It will come as little surprise to any woman who has been fitted with a bra that leaves her battling backache or unsightly bulges.
The traditional method of measuring bust size does not work, according to experts – because women’s bodies have changed dramatically since it was invented in the 1930s.
Instead, they say, shoppers should ditch the tape measure and go for a five-step ‘best fit’ approach.
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth claim women should head for the fitting room with the same bra in a variety of sizes.
Once in there, they say, they should assess each one according to five criteria – the length of the straps, the shape of the underwire, how well the back fits, how well the cup fits and whether the front band is in contact with the breastbone.
The traditional method of bra fitting, still used by many retailers, involves taking two measurements – one from under the bust and around the ribcage, and the other from around the fullest part of the bust.
The first measurement gives the back size, in inches, and the difference between the two measurements determines cup size.
This is given as a letter, with an A denoting a difference of one inch and B denoting two inches.
For example, a back size of 34in and a bust measurement of 38in give a bra size of 34D. But according to the academics, this method is out of date, because it was only designed to go up to a D cup. Half of women in the UK now exceed that size.
In the University of Portsmouth study, 45 women were measured using both the traditional method and the best fit approach.
The researchers found that using the traditional method led to overestimating the back size in 76 per cent of cases and underestimating the cup size in 84 per cent.
On average, the traditional approach gave a result that was one cup size smaller and one back size larger than the best fit method.
And the bigger the bust, the greater the discrepancy between sizes given by the two techniques.
Jenny White, a sports scientist at the university, found that in three quarters of cases, women relying on the traditional measurements ended up wearing ill-fitting bras.
This contributes to the estimated 85 per cent of women in the UK who wear the wrong size bra. She said: ‘Wearing a well-fitting bra is crucial to helping women look and feel their best.’
The academics also found that the right bra size for each woman may vary between different shops, just as clothes sizes do, and can also fluctuate at different times of the month.
Malcolm Ball, of the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry, said: ‘This research adds facts and weight to the increasing body of evidence showing that fit is dependent on personal morphology and comfort.’
Stores such as Rigby & Peller and Bravissimo already use a technique similar to the best fit method.
Women are fitted for a bra based on their exact rib cage or back measurement, and a fitter will use their training and experience to guess cup size. Shoppers are then given a number of bras to try, and the fitter will assess how they sit across the back, straps and cups.
A spokesman for Marks & Spencer said: ‘Our fully trained and experienced bra fitters use a variety of bra fitting options, including measuring by sight and tape, in the comfort of our bra fitting rooms where customers can try on a range of styles and fits.’
The traditional method of measuring bust size does not work, according to experts – because women’s bodies have changed dramatically since it was invented in the 1930s.
Instead, they say, shoppers should ditch the tape measure and go for a five-step ‘best fit’ approach.
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth claim women should head for the fitting room with the same bra in a variety of sizes.
Once in there, they say, they should assess each one according to five criteria – the length of the straps, the shape of the underwire, how well the back fits, how well the cup fits and whether the front band is in contact with the breastbone.
The first measurement gives the back size, in inches, and the difference between the two measurements determines cup size.
This is given as a letter, with an A denoting a difference of one inch and B denoting two inches.
For example, a back size of 34in and a bust measurement of 38in give a bra size of 34D. But according to the academics, this method is out of date, because it was only designed to go up to a D cup. Half of women in the UK now exceed that size.
In the University of Portsmouth study, 45 women were measured using both the traditional method and the best fit approach.
The researchers found that using the traditional method led to overestimating the back size in 76 per cent of cases and underestimating the cup size in 84 per cent.
On average, the traditional approach gave a result that was one cup size smaller and one back size larger than the best fit method.
And the bigger the bust, the greater the discrepancy between sizes given by the two techniques.
Jenny White, a sports scientist at the university, found that in three quarters of cases, women relying on the traditional measurements ended up wearing ill-fitting bras.
This contributes to the estimated 85 per cent of women in the UK who wear the wrong size bra. She said: ‘Wearing a well-fitting bra is crucial to helping women look and feel their best.’
The academics also found that the right bra size for each woman may vary between different shops, just as clothes sizes do, and can also fluctuate at different times of the month.
Malcolm Ball, of the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry, said: ‘This research adds facts and weight to the increasing body of evidence showing that fit is dependent on personal morphology and comfort.’
Stores such as Rigby & Peller and Bravissimo already use a technique similar to the best fit method.
Women are fitted for a bra based on their exact rib cage or back measurement, and a fitter will use their training and experience to guess cup size. Shoppers are then given a number of bras to try, and the fitter will assess how they sit across the back, straps and cups.
A spokesman for Marks & Spencer said: ‘Our fully trained and experienced bra fitters use a variety of bra fitting options, including measuring by sight and tape, in the comfort of our bra fitting rooms where customers can try on a range of styles and fits.’
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