The Brassiere. Project
One body, many labels

Sizing Guide

The same bra size looks completely different depending on where it's sold. Here's how US, UK, EU, and international sizing actually compare — and what to look for when a bra fits wrong in either direction.

Sizing around the world

Same measurements, different labels

Every system pairs a band number with a cup letter, but no two countries label them the same way. Bands run in inches in the US and UK, centimeters in the EU and Japan, an offset centimeter scale in France, and small whole numbers in Italy. Cup letters line up neatly through D — then every system splits off in its own direction.

Band size by country (common range)
US / UK (in) EU / Japan (cm) France / Spain (cm) Italy Australia / NZ
327085210
347590312
368095414
3885100516
4090105618
Real-world equivalent sizes
US UK EU France AU / NZ Japan Italy
32C32C70C85C10C70C2C
34D34D75D90D12D75D3D
36DD / E36DD80E95E14DD80E4E
32G32F70G85G10F70G2G

Below a D cup, the letters mostly agree — a US C and a UK C describe roughly the same volume. Above that, the UK inserts extra double letters (DD, FF, GG) that the US and most of Europe skip, so UK labels start to run "behind" the others. That last row is the clearest example: a UK 32F sits at roughly the same volume as a US 32G and a European 70G.

Use this as a starting point, not a guarantee

Conversion charts translate the label, not the fit. Wire width, cup depth, fabric stretch, and how a specific brand grades its pattern all shift the result. When ordering from a new country or brand, check that retailer's own size chart before converting by table alone.

Getting the fit right

What a bad fit actually looks like

Label aside, these are the visual tells that a band or cup is off in either direction.

Cup or band too small

Spilling, digging, and a lifted gore

1 2 3
  • 1Breast tissue bulges over the top or sides of the cup — the classic "quad boob" look, a sign the cup itself is too small.
  • 2The center gore doesn't sit flat against the sternum; it lifts or floats away because the cups don't have room to close.
  • 3Straps dig into the shoulders and leave marks, often because an overly tight band and cup are pushing more of the load onto them.
Cup or band too big

Gaping, slipping, and a rising band

1 2 3
  • 1The cup fabric wrinkles or gapes, with visible empty space at the top — structured cups gap, unlined ones fold and pucker.
  • 2Straps slide off the shoulder repeatedly because the band isn't snug enough to anchor them.
  • 3The band rides up in back, curving toward the shoulder blades instead of sitting level, because it's too loose to carry the weight on its own.