It can be hard to navigate the endless bra styles across different brands. The list is never ending; lace ones, push-up, t-shirt, strapless, halter-neck, bandeau, I could go on and on.
I distinctly remember going into Victoria’s Secret when I was younger with my mum to get measured up before trying on dozens of bras, to no avail. I used to wish I was a smaller size than my (estimated) 34DD so that I could wear cute, colourful bras like my school friends and I became increasingly disheartened as the years went on.
I should mention that I have complete polar-opposite dimensions (a fact I only found out recently) with a larger cup size than I thought and a much smaller back-band size.
I have always had friends and family members tell me that this is the dream scenario, and don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful, but it has constantly been a struggle to find bras that both look pretty and fit really well. To be honest, I think a part of me didn’t want to accept that I needed to look at bigger sizes.
As a result, I ignored the problem, and carried on wearing the wrong sizes.
Turns out I’m not alone, 80 per cent of women are wearing the wrong size bra
A study recorded in the National Library of Medicine revealed that 80% of women wore the wrong size bra, with 70% wearing too-small sizes and 10% wearing bras that were too big for them. During a virtual fitting with Bravissimo, I recently learned that I am part of the too-small bra gang.
How do you know if your bra isn’t fitting correctly?
Bravissimo’s Laura Franklin explains: “Firstly, look at the under band; this could be riding up your back which means your back band is too small, or your boobs could be coming out of the bottom of your bra which shows your back band is too big.
Your wires may be digging into your breast tissue or armpit causing discomfort. You may notice the cups aren’t fitting you as they should be, your cups may be too small, resulting in your boobs spilling out of your bra or the cups may be wrinkled or gaping which indicates your cups are too big.”
My virtual fitting experience with Bravissimo
At first, it did feel strange taking my top off in front of the camera, but I started to feel more comfortable as we began to discuss my experience with different sizes.
It was great not having to faff around with tape measures in the changing rooms while being covered in ten different bras. I loved being measured by eye in a calm setting. The experience was stress-free and took around 20 minutes.
How a bra should fit
We started off with how the bra sat on my chest. Ideally, the middle of a bra’s wire should be against your chest and not digging into your skin or poking out. Mine was sat uncomfortably on top of the middle of my breasts.
Another feature to look out for is how the underwire sits. It should, again, be flat against your ribcage all the way round to your armpits and not sitting on any tissue.
It’s also important to look at how your breasts sit in their cups. If your bra fits well then your breasts should be fully enclosed in the cups. There should be no bulging out of the side of the bra or at the top of the cup.
“If a bra fits you well, the back band will sit horizontally around your body which will offer you a good level of support,” says Laura. “The wires in between your boobs will be flat against your chest and the wires underneath your arms should sit on your ribcage. The cups should give you a smooth line.”
Until now I have been wearing either 32DD or 34DD size bras, but after my virtual fitting, we decided to bring the cup size up to an E and the back band down to 30. I was also told to try 28F in some different style bras if needed.
Finding bras in your new size
After my fitting, I picked out a few styles that I wanted to try. My top three styles were the Fantasie Fusion Bra, Fantasie Reflect Bra and The Bravissimo Enya Bra and I decided to order the Fantasie Reflect Bra in size 30 F to try the sizing before placing a larger order.
My bra fitting verdict
I can safely say I will not be returning to my old bra sizes after trying on my new one from Bravissimo. It is the most perfect fit I have had to date.
The back band (which we took down a size or two) no longer moves around and gives me more support being that much tighter. Bringing the cup up one more size and tightening the straps has made a huge difference to the appearance of my breasts, which I have noticed when looking straight on at the mirror, but also by the way I hold myself. I didn’t realise how droopy my posture was and how weighed down I felt while wearing my old bras.
I highly recommend going for regular fittings to keep on top of support and comfort.
Women’s breasts change for all sorts for reasons including age, weight and pregnancy, so Bravissimo recommends getting your bra fit checked every six months to make sure you have the best support. Something that worked for you back then, might not be the best fit now. Lots of brands do fittings, in person and virtually.
Find a brand you love or trust and get measured up, you won’t regret it.
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