The number of small-backed/big-cupped girls is increasing but still we’re sized out of bra ranges: either the cups stop at DD+ or the backs start at 32.

Yesterday’s Elle Macpherson Intimates review got me thinking: is this just an unintentional oversight stemming from the old ‘plus four’ fitting method?  For some reason B4J has never been able to fathom, traditionally back sizes were based on the under bust measurement plus four (or five) inches.  Which is fine if you’re under a D cup and not demanding too much structural support from your undercrackers.  But over a D cup, more of the support needs to come from the band.  Properly fitted, DD+ cup bra back sizes should fall back four inches to the true size.

So isn’t it conceivable that when commissioning their bigger ranges, manufacturers simply aren’t taking this in to consideration?  Elle Macpherson Intimates are not a plus size brand.  For them to hit the equivalent size demographics as their A-D range in their D-G range they shouldn’t be making the same 32-38 backs, they should be making 28-34s.  A properly fitted DD+ 38 back is the A-D equivalent of a 42.  You only have to look at their knicker sizes – and the tiny models they use – to see that that’s not what they’re aiming for.

Perhaps we should be educating retailers as much as we’re educating ourselves about fitting, or perhaps (please, pretty please) we should abandon the inexplicable and old-fashioned ‘plus four’ method altogether and simplify things for everyone.  In the meantime, check out the likes of Freya, Panache, Curvy Kate and 2wenty8 for big-cupped/small-backed bras that do fit…