why are bra sizes measured in a, b, c, d instead of s, m, l or xl?

Question

Why can't it be simpler??

Answer 1

Both measurements exist.

However, measurements such as Large, medium and small are less accurate.

The reason why bras are sledom mesured like this is for the same reason your shoes arent measured like this, so that your toes dont swim around inside. Hence its the same for bras.

Answer 2

These are cup sizes, the size of a womans chest, we also have another measurement in inches for how big around the bra should be. Sometimes things just can't be that simple.

Answer 3

Because a lot of women are sensitive about breast size. At what point do you stop adding X's. Because I've definitely seen some XXXXXL women out there. And no one wants to buy a bra sized like that.

Answer 4

Bras, in the US, have two indicators of size, a band size and a cup size, which when combined become the bra size. The band size is expressed in inches, almost exclusively in 2 inch increments, and cup size is expressed in letters, beginning with A, and continuing alphabetically. In the case of cup sizes larger than D, manufactures will often use double or triple letter designations, with each successive letter indicating a larger cup size.

With that in mind, standard bra sizes range from 30A-46DDD. Both larger and smaller sizes are available, but they are often hard to find, and frequently need to be custom made at great cost.

As if this were not confusing enough already, band size, and cup size effect one another in one half size increments, so that the volume of a 32C cup, is smaller than the cup of a 36C cup – in fact – because the 32C band size is two increments smaller than the 36C cup size, and each increment increases the volume of the cup size one half size, the volume of a 36C cup is actually identical to the volume of a 32D cup, through the band size on the 32D is two increments smaller. This knowledge become quite helpful for girls who, when trying on bras find that they are consistently between two different bra sizes. Very likely the proper size for such a girl will be a band size one size smaller, with a cup size one size larger.

With all of this complication, and with people’s general uneasiness with anything having to do with undergarments, is it any wonder that recent estimates suggest that as many as 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra?

Answer 5

Because the letter represents your cup size and the number is your band size. So you see a 36 can be an A,B, or C cup and so on.

Answer 6

I guess for the same reason that condoms don't come in a small size, its less demoralising to be an A than an XS.

Answer 7

it's really trying to be consolotary (sorry but not sure if tat's a valid word...i mean to console)

see... society in general tends to value bigger as better when it comes to those lumps of female flesh...

in school...A is the best grade while the futhur down the alphabet...the worse you are academically

SO to make some people feel better about their smaller assets...we award them the coveted A in the academic world to well...make it a lil better...

haha....so i guess it's bra size that most of us hope to score badly at ... we certainly dun mind Ds or Fs...haha

Answer 8

Men don't have to understand the system. Women understand it, and seeing how we're the ones wearing them, it works out.

Unless you're planning on shopping for some bras for yourself?.....

Answer 9

its the difference between the measurement in inches around the breast and around the chest. minus five.

each inch over five is a cup size, so if the difference is 6, you are an A, seven, you are a B and so on.

Easy.

Answer 10

I have no idea, but didn't a man invent the bra? I just wish they were more precise like men's jeans.