The breasts should not spill out of the bra at the sides or in the middle. Double breasts must not form between the cups, nor should the breasts be pushed out towards the armpit. If they are, you have chosen a bra with a cup size that is too small: try a bigger size. The cup must not be too loose either.
As a guideline, you should be able to comfortably run two fingers under both sides of the bra at the same time. If the bra pulls away from your body easily, it is too loose. If you have trouble getting your fingers under the band and it feels uncomfortable, it is too tight. The band should be level front and back.
No matter the type of bra, the band should fit comfortably around your body, snug but not tight. Remember to always start a new bra on the loosest hook and hook tighter as the band stretches over time.
If your band and underwire are the right size, then the center gore should lay flat against your sternum. You should not be able to move it easily, but it also shouldn't press too hard on your chest. If the center gore of your underwire bra does not lay correctly, then the cups are too small or the band is too loose.
Band feels a little snug or tight
This is normal. You want the band to feel snug and not move on the loosest set of hooks and your bra will stretch out with time and wear.
Bras that are too small may cause breast pain because of how sensitive some girls' breasts can be as they grow. And bras that are too big won't offer enough support, which could also lead to discomfort if your breasts move or bounce around too much. Find a bra that's the right size for you and comfortable to wear.
Ill-fitting bras have also been associated with neck, back and shoulder pain, bad posture, and rubbing and chafing leading to skin abrasions. We also see ill-fitting bras causing permanent changes to the body, such as deep grooves in the shoulders caused by pressure from the bra shoulder straps.
There's a gap at the top of the cups.
When you look down at your bra do you notice space between your breasts and the cup? If so, it's too big. If you aren't able to see any gaps while standing up, try leaning over while looking into a mirror. If there is extra space in your cups it's time for a new size.
The band lies straight, around the front and back of the body. The center of the bra lies flat against the breastbone, separating the breasts. The underwires do not cut or poke into the breast tissue.
Your breast tissue spills out of the bottom and sides of your bra for one of two reasons: you're either wearing the wrong cup size, or you're wearing the wrong bra style for your breast shape. Very often, it's simply a matter of the cups being too small.
The center of the bra doesn't sit flat.
The band might be too big — try going down a band size and up a cup size. On the other hand, the cup might be too small — try going up a cup size, or even just half a cup size. The other possible reason is that your breast type is messing with the center gore.
When the band rides up the back, it's an indicator the band is too big. Without providing proper support, a band that's too large can prompt the breast tissue to weigh down on the cups and pull the band upwards in the back.
For every band size you go down, you have to go up a cup size to compensate the difference. Let's say you wear a 34B, the cup fits but the band is too big. You measure a 30 band size. A 30 band is two band sizes smaller than the 34 band.
A bra that's too tight can cause a bulge by pushing the skin and fat outward, creating lumps and bumps. There are even cases where a well-fitting bra can lead to bulging skin and fat. Fatty deposits near the breasts or on the upper back are likely to push out when a bra is wrapped around them.
An obvious sign that the cups are too small is if the underwire presses in at the sides of the breasts or if you have red marks on your breasts when you take your bra off in the evening. The underwire should enclose and cradle the breasts; it shouldn't pinch anywhere. If it does, you need to go up a cup size.
Costoclavicular syndrome, sometimes referred to as bra strap syndrome, can be caused by tight straps that pinch and dig into your shoulders. This can contribute to pressure on your shoulders and resulting pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
BRA PROBLEM - WHY DO bras BULGE AT THE SIDES? If you have unwanted bra bulge at the sides it could be the bra band is too narrow. Alternatively the bra band size could be too small or the bra cup size is too small.
1. You can keep your clothes on. Most bra fitters can accurately measure your size on top of your clothes. Some stores may ask you to only wear a bra while they measure you, but few will ask you to completely undress above the waist.
How often you need to wash your bras isn't an exact science. But dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says that as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
Bras can stretch up to 3 inches during their lifetime, hence the rows of hook and eye closures, made to offset this necessary adjustment. The band can also start riding up your back, which causes gaping in the front between your body and the bra cups.
If the fit is too snug and the shoulder straps dig into the skin, many women suffer extreme pain in the neck and shoulders. This pressure on the neck can cause stiffness, cervical pains, shoulder and backaches, as well as headaches! Improper blood circulation in the chest region is another side effect.
If you can get more than 2 fingers under the band, it is too big. Make sure your band isn't sitting too high on the back, most bras should sit just below the shoulder blades.
Bulging. The most obvious signs to look for is any kind of bulging, whether at the front or sides, which is a sure-fire sign the fit is not right. The bra should always sit smoothly on the body. And when you take your bra off, check for any marks on the skin, most typically on the shoulders.