Top 10 Bra Fitting Myths

1 - A loose fitting bra is more comfortable than a firm fitting bra

A firm fitting bra is way more comfortable than a loose-fitting bra. When you’re wearing a loose bra, it can shift on your body as you move causing friction marks and chafing – and no one likes big red angry painful burns.

Not only that, a firm fitting bra will support your bust and keep it nice and high and also help keep your shoulders back – as soon as your band is too loose, it will start to creep up your back and the weight of your bust will drag the bra down at the front. That is bad news for your posture, ladies.

How can you fix this? Ensure your brand new bra fits firmly on the loosest hook so you can tighten your bra as it stretches through wash and wear.

2 - Tight fitting bras show more back fat

Ah, back fat (or otherwise known as just skin), everyone’s favourite body part… not!

Contrary to what you might believe, it’s likely the position of the bra on your back that creates the appearance of the dreaded “back fat” and not the firmness of your bra. Your bra band should be horizontal across your back. If it’s too loose, it’ll ride up and dig in. Cheap bras with thin band fabric can cut into your flesh and make this look even worse. With a firm fitting band, you should feel encased and supported. A bra with a wider band can also help reduce the appearance back fat.

3 - Breast exercises can lift and shape your bust

Sorry, ladies… there are no muscles in breast tissue, only the Cooper’s ligaments that support the breast. It’s natural for these ligaments to stretch over time with age and lack of support; other factors like pregnancy, weight fluctuations and if you smoke can also play a role.

Your best strategy here is to support your Cooper’s ligaments as much as possible – get fitted properly by a professional fitter and invest in a great sports bra when exercising.

4 - Underwires are uncomfortable!

Nope! If you can feel the underwire of your bra and it’s giving you grief, there’s a good chance that your bra is not fitted correctly. Our advice: get fitted!

It could also be that the style of bra isn’t right for your body shape. High busted women can have issues with being poked in the armpits by their underwires, short waisted women can have issues with the wires digging in at the bottom of their bust, especially when seated. Once again, a fitter will be able to help you and advise of brands or styles that work well for different body shapes and needs. We love Prima Donna bras, especially for people who have had trouble with underwired bras previously, as the underwires are encased in a special padded foam that make them extra comfy. You can also read our tips on how to banish underwire pain here.

5 – Minimiser bras will make you look smaller

You might find that your shirt buttons do up more easily and you might look flat-chested from the side, but minimisers will spread your bust far and wide and send it into your armpits. They have a tendency to be extremely unflattering on larger busts.

If you want your bust to look smaller, a well-fitted bra with side support panels will help lift and shape your bust as well as lengthen your torso to give the appearance of a slimmer frame and help your posture.

6 – Bras cause neck and shoulder pain

If you’re relying on your shoulder straps to hold up your bra, chances are you’re suffering from some extreme discomfort and have indents on your shoulders when you take your bra off. Bra straps are primarily there for balance and should only be supporting approximately 10% of the weight of your bust. If you slide your shoulder straps off and your bra doesn't stay put, your band is too loose! It should be firm enough to stay in place with or without the straps – once you’re in a well fitted back band, you can kiss that neck and shoulder pain goodbye!

7 - There is one perfect bra that works on everyone

Why would there be so many bras if there’s one perfect bra style that fit all shapes and sizes?!

There is no universally perfect bra for all women. Listen to all the marketing you like, but any bra can look good on a lingerie model. There is no such thing as a perfect bra, but there is such a thing as a perfectly fitted bra!

Panache Sports Bra

8 – Everyday bras are fine for exercise

You could wear an everyday bra while exercising… it’s best not to though.

A good sports bra is engineered to support you much better than a regular bra during exercise and will minimise bounce and movement of your bust. Remember those Cooper’s ligaments we mentioned earlier? Exercising without proper support can actually cause damage to the root tissue close to the chest wall so a great sports bra is an invaluable member of your bra wardrobe… not to mention some of us busty girls are at risk of giving ourselves a black eye with some unwanted boob to face impact too.

9 – Moulded bras make your bust look bigger

By “moulded”, we mean a foam moulded cup, not necessarily “padded”. These are designed to hold your bust into the same shape as the moulded foam. It is rare that your bust would look bigger in a moulded bra, it’s all about shape and lift, and moulded bras are amazing at giving that lift. In fact, they usually help you look smaller overall as your bust sits higher and it elongates your torso.

Sure, some styles have additional padding but with many styles it’s removable and its true purpose is to correct asymmetry between the bust… However, if you like the padding just for the extra oomph, we say go for it!

10 – You need to adjust your bra throughout the day

So, so false… If you feel the need to squirm and run to the bathroom to push yourself back into the cups of your bra every half hour, you’re probably not in the right size. Our fitters will be able to help you into a size and style that supports you all day long.

Exception: if you sprint for the train in a plunge bra, you may need a slight readjustment afterwards, but that’s really the only time you should need to adjust!

If you forget that you’re even wearing a bra, congratulations! You either totally forgot to put one on this morning (oops) or it’s so well fitted that you can’t feel it - if you’ve been fitted at a Brava store, it’s probably the latter.