How to Find Your REAL Bra Size - And Why It Matters

Much like an ideal partner, your bra should be supportive, uplifting, and--most importantly-- non-constricting. Sounds like common sense, right?

However, a whopping 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra. According to a study by Wood, Cameron and Fitzgerald, 70% of women have been wearing bras that were too small and 10% of women wore bras that were too large. This can cause a whole slew of issues far larger than too much or too little fabric under that little black dress. Such as:

Back Problems

You’ve heard of big-breasted women having backaches from carrying the weight on their chest. Wearing the wrong-sized bra can make those problems even worse, while wearing a bra that fits properly can help them from starting in the first place. A supportive bra takes some of the burden from your back, doing the heavy lifting itself. An unsupportive bra can let your girls down and cause the ligaments in your chest to stretch, which leads to sagging sagging. That tug on gravity can affect your back, causing soreness and discomfort.

Headaches

On the other hand, a too-tight bra can cause tension in your back, shoulders, and neck. A tight bra might lead to tension headaches or, in some cases, migraines. These headaches can range in severity, depending on other factors in your life--they can be seriously annoying, or they can be disruptive enough to put a real damper on your productivity for the day.

Red shoulders and back bulges

Straps of an ill-fitting bra can be too tight on your shoulders, creating red lines and sore spots. A bra pulled too tightly around the back will also create an annoying bulging effect. Meanwhile, a loose bra can cause chafing around your back. Straps might slip off your shoulders, losing any semblance of support the bra originally offered.

And that’s only a few of the side effects of a bad bra.

Ensuring you’re wearing the right bra for you can ensure that you’re able to focus on being the best version of yourself. Wearing the right bra can boost your confidence, your posture, and make you feel so comfortable that you almost forget you’re wearing a bra in the first place!

So how do you find your Real Bra Size...?

First, you need a measuring tape. While wearing a non-padded bra, pull the tape around the front of your chest. It’s important to make sure that you’re measuring the biggest part of your breast, and that the tape forms a straight line all the way around. Pull tight to get an accurate measurement, but not so tight that you’re pulling your breasts together. Jot down that number.

Then pull the tape around your torso, just under your breasts. This will be your band size. Just like before, make sure that the tape measure is a straight line all the way around -- you won’t get an accurate measure if it’s crooked. Once you jot that number down, do some quick math:

Subtract the first measurement from your band size and the difference creates your cup size. Easy! Check out the chart below from the handy Hourglass Lingerie sizing guide.

These numbers are important to finding the right size, but the next step is finding the right bra. When in doubt, you can also schedule a fitting with an expert. They can not only help you find the right size, but they can also suggest the kind of bra best for your body.

After all, we’re not cookie-cutter people -- every woman has her own shape, her own needs, and her own tastes. Feeling your best is all about finding something uniquely… you.