Our Guide to a Good Fitting Bra
It is a proven statistic that between 70% and 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. The most common mistake that women make is going up through the back sizes in order to get a good cup fit. Therefore many women are wearing bras that are too big in the back for them. Most women who come to be fitted leave with a bra that is smaller around the back and larger in the cup than the one they were wearing. Your bra size can change regularly due to exercise, diet, illness or pregnancy therefore it is important to check frequently that your bra is fitting correctly. Wearing the right size and style will increase comfort, improve the way your clothes look and the way your figure looks.
How to check your bra is fitting correctly:
- The strap around the body should be comfortable, it should not dig in but it must be firm. It should be horizontal all the way around, not riding up at the back. When you lift your arms in the air the band should not move.
- If it is a wired bra the wires should lie flat against the body. They should lie flat against the rib cage between the breasts without rubbing or digging in.
- The breast should be enclosed in the cup; there should be no excess fabric or bulging out. There should be a smooth line where the edge of the cup meets the breast.
- If your bra fits correctly your nipple should be half way between your shoulder and your elbow.
When trying on new bras:
- Do it up on the loosest hook at the back, this way there is room for adjustment if the bra begins to loosen after a few washes.
- Remember to adjust the shoulder straps as if they are too loose the bra will feel unsupportive.
- Adjust the breasts to ensure they are filling the cups correctly. The ‘shuggle’ is a good technique to ensure your breast fall into the cup correctly – simple hold the wires at the centre of the bra and gently shake from left to right.
- It is a good idea to put your t-shirt on over top to check that the bra is giving you the shape that you want.
Signs of poor fitting bras:
- The breasts are bulging out of the top and/or sides of the cup – This could be because the cup is too small. Try going up a cup size so that the whole breast in enclosed in the bra.
- The strap around the body rides up at the back – This is because the back size is too big. Try a back size smaller, the strap around the back should be a firm fit without causing discomfort. However, you must remember that a smaller back size is also a slightly smaller cup size so if you go down a back size you may need to go up a cup size. It is also wise to consider how old your bra is, if it is very old the elastic may have stretched so therefore you may not need a smaller back size just a new bra!
- The wires stick out at the front or dig in under the arms – This often occurs if the cup is too small, if the breast is too large for the cup it will push it away not allowing the wires to lie against the rib cage. Try a cup size bigger to get the wires to lie flat at the front. Remember every manufacturer will make their bras in slightly different shapes and sizes, it may be that not every make or style will suit your shape.
- The straps dig into the shoulders leaving red marks – you may just need to loosen the straps or try a more supporting bra. The main support should come from the wings and the back of the bra, not the straps.
- The cups wrinkle, there is excess material over the breast – This is a sign that the cup size is too big so try a size smaller.
- The top of the cup is wrinkling or folding over - this is a sign that the cup is too small, try a cup size bigger.
The best way to check what size you are is to put your favourite bra on and look in the mirror. Then follow our ‘How to check your bra fits correctly’ section. If you feel it does not fit correctly use our ‘Signs of a poor fitting bra’ section to discover how it is incorrect. The classic way of measuring with a tape measure is not particularly accurate as it was only designed for A-D cups. It is best only used as a rough guide. However, if you would like to measure yourself as a guide here are the measurements:
|
Under bust measurement |
68-72cm |
73-77cm |
78-82cm |
83-87cm |
88-92cm |
|
Bra size |
32 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
|
Cup size (measured in cm) |
82-84=A 84-86=B 86-88=C 88-90=D 90-92=DD 92-94=E 94-96=F |
86-89=A 89-91=B 91-93=C 93-95=D 95-97=DD 97-99=E 99-101=F |
92-94=A 94-96=B 96-98=C 98-100=D 100-102=DD 102-104=E 104-106=F |
97-99=A 99-101=B 101-103=C 103-105=D 105-107=DD 107-109=E 109-111=F |
102-104=A 104-106=B 106-108=C 108-110=D 110-112=DD 112-114=E 114-116=F |