Question about BSL

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Ok - bra strap length, is this when the hair reaches the top edge of the horizontal bra strap or when it reaches the lower edge- ( just need to know this so I can prepare to celebrate at the right moment in time sometime next year), lol.;)

[pink.sara]

This is the thing about BSL! Most LHC'ers used to call at the bottom edge of the strap and agree this BSL. But over the past year or so more people have been calling it at the top.

Personally I think it makes sense to call it when my hair reaches that part of my torso which would be where I would hold a tape measure under my breasts as this is slightly over halfway between APL and waist and where the bottom of my bras fit.

But I guess really it is up to you as depending on size and how long your torso is the measurements and where bras are worn differs hugely!

[SilverDoe]

It really doesn't matter, completely individual.
As estimated 80% of women wear the wrong bra size with a too large band, making the band bow upwards at the back, many members are at BSL just below APL anyway.

And those with a larger bust need a thicker band for support, where my 3 hook bras are naturally thicker than a smaller busted womans 1-2 hook bras.
I generally count BSL at the top/middle of my band even tough it feels like cheating. :p

[Sarahlabyrinth]

LOL, just imagining Severus Snape wearing a 3 hook bra....

[SilverDoe]

LOL, just imagining Severus Snape wearing a 3 hook bra....

I think I need a new avatar.
Someone found it immensely funny when I spoke about long hairs getting stuck in my ladybits. :laugh:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

LOL, still laughing - please keep your avatar! Don't mind me, I have a weird sense of humour!

[Bambi]

Thank you for making my day, hilarious!

[4C4rly4]

LOL @ the Snape comments :D

For me, BSL is anywhere from the top of the strap to the bottom of the strap. Once it's longer than the bottom, but hasn't reached waist length yet, then I call it Mid-back length (MBL), and that is actually where I'm at right now.

[LizTheLyre]

i always thought it was the bottom line. its about an inch above mid back on me,

[DancingQueen]

It is very different for everyone. Personally, I define BSL as when my hair reaches the bottom edge of my horizontal bra-strap, or where it is supposed to be. On most people, they tend to slide up during the day, if you know what I mean. :)

[SilverDoe]

It is very different for everyone. Personally, I define BSL as when my hair reaches the bottom edge of my horizontal bra-strap, or where it is supposed to be. On most people, they tend to slide up during the day, if you know what I mean. :)

If the band slides/bows upwards, either the band is too large, or the straps too tight. The weight should never be on the straps.
The support comes from the band which should sit tight, horizontal & snuggly on the first hooks when it's new, so you can tighten it as it stretches with wear.
When the band is too large, the weight ends up on the straps which cause damage to the back, neck & shoulders.

[Tisiloves]

I'm calling it at the bottom of my bra strap, because I wear the triple artillary 3 hooks bras so otherwise BSL would only be 1.5" from APL on me (and yes my bra fits properly, it's just that the band's 2.5" wide).

[Alexblue]

Yeap, it's a completely an individual preference but I agree with pink.sara
Pick a benchmark between APL and waist that suits your proportions. I have a high waist so count top of the bra strap and a halfway milestone....only 1in to go!!

[metricfuture]

Since it seems like every one of my bras sits somewhere different (probably because I usually wear strapless), I called BSL when my hair covered the, erm, girls when I pulled it around to the front. Obviously, there's no hard and fast "rule" on this length, though.

[MintChocChip]

For me it would be the top of my bra strap. That is purely because I am impatient at heart and want to be at BSL quicker! :D

[Sophiatrist]

I called BSL the bottom of the band. I have a few different brands and the bottom always seemed to be in the same place, depending on the width it was the top of the band that moved around.

[florenonite]

There's not really any consensus. Personally I think it's best to just choose based on other measurements so that it's a reasonable goal. On me, for instance, the bottom of my bra band is quite low, so it's 6" below APL and 2" above waist. The top, on the other hand, is 5" below APL and 3" above waist, so I prefer that as it's closer to midway. I also go for the bottom of my shoulder-blades, which is halfway between APL and the top of my bra band.

[torrilin]

I tend to be a stickler for bottom of your bra band. With a bra that fits well, even if you've got a super long torso, it's not going to be much more than 4" past APL, whereas the top of the strap should almost never be much more than an inch or so past APL. And badly fitting bras are evil and painful, so if you're going to bother using BSL as a milestone you might as well bother to have bras that fit too ;)

Midback to me starts when roughly 1/3 of your back has hair coverage... but I include your butt as part of your back. If you're getting hair trapped between your back and most chairs, you're probably past midback length. If you don't wear bras or you just think BSL is stupid and sexist, or stupid and imprecise, time to embrace MBL :D.

[spidermom]

When it reaches the bottom of your shoulder blades, it is BSL.

[florenonite]

I tend to be a stickler for bottom of your bra band. With a bra that fits well, even if you've got a super long torso, it's not going to be much more than 4" past APL, whereas the top of the strap should almost never be much more than an inch or so past APL. And badly fitting bras are evil and painful, so if you're going to bother using BSL as a milestone you might as well bother to have bras that fit too ;)


Huh. It's only when I'm wearing painfully ill-fitting bras that the band is even close to where you describe. Maybe I've just got freakishly low breasts, but a well-fitting band is at 26-27" on me (APL is 21" and waist is 29"). I'm 5'5", by the way, so pretty average in height.

