Before you diagnose anything, put the bra on properly: fasten it, lean forward, and scoop and swoop so that all your breast tissue is inside the cups. Several of the symptoms below only show up once you have done that.
Symptom finder
| What you see | Most likely cause | First thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Band rides up at the back | Band too big | Band down, cup up |
| Only fits on the tightest hook | Band too big or worn out | Band down, cup up, or replace |
| Band painful on the loosest hook | Band too small, or cups too small | Check the cups first |
| Bulging over the top of the cups | Cups too small | Cup up, same band |
| Bulging at the sides, near the arm | Cups too small or too narrow | Cup up, or a wider-wired style |
| Gap at the top of the cups | Cups too big, or the wrong shape | Scoop and swoop, then reassess |
| Wrinkled cup fabric | Cups too big, or too tall for you | Cup down, or a lower-cut style |
| Centre panel lifts off your chest | Cups too small | Cup up, same band |
| Wire sits on breast tissue at the side | Cups too small or too narrow | Cup up |
| Wire pokes your armpit | Wire too wide or too tall | A narrower or lower-sided style |
| Straps dig into your shoulders | Band too loose | Band down, cup up |
| Straps keep slipping off | Band too loose, or straps set too wide | Tighten, then a firmer band or different style |
"Band down, cup up" means moving to a sister size: one band smaller with one cup letter larger, which keeps the cup volume the same. The sister size chart will give you the exact size.
Band signs
The band rides up at the back
Look at yourself side-on. If the band is higher at the back than at the front, it is too big. The weight at the front pulls the cups down, and the loose band pivots upward behind you. Tightening the straps makes it worse. See why your bra rides up at the back.
You are on the tightest hook
If the bra is fairly new, the band is too big. If it is old, the elastic has stretched and the bra is due for replacement. Either way there is no adjustment left.
The band hurts or leaves deep marks
It may be too small. It may also be the right size on cups that are too small, which push the bra away from you and tighten the band. Work out which in is my bra band too tight?
Cup signs
Spilling over the top or sides
A ridge across the top of the breast, sometimes called "quadboob" because it gives the look of four breasts under a T-shirt, means the cup is too small. So does tissue squeezed out towards the armpit. Go up a cup on the same band. Details are in spilling out of your bra cups.
Gaping or wrinkling
Empty space in the cup can mean it is too big. Quite often, though, the size is right and the shape is wrong for you, or the cup is actually too small and is being pushed away from your body. Do not size down until you have read why your bra cups are gaping.
Wire and centre signs
The centre panel does not sit flat
In an underwired bra, the panel between the cups should rest on your breastbone. If it hovers, your breasts are overfilling the cups and holding the bra off your chest. Go up a cup.
The wires sit on breast tissue
Press on the wire at the side of your breast. You should feel ribs under it. If you feel soft tissue, the cup is too small or the wire too narrow, and the wire is resting where it should not.
The wires poke your armpit
The wire is too wide or comes up too high for your frame. This is more common on shorter or narrower torsos. Look for styles described as having a lower side or narrower wires, such as many plunge bras. If the band is also loose, fix that first, because a shifting band lets wires travel.
Strap signs
Straps digging in
Straps that leave grooves are nearly always doing the band's job. Slip them off your shoulders. If the bra sags, the band is too loose. A firmer band takes the load off your shoulders at once.
Straps slipping off
Tighten them first, as straps loosen with wear. If they still slip, the band may be too big, which sets the straps wider than your shoulders. Narrow or sloping shoulders can also be the cause. Styles with straps set closer together, or a racerback, will help.
Other clues
- You adjust your bra during the day. A bra that fits stays where you put it.
- You cannot wait to take it off. Some relief is normal after a long day. Urgency is a sign of poor fit.
- Your shape looks uneven under clothes. Lines, bumps or a flattened front point to a cup problem.
- Your breasts escape under the wire when you raise your arms. The band is too loose or the cups too small.
When it is not the bra. Persistent breast pain, a new lump, skin changes or discharge are not fit problems. Speak to your GP.
More symptoms
- Quadboob: the ridge over the top of the cup
- Cups wrinkling
- Centre panel not sitting flat
- Underwire digging into your ribs and poking your armpit
- Straps digging in
- Band rolling up
- Red marks and back pain
- Uneven breasts
- Nothing ever fits
What to do next
If one thing is wrong, change one thing and try again. If three or four signs apply, your starting size is probably off, and it is quicker to measure again than to adjust a size at a time. Then confirm the new size with the five-point fit check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common sign of a badly fitting bra?
A band that rides up at the back. It means the band is too big, and it usually comes with straps that dig in and cups that are too small.
Can a bra that used to fit stop fitting?
Yes, for two reasons. The band stretches with wear until it no longer supports you, and your body changes with weight, hormones, pregnancy and age. If a bra that was comfortable no longer is, check the fit again.
I have several of these signs at once. Where do I start?
Start with the band, because a wrong band causes problems everywhere else. Get the band level and firm, then reassess the cups, then the straps.
Several signs at once usually means the starting size is off.
Re-measure with the calculator →