Nickinoonoo
Full Member
Remember you are adding an imaginary (for sizing purposes) 5 inches. An A cup DOES NOT mean you're inverted. The ACTUAL difference between your under bust area and fullest part of your chest is really 4 inches positive!!
Most of the support should be coming from the band part - of course when there is a smaller difference then the cup part of the bra has a smaller part to play. You may well find an A cup is perfectly adequate, but a AA is smaller.These charts are as a guide to help you start by picking up a bra that could fit. Your shape has a part to play which a tape measure can never tell. This is why the likes of Rigby and Peller don't use them. Almost no-one measures bang on the inch marker so there will always be a couple of sizes that may fit and this won't always be the next size (band or cup) up or down. This is why a proper fitting is a much better option than DIY.
The Rigby and Peller site gives some useful advice for that more bespoke fit:Bra Sizing - Advice Centre - Rigby & Peller
and some trouble shooting tips as follows:
Bra Fitting Troubleshooting
While we do stress that it is best to come in and be professionally fitted by our trained fitters we have listed a few scenarios and guidelines which you should follow when buying or trying on a bra. We do not by any means suggest that you use these guidelines as an alternative to a fitting; they are simply guidelines which you may find helpful.
You find that your bra is loose around the edges.
Try a smaller cup size
You find that your breasts are spilling out of the front of the bra and your silhouette is bumpy.
Try a bra with a smaller back and a larger cup size.
You find that your bra band is riding up your back.
Try a smaller back size.
You find your straps are leaving indent marks.
Try a smaller back size so that the band of the bra is supporting you.
You find that the under wire is digging under your armpit.
Try a bra with a bigger cup size.
You find that your breasts are falling out the bottom of the underwire.
Try a bra which is smaller in the back and larger in the cup.
You find that your size fluctuates.
This is a common problem for most women. We recommend that you buy a bra with some stretch in it; this will mean that it is more comfortable. If you find that you have large fluctuations in size, it can be helpful to have a larger bra for these times.
HTH
