Seven Signs Your Bra Doesn't Fit

1. Your Band Rides Up

The band provides about 80% of your bra's support. If it creeps upward between your shoulder blades, it's probably too loose.

A properly fitted band should remain level all the way around your body.

2. Your Straps Dig Into Your Shoulders

Shoulder straps should stabilize the cups—not carry the weight of your breasts.

If your shoulders ache at the end of the day, your band may not be providing enough support.

3. The Center Doesn't Sit Flat

The center front of an underwire bra is called the gore.

On most underwire bras, the gore should rest comfortably against your breastbone. If it floats away from your chest, your cups may be too small, the wires may not match your breast shape, or that particular bra style simply isn't right for you.

4. You're Spilling Out of the Cups

If breast tissue is spilling over the top or sides of your cups, you probably need a different cup size—or a different cup shape.

Simply increasing cup size isn't always the answer.

5. Empty Space in the Cups

Wrinkling or gaping doesn't automatically mean the cups are too large.

It often means the cup shape doesn't match your breast shape.

A woman with shallow breasts may experience gaps in one bra while completely filling another of the exact same size.

6. Underwires Hurt

Many people believe underwires are uncomfortable.

In reality, a properly fitted underwire should surround your breast tissue—not sit on top of it.

Pain usually indicates the wrong wire width, the wrong cup shape, or an incorrect size.

7. You're Constantly Adjusting Your Bra

If you're tugging your band down, pulling your straps up, repositioning your cups, or readjusting throughout the day, your bra is telling you something.

A properly fitted bra should feel secure from morning until night.