Evidence & data governance

Brand & Sizing Data Methodology

This page defines how TrainingBras.com collects, normalizes, verifies, versions and uses manufacturer sizing and product data.

The governing principle

No source coverage = no conversion. We prefer an incomplete result over a confident-looking guess.

Source hierarchy

Manufacturer-direct documentation: official size charts, current product pages, help/fit pages, labels or technical specifications.
Manufacturer data reproduced by a retailer: used cautiously when the direct source is unavailable; provenance remains visible.
TrainingBras.com direct inspection: future physical observations, clearly separated from manufacturer claims and governed by a published protocol.

What each record should contain

Field family	Examples	Verification rule
Identity	brand, product, sizing family, source URL	Must identify the exact source context.
Sizing	label, underbust, bust, band/cup equivalent	Stored only when explicitly published or derived from a documented manufacturer formula.
Construction	strap type, closure, padding, seams	No inference from photos alone unless later direct inspection is documented.
Material	fiber wording or composition	Do not invent percentages from marketing language.
Use	everyday, school, sports/support context	Separate manufacturer positioning from TrainingBras.com editorial use-case mapping.
Provenance	source status, verified date, notes	Required for auditable records.

Normalization rules

Brand labels are preserved exactly as published.
Alpha labels are not converted to band/cup sizes unless the source supports the mapping.
Measurement ranges are stored in their published units and may be normalized for comparison without changing the underlying value.
Style-specific charts remain style-specific; they are not automatically promoted to a universal brand chart.
When two sources conflict, the stronger/current source wins after verification; the discrepancy should be reviewed before dependent tool results are trusted.

Cross-brand translation rules

The translator compares the same current underbust/bust measurements against supported manufacturer systems. It does not translate label-to-label. A result is a starting-size comparison, not a fit guarantee. The exact product chart and the 5-Point Fit Check remain the final checks.

Missing and uncertain data

Unknown stays unknown. The system should not infer cup capacity from a generic alpha label, infer material percentages from a fabric name, or award a Finder/recommendation match for an unverified field. If a product lacks enough verified information, it may be excluded from a tool or shown with a limitation note.

Verification dates and rechecks

Each structured record carries a verification date. A verification date means the cited source was checked on that date; it does not promise the manufacturer will never change the page afterward. High-impact records should be rechecked when a discrepancy is reported, a manufacturer updates a chart, or before the record powers an important new comparison or recommendation release.

Change handling

When a manufacturer chart changes, the new verified chart supersedes stale current data. Dependent size examples and tool logic should be reviewed. Material corrections are handled under the Corrections Policy. We do not knowingly continue to present superseded sizing as current.

Machine-readable datasets

/data/brands.json — normalized brand records and sizing-model context.
/data/products.json — product attributes used by product profiles, Finder and comparisons.
/data/size-intelligence.json — individual-size rows and formula models used by sizing tools.

Independence of recommendation logic

Commercial relationships, sponsorship, retailer commission and product price do not receive similarity points. Product matching uses the documented attributes in the recommendation methodology, while sizing remains a separate measurement-first process.