The Best Bra Size: How Should a Bra Fit?

The best bra size is harder to find than you might think. Did you know that 8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong bra size? Many women don’t even know that they’re wearing the wrong bra. You might think that bad bra sizing isn’t that big of a deal, but it can actually interfere with your life in a variety of ways.

For example, a bra that is too small will likely dig into your skin, especially if it’s an underwire bra. If the bra straps don’t fit well, you’ll find the straps leaving indentations in your shoulders. And, of course, if your bra doesn’t fit well, it isn’t going to look great under clothing, but a bra that fits can look great.

But what should you look for when determining whether or not a bra fits well? Keep reading and find out.

The Best Bra Size: The Cups

Bra cups are, of course, the very foundation of any bra, but if they don’t fit well, they won’t be able to do much good. Most bras have several layers of fabric and padding to shape the breasts in a particular way. For the past 20 years, rounded, foamy cups have been very popular, giving a smooth line under clothing.

This shape is meant to follow the line of the natural breast shape. For that reason, if you find that the cups of your bra don’t fit firmly against your chest, you are likely wearing the wrong bra size. All you have to do is find a bra with a smaller cup size. You might also be able to tighten your bra straps to fix this problem if there is only a small gap between your bra and chest.

If you are experiencing spillage, on the other hand, your only option is to go up a cup size. Otherwise, you’ll find that your chest will look suspiciously lumpy under your shirts. Some cups will offer more support or different shapes depending on how the cups are designed and how much fabric the cups have.

For example, unlined bras provide more of a natural look and don’t shape the breasts very much. The only problem is that they can be more on the sheer side because they lack a lining.

The Bra Straps

Along with the bra band, the bra straps are what support the weight of your breasts. If your straps are taking the brunt of your chest’s weight, you’re not wearing the right type of bra for you. You can tell if the straps are holding too much weight if the straps are digging into your shoulders and leaving indentations.

If your bra straps keep sliding off your shoulders, this is also a problem. This means that your straps are not holding enough weight and, as a result, they will start shifting around. Usually, to fix this problem, all you have to do is adjust the bra straps.

Older bras have the problem of having elastic that is too stretched out. For that reason, an old bra on the tightest strap setting still might not be tight enough for your shoulders. In that case, it might be best to go out and find a new bra with straps that fit better.

The Band

If the bra band doesn’t fit your body well, the whole bra won’t be able to do a great job of supporting you. If your bra band is too loose, you will find that you will need to keep adjusting your bra throughout the day which, of course, is not an attractive look. On the other hand, your band should not be squeezing you like a starved anaconda either.

Instead, your band should be snug against your ribs but not tight. That way, it will be able to support your chest along with the bra straps. If your bra band is too loose, you’ll likely need to get a new bra with a smaller band size. If it is too tight and digging into your skin or chafing, you’ll need to go up a band size.

When you get a new bra, be sure you hook the band on the first setting. That way, you won’t immediately start stretching out the bra too much. As a result, the bra will last longer.

As long as you follow these tips, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the right bra fit for you.