80% of Women are Wearing the Wrong Bra Size. Are You?

Finding a bra that fits you shouldn’t be a tall order. The truth is most bras aren’t designed to fit the way they should. Good news? It’s not you — it’s the bra. So we design better bras to make you look and feel great in every outfit. When it comes to fit, we have style options for every breast shape: strapless, full coverage, plunge, wireless and more. If you’re not sure what shape breasts you have or which styles you should try, check out our boob shape dictionary here.

So you’ve found a few styles you like, but know that we’re the only bra company out there with half cup sizes. Are you a full cup size or have you always been a little more in between? If you’re dying to know and can’t wait, take our Fitting Room Quiz. It was created by expert bra designers who know exactly what slipping straps or gaping cups mean. We’ll talk more about what are the tells of knowing for sure you’re wearing the wrong bra size and how to get the right fit.

 

How do you know if you’re wearing the wrong bra size?

If you’ve taken our quiz you now have a much better idea of what to pay attention to when checking your fit. If you’re new to ThirdLove, here are a few things that we talk about in the quiz: slipping bra straps, gaping cups, spilling over your cups, the way your waistband sits, down to what hook you should start with. Because over 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size (right now as we talk about it), we thought every woman should know about it and know how to fix it.

3 Ways to Check Your Fit

1. Which hook are you on? When you put on your bra you want to start at the last hook and the band should hug your body comfortably. If you have to go to the first hook, then your band size is likely too big and you should go down a band size. The reason we say start on the last hook is because your bra is new and will stretch over time. So you’ll eventually get to that hook on an older bra, but it shouldn’t be where you start.
2. Your waistband: When you put the bra around you and clasp the last hook, the waistband should fit snugly. When we say snug, we don’t mean tight. You should still be able to put about two fingers under the band. Try it now, we’ll wait. If you can’t get two fingers under there, it shouldn’t be too hard to get one in. If so, you may need to go up a band size. Sometimes you might spill over the sizes of your waistband which could mean that you need to size up in the band.
3. Cups: Your breast should fit nicely in the cup and fit it completely and contour your natural curve and shape. If you’re seeing quite a bit of space left in the cup, you feel any digging in, or you’re overflowing out of the cup, it’s either too small or too big. Wire sitting on your breasts or riding up throughout the day so that’s where it ends up? Your cups are probably too small. So once you’ve gone down a cup, you should feel that smooth, snug fit. Think you might need a half cup? Reach out to a Fit Stylist to see if you might need a half cup size.

 

So what happens if you wear a bra that just doesn’t fit?

Wearing a bra that doesn’t fit quite right can cause unnecessary stress on your body. We’ll talk through a few of them. Regardless of your cup size, any bra that doesn’t fit properly is going to be uncomfortable. When you have heavier breasts, a bad fit means that heaviness isn’t balanced and can create issues.

Breast Pain

If your underwire is cutting into the sides of your breast, you may notice bruising and an extra pull on your skin. If your cups aren’t fitting comfortably around your breasts to give them support then you’re leaving the support to your breast tissue itself. Creating stress on your tissue and causing stretch where it doesn’t necessarily need to happen. Stretch can mean sagging over time, especially if you’re getting that support with a bra made for your size.

When you’re in the right bra size, you won’t feel any of this added stress on your breast tissue. The best bras are one you don’t feel like you’re actually wearing all day. In fact, we created a line of bras specifically made for everyday all day: our 24/7® bras. Check out our T-Shirt Bra, you’re going to love it. Fits just right, made to make you look and feel great no matter what.

Shoulder, Neck & Back Pain

Your waistband is where a large amount of the support you need comes from. Your bra is made with multiple components that are designed to work together to support and hold your breasts. If your bra’s waistband isn’t snuggly fit then your straps or your cups may be doing more work than they should.

You might feel back, neck and shoulder pain set in when you’re hunching over more because you’re not getting the hold you need. This is the most uncomfortable kind of pain that tends to build over time. So get that badly fit bra off your back and get one on that supports your breasts properly.

 

Find Your Perfect Fit

So now you know exactly what to check for to know if you’re wearing the right bra size. We have a ton of tools to help you get the right fit, style of bra for you, and even that limited-edition shade to make your eyes pop. Let’s lower that 80% of women wearing the wrong bra size and tell your friends. We’re here to help if you have any questions at all. Have a question? Drop us a DM on Instagram @ThirdLove.