Review: Jockey Bra Fit Kit

UPDATE: It turns out they have 2 different websites from which you can order these bras: the one below, and this one. This new site lets you sort by size, and my size is NOT listed. I will have to rely on my friends, if any of them wish to purchase a bra, to get a review of the actual bra fit and comfort. And yes, I am headed to their facebook page to ask about this. And probably ask for a refund, since they don't even make my size, apparently. It took me playing around on my new laptop (yay mac!) tonight to realize this. The site linked in my original post below just says my size is out of stock.


My friend tweeted me recently about a new product. She wanted to know what I thought about it. It seems the Jockey Company has gone into bras, but with a different cup sizing system based on “volume” and with 10 cup sizes. They are also doing a different kind of “wire” for the underwire that is supposed to be more comfortable. Of course I was intrigued. You have to pay for the kit, but get a coupon of equal value towards a bra purchase. You can also get a refund if you don’t like it, according to their FAQ.

I bought a kit. They stored everything in a nice mesh bag which would be ideal for washing bras. Kit includes 10 “cups,” a measuring tape, and a brochure with instructions and bra styles.

All in the bag

Out of the bag

Cups 1 and 10 next to each other

The cups are a plastic stuff, with arrows pointing up and a number on each one. You put the breast in the cup, and the one that fits best is your cup size. I noticed the cups were kinda tall for my short torso. I started at the big end and went down. The 10 was obviously big, 9 looked pretty good, and 8 had a little side spillage.  I put a bra on for pics.

A little tall, but best fit

Next is band size. Their measuring tape is simplified and colorful. Basically, each inch section is colored differently from the inch to either side, so you don’t worry about how close it is to what inch. If it falls in the 35 section, you measure at 35. Of course, per tradition, the bra bands are sized in even numbers. I can’t find anything that says what to do if you get an odd band size, like my 31, so I rounded up to 32.

skinny ribs

So, according to Jockey’s sizing, I’m a 09/32. Unfortunately, my size is only available in 2 of their 5 styles. My size is also out of stock in those 2 styles.

Even a place to write it all down

I find it interested that I measure a 9 cup in this system, and my general measurements have a 9 inch difference (31/40). I’m going to ask a couple friends to try the kit as well, one on the smaller end and one towards the middle. I want to see if the “volumetric” fit works like the ratio fit that I use.

I also noticed that, in the 2 styles that carry the full cup range, the top 3 cup sizes were sold out. This makes me think that a lot of women are having something of an epiphany when it comes to bra size. By using numbers instead of letters, Jockey is keeping those women loyal to their bras. It would be nice if they would use a simple letter system (A through I) to help women relate their size to other brands. It would also be nice if they would offer more styles in the full cup range.

On the other end of the spectrum, the same 2 bras that come in my size are the only ones that come in cup size 1. So A cups need an underwire? I suspect it’s more that they don’t expect to sell as many of those bras.

One thing that worries me is that they aren’t relating cup size to band size. I’m not sure how well that will work in real world practice. It’s a great idea, but is my 9 cup with a 32 band going to be the same as someone else who has a 9 cup and, say, a 38 band? Will the underwire be adjusted for that difference? Because, in real practice, a D in a 32 is very different from a D in a 38. The wire, the structure, the fit of the bra have to be adjusted for the band size. Just look at this image from Wellfitting.com.

In general, I like that they are offering women in the US a simple way to fit themselves at home. I like that they didn’t even mention the “add 5” rule. I wish their sizing system was more translatable to the standard system so that women can go from Jockey to other brands, especially with the limited selection of Jockey bras right now. I wish Jockey offered the full cup size range in all 5 bras. And I wish they weren’t out of stock in my size.

When they are back in stock, I will order a bra (no stores anywhere near me) and review that as well. I’ll also update, probably with the bra review, as to how the kit works for my friends and how it compares to the ratio fit method.