Does your bra actually fit? Read our 4 way test of a good fitting bra

Researchers in the United Kingdom have actually proved that a poorly fitting bra affects your mood. A badly fitting bra doesn’t only distort your mood, it can also lead to other health issues such as breast, neck, back or shoulder pain, or damage to the skin around the breast and shoulder area caused by wearing tight straps that dig into the skin.

Apart from the obvious physical problems a badly fitting bra can cause on the body, there are a number of fashion problems that can be resolved by simple wearing a well fitted bra.

So why then are 80% of women in the world guilty of not wearing the right bra? Is it that they just don’t care about the adverse effects it has on their body, or they just don’t know?

I am convinced that the reason is the latter, and so my mission today is to point out four ways every woman can tell if her bra is just too loose, just too tight or just the right fit. And to do this, I’m going to take you through the four basic parts of a bra; The Band, The Cup, The Hook and the Strap.

Step 1: The Band
No, not like Westlife or Maroon 5, the Band I’m talking about here is the piece of fabric that runs round the entire breadth of the bra. It’s probably the most important part of a bra’s anatomy because it’s the one that holds the breasts up. The Band should fit snug enough round your torso and to test just how snug it is, slip two fingers under it. If they go in easily, it’s just right. If they meet a little resistance, it’s too tight. Likewise, if they meet no resistance, it’s too loose. You don’t want your Bra Band loose because then your girls have no support; and you know your girls need all the support they can get.

Step 2: The Cup
The Cup is the second most important part of the bra because it’s the part that comes in direct contact with the breasts. The Cup should be close enough to your breasts so that it can hold the girls up to your chest, but not too tightly that your breasts spill over the edge and of course not too loose that they’re swimming in all that excess space. The Cup that’s doing its job might look differently depending on the type of bra, but one thing is sure, the comfort you’ll feel will definitely be the same.

Step 3: The Hook
The Hook is the third most important part of the bra because it’s the part that holds it all together. It’s the set of two, three or sometimes four rows of hook and eye fastenings at the end of the length of your bra band. It’s important because one wrong fastening, and you are one step away from being suffocated by your bra. Death by Brassiere is quite embarrassing,
so you might want to pay close attention. When testing your bra for the first time, make sure to use the hook that is the furthest away. This is because over time and with constant wear, your bra band will get loose and when that begins to happen you can work your way to the innermost set of hooks for a better fit. But eventually, you’ll run out of hooks, and when that happens it’ll be time for you to get a whole new bra altogether.

Step 4: The Strap
The last but by no means least part of a bras anatomy is the Strap. The Strap is the adjustable – and sometimes removable – part of the Bra. The Strap runs along the length of the bra on both sides, so when testing your bra, it is important to make sure it isn’t pulled on too tight or else it’ll dig into your skin and leave unsightly marks and in some severe cases, even injuries. It shouldn’t also be too loose otherwise it’ll keep slipping off your shoulders and won’t do its job of assisting to lift the breasts. When the Strap is on just right, you should also be able to slip two fingers underneath easily, same as with the Band. And don’t feel weird if one Strap feels longer than the other. No two breasts are the same so one side might need more strap to be comfortably balanced in the Cup than the other.

We put together these slides on @briefessentials instagram Page as a quick guide.

A good fitting bra will have all its part fitting just the way they should be. The purpose of a bra is to give support to your breasts. If your breasts don’t feel supported, then you’re wearing the wrong bra and you need to fix that immediately. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to wear a bra that makes you happy and comfortable.

Life is too short to suffer every day with a poorly fitting bra. Brief Essentials is here to give your girls the support they truly deserve.