Speaking of increasing cup sizes in bras and sizing, Betty sent me a tip on a recent sizing study done by the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology which was described in the Shanghai Daily (sub required -does anybody have access?) entitled Chinese women boast better curves:
THE chest circumference of Chinese women increased by nearly 1cm in the past 10 years, the Beijing College of Clothing Technology said in a recent report that studied changes in figure for Chinese women in the past decade, China News Service reported. The study also found that Chinese women are 0.5 centimeters taller than in the previous period.
One of our regular visitors is a Chinese translator and I’ve asked her to contact the given professors at the college in the hopes they’ll share results with us. I’ll update this post if that pans out.
In a related news story again from the Shanghai Daily entitled Bra producers bust out D cups as breasts grow (free):
Zhang Jing, a saleswoman with the Triumph brand at Landmark Plaza said she’s surprised to find many women under the age of 20 need bras with C, D or even E-cups. “It’s so different from the past when most young women would wear A- or B-cup bras,” she said. “You will never expect those thin women to have such nice figures if they are not plastic.”
“We make and sell products differently in various areas based on data collected in those places,” said Feng. “For a time we only made A and B-cup bras for many categories of products but now C-cups have become a major focus especially in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing.”
While there are no numbers to prove breast are growing quicker in large cities than underdeveloped areas, many salespeople say they have noticed that trend…The growth trend is credited to women eating more nutritiously and taking part in more sports.
And speaking of China and bras -again from the Shanghai Daily- A bra and slippers survive 1,000 years (free)
A MUSEUM in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region claims it has fragments of a brassiere and a pair of embroidered slippers that are nearly 1,000 years old.
Tian said the fragments show the brassiere was cotton padded, gold filigree and daintily embroidered. It was similar in style and function to those worn by modern women. “It was made of fine silks and had shoulder and back straps like brassieres of today,” he said. “It’s a pity most of the cotton padding in the cups has decayed.” …The pair of slippers, in sharp contrast, remained largely intact, he said. “They were embroidered with hundreds of flowers and even the soles were made of fine silks. It must have belonged to some noblewoman.”
The article I saw about it was “Tempest in a D-cup as bust sizes grow”. The gist of it is the same as the ones you linked to, but I couldn’t resist the pun…
Linsey, the link you left is the one Betty Morgan sent me. I should have posted the one from Reuter’s but I followed it back to the source and ended up digging up more info, forgetting the original source link she sent me.
In 1966, the average bra size was 34B. In 1996, just 30 years later, that average has increased to 36C. This corresponds to a woman with an underbust measurement of 32″ (give or take an inch either side), a high bust of 36″ and a full bust of 39″. Oddly enough, that is the full bust measurement of kathleen’s “pink square” woman in her History of women’s sizing, part 1, 2 and 3.
The average “mature” woman’s bra size is now 38D!
It is not at all unusual at all to see junior high and high school students with D, DD and F cups. And yes, they are natural, not augmented. Some of them feel cursed with their breasts, and no wonder. The “teen” bra boutiques are still under the illsuion that fashion bras stop at C cup. I see young women all the time that are wearing bras at least two sizes too small (i.e. a 38C when they should be wearing a 40D) and enduring major discomfort because they are not seeing anything youthful, pretty and supportive, in the places they like to shop.
In response to Kathleen It’s totally true a full year later. I’m 24 and 34D and I’m always upset and discouraged to buy bras everytime I go to a department store or boutique. All the cute bras at a reasonable price stop at C’s. It can be very frustrating when I have to fork out 40+ bucks at VS or FoH just to feel stylish in my lingerie. I refuse to buy from Lane Bryant. I’m not a big girl just busty.
Lane Bryant doesn’t carry 34D’s.In store stock is usually a 38C on up to 38DDD;band sizes go from 38-44 always, only occasionally 36,46,48.Cup sizes are C-DD always,DDD often,F,G,H by special order only unless there is a order someone returned/you are in a platinum level or Cacique store.
Try finding 32 D that gives coverage and support! Forget affordable!