While bra fittings are free in many high street stores, the risk of coronavirus and the ease of doing it at home mean you can find out your real size in a matter of minutes. This has certainly been the case throughout the coronavirus pandemic – data from Semrush shows the number of people searching “how to measure your bra size” increased by 49.55 percent from December 2020 to January 2021.

Bra sizes are likely to fluctuate over the course of your life, with things like weight gain or loss, pregnancy and ageing all likely to have an impact on your bra size over time.

There’s much more to measuring your bra size than just grabbing a measuring tape and guessing what size you are.

In the next three steps, we’ll go into measuring your band size, then your bust size, and finally, your cup size.

This method works best when shirtless or wearing a thin, nonpadded, wireless bra.

Find your bust size

Keeping the measuring tape around your back at the same band level, measure across the fullest part of your chest.

Like with the band measurement, it should be tight but not constraining.

Take some deep breaths and let the tape rest in the most comfortable position for you.

If your number falls on the half inch, round it up.

The difference denotes your cup size.

0=AA
1=A
2=B
3=C
4=D
5=DD
6=F
7=FF
8=G
9=GG
10=H
11=HH
12=J
13=JJ
14=K

How do I know if my bra is the right size?

There are a number of key factors in determining whether your bra is the right fit for you.

The band of the bra should sit snugly against your back, with enough room to put one finger underneath the band.

The cups should properly cover your chest, with no overflow or gaps.

The straps should also be snug on the shoulders, but without digging in or leaving marks.

Above all, it should be comfortable and shouldn’t move around as you do.