Far too many people suffer in bras that don't fit.
They ride up.
Chafe.
The straps fall off.
Their breasts bubble out.
The wires hurt.
These are all easy problems to solve.
It comes down to buying the right size and shape for you.
Not the latest gimmick or get the right fit quick scheme.
That's why professional bra fitters exist.
Here's the quick and dirty on how to solve the top five bra problems.
1. They ride up.
Easy. Buy a smaller band. It doesn't matter how broad your back is or the baby weight you're carrying in your hips. Measure directly under your bust and buy bras with a band size as close to that number as possible. Don't add 4" or any of that business. Just round to the nearest even number. It's probably 4" smaller than you think. 30 bands are common.
2. They chafe.
See above. A bra that is too big will move on your body and irritate your skin.
3. The straps fall off.
See above, plus consider the shape of the bra. If you are in a bra that is too big around, the manufacturer is assuming your shoulders are as wide as the person that they designed that band size for. If you're in the right band and have narrow shoulders, you need a bra with a more centered apex (where the straps attach to the cup)- balcony shapes won't work for you. I know this picture is a little weird. I'm a French major, not a graphic designer. The point is how close to the edge of the brunette's shoulders the blue bra is. It's designed for the redhead.
4. Quadboob
You get quadboob when your cups are too small. This often happens because big box stores only carry up to a DD, maybe DDD and you've gone up in the band to get the coverage you need and that might not be enough. Most people we fit are Gs, Hs, and Is. DD is not that "big" a size in the bra world. Many brands don't even make bras smaller than D. The picture below is both quadboob and painful underwire.
5. Painful underwire
See above- if your cup isn't encompassing your entire breast, the wire will sit on your sensitive tissue and not on your thicker rib muscles. The armpit end of your underwire should be back under your arm. The underwires should touch your sternum. Think of it like a shoe that's too small- your entire foot needs to be in there. This blue bra comes in her size and she's not wearing it... She's wearing probably two, maybe even three sizes too small. And this is an ad image!
Bras don't have to be terrible. Find your local bra fitter and let's figure it out. If it's us, click here to book your fitting. If we're not local to you, send us a message- we'd be happy to point you in a direction. You deserve to feel amazing every day.