Bra Fit Tips for Top Heavy Breasts

If you've tried on every bra you can think of and always seem to get quadraboob or massive gaping then there's a good chance you've got top heavy breasts. When your breasts are very full on top you need a style that accommodates the upper volume. A style that can't accommodate the shape of your upper breast will cut into your tissue making it look like your cups are too small even if they aren't. In this post I'm going to help you figure out if you have top heavy breasts and what to look for in bras for a great fit.

Left: Full All Round Breasts Middle: Bottom Heavy Breasts Right: Top Heavy Breasts

How to tell if you have top heavy breasts
There are two types of top heavy breasts; one is volume of tissue and the other is density. To tell if you have volume heavy upper breasts you need to start with your nipples. In front of a mirror lean forward (without a bra) so that your back is parallel with the floor. Using the mirror look to see if your nipples are pointing directly down at the floor - this means you have full all round breasts. If your nipples are pointing more towards the front (nearer your chest) then you have bottom heavy breasts. If your nipples are pointing back (towards your tummy) then you have top heavy breasts.

Left: Center Full Top Heavy Breasts Middle: Evenly Full Top Heavy Breasts Right: Side Full Top Heavy Breasts

For comparison this is the difference between Full All Round Breasts (left) Top Heavy Breasts (center) and Bottom Heavy Breasts (right)

You can also assess the distribution of your tissue by stranding straight on in a mirror. You're looking to see if there is more volume above or below your nipple line. If you have top heavy breast volume you will see that your nipples appear to sit lower on your breasts when looking at yourself straight on. You'll also notice whether you have more volume to the outside edges of your breasts (side heavy breasts) even distribution to left and right or more tissue at the middle of your breasts (look for high gores to support the volume at the center of your breasts).

Top heavy breasts can also have soft breast tissue (the two are not mutually exclusive) so even though you might think you have 'saggy' boobs you might actually be full on top and need to look for a shape that can accommodate your upper volume and materials that are friendly to soft breasts. Breast density leads us onto the next kind of top heavy breasts.

The second type of top heavy breasts is to do with tissue density. If you have very dense tissue you find that your breasts create a very round shape at the top when you put on a bra regardless of whether you have bottom heavy, side heavy or even all round breasts. This happens a lot for young women but breast density has a lot to do with genetics so you can find yourself in your 60s with dense upper tissue. Because your breasts fill out upwards you also need top heavy friendly bra shapes and/or materials to stop quadraboob.

What to look for in bras for top heavy breasts
The shape of the upper cup of a bra needs to have the depth to be able to accommodate your upper breast volume. As well as the depth it needs to curve in a way that won't cut into your breasts. Many women have tried on lots of molded bras (seamless cups that are in a fixed shape) and constantly find that they have overspill. This is because the depth and edge of the bra is fixed and if your breasts aren't the same shape as the cup then the excess just spills over.

Envy (left) and Jasmine (right) have a stretch lace upper cup that stretches to shape to your upper breast shape

A top heavy breast's best friend is a flexible edge (like Envy and Jasmine in the picture above). A stretch lace upper panel allows for the bra to fit your shape rather than the other way around. The lower panels of the bra is usually fixed which gives you good support but the upper panel is flexible to give you a smooth profile.

A lot of Cleo styles work well for medium to top heavy breasts because the upper cup is deep and curved to accommodate your upper breast volume

Some brands, and styles, are designed specifically with top heavy breasts in mind. Cleo is particularly good because the cup shapes are deep with a curve that allows for top heavy breasts. This is also the reason that some women find that Cleo bras gape at the top because they have medium or shallow breasts that don't require the volume at the top of the cup.

Cups that have a horizontal (sweetheart cut) rather than a diagonal cut are usually friendlier to top heavy breasts, so some plunge styles tend not to be great for full on top breasts (depending on the material). If the angle of the top edge of the cup cuts across the natural curve of your breasts it causes quadraboob regardless of which size you try.

I hope these tips help you work out if your breasts are top heavy and which features to look for in a bra to get a comfortable and polished look. Let us know in the comments if you have any top heavy tips xx

The Right to Bra Choice

There is a lot of science to bras, but there is an equal amount of choice. I always tell my clients that I can tell you how a bra is technically supposed to fit but if it doesn't feel right to you or you don't like the style then it's the wrong bra because you won't wear it, and that defeats the point.

