Bra Fit
FALQ (Frequently Asked Lingerie Questions)
How do I know if my bra fits?
When you put on bra that fits properly you’ll be able to see rainbows, unicorns, and sparkles when you look in the mirror. Just kidding (kind of). Here’s a quick checklist of what to look for in a well-fitting bra:
- Look over your shoulder to see your back in a mirror. The band should be parallel to the floor. If the band rises up instead, it is too big.
- The cup should not gape at the top or dig into the flesh along the bust. A cup that gapes is either too large or simply isn’t the right shape for where you carry your fullness. Similarly, a cup that digs in is too small.
- The center gore (between the two cups in the front) should sit flush against the body. If there is a gap between the center gore and your sternum, the cups may be too small or the band too loose.
- Underwires should sit flat and firm against the body. An underwire that digs under the arm (ouch! we’ve all been there) means that the cup is too small or isn’t the right style for your shape.
Here are a few of our fitting-room tested tweaks + tips to getting the right fit:
- Always start your bra on the largest hook. While it’s true that your size may fluctuate over the course of weeks or months, we rarely see substantial changes in size occur at the band level. By starting out on the largest hook, you’re allowing the bra to have maximum longevity by giving yourself more opportunities to make the band smaller as it stretches out over time.
- Make sure that you’re “in” the bra. Gently lift each breast so that it is fully settled in the cup.
- Adjust your straps individually by cup. Most women have one cup that is slightly larger than the other (if your difference in size is more pronounced, see below). Adjusting the straps for the size and shape of each breast takes any sizing differences into account so that each cup lies flat and neither gapes nor digs.
One of my breasts is larger than the other. How do I account for this?
All women are somewhat asymmetrical. If you have a larger difference, don’t worry, this is common! We recommend sizing for the larger breast when trying a bra with rigid or molded cups and sizing for the smaller breast when trying a bra with stretchy lace or mesh cups.
I’ve been told to “order down in the band and up in the cup”? What does this mean?
Take a deep breath ladies, because this can be confusing: The band size of a bra affects the cup size. For example, the same breast-tissue-mass (yup, that’s the best way we’ve been able to phrase it) is supported by a 34C bra as a 32D. When you go “down in the band” you need to go “up in the cup” to still fit the same size breast tissue, and vice versa. These adjacent sizes are called “sister sizes”. To provide another example, the following sizes are all “sister sizes”: 30F, 32E, 34D, 36C.
Ugh. This all sounds like a lot.
Wearing the right underpinnings is a total pleasure, but we know firsthand that finding the right underpinnings can sometimes feel overwhelming. We’re here to help. If you’d like a more custom tailored fitting you can of course come into one of our stores where fittings are always free or, we offer remote fit consultations via chat, email, or phone. Remember, bra fit is an art not a science and we promise there’s a bra that will work for you.
