US to EU Bra Band Size Conversion
| US Band | EU Band |
|---|---|
| 32 | 70 |
| 34 | 75 |
| 36 | 80 |
| 38 | 85 |
| 40 | 90 |
Sizing conventions vary by brand and by cut — this table shows the standard published conversion. Always check the garment's own size chart when one is available. See how these tables are compiled.
A unit conversion for the band, layered onto a cup-letter mismatch
The band portion of a bra size is a genuine unit conversion — US and UK band sizes state underbust circumference in inches, while EU band sizes state the same measurement in centimetres, so a US 34 band converts to roughly a EU 75 band through straightforward arithmetic, similar in mechanism to converting a shirt collar size. The cup letter, however, doesn't convert through simple arithmetic at all, since EU cup lettering follows its own convention that only partly overlaps with the US one.
EU cup letters run A, B, C, D, then continue as E, F, FF, G and further — closer to the UK extended-lettering convention than to the more limited mainstream US one, meaning a US shopper converting into EU sizing faces the same cup-letter granularity gap that a UK-to-US conversion does, just with a European band number layered on top.
Sister sizing still applies, now across three variables
Because cup volume describes a band-to-bust relationship rather than a fixed size, and because band size itself is now being converted between units (inches to centimetres) as well as between the numbering conventions, a US-to-EU bra conversion has more moving parts than most sizing conversions on this site — a mis-converted band by even one EU size can shift which cup letter actually corresponds to the correct volume.
Continental brands sometimes assume different average proportions
Some continental European lingerie brands, particularly French ones with a long-established corsetry tradition, cut for a somewhat different average band-to-cup relationship than mainstream American brands do, meaning even a correctly converted EU band-and-cup combination can fit differently in wire placement and cup shape than the equivalent US bra — a cut difference on top of the sizing-number conversion.
Converting band and cup for a first EU order
Convert your band measurement to centimetres directly rather than through the size-number chart alone, compare your actual bust-minus-band difference against the EU brand's own cup chart, and expect to try an adjacent EU band-and-cup combination if the first doesn't fit, since sister sizing applies here just as much as within a single country's sizing.
Frequently asked questions
Is converting my US band size to EU centimetres reliable?
Yes, reasonably — it's a genuine unit conversion of the same underbust measurement (inches to centimetres), similar in mechanism to converting a shirt collar size, though brands round to their own nearest published band size.
Does the EU cup-letter system match the US one directly?
Not cleanly — EU cup lettering extends past D with E, F, FF, G and further letters, closer to the UK convention than to the more limited mainstream US lettering, so there isn't always a direct one-to-one match.
Why does this conversion have more uncertainty than a shirt-collar conversion?
Because it layers a band-size unit conversion, a cup-letter system mismatch, and sister sizing (band-to-cup relationship) all at once — more independently varying factors than most conversions on this site.
Do European lingerie brands fit differently even at a correctly converted size?
Some do — certain continental brands, especially French ones with a long corsetry tradition, cut for a different average band-to-cup relationship, which can affect wire placement and cup shape independent of the size-number conversion.
What if my converted EU size doesn't fit well?
Try an adjacent sister size — one band size up with the next cup letter down, or vice versa — since cup volume describes a relationship between band and bust rather than one fixed size.