I have said before that just because a bra is your size does not mean it will fit you and this is because style is as important to fit as size. Depending on your physique some bras will have cups that are too far apart or too close together, wings that are too high or too short or cups that are too round or too flat. This doesn't make you or the bra wrong, it just means you're not destined for one another.

Over the past 6 months there have been a few bra conversations in the media and social outlets that undermine the idea that bra fit is unique to each individual. There are two commandments that I urge you not to break; 1) a bra band that rides up your back means your bra is totally redundant and 2) cups that don't encase your whole breast can damage your breast tissue. However, aside from a band that supports and cups that don't rest on breast tissue the rest of bra fit is a very personal thing.

As long as it doesn't ride up the choice of how tight you prefer your band is up to you (l) Delphi (r) Profile Perfect

You may like a bra band that is very snug, or you may prefer it to be as loose as it will go without riding up. Neither of these things is wrong, they're just choices and that's what I think the whole bra business should be about. Manufacturers should strive to give choice in both size and style and commentators, like us, should strive to empower and inspire women to explore their choices. It's personal choice that I think has been challenged by articles saying you should never wear a tight band or you should never have cups that come too high. From bloggers to manufacturers there are some pretty stark articles out there that say "the way I say to wear a bra is right and anyone who disagrees is wrong." and that's just plain nonsense! What feels right for one woman will feel awful for another so we need to stop telling each other what we have to do and encourage each other to find our best fit, whatever that might be.

Your best bra fit will rarely be an overnight epiphany. It is an ever-evolving journey that changes with your body, life and preferences. What I hope for all of you lovely readers is that you have the knowledge to understand what your best bra fit looks and feels like (bands that are parallel around your body and smooth cups are the foundation) and the confidence to pursue your journey with an open mind (never say never to a leopard print bra!)

Every now and then I think bra conversations need grounding. Goodness knows I understand how passionate and emotional the subject is, but we must remember that we don't need anyone else's approval to be happy in our bra choices, we just need to seek out what makes us happy in our bras. If you are in doubt about where to begin finding your best fit or how to get out of your own bra rut then our support team can help and I highly recommend Fuller Figure Fuller Bust, The Lingerie Addict, Boosaurus, Bratabase, Venusian Glow and Braless in Brasil for bra fit information and pure lingerie inspiration. xx

3 Reasons Why You Spill Out of Your Cups

Spilling out of your bra cups ranges from a little bit of breast tissue pillowing at the top of your cups to breast tissue falling out of the middle and sides of your cups creating a quadrabood and even sextaboob look. Having a cup that's big enough to encase your whole breast doesn't just look more polished it's also easier on your breast tissue which isn't stretched and bisected by cup edges digging into it. There are three main reasons why your breast tissue spills out of your cups. They can happen individually, in pairs or all 3 simultaneously!

Cup Spilling Reason #1 - CUPS
It's a painfully obvious one... Your cups are too small. A lot of women don't know that cup sizes go beyond a D cup or don't realize that the tissue at their armpit is actually breast tissue and not fat and wants to live inside the cup rather than be forced out. A well fitting bra cup will encircle the breast either all the way around (full cup) or in a semi-circle at the bottom leaving the top exposed (demi cups, balconettes and plunges). Whatever the style, where the cup comes into contact with the breast the cups want to go around the outside edge of the breast not sit on it.

This image from Thin and Curvy demonstrates how your cups sag at the front when your band is too big

Cup Spilling Reason #2 - BAND
Your band is too loose. My old favourite, the band! You may actually be wearing a cup volume that's right for you but the band is too big (remember that the cup volume is different from the cup letter - a 38E, 36F and 34FF have the same cup volume but different cup letters). When your band is too big for you the whole bra is tilted at an angle which tips forward under the weight of your breasts. When the angle is tipped forward like this it skews the angle of your cups and your breasts can fall out of the cups even when the cup volume is big enough for you. You need the band to keep your whole bra in place so that the cups can work effectively. If your band rides up your back then you need a smaller band and a larger cup letter, possibly even a larger cup volume.

