By You read it right. If you’re wearing a bra right now, there’s a high chance you’re wearing the wrong size. In fact, 80% of women wear the wrong size bra. We trust trained professionals in lingerie stores like Victoria’s Secret to find the perfect bra for us, but we always end up going home with a bra that doesn’t feel quite right. It’s either too loose, too tight, the cup is too small, or it digs into your shoulders. There are various reasons as to why bra sizing is done so haphazardly. Mainly, the current method of measurement we use (above the bust and over the bust) was developed in the 1930s when bras were much looser. This no longer gives a proper sizing for bras manufactured today.
This is how we end up with bras that cause back and shoulder pain, the movement of breast tissue, bad posture, and in worst cases, contribute to breast cancer due to bad circulation in your lymphatic system. Watch this life-changing video about how to properly size yourself.
After you measure yourself properly, you’ll realize that your cup size might be bigger than what you imagined. We’ve been taught the letter is directly correlated with volume and visual size. Boy, were we wrong. The fact is that there can’t be a cup size without a band size. The cup size is not nearly as important as the band size and your cup size will change according to your band size. For example, say you lost some weight and need to get a smaller band size. You’d need to increase your cup size to compensate. Crazy, huh?
Now, here’s a quick checklist for a properly fitting bra:
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Can you pull the back of the band far back? If so, you’ve got the wrong size. There should only be about 1-2 inches of elasticity.
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Is the band rising up or down your back? Make sure it is parallel to the ground and a straight line from front to back.
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Is the center of the bra between the two cups (the gore) resting completely flat on your chest? If there is space between the gore and your chest, you’ve got the wrong size.
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Does it fit correctly on the loosest hook? Always try bras on the loosest hook as the inner hooks are made for compensation when the elasticity decreases.
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Does the cup encompass all the breast tissues, including the “fat” you gathered from your back and under your arms? (It’s not actually fat. It’s dislocated breast tissue from years of wearing ill-fitted bras)
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Do you feel comfortable?
If all the above apply, then congratulations! You’ve got the correct size!
Now that you’ve got your correct bra size, enjoy shopping for bras that aren’t only beautiful but also comfortable and don’t make you dread putting on that armor every morning.