Difference between BSL and MBL?

[rowie]

Hello everyone! I tried doing a google search about this topic and I found so many confusing answers to these sites as to the difference between BSL and MBL. So I thought i'd ask for some help since my thread "APL to BSL come grow with me" thread has been dead for a week and half now (participation has deteriorated since we had so many people graduate into the next thread), so alas my question hasn't been answerd. :( So I turn to the overall community for some help please.

Here are some answers that confuse me with the term BSL or Bra Strap length:

-It depends how low you wear your bra strap. Well, I'm a guy so that would be hard for me to identify.

-Bra strap thickness varies from really thick wide sports bras all the way to bikini thin straps. Also someone with tripple D bra size breasts will sit differently than someone with an A size, so the positioning of the breasts can effect where the strap will sit?

-Some consider to reach BSL once they reach the top, or middle, or below the strap, which is it (make up your mind LOL)? This also varies depending on the type of bra you wear, and your breasts size factors and where they sit can effect where the strap sits, which is different for every women.

-How do you precisely identify Mid Back length? For me, I used the LHC standards of measuring and I had my partner tap where the middle of my spine would be, and that would be 27 or 28 inches for me. So, would holding the measuring tape from your front part of your hair (where it begins) all the way to the back, and using that method to identify the "middle point" of my spine be where "MBL" is?

-Which is a less "subjective term" for measuring, BSL or MBL?

What gives? Should I start a new thread called "From APL to MBL come grow with me"? Is there already one? Or maybe a lot of people skip the APL to BSL thread and wait until they hit a good considerable length to go to the next thread?

If anything, I'd really appreciate any answers that can help me identify more precisely where MBL is on me according to LHC standards, and it will be very interesting to hear your opinions. So thanks in advance!:)

[Apriori]

I always thought of MBL as exactly what it says. The middle of the back, or at least the middle of the back between APL and Waist. On me APL is 22'' and Waist 30'' placing MBL at 26'' which is exactly where my bra strap is.
And that is probably why I though that MBL and BSL was two words for the same bodymark for a very long time when I joined.

[akilina]

My BSL is MBL. It is kind of irritating...its like I am a few inches past APL and my next goal of BSL is probably another year away. But I guess the good thing is that after I finally reach my BSL goal waist will only be a few inches away :]

I would say that MBL could be somewhere in between a normal skinny girls BSL and waist.
I only say that because I am fat and I wear my strap very low to hide it and look more flattering :D

[rowie]

I always thought of MBL as exactly what it says. The middle of the back, or at least the middle of the back between APL and Waist. On me APL is 22'' and Waist 30'' placing MBL at 26'' which is exactly where my bra strap is.
And that is probably why I though that MBL and BSL was two words for the same bodymark for a very long time when I joined.

This is really interesting that you think that these two terms are separate but the same? So maybe we need a separate thread for MBL?

[spidermom]

To me, BSL is "blade of shoulders length" because not everyone wears a bra and there are all different kinds of bras.

Once hair passes the shoulder blades but hasn't reached waist, that is MBL. (to me)

[rowie]

My BSL is MBL. It is kind of irritating...its like I am a few inches past APL and my next goal of BSL is probably another year away. But I guess the good thing is that after I finally reach my BSL goal waist will only be a few inches away :]

I would say that MBL could be somewhere in between a normal skinny girls BSL and waist.
I only say that because I am fat and I wear my strap very low to hide it and look more flattering :D

OMG! I'm even more confused because now there is a factor of weight that I have to consider.

[CarpeDM]

All of us MBL'ers hang out in the BSL to Waist thread, if that helps any (you might find some helpful info there). I wouldn't get hung up on the strict identification of BSL, it can be subjective and individual, some people go with the top of the strap, the middle of the strap and the bottom of the strap and as you noted the size of the strap may also differ. These terms are rather loosely defined but I would agree with spidermom, without a strap I would say shoulder blades can be BSL and then after that you are in the midback abyss until you reach waist. Hope that helps!

[rowie]

To me, BSL is "blade of shoulders length" because not everyone wears a bra and there are all different kinds of bras.

Once hair passes the shoulder blades but hasn't reached waist, that is MBL. (to me)

I never thought about it as "Blade of Shoulders length." that is really interesting spidermom! hmm if anything I could use that term in the APL to BSL thread.:D

[MissAlida]

I've read somewhere around here, that BSL is the line under your breasts elongated towards your back (so that it becomes a circle around you. Say you put a string under your breasts and wrap it around yourself. Is that undarstandable?:rolleyes: Oh my...) Then you put a string around your waist. And MBL should be somewhere between the two lines. I'm not sure if it's very clear what I'm trying to say.:disgust:

[rowie]

All of us MBL'ers hang out in the BSL to Waist thread, if that helps any. I wouldn't get hung up on the strict identification of BSL, it can be subjective and individual, some people go with the top of the strap, the middle of the strap and the bottom of the strap and as you noted the size of the strap may also differ. These terms are rather loosely defined but I would agree with spidermom, without a strap I would say shoulder blades can be BSL and then after that you are in the midback abyss until you reach waist. Hope that helps!

