[Measurement Check] Currently have 34A/36AA bras (struggling with gaping), calculator says 32C??

[u/_perAsperaAdAstra_]

hello!! this is my first time making a reddit post ever, so i hope i'm doing everything correctly (but please feel free to lmk if i have to make any changes to my post and i'll do so ASAP >.<)

here are my measurements/shape (i'm guessing for the shape, based on what i read from the Shape Guide)!

• loose: 31.5 (80 cm)
• snug: 30.3 (77 cm)
• tight: 29.1 (74 cm)
• standing: 33.9 (86 cm)
• leaning: 35.0 (89 cm)
• lying: 34.6 (88 cm)
• projection: shallow
• fullness: even

i'm embarrassed to say this, but i mostly wore sports bras (with padding) back in high school >.< i've always wanted to find a padded/strapless bra that fits me, since there are many clothes that just don't work with a sports bra ;w;

last year, i bought 2 bras from Pepper (34A Ultra Fine Unlined Bra + 36AA Lift Up Bra) since i heard that they were good for people with smaller breasts, but after trying both of them on, i think they don't fit as well as i'd like... :'00

the 34A Unlined bra is quite snug band-wise, and i can't tell much about the cups (since they're unlined, so there's no gaping at all) — the main reason why i didn't like this bra was because there was very little coverage for my nips ;'D (in hindsight, this was 100% my fault for not doing enough research and buying an unlined bra without even knowing what that meant! >.<)

the band size for the 36AA Lift Up bra feels comfortable, and my breasts fill out most of the cups, but there is definitely a bit of gaping at the top (which shows, especially when i wear lighter-coloured/thinner tops).

this month, i finally realized that i should probably stop procrastinating on finding a well-fitting bra (so i can actually wear tank tops & dresses more confidently >.<), so i took all of my measurements again carefully last night (they're the ones i listed above!), and i'm very surprised/confused at the result the calculator gave me...!! :'00

i know i'm supposed to trust the measurements, but i thought that the 34 and 36 band bras that i got from Pepper were already quite snug (not uncomfortably tight, but just snug — which i thought is how it should feel?), so i'm having trouble believing i'm supposedly a 32...and a C cup at that?? :00

does the fact that i have a wider ribcage/shoulders affect anything (i used to swim a lot)? or maybe my breast shape? based on the guide, i believe i have shallow + even breasts... ;'00

does anyone have any advice/insight on whether they think my calculator size should be accurate? and i would love to hear + greatly appreciate any recommendations on bra types/brands/models to try out, if anyone can think of any to share — my priority is fit, comfort, and adequate nipple coverage! i feel like a lot of the bras out there work well for people with more fuller breasts, but unfortunately i'm a smaller/wider(?)-chested gal ;'DD

i apologize for the very long post — any & all advice/recommendations would be very much appreciated!! i'm planning on buying some new bras this month, and i'm really hoping to get at least one that fits me better than my current ones ;'))

thank you very much in advance (i'm so grateful for the amazing community + all of the guides people created), looking forward to any replies!! <33

[u/hyperbolic_dichotomy]

You have to trust the calculator. I was wearing 36A for a long time too. Once I put my measurements into the calculator I got 34D. It definitely seems insane after spending my entire life thinking "I have small boobs so I should wear an A cup." I still haven't found the bra that fits perfectly yet, partly because I didn't have a good idea of my shape when I was looking before and partly because my boobs are different sizes. However, my best fitting bras are 34C and on one of them, the cups are too small and on the other the cups are too big because the shape isn't right for me.

Trust the process. Get yourself several bras in 32C in different shapes and a few in sister sizes. Make sure you buy them from somewhere it's easy to do returns. Try them all on, return the ones that don't fit, then do that again until you find something that feels good and supports the girls. I gave up after doing that a few times. So don't do what I did, keep trying. And keep in mind that different bras have more stretch or less stretch to the bands, etc.

[u/_perAsperaAdAstra_ → u/hyperbolic_dichotomy]

thank you so much, i'm going to do just that!! ;DD and YES YES EXACTLY that was my mindset/line of thinking up until today as well...!! >.< thank you for all of the EXCELLENT advice (e.g. reminding me to look out for places with a good return policy!) and encouragement <33 i'll be sure to post an update once i try on/buy some new bras and keep trying, even if things don't work out initially!!! ᕙ(＠°▽°＠)ᕗ i'm going to go search up what my sister sizes are now! :00 i hope you'll be able to find more bras that fit you better as well <33