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Ill-Fitting Bra
Good
and Ill-Fitting Bras
As
seen in
magazine's guide to Bra Fitting, September '04
Here's a quick reminder of the key points to remember when
buying a bra:
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1 |
Bra needs to feel fairly tight and firm on the
loosest hook when it is new, as bras stretch up to
4" in the back with wear |
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2 |
Centre section between the cups must be flat on the
body |
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3 |
Breasts should not spill out or bulge from the cups
on any bra, even soft cup ones. |
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4 |
After prolonged wear the bra should not leave any
deep marks or lines on the body |
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5 |
Most important of all, on an underwired bra, the
wire should rest on your rib cage and not on the
breast tissue, even at the sides. This is so the
area directly under the wire is hard bone and not
soft breast tissue. |
Troubleshooting Tips |
| A Good Fitting Bra |
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| An Ill-fitting Bra |
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Back band rides up / Bra rides up when you lift your
arms
Back band is too loose. The band should be tight enough
not to move around your body, but loose enough to be
able to insert two fingers under the hooks.
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Shoulder straps dig in
Either the back band is too loose (meaning the straps
are taking too much weight) or the straps are not long
enough
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Straps slip off your shoulder
Straps may need adjusting (both shoulders can sometimes
need slightly different settings). Some styles of bra
(e.g. balconette) have the straps positioned further
apart towards the shoulders, so if this is a problem you
often have, opt for styles which have the straps
positioned closer together (e.g. full cup bras).
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Breasts bulge out at the top or side of the cups
Cup size is probably too small. Also, the cut of the bra
may be too skimpy for you, in which case you may need to
try a different style.
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Cups are baggy
Cup size is probably too big. You may find that going
down a cup size and up a band size will give the best
fit (e.g. if bra is 36C, then 38B may be better).
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Cup creases at the front
If the cup creases around the nipple area, then the band
size is probably too loose, as it doesn't have enough
tension to pull the cup tight.
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Underwire digs in to side of breast
Band may be too loose - try tightening if possible.
Also, if the bra has very narrow sides, you may get a
better fit with a style that has deeper sides and band,
as this will give better tension on the underwire. The
underwire should come up high enough to enclose the
whole breast at the side without bulging - depending on
your shape, this may mean that its correct position can
be almost under your arm.
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Underwire doesn't sit flat at the front
Cup size is probably too small. Try a larger cup size
with smaller band (e.g. if bra is 36C, then 34D may be
better). The wire at the front should sit flat on the
breastbone, with the front of the band being just loose
enough to insert one finger underneath.
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Breasts poke out underneath the wire
Band size is too big and cup is too small (e.g. if bra
is 36C, then 34D may be better). The underwire should
sit snugly underneath the base of the breast - this will
ensure that the bra not only gives proper support but is
comfortable to wear.
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