When purchasing your daughter's first bra, it is best to start with atween training bra. Cups on traditional bras are more likely to have gaps and discomfort for preteens who are still developing. It is important to keep in mind that there really isn’t any “normal”--everyone develops at different rates and times. What is important is finding what fits your daughter best and makes her feel comfortable.
To find her band size, wrap a tape measure around her ribcage, beneath her breasts. Whatever the result is, add three inches to this measurement. If the result here is an odd number, round up to the next even number. For example, if her rib cage is thirty-four inches, adding three gets you to thirty-seven, so round up to a size thirty-eight band.
To find her cup size, wrap the tape measure loosely around the fullest part of her bust. Take this number and subtract the band size from it. For example, if her size is thirty-two and her bust measurement is thirty-five, subtracting band size from bust size leaves you with three. This difference will help you determine cup size–three inches of difference is a C-cup, four inches is a D-cup, and two inches is a B-cup. From here, you can see each inch of difference notates a new cup size.
Differences Between Training Bras and Sports Bras
When transitioning to wearing bras, it’s important for your daughter to understand what to wear and why she should wear it. There is no wrong way for her to approach her body’s changes, but having more information can make her feel comfortable and empowered.
Training Bras
Training bras are a great way for your tween to experiment with style and discover coverage preferences. Training bras are typically made of cotton and other comfortable material; they are lightweight and a great way to provide an introduction to coverage without compromising comfort.
Yellowberry offers a wide variety of “First Bras” that help your daughter feel stylish and mature, without discomfort or feeling pushed out of her element. Our training bras offer breathable material in an athleisure style, and our goal is to empower young women by removing the taboo of female development and providing excellent undergarments for movement and comfort.
Sports Bras
The difference between sports bras and training bras is that sports bras are engineered for performance. They have more layers of fabric to keep sweat off of your daughter’s chest and tend to run tighter due to their elasticity. This keeps her breasts close to her chest, which is more comfortable when engaging in high-intensity movement.
Final Thoughts
The changes your daughter’s body is undergoing are normal, and it’s normal for her to feel like it’s not normal at all–this is why offering her as much information as she needs is so important. Every body is different, so she needs to find what is right for her. You can help her find her bra size comfortably by measuring her yourself at home with just a tape measure and simple math. Knowledge is power, and once she knows her size, she can try on different training bras at the store or order options online.
Looking for more information on theaverage bra size for a teenager? We’ve got you covered–take a look at our latest post!