How to measure a bra
Introduction
Depending on which bra your are about to measure you will be asked for any of these measurements:
- Bust perimeter
- Stretched band length
- Band length
- Cup width
- Cup depth
- Wire length
- Center gore height
- Side wing height
- Cup separation
- Cup height
- Strap width
- Hooks
Recommendations
We recommend to have a flexible tape measure handy or a string and a ruler to take the measurements.
If you don't have a measuring tape handy, you can use a string and a ruler. Use the string to mark distances and then measure them with your ruler 
Measurements
Bust perimeter
The bust perimeter is the measurement we are all used to take
This is when wearing the bra, across the fullest part of the cups with the tape parallel to the floor.
You will be asked for this measurement mostly on bras that don't have separate or defined cups, like compression sport bras and some swimwear.
Band length
Measure the length of the bra along the band, from hook to hook. Take the measurement from the endmost row of hooks to the other end of the bra with the hook.
Lay your bra on a flat surface in a natural shape and measure the distance of the band at rest.
Stretched band length
This is an optional measurement, as some of you may not feel comfortable doing this. That's OK.
Measure the the maximum length of the stretched band of your bra. This is useful to compare the elasticity of bras and helps recommending better fitting bras.
You can do this by grabbing one end of the measuring tape and one end of the bra with your clumsy hand and while holding the measuring tape with your strong hand pull the other bra's end and see on which number it stops.
Another way to do this, is by laying the measuring tape straight on the floor and stretch your bra along with it and check how far it reaches.
Note: Don't pull too hard as to deform or stretch the underwires too much, just enough to emulate as if you were wearing it.
Cup width
This is an imaginary straight line from tip to tip of the cup or underwire. For bras without underwire, measure from tip to tip of the cup.
Depending on the shape of the cup this measurement can vary a bit on the angle, as shown in the examples.
For this measurement do not include the width of the wires.
Cup depth
The depth of the cup is measure on the inside of the cup, from each end of the underwire (or where it should be located) across the deepest line of the cup.
TIP: If your bra has a soft fabric cup and if the size allows it, you can use your knee to fill the cup and measure across, in cups with thin materials it does not make an important difference if the measurement is inside or outside.
Remember that the ends of the measurement should be the same you used for the cup width, but this will always be a bigger measurement as this is the curve of the inside of the cup.
If your bra comes with removable padding, please remove it to take this measurement.
Wire length
Measure the length of the wire across the cup border from end to end.
We are measuring the actual size of the underwire NOT the wire channel which could have extra empty fabric.
Cup separation
When the bra is at rest, measure the distance at the point where the cups are the closest together making sure that the center gore is not deformed. This should include the wires and the wire casing.
This measurement will be useful to look for bras for breasts that are closer or separate to each other.
Center gore height
This is the height of the bra's center gore, the center gore is the piece of fabric where the cups meet at the center. Its height goes from the highest point to the bottom of the fabric.
Side wing height
This measurements refers to the height of the band where it meets the cup.
Cup height
This is an optional measurement.
Measure the curved vertical length of the cup from the bottom center of the underwire up to the cup's edge. Ignore any ruffles.
Do NOT include the wire as part of this measurement.
This is not a straight measurement but a curve along the fabric. If the bra is not molded it may be better to stuff the cups or measure while wearing.
Strap width
Measure how wide the bra strap is. If it varies, measure at shoulder level.
Hooks
The number of hooks that you need to close to close the bra in one row.
Some sports bras and swim tops have "double bands" with two series of hooks that you do at the same time but are not all on the same row. Use the total for these cases, eg: 2+2, then write down 4.
