A well fitting bra makes the world of difference to how you look and feel. These fitting tips are designed to help you choose the right bra size and style to suit your figure.
Fitting Tips: Underband
- The underband of a bra plays one of the most important parts in supporting the bust. It is designed to firmly anchor around the body to support the weight of the bust.
- A bra band that is too big will ride up your back and the front of the bra will drop down and will fail to support the bust.
- By wearing a larger back size than what you need, you are compromising the support of the bra and you will often find the bra will be uncomfortable, often chafing and rubbing against the skin.
- On the other hand, a bra that is too small will strain across your back and will eventually pull the hooks and eyes out.
Fitting Tips: Underwires
- One of the most important components of a bra is the underwires! They are designed to encompass the breast and lift, separate, shape and support the weight of the bust.
- The underwires should sit flush against the ribcage, without lifting away when you reach your arms above your head. If the underwires lift away from the body, you may require a larger cup size.
- The underwires should sit against your chest wall in between the breasts to provide separation between the breasts. This is to ensure the bust is fully supported and prevents the “mono-boob” appearance.
- The bust should be fully encased by the underwires on the sides of the body, under the arms. If you have visible breast tissue on the outside of the cup under the arms, you will need a larger cup size.
- In a correctly fitting bra, you should not be able to feel the underwires on your body. If you find underwires dig in, poke you or often break, you may require a different size and/or style of bra.
Fitting Tips: Bra Cups
- Depending on your personal preference, your bra cups can be made out of luxurious lace, smooth and practical fabrics, foam padding or lightweight memory foam. They can be full coverage, balconette or plunge styles.
- No matter what cup shape and composition you prefer, the cup should sit flush against the breast and should provide you with uplift, support and separation.
- The top of the cups should sit smoothly against the top of the bust without cutting across the breast tissue. If this occurs, you will require a larger cup size.
- If you have one breast larger than the other, often cups which have stretch lace on the top will help to accommodate the size difference. It is important that you wear a cup size that fits the largest breast to prevent cup spillage and discomfort.
- Bra shoulder straps should feel firm but comfortable. As a general rule, you should be able to fit 2 fingers under your shoulder straps. Any more, and you may not be getting the support and lift from your bra. Any less, the straps may dig in to your shoulders.
- Some bras are now available with J-Hooks on the shoulder straps. These enable you to convert the straps to a racer back. Wearing your straps in this position is often comfortable, and relieves pressure off your shoulders. It also helps to conceal bra straps when wearing tank tops and racer back tops.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
One of my breasts is larger than the other. How do I achieve the best fit?
75% of women that we see in our store have either one breast larger than the other or one breast fuller than the other. This size difference can be obvious or barely noticeable, depending on the style of bra. It is best to remember our bodies are not symmetrical and you are not alone.
The bra you choose should fit your fuller side. It is easier to conceal light puckering on your smaller side under clothing, rather than having a bra that is too small on your larger side and having breast tissue spilling out of the cup.
Certain bras will suit your body shape better than others. Bras that have stretch lace on the top of the cup will accommodate differences in breast size, as they will stretch and conform to your shape.
My bra straps constantly slip off my shoulders. How can I fix this?
This is a familiar complaint that we hear with ladies of all ages and body sizes. The most common cause of this issue is wearing a bra that is too big around the body. When the bra is too big in the back, the straps sit further over towards the edge of the shoulders. This leads to the straps slipping off the shoulders.
For example if you are only a size 14 but have been wearing a size 16+ bra, the bra band is too wide for you which causes the straps to sit further out to the sides.
This is also a common complaint when wearing bra extenders on your bras, as extenders alter the position of the bra straps at the back and cause them to sit wider on the shoulders.
Keep an eye out for bras that have centralised straps as these straps are positioned further in towards the centre of the body.
Some bras are now available with “J-Hooks” on the straps. These little metal clasps clip together at the back and convert the straps to a racer-back appearance. This often relieves pressure on your shoulders and completely prevents the straps from slipping off the shoulders.
Another solution to this problem is “Shoulder Strap Cushions“. These little silicone cushions sit over your bra straps and relieve pressure on the shoulders, and help to prevent straps slipping.