What You Need To Know About Bra Sizing

For those of us who wear bras, they can feel like both a necessity and a pain.

If you feel like you always want to take off your bra the moment you get home from anywhere, chances are you are not wearing the right kind of bra for you.

There are many signs a bra might be the wrong fit.

Does your bra make you uncomfortable? Do the bra straps fall off? Do you have to fasten the band at the tightest?

If you have never had a bra fitting you probably still are very much set on your size. Often we assume we are a specific size without questioning it.

Do check in every now and again to make sure your bra fits.

Here’s how to find your correct bra size.

1. Find the correct band size
2. Find the correct cup size

They must go in this order as the cup size is relevant to the band size. There is no such thing as a universal C cup, for example.

Common bra complaints are also signs your bra is the wrong size:

• The band is too tight if it cuts into you.
• The band is too loose if you need to tighten straps to compensate. The majority of the bra’s support should come from the brand, rather than the straps.
• The band is too loose if the cups do not stay fitted against the chest.
• The cups are too big if they cut into your sides under your arm.
• The cups are too big if they are loose at the top.
• The cups are too small if you breasts do not fit in them fully and there is overflow at the sides or the top.

That we default to buying the same size is shocking, considering that up to 80% of women allegedly wear the wrong bra size. The most common issues are that the band is too wide and the cups are too small.

A new bra should be worn at the loosest hook. As you wear the bra more the band stretches, and you can use the tighter ones.

Remember that if you go up or down a band size or cup size, the other one must be taken into consideration too. This is because they are in relation to one another. For example:

…If your cup size is the correct but you need to go down a band size, the letter changes too.

Example: You are currently wearing 36B but you should be wearing a smaller band size. This would make you a 34C (and not a 34B – the cup would be too small for you). The actual cup size and volume of the 36B and 34C are the same, but the 34C cup is bigger in relation to the band size (34) than it is to 36.

You might want to get properly fitted and check on your existing bras as your breasts do change over time.

If your bra makes you uncomfortable, you might want to consider should you be wearing a bra in the first place. If you do wear a bra, do make sure it is the right fit for you.