My Bra is Too Tight: Fixing This Common Bra Fit Issue

Finding the right bra can feel like a challenge. After all, it's normal for bodies to fluctuate and bras themselves can stretch out over time. That's how you find yourself in a situation where, suddenly and seemingly overnight, your once perfect-fitting bra no longer fits. 

Here's how to tell if your bra is too tight and how to identify your correct bra size.

Signs your bra is too tight

Breast spillage

If the bra cup is cutting into your breast tissue or your boobs are popping out from under the bottom of the cup, you probably need to size up.

The gore isn't sitting flush

The front center gore, which is the front center part of the bra band, should lie flat against the skin. If there’s a lot of space, that’s a sign you’re in the wrong size. 

The band is riding up

If your bra band is riding up your back, this is a good indication that the bra you're wearing is too small.

The bra is leaving red marks and hurts to wear

Your bra should never be uncomfortable. Even though it may be common to see some red marks lingering on your skin after you take off your bra, this shouldn't be happening if you're wearing your correct size and your bra is properly fitted to your body.

A good rule of thumb is: If you can't wait to rip your bra off when you get home, you're probably wearing the wrong size. 

When to use sister sizing

Sister sizing is a sizing methodology used to change the fit of your bra band without changing the volume of your cups. Cup size actually corresponds to the ratio of your band and your bust measurements (not just your bust size), so when you change the size of the band, you must also change the size of your cup in order to keep the capacity the same. 

You can find your sister size in two ways: 

1. Go up one band size, and down one cup size. This will make your band looser without changing the volume of your cups.

2. Go down one band size, and up one cup size. This will make your band tighter without changing the volume of your cups. 

In this example, let's say you're wearing a 34C. You love the way the cups fit, but the band is too tight. To fix this, you would go up to a 36 band and down to a B cup.

When to size up

If your band and your cups are both too small, then you'll go up a full size. If your current size is a 34C, you would go up one size to a 36C. This change will make both your band and cup bigger.

When to adjust your bra

If your bra is just slightly too tight and changing sizes feels too extreme, you probably just need to loosen the band and straps. This adjustment should fix the issue.

Looking for bras that fit? Check out Honeylove's wireless bras.