Ok then I guess i'm on my own until I hit MBL to join your abyss to waist, since it wouldn't really fit in with the thread "From APL to BSL" thread that I just joined in. :( Ok i'll check out that thread! hehehe Thanks :blossom:

[akilina]

OMG! I'm even more confused because now there is a factor of weight that I have to consider.
Oh I dont think so! Not for you no way.
You don't wear a bra! :D
I think that you could do something like measure to where your waist would be (my point of reference in the front is the middle of my stomach above belly button. And then calculate where BSL and MBL would be for you just by looking

[CarpeDM]

Ok then I guess i'm on my own until I hit MBL to join your abyss to waist, since it wouldn't really fit in with the thread "From APL to BSL" thread that I just joined in. :( Ok i'll check out that thread! hehehe Thanks :blossom:

To my knowledge (and I could always be wrong) there is just the APL to BSL and the BSL to Waist thread for our lengths, it looks like you are in the right thread!

[bunzfan]

For me it was 2 inches below BSL and i was there a long time :rolleyes: it also depends a lot on your height and the person that said measure where you waist is and the distance that is from were you are now to waist had a very good idea.

[BrightEyes]

For me MBL is 1 to 2 inches past BSL. I love that length, it's my goal:D

[PolarCathy]

I have a loooong back (and a looong body in general) and for me the diff is about 2". And a loooong way to go to waist.

[Carissamarie08]

My definition of MBL on my body is when my hair hits the bottom of the breasts when hair is pulled to the front. I've already made BSL but when I pull my hair to the front it's still about an inch and a half above my breasts.

[tigereye]

I'm with spidermom. My bra strap hits the very bottom of my shoulder blades. I consider mid-back length to be between that and waist.

[PolarCathy]

My definition of MBL on my body is when my hair hits the bottom of the breasts when hair is pulled to the front. I've already made BSL but when I pull my hair to the front it's still about an inch and a half above my breasts.

That's interesting. I'm faaar away from that and my breasts are not sagging so that's not the reason. I think that length you describe would be close to waistlength on me. My length just disappears when pulled to the front.

[Bunnysaur]

I'm another who thinks that the bottom of your shoulders should be good. Or, you know, you could always start wearing a bra. :p

[PolarCathy]

I'm another who thinks that the bottom of your shoulders should be good. Or, you know, you could always start wearing a bra. :p

LOL at wearing a bra :D

[Khiwanean]

I think of BSL as the midway point between BSL and Waist, possibly erring on the side of a little closer to BSL. I always thought of MBL as "that-milestone-we-have-because-BSL-and-Waist-are-so-faaaaar-apart." I think it's the one milestone where everyone has a different opinion on where it is, but really, as long as your length fits with the name (i.e. somewhere in the middle area of your back) it's perfectly valid to use it no matter where that actually falls landmark-wise.

BSL on a guy could be measured by finding the very bottom of your pectoral muscles and imagining a horizontal line around yourself from there to your back. That way finding BSL is pretty gender neutral.

ETA: and the bottom of my shoulder blades is well above my bra strap. Maybe I just have small shoulder blades? Or a low bra strap, even though it stays pretty horizontal on my ribcage?

[Apriori]

This is really interesting that you think that these two terms are separate but the same? So maybe we need a separate thread for MBL?

What I mean is that on me BSL and MBL happen to be in the same place (or at least what I consider to be MBL is the same place where my bra is), but a lot of girls wear their bras a lot higher than I do so on them MBL would be lower than BSL. It depends on your build and how you wear your bra. At least the way I define it :)

[rowie]

Oh I dont think so! Not for you no way.
You don't wear a bra! :D
I think that you could do something like measure to where your waist would be (my point of reference in the front is the middle of my stomach above belly button. And then calculate where BSL and MBL would be for you just by looking
LOL I meant that for women, they have to consider that factor when determining bra strap length. wow it gets really confusing. I'll have to try your method but imagining my shoulder blades as the strap of a bra. LOL


To my knowledge (and I could always be wrong) there is just the APL to BSL and the BSL to Waist thread for our lengths, it looks like you are in the right thread!
I know, that's why I started this question because I feel so out of place. I don't want to wear a bra in that thread, and I don't want people to stop posting their bra length post just because i'm a guy joining their thread. :)


