Firstly ensure that you can fit two fingers underneath the shoulder straps without being able to lift it up. If there is extra room you can tighten your straps. You should re-check the straps after every three-four wears, as they can start to loosen during wear. You should always check the straps after washing your bra. If you find that your straps are consistently falling down, it may be because you have narrow shoulders which slope downwards. You may find a bra with a racerback would be more comfortable or purchase comfy shoulder straps which will ensure no slippage.
The band of the bra provides you with the most support so it is crucial that this is fitted correctly. Your bra should fit firmly to the body, but not dig in or cause extreme discomfort. If it leaves an imprint or redness on the skin, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is too tight.
Remember: if you are going up a back size, then you need to go down a cup size and vice versa. For example if your size is a 34E, and the band is too small but the cup fits well, then try a 36DD. You should be able to fit 2 fingers under the band comfortably at the back and two fingers all the way around.
The bra should sit horizontally all the way around your body and shouldn’t ride up or slip down - if this is the case, try tightening the straps or if you can, move to the next tighter hook at the back. If this doesn’t work then you may need to try a smaller band size. It is recommended that when you purchase your bra, you are wearing it on the loosest hook. The bra will stretch over time and to keep your bra fitting correct, you can tighten your band size by moving the hook and eye to the tighter setting. If you have been wearing a very loose fitting bra for some time then you may find that a new bra measured correctly seems a little too tight, there is no need to be alarmed by this, your body just needs a bit of time to adjust to the firmer feel.
This usually occurs when you reduce the back size but keep the cup size the same, or if the style of the bra is not suited to your breast shape. Please see our guide below to understand different boob shapes. The Cups are gaping, how can I stop this? If the cups are gaping, firstly try ‘scooping and swooping’ your breasts to manoeuvre all of your breast tissue into the cups to ensure the perfect fit. To do this scoop your hands under your breasts and gently bring them up and inwards. If this doesn’t solve the problem you can try tightening the band at the hook and eye fastening. This will help to draw the cups closer to your body. You can also tighten the straps a little which will help to lift the cups.
The bridge or Gore is the piece at the centre front between the cups. It can be quite tall such as on balcony bras, or very small, when on plunge bras. Ideally it should sit flat against your chest without digging in, however ladies with larger boobs may find that it sits away slightly. If you find it moves quite a bit then try going down a back size (remembering to go up a cup size if you do) to help it sit in place. We recommend looking for a plunge or balcony bra with a narrow centre bridge to stop the wire digging into your breasts.