Bra too big? Let’s find out how to tell if your bra is too big and how to fix it. We all have a favourite bra in our underwear drawer but if your once comfy bra isn’t fitting as well as it used to do, and it’s not just due to something like monthly hormonal changes, then it might be a sign your bra it too big for you.
Signs your bra is too big:
- Your breasts are bouncing around more than usual
- The band rides up your back
- There is a gap between your breasts and bra cup
- Bra cups are wrinkled when you take off the bra
- You’re constantly tightening your bra straps
- You’ve run out of hooks on the fastening, so can’t make the band any smaller
Uplifted Lingerie sells great fitting bras and lingerie ranging from cup sizes AA to L and our experts know a thing or two about how to get the most out of your bra. With a huge range of excellent brands to choose from including; Elomi, Fantasie, Wonderbra, Royce, Panache, Freya and Curvy Kate to name just a few, you’re sure to find a style and fit that you'll love in our online store. Combined with our competitive prices and no quibble returns policy means bra shopping just got so much easier!
Looking for a great fitting bra? Shop Online
Read on to follow our simple tips on how to determine if your bra is too big in the cup, band or strap area, then follow our simple DIY tips to fix the problem so that you can enjoy the feeling and support that a great fitting bra offers once again.
How To Tell If Your Bra Is Too Big
Sometimes you barely notice your bra and other times, it feels like you’re constantly tugging, jiggling and adjusting all day long to get comfy. If this sounds like you, then there is a high chance that the bra you’re wearing is too big for you.
If you’re experiencing any of the issues below with straps, bands, cups and fastening, then your bra is too big and we’ve got plenty of tips on how to fix them later on in this article.
Your breasts are bouncing more than usual
A bra that is too big will not provide the right level of support for your breasts. This means that they are likely to jiggle and move around as your go about your day.
The band rides up your back
If you’re constantly tugging your bra band back down to where it should be, then it’s usually a sign that you’re wearing a band size that is too big. As the band is where most of the support in a bra comes from, it should be correctly fitted and stay in place all day.
There is a gap between your breasts and bra cup
How to tell if your bra cup is too big - If you can see a gap between your breasts and bra cup when you look down or tip your chest forward, then your cup size is too big. If the bra cup is too big but the band still fits, then the cup size is too big.
Bra cups are wrinkled when you take off the bra
Your breasts should properly fill the cups of the bra which in turn smooths out the lining of the cups. If the lining is wrinkled when you take off your bra, it’s a big sign that your cups are too big for your breasts.
You’re constantly tightening your bra straps
Bra straps should not fall down and should not be so tight that they leave marks on your shoulders. If you’re constantly pulling your straps back into place, then they’re too big and you need to make some adjustments.
You’ve run out of hooks on the fastening
If you’re already using the smallest fastening setting (the one nearest the cups), then you need to go down at least one band size.
The Importance Of The Right Fit
It’s estimated that over 70% of ladies are walking around with a bra that doesn’t fit them properly. At the very best, this means 7/10 ladies are constantly re-adjusting their bras, experiencing niggling discomfort and a lack of breast support. At worst, 7/10 ladies are putting themselves at risk of painful necks, breasts and backs when wearing the wrong bra size over a long period.
We know that our bodies don’t stay the same forever, and many ladies experience monthly swelling or tenderness that fluctuate with hormone cycles too. It's no surprise therefore that our breasts will change in size and shape throughout our lives.
When this does happen, it’s important to pay attention to the little signs that your bra isn’t fitting properly so that you buy new bras that keep your breasts comfortable, supported, and in the right place to ensure that overflow, underwires, straps and bands are not causing you any problems when it comes to your bra sizing.
We’ve got the tips you need below to ensure that your bra isn’t too big and fits you well.
How should a bra fit
If you’ve found yourself nodding along to the points above, then you’ve successfully identified that your bra is too big. The next step in knowing how to find a bra that gives you comfort and well-supported breasts is to know how to buy a correctly fitting bra.
Whilst bra fitting services on the high street can be a great help with this, not everybody has the time to spend a few hours in a fitting room trying on bras. That’s why understanding the fundamental points of a correctly fitting bra is vital to those that prefer to shop online and try on underwear in the comfort of their own home.
You Know Your Bra Fits Properly If
- There is no overflow in the cup area
- Underwires are resting against your ribcage and not on top of delicate breast tissue
- You can comfortably fit two fingers under the band - no more, and no less
- You barely notice the straps
- You feel confident and well put together
Nicely Filled Cups
When your bra fits you properly, your breasts will fill the cups, whatever size they are. From a AA to an L cup, you need to ensure that there is no gap or overflow at the front or sides of the cup. The exception to this might be if you’re wearing a push-up bra to create a full looking cleavage upfront, in that instance, some overflow at the front is common but the rest of the breast should be contained.
