Bra Sizes Explained: Bands, Cups and How They Work
A bra size is written as two figures: a size number and a cup letter. The size number is based on your ribcage measurement, and the cup letter is based on how much larger your bust is than that number. Together they describe the fit a bra is built for.
How the size number works
The size number comes from measuring snugly around the ribcage, directly under the bust. Standard sizing rounds that measurement to the nearest even number, so most sizes run in twos: 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, and so on.
How the cup letter works
The cup letter is not a fixed measurement on its own: it is the difference, in inches, between the bust measurement and the size number. The table below shows the standard conversion.
| Difference between bust and size number | Cup letter |
|---|---|
| 0 inches | AA |
| 1 inch | A |
| 2 inches | B |
| 3 inches | C |
| 4 inches | D |
| 5 inches | DD or E |
| 6 inches | DDD or F |
The same cup letter therefore means a different actual size depending on the number. A C cup on a 32 is a smaller volume than a C cup on a 38. The cup letter only measures the difference, not an absolute size.
Bra sizes in Pakistan
Pakistan uses the same size-number-and-cup system as the UK and US, in inches. A brand's own size chart is still worth checking before ordering, since cut and fit vary between brands even at the same labelled size.
Sister sizes
The cup letter is relative to the size number, so two different labelled sizes hold the same cup volume. Moving one size up and one cup letter down, or one size down and one cup up, keeps the same volume with a different fit. That swap is useful when an exact size is out of stock.
Style changes the fit too, not just the two numbers: see how to measure bra size for the full step-by-step method, sister sizing in practice, and notes on how push-up and sports bra styles fit differently from a plain one.
Once you know your size number and cup, Pink Pearl's size calculator checks them against current stock and shows what is actually available in that size right now.
Shop by size
Browse what is currently in stock by size: 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42.