Leading Lady Bra Company
Leading Lady Companies was founded in 1939 by Frank G. Farino. The company was officially established when Mr. Farino accepted two sewing machines in lieu of vacation pay and purchased the existing inventory as the bra fitter he was employed with went out of business.
Mr. Farino branched into maternity intimate apparel out of necessity. During the Second World War, fabric rationing led to a downturn in the foundation business, except for maternity bras, which were considered medical items. So, Leading Lady Company manufactured maternity bras for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. With the onset of the baby boomer era in the 1950's and 1960's, demand for maternity apparel increased tremendously. Then, as that generation matured, another mini-boom has occurred. And, with the research findings and recommendations from the medical community supporting breast-feeding, the demand for maternity and nursing bras continues to be strong.
Today, Leading Lady Companies is the world's leading manufacturer specializing in quality lingerie and sleepwear for mothers-to-be and new moms. Leading Lady Companies also produces a line of full figure bras, sleep-leisure bras, post-mastectomy bras and specialized lingerie and accessories. Since this company is one of the oldest in this business and has the biggest choice of styles, I see their sizing to be a good standard to begin with. When I use the term "average" it is basically a Leading Lady average. As they are updating their styles their own sizing is different in some styles. I warn you of these differences in the individual bra descriptions. The following is straight from their book:
General Guidelines for Fitting a Bra. . .
Measure snugly, but not tightly around the ribcage and directly underneath the bust. Add 5" and round off to the nearest whole number for band size (add 3" if this first measurement is more than 33"). Then measure loosely around the fullest part of the bust (with bra on). Subtract band size from bust measurement for cup size. Each one inch difference equals one cup size (1"=A cup, 2"=B cup, etc.). Start with size indicated and fine tune to allow for different figure types.