Thanks for posting this! I recently discovered that I've been wearing the wrong bra size too. It's incredibly easy. I was substituting band size for cup size, and not getting nearly enough support (if that makes sense). Blegh.

Does your bra ride up in the back? Band too big.

Can you fit two fingers underneath the band comfortably? No? Band too small.

Do the cups runneth over? Cup size too small.

Does the fabric wrinkle at all in the cups? Cups too big.

Does the wire lie flat against your chest in the middle between your boobs? Good. It doesn't? Cups too small.

If you lift your arms, do you have problems with breast tissue coming out at the bottom? Cups too small + Band too big.

Do you constantly feel like you have to adjust the straps? Band probably too big. Should support from below.

Do you ever, ever feel restricted? Do you ever get red indentations from the straps or band? Bra too small.

That isn't a complete professional list, just some things I remember from when I was researching it for myself.

In my experience, it didn't seem like I had the wrong size. The bra looked fine, and didn't feel like it was hurting me or anything. However, most of my bras didn't have the wire flat against the skin all the way under the boob. Most of my bras had a bit of cleavage in the middle that pushed the wire out. This is a NO. It took me a while to admit it to myself because finding bras in my actual size is much harder than finding bras in my pretend size. Harder to find, and more expensive.

However, I have realized that a bra that fits should be the foundation of my wardrobe. Sure, nobody can see it, but it really influences how I feel all day, and it changes the way everything I wear looks. So consider this a PSA, ladies: are you sure your bra fits?

Sure? REALLY sure?

Bra fitting wasn't the main point of the article you linked. On that subject... well. She's right on. Not much to add.

My Cousin once said "80% of women wear the wrong bra size... that's so stupid. No man would be stupid enough to wear the wrong size underwear."

Of course he felt entitled because he knew the procedure for measuring... I'm sure he knew nothing about how you could measure to be a certain bra size, and then still have problems. I know I sure do, because my breasts are too big for a 32/34 B, but too small for a 32C (which I measure at, BTW.)

Or maybe I'm just so use to wearing small bras and bras that are too tight that the looseness of the C drives me insane. I was a bit too small for a 32B, but it fit fine, the I started taking the pill, and now I don't know what to do.

Not to mention brands are different as well, I've got a 32B in one brand that's great, and a 32B in another that is so small it leaves marks.

What you said about button shirts really struck me. I'm very flat-chested and there are a lot of shirts that fit me every where but the bust. Because my boobs don't hold the shirt up, the collar goes down too low and I have more cleavage than I feel ok with. It happens most often with button down shirts I need for work.

My friends with larger breasts tell me they can't wear shirts like that either because they create a lot of cleavage.

This makes me wonder: Who the hell are designers making shirts for? I hope this wasn't off topic, but I'm sick of all clothes being designed for some arbitrary happy medium. I think one of the things that turned me on to feminism was the realization that clothes are designed for a fantasy and not real women.

One theory I've heard:

Clothes are designed to look good on clothes hangers at the store, and not on a person. Which is one reason why fashion models are wafer-thin; the clothes look on them the way they do on a clothes hanger.

Tell me about it. My school is really ridgid about enforcing a strick dress code (i.e. no tank tops or shorts-even in June)! My parents asked the administration why the dress code is so strict and the best answer they could muster up was that they wanted to detract unwanted attention from male teachers. WTF?

I find it appalling that no matter what I wear it will be perceived as sexual simply because I have large knockers underneath. Even if it's a t-shirt or a turtleneck.

I also hate that wearing a G cup (especially with a 34 or smaller back) means you have to buy expensive bras at specialty stores. Just because I'm oddly sized doesn't mean I can afford to blow $80+ per bra.

About button-up shirts, my mother has very large breasts (I don't) and she has the same problem. I told her it was an easy solution. By a shirt that fits nicely across your bust (even if you have to buy a 3XL, which she has when she would normally be a large) then take it a tailor. Yes, a $30 shirt will now cost $50, but it's better to have a few items that fit really well than it is to have a closet full of things don't fit at all.

So much is attached to a woman with large breasts. It's automatically assumed that women who have large breasts are sexual creatures and promiscuous.

I had a friend in second grade and by the fourth grade, she was wearing a B cup. By middle school, she hit DD. By the time we caught up again in High School, she wouldn't admit her bra size. She got so much attention for having large breasts and for nothing else. The guys who hit on her couldn't tell you about how smart she was, all they could talk about was how they imagined it would be to sleep with her and her breasts.

I sympathize with the author when it comes to unwanted teacher attention. I've dealt with it, reported it, and been told to just let it go.

I received gawks and stares (although I don't know why, I'm overweight with small breasts) and it really makes one feel...less than human. I was walking home not too long ago and a man leaned out of his truck window and pantomimed fellatio at me. There was a time where I would have cowered in shame, but this time I defiantly threw my middle finger in the air. I suggest that approach to life for women who are stared at and objectified. Don't lay down and take it, throw up your middle in salute to defiance.