The Truth About Bra Sizing: What 1,075 Women in the U.S. Revealed

Finding the perfect bra is a challenge that many women face . The overwhelming number of available sizes, inconsistent fits across brands, and lack of extended cup options can make bra shopping frustrating.

To shed light on real sizing trends and preferences, we surveyed 1,075 women in the United States and uncovered some fascinating insights into how women truly experience bra sizing.

While you’re researching the topic, use our US Bra Size Calculator to determine the best size for you.

The Myth of “Standard” Bra Sizes

In our survey, here are the top 5 bra sizes:

  1. 36C: 5.8% of women surveyed
  2. 38C: 5.4% of women surveyed
  3. 36B: 4.9% of women surveyed
  4. 34B: 4.2% of women surveyed
  5. 38DD: 3.9% of women surveyed

For years, the lingerie industry has centered around “core sizes”—ranging from A-D cups with band sizes between 32-36. However, our findings:

  • A surprising 35.72% of women wear cup sizes beyond A-D, meaning over one-third require larger-than-standard cup sizes., highlighting the significant need for extended sizing options.
  • Despite the industry’s focus on “core sizes,” 61.9% of women wear sizes outside of the ‘core’ range (34B, 34C, 36B, 36C, and 36D), proving that the majority require more diverse sizing options., indicating a gap in market representation.
  • The most common bra size reported was 36C, with 62 women (5.8%) indicating they wear this size.

This data underscores a critical gap in mainstream bra sizing. Many brands fail to accommodate the vast majority of women, leaving them struggling to find a comfortable and supportive fit.

Big or Small Cup Size?

We can break down the overall findings by cup size and organize into standard groupings:

  • A and B Cups: 27%
  • C and D Cups: 38%
  • DD Cups and Larger: 35%

These results contribute to the findings we share later as it relates to brand preferences.

How Band and Cup Sizes Interact

Bra fitting isn’t just about cup size—band size plays a crucial role as well. Our research found:

  • 57.6% of respondents wear band sizes between 32-36, highlighting that mid-sized bands dominate the market.
  • 14.9% wear a 30 band or smaller, revealing a sizable market for petite band sizes.
  • 27.5% wear a 38+ band, reinforcing the need for more options in the plus-size range.
  • Among women with 32 or smaller bands, 51.3% wear a D cup or larger, showing that small bands do not necessarily mean small cups.
  • Similarly, 74.2% of women with 38+ bands wear a D cup or larger, emphasizing that fuller figures require proportional support.

This trend suggests that proportional sizing should be the industry standard rather than a niche offering.

Brand Loyalty: Is Victoria’s Secret Losing Its Grip?

For decades, Victoria’s Secret has been a dominant force in lingerie, but our findings reveal a shifting landscape:

  • 11.91% of all respondents still prefer Victoria’s Secret, making it the most popular single brand.
  • However, Victoria’s Secret’s popularity drops significantly for DD+ wearers—only 6.9% of them choose the brand.
  • The brand’s strongest customer base lies in the 34-36 band range, where 15.4% of wearers prefer Victoria’s Secret.
  • Meanwhile, only 8.7% of small-band wearers (28-32) and just 7.1% of large-band wearers (38+) prefer Victoria’s Secret.

This suggests that Victoria’s Secret is primarily catering to mid-sized band wearers but failing to capture the market for extended sizes, leaving room for competitors to step in.

Why Budget Bras Work for Some (But Not All)

Affordability plays a key role in bra selection, but our findings indicate that support needs often dictate brand choices:

  • 4.05% of A-D cup wearers prefer budget-friendly brands like Walmart, Target, and Shein.
  • Only 3.12% of DD+ wearers choose these brands, suggesting that cheaper bras often lack the structural support needed for larger busts.

Conversely, high-support brands like Wacoal, Elomi, and Glamorise attract DD+ wearers 4.7x more often than A-D wearers. This highlights a critical difference in purchasing behavior—while smaller cup sizes may afford flexibility in budget shopping, women with larger cup sizes often need premium bras for comfort and durability.

The Surprising Impact of Band Size on Brand Loyalty

A woman’s band size plays a crucial role in her shopping habits:

  • Women with band sizes 28-32 and a D+ cup are the least brand-loyal—48.6% selected “no preference.”
  • In contrast, only 28.2% of large-band (38+) wearers had no preference, making them the most brand-loyal group.

This suggests that small-band, large-cup wearers struggle to find consistent sizing, forcing them to shop across multiple brands. Meanwhile, women with larger bands are more likely to stick with one brand once they find a comfortable fit.

Final Thoughts: What This Means for the Lingerie Industry

  1. The Market is More Diverse Than Many Brands Acknowledge: Brands need to move away from focusing on “core sizes”—with 61.9% of women wearing non-core sizes, it’s clear that the demand for inclusive sizing is greater than ever.
  2. Extended Cup Sizes Are Not a Niche Market: With 35.7% of women wearing a DD+ cup size, fuller busts require better representation in mainstream lingerie offerings.
  3. Proportional Sizing Needs to Become Standard: Instead of treating D+ cup sizes as “specialty,” brands should incorporate proportional sizing across all band sizes to better serve real body diversity.
  4. Budget Bras Fail Many DD+ Wearers: While budget brands work for smaller cup sizes, the lack of support often leads larger-cup women to seek high-support brands—a major gap in the market for affordable, supportive bras.
  5. Victoria’s Secret Is Losing Ground in Extended Sizes: While the brand still holds sway in the 34-36 band range, its limited support for DD+ and non-core sizes is opening doors for competitors.
  6. Brand Loyalty Is Strongest Among Large-Band Wearers: Women with larger band sizes are the most brand-loyal, meaning that once they find a good fit, they stick with it—a key opportunity for brands to focus on customer retention.

The Bottom Line

Our survey proves that bra sizing is far from universal, and most women struggle to find their perfect fit. The industry has a responsibility to expand its sizing options, create proportional cup-to-band ratios, and improve accessibility to extended sizes.

For lingerie brands, the takeaway is clear: prioritizing inclusive sizing and better support structures isn’t just an ethical decision—it’s a business opportunity waiting to be seized.

Survey Details

We asked visitors to the website https://thebetterfit.com/ two questions:

  • What is your bra size?
  • What is your preferred brand of bra?