It’s impossible not to feel totally girly in a beautiful bra… but did you know there’s a good chance you’re wearing the WRONG size bra?
Don’t feel bad – 80% of bra wearers are too! This includes crossdressers and transgender women, as well as cisgender (genetic) women.
Wearing the correct bra size is critical. Bras that don’t fit right are uncomfortable and look bad under your clothes.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to find your correct MTF bra size so you can choose the perfect bra for your female transformation.
How to Determine Your Correct Bra Size – Without Breast Forms
Determining your correct bra size begins with a choice: Will you be wearing breast forms with the bra?
In this section, I’ll explain how to find the correct bra size for your ACTUAL breasts (without breast forms). In the section below, I’ll show you how to find the correct bra size if you wear breast forms.
Step 1: Measure your band size
- Wear a non-padded bra that fits well.
- Wrap a soft measuring tape snugly around your ribcage, directly under your bust.
- Ensure the tape is parallel to the floor and not too tight.
- Round the measurement to the nearest even number.
- This is your BAND SIZE.
Step 2: Measure your bust size
- Keeping the tape measure snug, wrap it around the fullest part of your bust.
- Make sure the tape is parallel to the floor and not squishing your breast tissue.
- This measurement is your BUST SIZE.
Step 3: Calculate your cup size
- Subtract your band size (from Step 1) from your bust size (from Step 2).
- Check the chart below to determine your cup size. (Each inch of difference corresponds to one cup size.)
| If The Difference Is: | Your Cup Size Is: |
| 0″-1/2″ (1.3 cm) | AA |
| 1/2″- 1″ (2.6 cm) | A |
| 2″ (5.1 cm) | B |
| 3″ (7.6 cm) | C |
| 4″ (10.2 cm) | D |
| 5″ (12.7 cm) | DD or E |
| 6″ (15.2 cm) | DDD or F |
| 7″ (17.8 cm) | G |
| 8″ (20.3 cm) | H |
| 9” (22.9 cm) | I |
| 10″ (25.4 cm) | J |
For example, if your band size is 40” and your bust size is 44”, the difference is 4”. That would make you a D cup.
Your bra size is a combination of your band size and your cup size. (Bra size = band size + cup size) In this case, your bra size would be a 40D.
IMPORTANT: This size should be considered a starting point, since sizing varies from bra to bra. If possible, try on the actual bra before you buy.
How to Determine Your Correct Bra Size – With Breast Forms
If you wear breast forms, the process for finding your bra size is a bit different. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Measure your band size
(Note: These instructions are the same as above, but I’ll repeat them here.)
- Wear a non-padded bra that fits well.
- Wrap a soft measuring tape snugly around your ribcage, directly under your bust.
- Ensure the tape is parallel to the floor and not too tight.
- Round the measurement to the nearest even number.
- This is your BAND SIZE.
Step 2: Determine your ideal cup size
The next step is to determine the cup size you want to achieve. This should be a size that’s proportionate to your body: Not too big and not too small.
Generally speaking, the larger your body frame is, the larger your cup size should be.
Here are some guidelines:
- Choose an B or C cup if you have a small frame.
- Choose a C or D cup if you have a medium frame.
- Choose a D cup or larger if you have a large frame.
Once you know your correct band size and desired cup size, you can purchase the proper bra and breast forms.
For example, if your band size is 40 and you desire to be a D cup, you’d simply purchase a 40D bra and D cup breast forms.
Easy right? 🙂
What About Other Bra Fitting Methods?
There are a couple other bra fitting methods out there. However, the instructions I shared in this blog post are considered the most accurate method.
Some guides will tell you to add 4–5 inches to your band measurement. That’s outdated advice from when bras were made differently.
Modern bras are sized much closer to your actual ribcage measurement – adding inches will give you a band that’s too loose.
You may also see the “armpit method,” which involves measuring above the bust, under the armpits. (It’s the method Victoria’s Secret uses.)
While the armpit method can work, it often leads to a larger band size and a poor fit. For that reason, I recommend the ribcage method described above.
Finding A Bra That Fits
Knowing your correct bra size is one thing. Actually FINDING that bra is another.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find bras outside the standard size range. Here are some sites that carry a large range of bra sizes:
- Barenecessities.com – Bare Necessities offers a huge selection of bras, including plus size bras with smaller cup sizes. (Perfect for crossdressers and trans women who don’t wear breast forms.)
- HerRoom.com – Her Room is another large lingerie site that stocks hard to find sizes. They offer band sizes up to 58, so there’s a bra for almost everybody.
Another option is to purchase a bra extender. A bra extender is an elasticized piece of fabric that hooks onto the back of your bra. It can add 1-3 inches to the bra band, so it’s a great solution for bras that are too tight.
So there you are, girlfriend! Everything you need to know about finding your correct bra size.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please leave me your comments below. And if you have any beautiful bra pics, don’t forget to include them!
Love,
Lucille
P.S. Looking for a natural way to fill out your bra? Check out The Flat to Femme Program to discover an effective and proven approach to male to female breast enhancement.
I endured hormones (still do), surgery, family & societal pressure for a decade to be able look like the woman I am…can vouch for the experts at Victoria Secret’s for proper bra fitting (and all lingerie!!)….40DD. Do you like my lingerie LOL?!!
Hi Tammi,
When you say “endured hormones”, do you mean you find it unpleasant or tiresome? How often do you medicate? And what type of distribution? I know some people are not thrilled with needles. I’ve been on E for over 6 years. An injectable that’s only needed every two weeks. If I understand accurately, it has microcrystals in it that break down slowly. My doctor does the injection in the upper part of my fanny. No pain and no fuss. In fact I look forward to it. I find it enjoyable. Wearing bras, not so much.
Post op 8 years now, hormones forever it seems but worth it with my DDs…correct bra sizing is crucial for confidence and shape
Over many years I have developed into a size 42C naturally, thanks to genetics and the Flat to Femme Program. I now have quite an extensive bra wardrobe. I have found herroom.com to be the best site for bra shopping and information on finding your correct bra size. Tomina has many videos too that are very informative, and their customer service is wonderful. I love shopping there.
Hi Brianna, that’s fantastic! So happy to hear about your results.
I am fully transitioning and had surgery, so I have just gone to lingerie shops to get measured and I have also measured on my own. But a good measurement is very key.
For larger bras you can go to Torrid, or lane Bryant both have bigger band sizes
Wow my manboobs is a B, so I don’t need the breast forms anymore
the part called the “gore” on a pocket bra I got does not fit flush with my chest, does this mean that it’s too big or too small?
Thanks, that’s what I was looking for!
I can also recommend trying to find a size here – https://brametric.com/. It’s a tricky method for me to find a bra size based on 5 measurements. But it worked for me.
I think it would be helpful to someone else as well.