Bra Fit Tips for Side Heavy Breasts

A huge number of women find that their breasts are heaviest and fullest at the side of their breasts (the side nearest your armpit). This is a completely normal distribution of breast tissue that women of all breasts sizes experience. For women with large breasts this side heavy breast tissue can cause a couple of bra fit issues:

1) The breasts can look very spread out and chafe against your arms.
2) You can find that you get empty cup near the center of your bra.

Why Your Breasts Spread Out in Bras
You may think that big boobs always look spread out and this is due in part to some bad fitting techniques. Lots of stores and boutiques default to putting large busted women into Minimizing Bras which spread out the bust. The shape of these bras moves the tissue even further under the armpit to lessen the forward projection of the bust. This might sound like it will make you look smaller but in fact the added width to your upper body can draw more attention to your bust and make it look bigger than it is.

Side heavy breasts don't need to be pushed farther apart, in fact they benefit from being firmly supported at the sides.  A tall and firm side panel in a bra will narrow the profile of your bust and stop your breasts spreading out which can cause excessive chafing against your arms as you walk.

Bras that spread out the breasts can cause the empty tissue near the center of your bra. With the majority of the weight being pushed sideways it skews the shape of the cup so that you end up with cup that has no breast tissue in it. 

What to Avoid and What to Look For
Avoid bras with a horizontal seam that goes right from the outer edge of the bra to the center gore. This kind of shape is great for full or wide breasts but doesn't offer enough support to side heavy breasts. Molded cups (bras without seams) can also cause your breasts to spread out. Remember, it's seams that give shape to a bra. Molded cups have lots of uses but if you're trying to stop your breasts spreading out you need the help of seams.

Look for bras with a tall side panel that runs directly down from the strap. This reinforcing panel scoops the breast tissue away from the sides and cushions the tissue. By bringing the side breast tissue closer in on the body you will most likely find that you don't get empty cup at the center. This is because the distribution of breast tissue is being spread out more evenly throughout the cup. If you have very soft breast tissue you can still get gaping at the center. To stop this look for bras with a wide, tall gore and/or a bra with a stretch fabric upper cup.

Here are some of our favourite bras for supporting side heavy breasts:

Gem by Freya has a supportive side panel and is shaped well for women with short torsos and/or narrow shoulders

Jasmine by Panache Superbra is a 4-part bra that has a side panel dedicated to moving breast tissue away from the armpit. This bra is also good for soft breasts as it has a stretch lace upper cup

Envy by Panache Superbra is based on the success of Jasmine. The tall side panel gives firm support. The stretch lace upper cup rounds the shape of the bust.

Lucy by Cleo is one of our best-sellers for supporting side heavy breasts. The rounded side seam gives a beautiful shape.

If you have any questions about fit for side heavy breasts then let us know in the comments section and we'll be happy to help you figure out your best fit. xx

Bra Fit: Different Bra Back Shapes

This post arose out of one of my Skype fitting appointments (thank you Ursula!). My client asked what a leotard back means and it struck me that I've never explained this aspect of bras! The way the straps and band meet at the back of your bra can affect your fit. First of all here are a couple of reminders about the anatomy of the back of a bra (image above):

1) The straps attach to the wings. The position and angle at which the straps attach to the wing determines which shape back the bra has.

2) The band is the reinforced elastic along the bottom of the bra wing that culminates in the hook and eye closure which fastens at the back.

3) The wing is normally made of a different material to the cups, usually something very strong like powernet fabric that can withstand movement and multiple wears while giving support.

A Guide to Bra Backs

1) Square Back - the band and wings cut straight across the back and the straps meet the band virtually at a right angle. On this style the straps cut across the deepest and widest part of your back which can give you more visible lines under clothing. The straps are also set farther apart on the band so the style can be tricky for women with narrow or sloping shoulders.

A band that is cut straight across your back where the straps meet the band almost at a right angle is a square back. Photo of Isis Blue from You! Lingerie

2) Leotard Back (also known as a U back) - This is the most common type of back on full bust bras because the deeper wings give more support, plus, the straps are angled to travel over a narrower part of your back and the deep U shape towards the closure reduce visible lines under clothing. The straps do not necessarily sit closer together at the front, the angling is only at the back.

A leotard back is the most common shape on full bust bras as the band lends support and shaping for heavier busts: Example is Lucy Purple

3) V Back - This is an exaggerated version of the leotard back. The straps are more acutely angled towards the closure so that they form a V shape. This is ideal for women with narrow or sloping shoulders. It should be noted though that this bring the straps close together at the front as well which some women like and others don't.