Underwires Sit Comfortably
Ensure underwired bras aren’t poking and prodding you all day by knowing where they should sit in a well-fitting bra. The wires should remain against the skin at the top of your ribcage, flat across the skin and not ride up over the breast tissue or dig into your armpits. We recommend lifting your arms above your head when trying on bras at home and if the wire stays in place under your breast without ‘popping up’, then the bra fits well.
The Two Finger Band Test
There is a popular misconception that your bra straps provide the support for your breasts but it’s the band that does the lion's share of the work when it comes to keeping your breasts in place.
As a result, getting the correct band size is crucial to the overall fit of your bra. To check if you’re wearing the right band size, slide two fingers under the band. If you can fit more than two then the bra is too big and will likely ride up. If it’s a struggle to get two fingers underneath, then the band is too small and you will likely end up with red marks on your skin when you take the bra off at the end of the day.
Barely There Straps
Bra straps provide an important supporting role in a good fitting bra and should be seen not heard. By that, we mean if you’re constantly picking your straps back on your shoulders, or they’re painfully digging in, then it’s going to create a metaphorical noise that you’d rather not have to deal with!
Bra straps should provide just the right level of support to stay on your shoulders when the band is providing the majority of the support below.
You Feel Great
We’ve covered the technical points above, but sometimes the simplest way to know if a bra fits well is by paying attention to how you feel. A well-fitting bra makes us all feel great and provides a spring in our step!
Where To Find Great Bras Online?
Now that you know how to identify if your bra is too big, and how to fix the problem by being able to identify a well-fitting bra, you might decide that it’s time to stock up on some brand new underwear that fits you like a glove.
Whether you’re looking for bras to boost your cleavage, provide support during exercise, minimise the appearance of your breasts, support your new shape following surgery, or just want to find a great matching set of lingerie, then there are bras for every body type at upliftedlingerie.co.uk
Related Questions
Is It Bad To Wear A Bra That Is Too Big?
Wearing a bra that is too big for you means that your breasts aren’t properly supported. This can lead to the delicate breast tissue becoming stretched or damaged over time without the right level of support to prevent unnecessary bouncing.
This movement can also be a pretty uncomfortable problem in itself, particularly for ladies with larger chests. Whether it’s bad to wear a bra that is too big will therefore be down to how much you value your comfort and long term health of your breast tissue but we would always recommend taking the time to find a well-fitting bra that isn’t too big or too small, for optimal comfort, support and feel-good factor.
How To Make A Bra Smaller
How to fix a bra cup that’s too big - If you have identified that your bra is too big but you don’t have the cash to splash on a new one right now, it may be useful to know that there are a few simple tips you can try to make the bra you’ve already got fit a little better. These tips for adjusting straps and closure won’t work if the bra is already far too big, but may provide a useful stop-gap until you can get your hands on a better fitting one.
Strap adjustment
To tighten a bra strap that is too big, you will need to hold the slide adjuster on the strap and move the free strap area towards the adjuster. The closer that the adjuster is to the cup, the shorter and tighter the strap will become. Don’t be alarmed if one strap needs to be tighter or looser than the other as it’s not uncommon to have shoulders and breasts that are higher on one side or the other.
Use The Last Fastening
If you can fit more than two fingers under the bra band, then it’s too big for you, but you can make it smaller by using the fastening right at the end of the band. If you’re already on this hook setting then sadly there isn’t much you can do but it’s a good tip to know for when you buy your new bra as lots of women tend to use the smallest setting first.
When wearing a new bra, always ensure that you use the largest setting (the one closest to the open edge of the band) first. This means that when the bra gets looser as the materials stretch over time, you will still have a smaller setting or two to adjust down to. Using this tip means that you will get more life out of your bra than if you used the smallest setting from the beginning and can’t then make it any smaller.
Summary
We hope this article has shared the knowledge you need to identify if your bra is too big for you, as well as how to fix it with simple tips for home fittings and adjustments.
To recap, a correctly fitting bra should be comfortable, barely noticeable when wearing it and fit you like a glove to provide support in all of the right places. If your bra is riding up, gaping at the cups or straps are falling down, then it’s likely that you’re wearing a bra too big for you.
A bra that is too big will:
- allow your breasts to bounce around more than usual
- cause the band to ride up your back
- have a gap between your breasts and bra cup
- possibly have wrinkled cups when you take off the bra
- need loose straps adjusted
- run out of hooks at the fastening to make the band smaller
If you need a hand finding bras in the right size, are unsure about which bra size or style is best for you, or if you just want a second opinion, then we have an expert customer services team, contactable either via Email or Live Chat, who will do their best to assist you. You can also use our handy Fitting Guide to measure up before making your purchases to ensure that you get the best fit possible