The cup size question

One of the most common questions we get is what breast implant size is needed to achieve a certain cup size. Real Self, the website where people can ask questions of plastic surgeons, has a question on that almost daily. The problem is, there is no simple answer because the cup size system of bra sizing is just not very scientific. It's an indirect measurement of the breasts, inherited from more modest times. The modern bra dates to about 1914, though the oroginal design was intended to flatten the breasts as the "flapper" style was in. The inventor of the bra, Mary Phelps Jacob, sold the idea to the Warner Bros. Corset Company for $1500. In the 1930's, when a more voluptuous figure was in fashion, Warner Brothers introduced the familiar A-D cup system. They reportedly made millions on their original investment.
Breast implants, now the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure, come in a variety of dimensions and sizes, but cup size is a combination of chest size, breast size, and shape. For that reason, there is no single implant size that correlates to a given cup size. I always recommend that the desired cup size should be a starting point, and so we have patients use a bra of that size and try samples tucked into the bra. In the end it's best to pick what just looks right.