Wacoal's V back is a much loved feature of their Basic Beauty bras

4) Racer Back (also known as T or Y backs) - Racer backs are much more common on A-C cups, however, you do find them on full bust bras, especially sports bras. On regular bras this kind of back is desirable so that straps are hidden under tops with a narrow back or narrow straps. On sports bras there will be an options Racer Clip which allows you to bring the straps together into a T shape for increased stability.

Lots of full bust sports bras have a racer back option for added support (like this one from Panache Sport)

5) Strapless/Multiway/Backless - A strapless bra will usually have a deep horizontal band (similar to the style on the square back). The depth of the band is important to give support. It will have detachable straps that you can use as regular straps or as a halterneck or crisscross back depending on what you're wearing. These strap shapes are known as multiways. A backless bra for full bust women usually relies on a converter strap (like the one by Fashion Forms in the image above) which lowers the visible line of the bra farther down your back.

A strapless bra, like Evie on the left, comes with detachable straps that can be made into a crisscross or halterneck back.

I hope this guide helps you understand which backs you might need or want to get the best fit for you. Let me know in the comments section if you have any questions. xx

3 Easy Bra Alterations That Can Improve Your Bra Fit

You can find a great fitting bra by understanding your size and knowing which styles of bra suit you. However, our bodies are so unique and different that many women find that they need to alter a new bra to get a great-fitting bra. Here are 3 of the most common bra alterations many women need to make to their bras and how you can do these alterations.

Marcie on the left has a narrower gore than Porcelain Viva on the right.

1) Narrowing The Gore
If your breasts are very close together it can be difficult to find a bra with a gore that is narrow enough to fit between your breasts. A gore that is too wide for you can sit on your breast tissue or cause the breast tissue to pillow over the gore. If a bra fits you in the cups and band but the gore is too wide then narrowing the gore can transform your fit. The gore tends to be a rigid piece of material (occasionally it's elasticated, but not often) that can be narrowed easily.

How To Fix Put on your bra then slide your fingers in behind the gore and pinch together the excess gore material. If you can't undo your bra by yourself you'll have to ask someone else to unhook you (so that you don't let go of the pinched material) then put a pin or two in place where the material pinches together.

Sew along the pinned seam. You will probably find that you don't need to remove the excess material, however, if you'd prefer to remove it then you can. Be aware that narrowing your gore can make your band feel tighter.

The wires on Lucy (left) are shorter than the wires on Tango (right) in the same cup size

2) Stopping The Wires Poking Your Armpit
Lots of women find that their bras poke them in the armpit. This can be a particularly prevalent issue for women with short torsos (or high breasts). Some bra styles and brands have longer wires than other bras and so you may find that you prefer brands and styles with shorter wires. However, if you have a very large bust (and especially if you have a short torso) you can find that the wires poke you no matter which style you try because the wires have to be long to support your bust volume.

How To Fix It sounds rather basic but you can bend your bra wires and by bending the wire under your armpit away from the body it can make a big difference to your comfort. Bra wires are very sturdy so you might have to spend a little time bending the wires. I tend to do this to my new bras whilst watching a movie - it's strangely therapeutic!

Some women always need to shorten their band so that a new bra fits them on the loosest set of hooks

3) Shortening The Band
Lots of women need shorter bands than the ones available on the market. A style that suits you in the cups may only begin as a 30 band and you need to shorten it to a 28. For other women they may want to get more life out of a bra by shortening the band. You can do this alteration by hand, however, it's easier with a sewing machine.

How To Fix This demonstration by Dressing Curves is far better than anything I can describe so I'm deferring to her wonderful post here.

There are lots of other alterations you can attempt or have a seamstress do for you. Here is a list of some other posts about bra alterations:

Dressing Curves - Moving the Strap Position
By Baby's Rules - How to lower and narrow the gore
Bratabase - List of Bra Alteration Posts
Boosaurus - Tightening a Stretchy Band
Fix a Bra - Wires poking through the material
This post from Braless in Brasil gives you 10 great guidelines for altering bras

I believe that a lot of women who currently experience problems with their bras will find they get a near-perfect fit in the correct bra size and style for them. However, I think it's important to remember that the imperfections in bra fit are more apparent than the fit imperfections in clothing and we have to bear that in mind when trying on bras. When you know the fit imperfections that are easily fixed and the ones that simply mean the size or style is totally wrong for you it can make a big difference to perfecting your fit and widening your options xx

How Many Bras Should You Own?

