Bra Buying: 7 Questions to Keep in Mind

By Abby

Vanishing back unlined bra from Soma

Forgive the personal question, but how well does your bra fit? We understand that the majority of women wear the wrong size bra, and I’m sad to say that I am one of those women. I just have a hard time finding the right bra, until now.

But first, why is finding a good-fitting bra so hard? For one, there’s little standardization. Even among the same brands, bra sizes differ, just like dress or jean sizes. For example, a 38C at Walmart is a different size than a 38C at Soma, a local undergarment boutique in Legacy Village. To further complicate the matter, our bodies change all the time, whether we’re losing or gaining weight, or simply aging, and that affects our bra size.

Here are 7 questions to consider when buying a bra:

1. What will you wear over the bra? If it’s a sweater or tight knit, you’ll want something smooth.
2. What kind of support are you looking for?
3. Are you more comfortable wearing an underwire or a soft cup?
4. What kind of straps do you prefer?
5. What bra shape works best with your body shape? Not all breasts are created equally!
6. Are you looking for something fashionable or comfortable?
7. What size are you really?

Any time you buy a bra, you should be measured first. If you are uncomfortable with a saleswoman measuring you, you can do it at home using this two-step process: First, measure around your back, bringing the tape measure up to where the bra strap generally meets the cup in the front. This is your band size. To measure for cup size, bring the measuring tape down to the fullest part of your bust. Subtract that number from the first number and the difference is your cup size, one inch for every cup size. For instance, if you have a difference of two, your cup size is a B; a difference of 3 is a C, and so on.

Measurements aren’t everything though. Consider the questions above, and be prepared to try the bras on before buying them.

For more on finding the perfect bra, check out these Fit Tips from Bare Necessities. They also offer great troubleshooting tips (do your cups wrinkle? do you have bulging in the back?), so you can get an idea of what you’ve been doing wrong all these years and how to fix it!