How Australian bra sizes work
Australian and New Zealand bra sizes use the same method as the US and UK. The band is based on the underbust, and the cup goes up one letter for each inch of difference between bust and band. The only real difference is the band number. Instead of inches, Australia uses numbers from its dress-size scale.
So an Australian bra size conversion is mostly a sum. The converter above does it, and the sections below show how.
Bands: add or subtract 22
The rule is simple. AU band plus 22 gives the US and UK band. US or UK band minus 22 gives the AU band.
- AU 8 is a 30
- AU 10 is a 32
- AU 12 is a 34
- AU 14 is a 36
- AU 16 is a 38
For European sizing, convert to the inch band first, then use the EU number: AU 10 is a 32, which is EU 70. AU 12 is EU 75.
Cups: mostly UK letters
Up to DD, Australian cups match US and UK cups letter for letter. Above DD, most Australian sizing follows the UK pattern: DD, E, F, FF, G, GG.
That is why converting AU to UK above DD is usually just the band sum. Converting AU to US needs one more step, because US letters run differently above DD. An AU E is a US DDD. An AU F is a US G.
There is one caveat. Some Australian brands skip the double letters above DD and run straight through E, F, G, H. If a label goes DD, E, F, G, its letters above F no longer line up with UK letters. For large cups, the brand’s own chart is the safer guide.
Worked examples
- AU 12D = US 34D = UK 34D = EU 75D.
- AU 10DD = US 32DD = UK 32DD = EU 70E.
- AU 14E = US 36DDD = UK 36E = EU 80F.
- AU 16F = US 38G = UK 38F = EU 85G.
Buying overseas from Australia
If you are in Australia ordering from a US, UK or European store, start from a bra that fits well and convert both parts. Add 22 to the band. Keep the cup up to DD. Above DD, check the target brand’s chart, because US naming is inconsistent and EU letters are single letters in order.
If you are overseas and buying from an Australian brand, do the reverse. Subtract 22 from the band and check how that brand handles cups above DD.
Either way, keep the tags on until the bra passes the how a bra should fit. If the band feels off but the cups are right, a sister size is the next thing to try.
Measuring for an Australian size
If you don’t know a size yet, measure for one. The Australian bra size calculator works in centimetres and gives the AU size straight away, with its US, UK and EU equivalents.
A note for gift buyers
Australian underwear words differ a little too. What a US shop calls panties and a UK shop calls knickers is usually called briefs in Australia. If you are buying a set as a gift and the size is a guess, a soft bralette in S, M or L with matching briefs is a safer choice than an underwired bra. The gift guide has more ideas.
Sources & method: sizing rules follow the standard band-and-cup system used by UK, US, AU and EU brands, checked against fitting guides from specialist retailers and fitting communities. How we work.