Easy Ways to Check Bra Fit: The Cup
We’ve all heard the scare stories about the huge percentage of women wearing the wrong bra size. From Oprah to magazines to newspaper headlines, the world has been in an uproar about bra fit for a number of years now. The question remains: how do you know if your bra fits correctly? This second segment of our three-part blog series is focused on one of the trickiest parts of the bra to fit: the cup.
THE CUP
Ah, the cup. It seems so simple - a few curved wires, a swath of fabric, how many variations could there be? Unfortunately, the variation in cup sizes and shapes - and breast sizes and shapes - are infinite, and pinpointing what’s causing fit issues can be somewhat of a struggle. Most women have one breast that’s somewhat larger than the other, and many regularly fluctuate between several cup sizes.
Ideally, the bra would perfectly ‘cup’ your breast - what an apt name! The underwire should fully extend to both edges of the breast tissue and sit flat at the sternum. The breast itself should sit comfortably in the material of the cup, neither gaping nor spilling out over the top (the dreaded “quad boob”).
Are you dimpling and spilling out over the top or sides of your bra? Is it standing substantially away from your sternum? These are signs that the cup size is too small, too shallow, or not appropriately proportioned for your breasts. If the band fits properly, try the same band size with a larger cup.
Do you see wrinkled fabric in the cup of your bra, or is the edge of the cup standing completely away from the body? These are indications that either the cup is too large or too deep. If the band fits properly, try the same band size with a size smaller cup.
Many times, women will try to find the right cup size in a particular style, and seem to land somewhere in between the sizes that are offered. One of the struggles in bra fit is finding a cup that is well-proportioned for your body. Some women need a wider underwire and a shallower cup to get a great fit; others are best suited by a full cup or a sharper ‘u’. Women who have breast augmentation often have an incredibly challenging time getting bras to rest comfortably on the sternum. Finding out the cup shape that works best with your body makes lingerie shopping (especially online) infinitely easier! We’re working on a blog entirely dedicated to cup fit - keep an eye on the blog, it’s coming soon.
Read the previous blog to learn how to tell if your bra band fits correctly, and check our blog later this week for more bra fit basics!