Too Big?

To see if your band is the correct size, try lifting your arms up and see if the back of the band rises up. The band should fit firmly and snugly against your body all the way round and not move about as you bend & stretch. Any underwiring should also remain flat against your body.

You should be able to fit 2 fingers under the band – no more. This may feel tight to begin with if you’ve been used to wearing a much looser fitting band – you soon get used to it and its much more comfortable and doesn’t ride up.

Too Small?

The back of your straps should be parallel, or preferably, sitting in a slight V shape as this will allow for the band to be loosened by the clasp over time as the bra’s elasticity reduces. If the V is upside down, this suggests that the band is too tight. Try the next size up but also think about the style of the bra – if its a multiway or unusual style this might be part of the design so check for digging in or discomfort around the band.

Another sign of a tight band is the front of the band pulling down below the bottom of your breast. This is particularly obvious if the bra is underwired. The underwire should lay flat against your ribcage just under your breast.

Too Small?

The centre of the bra, between the cups, should lie flat against your body. Any pulling away suggests the cup size is too small and your breasts are pushing the bra away from your body.

Your breast tissue should be smooth against the line of the cup. There should be no bulging at all – no dip in the curve of your breast where the fabric ends. If in doubt put a close fitting t-shirt on – any bulges will be immediately apparent.

The underwire at the outer side of each breast, under your arms, should be flat against your ribcage, not digging in to your breast tissue. A good way to check is to push the underwire gently against your skin – there should be no give at all. Use your hand to pull the breast tissue within the underwire and then check again for bulging at the front. Your breast should fit comfortably within the curve of the wire.

Check the band size again as well as considering a larger cup size. Don’t forget there are also lots of different styles of bra too so if the bra is starting to look big and less sexy, think about trying a plunge bra or balconette.

Check out our bra styles page for more ideas

.

Too Big?

Too baggy cups are an easy giveaway that the cup size is too big. However, if the bra fits perfectly in every other way but is loose where the cup meets the strap, try tightening the straps. It may also be that the bra style is wrong for you and the cup finishes too far up the chest for you. A balconette bra may be a better style for your shape.

Again, check out our bra styles page for more advice and ideas.

If you have different sized breasts – as most women do to some extent – and one cup fits perfectly whilst the other is loose, try adjusting the strap on the loose side for a better fit.

Again, different styles of bra might suit you better such as a moulded or padded bra.