I'm another who thinks that the bottom of your shoulders should be good. Or, you know, you could always start wearing a bra. :p Yes I'm going with "Blades of shoulder length" which is one or two inches below my armpit, so I guess my new goal length will be MBL in the APL to BSL thread. Oh how I miss you! You could join us in that thread though. hehehe and no I don't plan on wearing a bra. I've tried it once for halloween and it is the most uncomfortable feeling I had ever felt, so I commend all you women that put up with wearing a bra.:cool:

[HazyMoon]

I think of BSL as the midway point between BSL and Waist, possibly erring on the side of a little closer to BSL. I always thought of MBL as "that-milestone-we-have-because-BSL-and-Waist-are-so-faaaaar-apart." I think it's the one milestone where everyone has a different opinion on where it is, but really, as long as your length fits with the name (i.e. somewhere in the middle area of your back) it's perfectly valid to use it no matter where that actually falls landmark-wise.

BSL on a guy could be measured by finding the very bottom of your pectoral muscles and imagining a horizontal line around yourself from there to your back. That way finding BSL is pretty gender neutral.

ETA: and the bottom of my shoulder blades is well above my bra strap. Maybe I just have small shoulder blades? Or a low bra strap, even though it stays pretty horizontal on my ribcage?

I agree. A proper fitting bra should have the strap horizontal in the back, regardless of bra size (I've been A-D and this holds true). My bra strap is also well below my shoulder blades.

[CarpeDM]

Don't feel out of place :) I wish there were more guys that were active in the threads!!

[MintChocChip]

I think of BSL as the midway point between BSL and Waist, possibly erring on the side of a little closer to BSL. I always thought of MBL as "that-milestone-we-have-because-BSL-and-Waist-are-so-faaaaar-apart." I think it's the one milestone where everyone has a different opinion on where it is, but really, as long as your length fits with the name (i.e. somewhere in the middle area of your back) it's perfectly valid to use it no matter where that actually falls landmark-wise.

Ah, this is interesting. I haven't been paying much attention to the MBL milestone because BSL to Waist on me is actually a pretty short distance, whereas APL to BSL seems longer. Maybe it's because I don't have a long torso I guess :/


BSL on a guy could be measured by finding the very bottom of your pectoral muscles and imagining a horizontal line around yourself from there to your back. That way finding BSL is pretty gender neutral.

Yep, I agree with this! I think this is possibly the easiest way to find BSL on guys/those who don't wear bras.

[elbow chic]

I think of BSL, for myself, as when the ends of my hair are anywhere on my bra strap. Now that they are past my strap but not at waist, I think of it as MBL.

but yea, it is totally splitting hairs. And so much does depend on the (woman's) build, how she wears her bras, whether she wears thick-strapped quadruple hooked deals or a cute lil bikini top, etc.

[jacqueline101]

I agree with spidermom.

[Tisiloves]

For me BSL= Base of the scapulae, MBL=start of the spinal dip.

[jojo]

midback is the frustrating stage where your too long to be bsl but too short to be waist!

[Tabihito]

By most of these definitions, I seem to be either at or a couple inches past MBL. My bra strap is about two inches below my shoulder blades (though my bra may or may not fit right...); I'm three inches or so past my bra strap, and about five past my shoulder blades, and an inch and a half or so from waist. I'll measure it tomorrow, but I seemed to have gained almost an inch this month. I'm also about an inch past where my spine starts curving inwards.

Either way, I am definitely trapped in the mid-back abyss, and have been here since last September or so. It's a long, long way from BSL to waist for me.

[lolot]

I've read somewhere around here, that BSL is the line under your breasts elongated towards your back (so that it becomes a circle around you. Say you put a string under your breasts and wrap it around yourself. Is that undarstandable?:rolleyes: Oh my...) Then you put a string around your waist. And MBL should be somewhere between the two lines. I'm not sure if it's very clear what I'm trying to say.:disgust:


im with this answer, i ve seen many girls that pass one inch apl and claim to be bsl because they wear their bras really high, but with this theres is no confusion, no matter what bra or weight, it goes in relation with your body and not a piece of clothing

[constructamane]

This has been brought up before...cause I recently did a thread on this. I wear "full artillary", 4 hook bra. My "bra strap" is probably higher AND lower than those with 1 or 2 hooks. Someone mentioned it is the point at which you rib cage is at its largest, so, it is still pretty arbitrary. MBL or mid back, the definition I am using is somewhere between BSL and waist.

[faellen]

I've been saying I'm at BSL for ages, but I've noticed my hair has gone past my bra strap, so I now consider it MBL.