This is a question I get asked a lot and you may be surprised to know that there is a little science to the answer. We wear our bras anywhere between 8 and 18 hours every day and in that time the elastic in our bra heats up to our body temperature; especially around the band where it is in greatest contact with our skin. Heat causes elastic to expand and stretch farther. When you take off your bra the elastic begins to cool down and the fibers in the elastic start to contract back into a shorter state. It takes about 36 hours for elastic to cool down completely so ideally you want to give your bras 2 days rest between wears.

Considering how crucial your bra's elastic is to your fit and longevity it's worth looking after by washing and drying your bras correctly and by allowing them rest between wears. Here's a general breakdown of how many bras you need to maximize their longevity:

From Left to Right: Profile Perfect, Lucy Black and Leopard Dessous

Everyday Bras
There is no hard-and-fast rule about what an everyday bra is. It's any bra that keeps you supported during your daily activities and that works with your wardrobe. For lots of women their everyday bra collection is one light coloured bra, one dark coloured bra and a bra with a lower neckline that can be worn with lower necklines. Three is the minimum number of bras you should have for everyday wear to give your bras the best chance at lasting as long as they can. If you have more and rotate them on a 4 or 5 day basis then they'll last proportionally longer. If you wear the same bra every day then it will probably only last about 4 months, if that.

Sports Bras
The number of sports bras you need depends on how often you exercise, what you do and for how long. If you work out three times a week doing more or less the same level of activity for about an hour then you only need one sports bra. If you do a high-impact sport one day and a low level yoga class another day you may need two different bras; one designed for impact and one designed for flexibility. If you work out every day and sweat a great deal or exercise for more than an hour then you're going to need two or even three sports bras. Be sure to wash your sports bras every week as the salt from your sweat can break down elastic quickly.

From Left to Right: Evie Strapless, Tango Cherry Plunge, Enell Classic Black

Solution Bras
If your wardrobe requires you to have a strapless bra then you can probably just invest in one unless you need a specific colour. In the summer you may find that you want a couple of strapless bras that you can add to your everyday rotation. Plunge bras or wide balconette styles (think heaving bossom!) may not be something you wear every week but are useful to have for a favourite dress or event. These bras aren't essential but can add more freedom to your wardrobe choices.

Colourful Bras
I don't think that colourful bras should be an option, they should be a standard in your bra drawer. If you love colour then your everyday bras may all be colourful ones. However, if you have a basic everyday bra wardrobe then I highly recommend treating yourself to a colourful bra that you wear at weekends because it can lift your spirits to wear something that is fun and different. It can help you see you and your breasts differently.

I hope this helps you work out whether your bra wardrobe and habits are helping you get the most out of your bra budget. xx

Why it's a Privilege to Be a Bra Fitter

I’m all about demystifying bras and sizing so that women can get back in touch with their boobs. Bra Fitting is a complex practice but I believe that you can and should have the tools you need to understand your fit. You don't need to know every nuance of bra fitting but your bra fitter should explain to you why your bras fit your body and breast shape.

Besides the mechanics of bra fitting I have a privileged position as a bra fitter because it is an emotionally responsible role that women rely on as part of their body confidence. Too many women are turned away by stores who don’t carry their size or shoved into an ill-fitting bra just to make a sale. This maltreatment is internalized as having a ‘wrong body’ which leads to many women feeling like their bust is an unsolvable problem.

This is so common it’s heartbreaking and I spend a considerable amount of my time speaking to women about the emotional journey they have been on in the quest for a bra that simply fit. The biggest reason so many busty women hate their bust (and quite often subsequently hate their figures) is because too few places offer a wide enough range of sizes and professional, empathetic fitting services. No woman’s body is wrong, she simply hasn’t found the bras and boutique that are right for her.

Remember that bust volume is relative to band size - big cup doesn't necessary mean HUGE boobs :)

Because Butterfly Collection specializes in D-K cup bras I meet ladies who have experienced being told they’re too big to fit. This can be CRUSHING for your self-esteem. It is the single biggest joy of my job when I get to fit a woman into her first correctly fitting bra. To see a woman look into the mirror and smile at herself is such a privilege.

Lucy is a supportive bra for small backs and larger cup letters

Every single fitting is a story in its own right because every woman’s experience is unique. There are similar themes for sure, but you need to be fitted in a way that is understanding of you, your life and your history. I am so honoured to be part of my clients' bra journeys and to hear their personal and varied storiess. I’m so thrilled that Butterfly Collection can give your boobs the support and shape you deserve, but I’m even more fulfilled that I get to be part of your improving posture, happiness, and confidence. Thank you for making my job as a bra fitter such a privilege. xx