Want that comfortable ‘lockdown lounge’ feeling to continue, but dreading the pinching, squashing or sagging feeling you get from your (clearly ill-fitting!) lingerie? You need to start from scratch with our ultimate guide to finding your perfect bra.
Now, a little birdie tells us that a few of you gave in to temptation, ditched your bra during lockdown, and are now bemoaning the fact that bras must go back on as we return to normality. Well, we don’t want to lecture you, but…where do we start? Even the smallest of cup sizes needs some form of support – the delicate breast tissue, not to mention your back, neck and shoulders, will thank you for it. If you’re someone who cannot wait to remove their bra at the end of the day, the answer is simple – you are not wearing the right bra!
It’s all in the size
The secret to a comfortable bra is all in the fit. When you find your perfect size, it won’t feel like you’re wearing a bra at all. However, it’s amazing how many women are wearing ill-fitting bras. Recent surveys have found an incredible 80-90% of women are wearing the wrong size. Our bodies change shape and size over time for a number of reasons, be it weight loss/gain, pregnancy or surgery, but most women don’t have a yearly fitting or even remeasure themselves at home.
“It’s almost as if we see our bra size as part of our identity – ‘once a 36C, always a 36C’. But our bodies change throughout our lives, and even minor changes have an effect on your boobs. When I do bra fittings, I have so many customers almost in disbelief when I tell them their true bra size! But when they start wearing their new perfect fit, they wish they’d been measured sooner.”
Examine your fit
Start by noting the size of your current bra. Then put it on and, if possible, look at yourself in a large mirror to see how it fits on your body. Ask yourself: Do you bulge/spill out of your cups? Or do the cups gape? Does the band ride up at the back? Or is it too tight or too loose?
A WELL-FITTED BRA SHOULD FOLLOW THIS 5-POINT RULE:
1. Your breasts should be well enclosed within the cups of the bra, with no bulging or gaping
2. The middle of the bra should sit flat on or close to the chest
3. The underband should fit firmly and comfortably on the middle hook and eye fastening
4. The underband should sit straight with no riding up
5. Straps should be adjusted so they don’t dig into or slip off your shoulders
If your bra isn’t ticking all of those five points, start with your current bra size and follow these instructions to reach your new size:
When the band doesn't fit but the cup is fine:
- Band is too tight – go up a band size and down a cup size
- Band is too loose – go down a band size and up a cup size
- Cups are too tight – go up a cup size and keep the same band
- Cups are too big – go down a cup size and keep the same band
- Band is too big and the cups are too small - go down a band size and up two cup sizes.
- Band is too big and the cups are too big - go down a band size and keep the cup the same.
- Band is too small and the cups are too small - go up a band size and keep the cup the same.
- Band is too small and the cups are too big - go up a band size and down two cup sizes
Cups Gaping: if there is gaping in the cup it means the cup size is to big.
Cups well enclosed: when a bra fits well your breasts should be enclosed within the cups.
Band digs in: when the underband digs in it means the size is too small
Band riding up: when the underband rides up it means it is too loose so you need to go down a size.
Band comfortable: the underband should fit firmly and comfortably on the middle hook and eye fastening.
Too Small: when your bra is too small it will feel tight and dig in leaving you feeling uncomfortable.
Too Big: when your bra is too loose it will offer you no support and you'll feel uncomfortable.
Fits Well: when your bra fits well it won't feel like you're wearing a bra at all.
Need help? Get in touch