What I look for when fitting bras
There are many website recommending how to fit a bra, but the truth is if you’ve never had a well fitting bra how do you know where to start?
Different bras fit differently, but let’s go one step back and talk about the ‘scoop and swoop’ method when putting a bra on.
What is the scoop and swoop method?
The "swoop and scoop" method is a technique used when putting on a bra to ensure that proper breast placement occurs within the bra cups. This method is particularly important for individuals with larger breasts or those who wear bras with underwire for added support. When you have bigger breasts you have more breast tissue to contain in the bra, so this method just ensures the breast goes into the bra, and so the breast tissue doesn’t try and be sneaky by heading towards the arm pit.
With the scoop and swoop method you get a better fitting bra and better silhouette.
Here's a step-by-step description of the "swoop and scoop" method:
Swoop: Lean forward slightly at the waist. This allows your breasts to naturally fall forward.
Scoop: While still leaning forward, use your opposite hand to reach into the cup of the bra and lift each breast. Gently scoop the breast tissue from the sides and bottom, guiding it into the cup.
Adjust: After scooping, stand upright and adjust the underwire or the bottom band of the bra to sit comfortably against your ribcage. Ensure that the center gore (the piece of fabric between the cups) is flat against your chest.
This method helps ensure that all of your breast tissue is properly contained within the bra cups, providing better support, shaping, and comfort.
By not doing the swoop and scoop method, you are just placing the bra and maybe you’re not getting the full support, also you may think you’re wearing a great fitting bra but may not be.
So where to start?
Cup sizing in bras are designed that, for every inch difference the fuller part part of the breast is a cup size bigger to that of the underband
For example, I measure 31 inches underband and 36 over the fuller part of my breast (so 5 inches difference) so :-
1 inch = A cup
2 Inch = B cup
3 inch = C cup
4 inch = D cup
5 inch = DD cup
But as bras don’t come in odd measurements, I have to make the decision to go to 32 or 30 band. I like my bras quite a firm fit so I go to 30.
So if I was trying a bra on in store I would choose a 30DD and 30E to compare. And yes it is a pain to try on different sizes of the same bra, but like jeans you can be one size in one store and a different one in another.
Personally, and i say this in case you have the same problem, I find with the fit of the bras, that usually in a 30E the wire fits great but then the cup can come up too high or slightly wrinkle (which is a sign that the cup may be too big) and when I go to a 30DD the actual cup fits but the wire isn’t around the root of the breast doesn’t always fit and can dig in, when I find this happening that style of bra isn’t for me no matter how many adjustments I do.
So what to look for in a correctly fitting bra?
The two main things I look for is where the wire is fitting and sitting, and the level of the underband. By looking at these two then other things will come into play, for example if the underband is riding up then the CF is usually not sitting against the sternum, if the wire isn’t sitting in the right place then boob spillage will usually be occurring out at the top.
UNDERBAND
This is one you’ve probably heard of - your underband should be parallel to the ground, it should not ride up, it should be straight, it shouldn’t be like a bridge.
It should be straight and you should be able to fit two fingers under the band at the back, that is what you are aiming for.
Centre Front
The Centre front should be lying flat between your breasts, you shouldn’t be able to press on it and it bounce back. This can be a tricky one as some women’s breasts are close set that the wires won’t fit flat, also some women have one breast bigger than another which causes one wire to sit flat but the other one to come away slightly from the chest wall.
UNDERWIRE
Once you start to look at this, you will look at women in bras on the internet and start to notice how ill fitting their bra is, even in brands trying to sell you bras.
The underwire should follow your root of the breast (I did a previous blog about how to find yours) and if you are still finding this tricky turn to the side and your underwire, if you drew an imaginary line, should head to the back of the armpit not the front. Chances are if this isn’t happening the depth won’t be right and you’ll be tugging at your bra upwards in the cup or the wing will dig in at the back just past your arms.
Examples I’ve found on the internet where the underwire direction should head. You can see clearly that one heads to the back of the armpit and the other simply doesn’t.
I hope by looking at these two things - underband and wire placement will help you get a great fitting bra.
If you need advice on fits or even fitting your samples then please head here.