No tape measure in the room, and a set already in your basket. Three measurements, a length of string and something with a known width will get you to the right size — and knowing how the set is cut matters more than the number on the label.
Start with the size you already wear, then check one number
Most people begin with the size they take in a T-shirt and then wonder why a bra feels wrong. T-shirt sizing is about the body. Lingerie sizing is about three specific points on it, and those points do not move together.
The good news is that you only need to be right about one of them to order well.
The three measurements, and which one decides
Bust, waist, hip. Measure over underwear, not over clothes — that is the only rule worth being strict about.
Bust
Around the fullest part, tape level at the front and the back, not pulled tight. You should be able to slide a finger under it.
Waist
At the narrowest point, usually just above the navel. On our sets, this is the number that decides your size. The size tables we publish are built so the waist falls inside a fixed band, and the rest of the garment is designed to move around it. If your bust points at one size and your waist points at another, follow the waist.
Hip
At the fullest point, about 20 cm below the waist. This matters most for briefs, bodies and anything with a high leg.
How to measure with what is in the room
A length of string, a ribbon, or a charging cable
Wrap it around the body part, bring the ends together and pinch the meeting point. Then lay the string out flat and straight, and measure the pinched length against something rigid. A cable works better than string because it does not stretch — which is also why string measurements come out slightly long if you pull.
A bank card or a sheet of paper as your ruler
A UK bank card is 8.6 cm along its long edge and 5.4 cm across the short one. A sheet of A4 is 29.7 cm by 21 cm. Lay the marked string against either and add up the lengths. Two long edges of A4 is just under 60 cm; three is just under 90 cm. Most bust and hip measurements sit between those two numbers, so it is a short sum, not a project.
The bra you already wear and like
The band size on the label is your underbust in inches. A 34 band is 34 inches, roughly 86 cm. If a 34 band fits you properly — sitting flat against the ribs, not riding up at the back — you already have your underbust to within a centimetre or two. Do not trust the cup letter across brands; trust the band.
A belt
Buckle it where it naturally sits at your waist, note which hole, then measure the belt from the buckle to that hole. It is the least precise of these methods, but it is quick, and it is enough to tell you whether you are at the top or the bottom of a size band.
How our sets are actually cut
Most of our lingerie sets run from S to L, with some styles starting at XS and a few going up to XL. Many of the sets are cut to adjust between two sizes: the back closure, the adjustable straps and the garter tabs carry enough range that one size covers roughly two. That is why the product pages say not to worry about size matching — but it is not a licence to guess wildly. It is a reason to get the waist right and stop worrying about the rest.
Each size is built to fit roughly an A to D cup. If you are over a D cup, take a size up whatever your waist says. That is the one instruction we repeat on almost every set, and it is the instruction people skip.
Swimwear is the exception, and it catches people out. Swim tops and bikini sets run one size smaller than lingerie, because swim fabric stretches differently and is meant to hold. If you wear M in a lingerie set, take L in a bikini top for the same coverage. One-piece swimsuits follow the lingerie table, so stay with your usual size there.
If you are between sizes, take the bigger one
Our sets are designed to fit closely, which means the smaller size has nothing left to give once you are at the top of its range. A set that is slightly roomy still sits where it should. A set that is slightly tight pulls at the band, digs at the garter and shows under clothes.
Two exceptions. Adjustable harnesses and Goddess accessories are built to fit a range rather than a single size — where a piece says adjustable, it fits UK 6 to 16, so there is nothing to work out. And activewear is sized in combined brackets, so a bracket like S-M covers two of the sizes below — take the smaller end for a compressed hold, the larger for a relaxed one.
Three things that feel like a sizing problem but aren't
The band rides up at the back
That is a band that is too big, not a cup that is too small. Measure your underbust again and check the waist against the table.
The straps dig into the shoulder
Usually over-tightened straps compensating for a cup that is sitting low. Loosen them, lift the cup, then tighten only enough to stay put.
The garters pull downwards
The garter belt is sitting too low on the hip. It should sit at the waist, above the hip bone, so the straps hang rather than stretch.
Three sets to learn your size on
If this is your first set and you want something forgiving to calibrate against, start with a style that has an adjustable back and adjustable straps. The Ashley set is a polka-dot underwire with an ultra-thin moulded cup, in sizes S to XL. The Julia set is a four-piece floral embroidered set with an unlined three-quarter cup, also S to XL. The Ellora set is a leopard print with a thin moulded cup and a back closure, in S to L.
All three are cut to the same logic: get the waist right, adjust the rest. If you want to see the whole range in one place, the lingerie sets collection lists every style with its sizes on the page.
If you would rather not guess at all
Email contact@byvoria.com with your three measurements and the piece you are looking at, and we will tell you which size to take. That offer is on our size guide page too, along with the full tables in centimetres.
Once the size is settled
The next question is not what fits, but what you are dressing for. Our Four Elements quiz asks six questions and gives you an element — earth, air, water or fire — with a collection built around it. It takes two minutes, and it is a better guide to the cut you will actually reach for than any size chart.
From dispatch: 7–14 working days to the UK. Free tracked delivery.