By now, you've probably been told that most women — 85%, according to some — wear bras that don't fit properly.
And I'm sure that you, like me, kind of roll your eyes at that every time you hear that stat. If you've been wearing bras for a long time and they're not dangling off your elbow, they probably fit you WELL ENOUGH. How much better can a bra possibly fit?
Adding confusion to this situation is that there's no real metric for what a "properly fitted bra" actually IS. Added to that, bra fit advice is treated like The Matrix — nobody can explain it, you have to experience it for yourself.
That's where I come in. While I love leather dusters as much as the next Chosen One, I'd prefer to use my powers to hep you find the perfect bra. Here are six surefire ways to tell if you're really, truly wearing a bra that fits.
1: The band.
According to Morgan, fit expert at Rigby and Peller, your bra's band is the THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your underpinnings. Most people are surprised to learn that it's your bra's band, not the straps, that provides 95% of the support for your bra.
But what does the right band *feel* like? According to Morgan, the right band size "should feel like a firm hug,” but not cut into you. If the skin on your back bulges over the strap, or you can't fasten it on the loosest hook, it's too small. If you have to wear it on the smallest hook right away, that's too big.
And that's the other thing: When you buy a new bra, you should always wear it on the loosest hook. This allows you to tighten the bra as the elastic stretches over time.
A good way to tell if the band is a good fit — you should be able to slide two fingers under there. If the brand stretches far away from your ribcage, it's too big.
And if you can't even get one finger under there, it's too small. The bra in this picture is juuuuust right.
2. The underwire.
The outer edges of the underwire — where the wire meets the band — should sit firmly on the muscle of your ribcage, not on top of your breast tissue. If the underwire is standing away from your skin, it's too big. If it's cutting into you or not encircling your entire breast, it's too small.
3. The straps.
If the band provides 95% of your support, the straps are here giving the other 5%. Straps should fit firmly, but not hurt you — and there's room for personalization here, as some people like them a little loose, and some like them MUCH tighter.
So how do you know when your straps are right? A good trick is to see if you can slip two fingers under the straps at your shoulders. If you can, they're just right — and you can personalize away!
4. The cups.
No matter what size, style, or type of bra you're wearing, your boobs should NEVER overflow the cups like this. Likewise, there should be no "hollows" or space in the cups that isn't filled by your breast tissue. Your magnificent boobs should be fully covered, presented to their best advantage.
5. The gore.
The gore is the part of your bra in the front where the cups meet. This should sit flat against your chest, or as flat as it can — if it isn't sticking up, digging in, gapping, or pulling away, it's probably fine.
This is a good example of a gore that *doesn't* fit.
Bra buyers, beware!
6. The comfort!
There are lots of ways that bras are TECHNICALLY meant to fit — and in a perfect world, those technical points would map 1:1 onto everyone's human body.
But we don't live in a perfect world, and there are all sorts of things that go into whether or not YOU find a particular bra comfortable. If you like your bra's straps looser, you will never be happy with the "perfect" fit if it's too tight. Likewise if you feel like you're crawling out of your skin at the end of the day, because the "right" band size feels horrifying to you.
The most important part of the perfect bra for is how it makes you feel — not how it makes you look. So if you're uncomfortable, even if the bra is TECHNICALLY correct, it's just not the right fit for you!
A good bra, with a fit that you love, makes you feel like a million bucks — not miserable.
Your breasts are royalty. The least you can do is treat them right!
