Refresh: How to Find the Perfect Fitting Bra

When explained, this tip made a lot of advice to me. When you’re wearing the same bra every day, the straps will lose their elasticity much faster than if you switched them out every day (or every other day).  If you find yourself adjusting the straps constantly, it’s time to replace the bra; once the bra loses its elasticity in the straps, it’s not serving you well at all.  By having several “go-to” bras in your lingerie lineup, this allows for better care (and better fit) of the pieces for longer. 

I learned that the band is the most important detail of the bra for providing the necessary support. To ensure that you have the right size band, fasten the bra on the middle hook.  If isn’t sitting horizontally and evenly across your back, and is instead riding up, the band size is too loose and you probably need to go down a number size and up a cup size. 

A good rule of thumb: you should be able to fit two fingers under the fastening of the band at the back. If more than two fingers fit, the band is too loose (and if fitting two fingers is difficult, the band is too tight). 

A bra’s band will stretch about three inches in its lifetime, so you never want to fasten it on the last hook in the beginning. 

If the center part of the bra and the wire parts around your breasts are away from your chest, the cup is too small.  This means you’ll probably want to try one (or two) cup sizes bigger.  You want the wire to sit comfortably against your bust, without squeezing or gaping. 

Along the lines of a bra’s elasticity, you should never wear a bra two days in a row.  It needs to rest to regain its stretchy strength for the best fit.  Hand-washing the bra in cold water with lingerie wash will also help extend its life. 

There’s a wide world of different bra styles, so you’d be wise to them all on to find your perfect fit. Here’s a quick run-down of common fits, and what to expect. 

1. Balconette bras offer little to no coverage, creating dramatic uplift and cleavage.
2. A bra with demi-cups give you a sexy, cleavage enhancing shape. This style is best for smaller breast sizes, because they offer less coverage than a full cup and more than a balconette.
3. Plunge bras will give you the appearance of more cleavage thanks to the deep silhouette and angled cups. They’re usually not as padded as your standard push-up bra.
4. Like plunge bras, push-up bras add the appearance of cleavage, and usually have underwires and much padding. 
5. Underwire bras have a thin, flexible wire that shapes the bottom of your breasts for support. Some underwire bras include padding, while others simply have a layer of lace.