Pharonics bra sizing... anyone know measurements?

MellyBelly · 09-19-2007, 12:26 PM

Hey everyone,

*hope this is in the right forum category*

If I'm ordering or buying a Pharonics costume from Dahlal (or anywhere else that sells Pharonics) - do their bra/cup sizes match standard bra sizes, or are they measured a bit differently. I feel like their C cups look huge sometimes, and not so big other times... is it just me?

So if anyone has a Pharonics costume and doesn't mind giving it a little measure (cup - across bottom, across fullest/deepest part, top to bottom fullest part, etc.) I would appreciate it, and I think it would be a good reference for all of us in the future when we are trying to figure out what will fit us. I'd love to see the measurements for lots of cup sizes (A,B,C,D,DD etc.)

here is what my "C cup" costume measures (inside of the bra):
across bottom of cup: 9.5 inches
top to bottom fullest part: 6.5 in
across cup through fullest part: 8.5 in

ok, I think thats it... so if anyone wants to add something please do!
Thanks!

-Melly

elisagamal · 09-20-2007, 10:54 PM

ok. this is my understanding of egyptian bra sizing. for what it's worth!

jumping ahead to the bottom line: if you order from a designer that's familiar with making costumes for western dancers, they should be able to get you the right size costume if you give them your regular bra size.

egyptian cup sizes are the same, no matter what the rib band measurement. so a 34 cup size 1 has the same volume as a 38 cup size 1. with american (and, I imagine, european) cup sizes, the *volume* of a cup size increases with the band measurement: a 34d, 36c and 38b in theory have about the same volume.

so! the trick for the very best fit that you can order from any egyptian designer with confidence is to find out what cup number you are. when I was looking for a gold bedleh to fit a 34dd, dahlal sent me what she had in stock. one was a cup size or so too small, the other a good cup size too big. turns out the small one was a cup size 4 and the big a cup size 6. so to me, the volume of egyptian cup sizes *seem* to correspond like so: 1 = 34/36a, 2 = 34/36b, 3 = c, 4 = d, 5 = d, 6 = dd. this is how it has worked for me, your mileage my vary! all I know is a cup size 5 very comfortably accommodated a 34/36dd cup. as we all know you can stuff a d into a b or pad a b into a d, you can order a cup size according to how you like your bra to look.

a note if you have a full bust on a small ribcage: from talking with both hallah moustafa, and the nice lady (am forgetting her name!) that runs shop like an egyptian, a cup size 6 is pretty big and will overwhelm a smaller frame. so for me, even though I need a really deep cup since I've been lactating (!), I don't go above a 5. for the record, my pharaonics 5 cups measure 8" across at the widest point and 6.5" top to bottom - which oddly measures exactly the same as your c cup, melly! interesting...

another note: some costumers run big, others small. I find SIMS to have bigger cups.

Nepenthe · 09-21-2007, 01:00 PM

Elisa, that was a great breakdown and explains a lot.
I had forgotten that Egyptian bras came in #s but I did have one like once and I used to know my size in the Egyptian numbering scheme - it was either a 5 or 6. Although that bra felt overwhelming - as you say - on a small ribcage. I ended up selling it.

I recently ordered a D-cup costume from Pharaonics and it was a lot less deep than I expected. What I've learned about costuming though is that if you adjust the straps correctly, you can squeeze yourself into anything.

elisagamal · 09-21-2007, 11:41 PM

you know, nepenthe, I wonder if some of the newer pharaonics designs just have shallower cups? my cup size 5 great loop and tempest costumes measure the same across, but the tempest is definitely flatter.