[blondie9912]

It really doesn't matter, completely individual.
As estimated 80% of women wear the wrong bra size with a too large band, making the band bow upwards at the back, many members are at BSL just below APL anyway.

And those with a larger bust need a thicker band for support, where my 3 hook bras are naturally thicker than a smaller busted womans 1-2 hook bras.
I generally count BSL at the top/middle of my band even tough it feels like cheating. :p

SO true. I kind of want to tell them "Hey, BSL is about three inches lower than what you've got there" but I refrain :p

[Sarahlabyrinth]

:)Ok then I think I will assume that BSL refers to the bottom edge of the bra. That works out at more like a balanced distance between APL and waist for me anyway. Thanks guys.

[pink.sara]

SO true. I kind of want to tell them "Hey, BSL is about three inches lower than what you've got there" but I refrain :p

:laugh: this ^

BSL for me is 8 inches longer than APL .... But in a Wonderbra a size too small it could be 4.

[Tisiloves]

:laugh: this ^

BSL for me is 8 inches longer than APL .... But in a Wonderbra a size too small it could be 4.


Really? I've only got 9" from APL to waist. Must be my short waistedness.

[Of the Fae]

I was wondering the same thing. The top of my strap is relatively far from APL, however the bottom is close to waist. It's practically MBL and BSL into one.

[MissPetite2010]

Before even joining lhc, I always thought that bsl was once your hair line actually touches the bra strap towards middle of strap. :) I guess it depends on the bra too.

[pink.sara]

Really? I've only got 9" from APL to waist. Must be my short waistedness.

I envy you!
Just measured again to check and it's 12 inches from APL to waist... 8 of those to BSL. I'm tall though, and waist on me is where my hips start.

sorry for the derail OP :)

[molly_grue]

I'll call bsl when my hair reaches the bottom of my bra strap

[FrannyG]

Huh. It's only when I'm wearing painfully ill-fitting bras that the band is even close to where you describe. Maybe I've just got freakishly low breasts, but a well-fitting band is at 26-27" on me (APL is 21" and waist is 29"). I'm 5'5", by the way, so pretty average in height.

You absolutely don't have freakishly low breasts. 22 inches was APL on me, and bottom of bra-strap is 27 inches with a perfectly fitted bra, or a string wrapped evenly around me under the breast area.

Waist is 30 inches for me. I am also 5'5". You must have longer legs than I, or perhaps it's my giant noggin. :wacko:

Having said that, I'm a stickler for claiming BSL only when I reach the bottom of the bra strap. Interestingly, I don't hold the same standard for others. :shrug:

[florenonite]

You absolutely don't have freakishly low breasts. 22 inches was APL on me, and bottom of bra-strap is 27 inches with a perfectly fitted bra, or a string wrapped evenly around me under the breast area.

Waist is 30 inches for me. I am also 5'5". You must have longer legs than I, or perhaps it's my giant noggin. :wacko:

Having said that, I'm a stickler for claiming BSL only when I reach the bottom of the bra strap. Interestingly, I don't hold the same standard for others. :shrug:

Yay! :p

It's good to know there's someone else with similar measurements; sometimes it feels like everyone else has both a longer waist measurement and a shorter BSL measurement than me!

[jojo]

LOL, just imagining Severus Snape wearing a 3 hook bra....

I do wear a 3 hook bra and for me I chose the bottom of the strap which made waist quicker to get to, so really it's entirely up to you what you class as bsl. I've seen members who wear there band under their armpits claim bsl!! So it's very individual!

[jojo]

You absolutely don't have freakishly low breasts. 22 inches was APL on me, and bottom of bra-strap is 27 inches with a perfectly fitted bra, or a string wrapped evenly around me under the breast area.

Waist is 30 inches for me. I am also 5'5". You must have longer legs than I, or perhaps it's my giant noggin. :wacko:

Having said that, I'm a stickler for claiming BSL only when I reach the bottom of the bra strap. Interestingly, I don't hold the same standard for others. :shrug: exact same measurements as me but I'm an inch taller!

[gillybeanxo3921]

I call bsl at the top of the bra strap, but it doesn't matter anymore, because I'm just brushing/past the bottom.

I've been bsl for like two years now, it's time I let it grow to waist.

[torrilin]

Yay! :p

It's good to know there's someone else with similar measurements; sometimes it feels like everyone else has both a longer waist measurement and a shorter BSL measurement than me!

I can't really measure APL on myself without help. But BSL is 27", most of my bra bands are 4" wide or less under the arm, and hit about 1" below the armpit if the band comes up really high... So APL is probably in the 22" range.

Waist is about 30-34" depending on whether you go for what the measuring tape claims for first possible bit of waist, or whether you go for my whole waist is covered by hair. My narrowest point is actually a fairly long stretch.

I'm 5'6", and by most measures, my torso is closer to typical for someone in the 5'10-6'0 range. My inseam measures 29", which is more typical for women who are around 5' even.

[elbow chic]

I waited til it was at the bottom of my triple-hooked orthopedic granny bra.

I don't think it really matters: if you call it early you'll have longer to go between BSL and Waist, and if you call it late then it takes a long time to get from APL to BSL. I think this is one of those things where cheating is really not possible. ;)

[Ephemeral]

Yay! :p

It's good to know there's someone else with similar measurements; sometimes it feels like everyone else has both a longer waist measurement and a shorter BSL measurement than me!

Put me in the club! I am 5'6" and have similar measurements.