is too loose. It should be doing the work, not the straps.
• Gaping at the top of the cup? Too big, or the wrong shape for you.
• Wire sitting on breast tissue? Wrong size — it belongs on your ribcage.

That third one is the test most people never apply. If your straps are carrying the weight, the band is too loose whatever the label says.

Between two sizes?

Take the smaller band in a wired or structured bra — it loosens. Take the larger in anything wire-free, because with no wire holding the shape a tight band just rolls.

Full charts for every category we sell — bras, panties, sets, sleepwear, nursing — are on the size guide, and the bra chart in inches and centimetres is in our bra size chart for Pakistan.

Take the time to measure: we cannot exchange for size once an order has been delivered. If you are unsure between two, message us before you order and we will help you choose.