Measuring a 34F bra
This is the bra we'll be measuring, its a Frederick's of hollywod 34F bra.
Band length
- Lay the bra on a flat surface with the cups up and accomodate the bra ends to be in a straight line (you may have to tilt the cups together to achieve this).
- Measure from the loosest hook to the other end without stretching the bra.
In this case, the band length is 61.5cm. not 62.5cm where the band ends.
Cup width
This is the measure the distance from tip to tip of underwire, place your tape on the center of the cup (where the underwire begins) and measure across the cup (from inner side to inner side).
Cup depth
The cup depth is the measure of the inner perimeter of the cup. This one is tricky.
You have to measure inside and around the cup along the same line you measured the cup's width, that shoud match the deepest line of the cup.
TIP: In this case the bra has a soft cup, so it is easier to measure in parts. Hold and measure, hold and measure, then add all together.
Cup separation
This measures how far away your breasts need to be in order to fit confortably the cups.
This is the measure of how far each inner side of the cups is, which is the wire's width, plus the cup separator.
In this case, the cups are 2cm separated (6 minus 4).
Wire length
This meaures the length of the wire used for the cup.
- Place your tape along the underwire, and measure from end to end.
- Measure only the actual underwire, even if it's smaller than the fabric covering it.
- In this case, the wire is 29cm long.
If your bra does not have underwires, please measure the perimeter of the cup in the same fasion even if it does not have a round shape, follow the square seams.
Strap width
This one is pretty straightforward. How wide is the bra strap.
This strap is 2cm wide
Hooks
The number of hooks the bra has.
This one has 3 hooks.
Band and Cup
The band and cup size are usually shown in the label.
The band is the number, and the following letters make the cup size.
This bra is an F cup on a 34 band.
If the label shows equivalences, use the one with less letters.
Brand
Who made this bra? it is usually a company that brands it.
In this case, the brand is Frederick's of Hollywood bra. You will probably know this as you buy the bra. It's printed on the label and sometimes on the bra band.
Model's name and code
Usually bras have a model name and/or a model code depending on the manufacturer. It is sometimes named "model", "style"
This bra does not have a model name, it only has a model code.
This bra model's code is 5080.
On the form, to add the bra's model you should type the name then an @ and the code after that. If there is no name, you'd type @5080.
How do I know it is a code and not a name? Name are usually words, and codes are just numbers and letters 
Some brands, manufacture their bras in "lines", like Panache. They have the "Atlantis style" in different presentations "Strapless", "Water filled", "T-shirt". In these cases please be specific and add it as "Atlantis Strapless", so your measurements don't get confused with the other Atlantis presentations. As you type in Bratabase will make suggestions for you
Resulting line
| Band | Cup | Brand | Model | Code | Band Length | Cup Width | Cup Depth | Wire Length | Cup Separation | Strap Width | Hooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | F | Frederick's of hollywood | 5080 | 61.5 | 14.0 | 23.0 | 29.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3 |
It is ok, if your measurements are not exact, but try to measure a close estimate.