Bra Fitting Isn't As Simple As Measuring Your Chest And Your Bust

You should, ideally, have a professional bra fitting as you are an individual and your boobs require individual attention. That is, you should be properly measured and fitted by someone who really knows how a bra fitting should be done. But before we go any further just a little bit about the history of the bra.

The word Brassière was used in the English language as early as 1893 and made its first appearance in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911. Yet it appears that the Americans were the first to commercialize the bra.

The first patent registered was in 1859 to Henry S Lester, while Luman L Chapman of New Jersey registered a patent for the 'Breast Support Corset Substitute' in 1863.

Large scale commercial production of the bra began in the 1930s and is today a billion dollar industry. So why is it that something so important as bra fitting has been so badly neglected?

Research has shown that the average size of women's boobs in the UK (according to 2001 statistics) has risen from 34B to 36C. And nearly 30% of all bras sold in the United Kingdom are a D cup – or larger.

Research also indicates that larger breasted women tend to wear bras that are too small, while smaller breasted women are the opposite, generally wearing bras that are too big! Around 60% of women wearing C cups should be wearing D cups. Clearly no professional bra fitting there!

Generally when you've got big boobs the mistake you make is going for a bigger band and a smaller cup. It should be the other way around. Make sure you have a bra fitting and then step the cup size up and the band size down.

Around 80% of the support provided by a bra comes from the chest band and not from the shoulder straps. (Did you know that the "average" breast weighs around half a kilo?)

By wearing the right bra, one that supports and separates, your whole shape changes immediately. It's quite startling to see what a radical change it makes. With your boobs out in front rather than sagging or being squashed, you immediately look slimmer because it lengthens your torso and defines your waistline.

Many women suffer back and neck pain (because of the weight of their breasts) as the instinct is to try and restrain or support the breasts. This can actually be compounded by an ill-fitting bra that has been bought off the shelf instead of having a professional bra fitting.

In many cases this means that the breasts are flattened against the chest, constricting them even further and actually causing the upper thoracic and cervical vertebrae to move forward and down, causing pain from a misaligned spine.



So let’s have a look at the common bra fitting mistakes;

Spilling out of cups

Do your boobs push out above the cups? Do you have the “double-boob” effect? That means you are wearing too small a cup size! Try going up in cup size, and feel the difference.

Lift up your arms. If your breast starts to drop through under the cup, then this is also a clear sign that your cup size is too small.

Boobs falling through underneath the cups

If your breasts fall through the bottom of the bra, this can mean two things. Either your cup is too small, or your band size is too big.

Does your bra feel loose around your body? Then your band size is definitely too big.

Do your cups feel tight and press in on your boobs excessively? Then your cups are too small.

Ideally, the chest band should remain in a horizontal position, with the front and back of the bra at the same level. If it rides up at the back, it's the wrong size, and the breast weight and looseness of the band is affecting the fit.

Wrinkled cups

Does the fabric of your bra’s cups feel a bit loose and wrinkle up? This means that you’re wearing a cup size that is to big. Try a smaller cup size.

Bra band digging in

Yip, this means that your band size (the number 34-36-38-40, etc) is too small. Try going up one band size and see if that is a better fit. Remember, though, your cup size will also change.

You’ll need to try a smaller cup size as your band size gets bigger, so if you were a 38 E you will now be 40 DD.

Back Fat

If you have back fat, you might think your bra is too small but it’s probably not. It’s probably too big and therefore riding up your back.

Going down a band size will mean that your bra will sit snugly further down, stopping the back fat problem.

Straps digging in

This problem usually happens if your bra band is too big; this makes you want to adjust your shoulder straps tightly for the additional support, meaning that most of the support is coming from your shoulders.

The support for your boobs should actually be coming from your band, and not your straps. So you need to go down a band size. Remember to also go up a cup size. If you are wearing a 36d, you would have to try wearing a 34DD.

Straps falling off

Shoulder straps should also not cut into your skin or slip off your shoulder. They should fit smoothly but also firmly.

Straps that fall off when your bra band rides up. Try a smaller band size, also remembering that your cup size might also go up.

Under wires

Under wires that stick out in front or dig in under the arms. This is a sure sign that you are wearing too small a cup size, making the underwire lift up. The underwire should perfectly encase the boob, so you need to go up at least a cup size. If the bra is under wired, those under wires should not be poking into you, or gaping or sticking out in front.

For more information on how a bra fitting should be done, you can have a look at the article on perfect breasts and then investigate the georgeous range of underwear that is available.