I heard a really interesting thing on a podcast the other day (the bracast, season two, episode one). It addressed a bunch of different fit issues, and included a frank discussion of the dreaded "back fat."
I say "back fat" because most of the women we see in the shop concerned about "back fat" don't have any. Truth of the matter is, we need our bras to touch us to support our breasts. They might even leave a mark. If you have breasts that need a bra to lift them, you need a band that supports you.
When was the last time you sized up your socks because the elastic left a mark along your leg? Do you give yourself a hard time about your leg fat?
Why is it "ok" for bras to leave marks on our shoulders (and women will go years resulting in troughs)? Those shoulder marks are a direct result of a loose band. Your band should be doing 80% of the work of lifting, not your shoulders.
I digress. I promised solutions for getting rid of the rolls.
Solution number one:
Realize this truth about "back fat"- everyone has "it"- even those models in the magazines.
See all the places you'd pick yourself apart? She has them too. Those rolls under your arms? Armpits, or as my 4 year old calls them "armmits." If you're starting to fixate on the "back fat" try on a few bras with shirts. The rolls will go away, and you'll be struck at how much thinner you look now that your breasts are up where they originated.
Solution number two:
Buy your bras with big enough cups. More often than not, the "back fat" you're contending with, especially around your sides and arms is wayward breast tissue. There is no such thing as a "D"- cup size is relative to the band.
The bra on the bottom? 32D.
The bra on top? 42D.
Both Ds, but the 42 fits a bigger overall person, so the D is bigger too. If you go down in the band to get the support you need, you'll go up in the cup to fit all your tissue. D or even DD is the beginning of our alphabet- we sell many more DDD/Fs, Gs and Hs than Cs.
You band goes around one of the smallest parts of your body- your broad back or swimmers shoulders will not affect the measurement right under your breast tissue. Promise.
Here's the last truth- what happens when you look in the mirror to check for "back fat"? You create it. No fooling.
Here I am looking straight ahead:
This is the Blush Contour Bra in a 32D. I usually wear a 30E (DD) or a 32D depending on the bra and the cups. I'm usually more comfortable in a 30E because the cups sit slightly closer together on my chest, and less in my "armmits," but it depends on the bra. This bra fits well.
Solution number three? Bring a friend, trust your fitter, or bring a mirror to look at your back without turning, arching and bending in such a way that even the waifiest of waifs will create "back fat" or at least make their ribs look funny.
Bottom line- our bras should be comfortable. The straps shouldn't dig in, the wire shouldn't bite. The band should feel comfortably snug. It may even leave a mark, like your socks, that will fade quickly when you take it off.
So let's agree to leave 'back fat" behind us and look for bras that fit. No one cares about the cup size or band measurement. If a friend tells you you're wearing a great dress, you don't say "thanks so much, it's a medium!" do you? If it fits, it fits.