Cup Spilling Reason #3 - STYLE
The style is wrong for you. You may find that in some bras that no matter which size you try you still spill out of the cups and that simply means that the style isn't right for you. If you have very close-set breasts or very full on top breasts you may come across this more often than other breast shapes. If the style of the bra cuts very acutely across the place where you have full breast tissue then you will always get some quadraboobing. Once you figure out which styles of bras work well with your shape you'll know how to spot a style that just isn't right for your breasts.

Our bra calculator is an easy and quick place to start figuring out your bra size and to stop your cups spilling xx

How Cup Edges Affect Fit

Continuing our series on how aspects of your bra affect your fit today we're looking at cup edges. If you have full on top breasts this feature of a bra will matter more to you than someone who is shallow on top. A hard or soft cup edge can be the difference between pillowing over the cup or a smooth look so knowing which edges work for you can improve your fit.

There are four bra edges: tapered, elasticated, molded and fixed. 

(L) Jasmine uses stretch lace to create a tapered edge (R) Loretta uses nylon and embroidery to taper the cup

Tapered edge bras are the most universally friendly because they're designed to come to a fine, delicate edge that doesn't create any pressure on your upper bust. Most commonly lace, embroidery and nylon are used to create a fine edge.

(L) Idina and (R) Profile Perfect use an elasticated edge to add more support to the upper breast

Elasticated edges are designed to stay close to your body. If you have full on top breasts the elastic can indent the soft upper tissue on your breast and make it look like you're spilling. Elasticated edges are great for women looking to minimize bounce through the upper tissue.

Molded bras like Maxine have a rigid molded edge so you need to be careful to choose the right shape for your breast

Molded edges can also cause a spilling look for full on top breasts if the shape or size isn't right. A molded edge may appear as a ridge under clothing if the cup is thick. You may find that you have some upper-tissue bounce in a molded cup as the edge of the cup doesn't hold down the breast. Non-rigid molded cups (seamless soft cup bras) can have an elasticated edge.

(L) Tango II and (R) Lottie have fixed edges

Fixed edge cups simply mean there is no elastic in the edge and no tapering. This works for lots of women as the edge lies flat against the breast without creating any indent. Again, however, women with full on top breasts may find that fixed edge cups cause a spilling look if the cup shape is wrong for them.

I hope this short guide to bra edges helps you choose the right bra edge for your shape and support preferences. xx

How Wire Width and Cup Shape Affect Your Bra Fit

ALL THESE BRAS ARE A 32F WITH DIFFERENT CUP DIMENSIONS

Lots of women begin their bra fit journey by finding out there are bra sizes outside the 34+ A-D standard. Learning that you're more comfortable in a 30FF than a 34DD is an enormous step forward in better bra fit (our bra size calculator is a good starting point for figuring out your size range). What a lot of women don't realize is that there is another equally important part to bra fit besides Bra Size and that's Bra Style.

I know many women can't find their bra size and this is usually because they haven't tried on their correct size in the right style of bra. One of the biggest differences in bra style is the shape of the cup. If you're a 32F, for example, the bras available in this size will all have approximately the same cup volume, however, the volume can be dispersed in different ways. Below is a picture of the same volume of silly-putty molded into a wide and a narrow breast shape (Bratabase has an amazing resource for understanding breast shape). You'll notice that the wide base volume is shallower than the narrow based volume which is why we need different cup shapes.

The width of your breasts (often referred to as the breast root) makes a difference to how your breast volume forms your breast shape. A 32F women with a narrow root will have breasts that project forward more as the volume is stacked up over a smaller base. She may also notice that her breasts are round at the top as well. This woman needs a bra that has a narrow base (a narrow cup width) and a full, forward cup. If your cup feels very empty at the sides of your cup but you're spilling at the top then you want to look for styles with narrower wires and forward fuller cups.

A 32F woman with a wide root will find her breasts are spread over a wider area and so don't project as far forward. She needs a bra that can accommodate the width of her breasts and the cup doesn't need to project as far forward because her volume is spread out more. If your bra is poking your breast tissue at the side and you're not quite filling the cup then look for bras with wider wires and shallower cups.

Related Vlog Post: Cup Shapes and Bra Fit

The third direction that's important to consider when figuring out your breast shape is how far up your body your breast tissue extends (without a bra on). Some women have breast tissue high up on their body near their collarbone and this forms part of their breast volume so they need a long cup that can accommodate this tissue. Women with high tissue often find that they don't have much forward projection and so they need styles that are long in the cup but shallow in depth.  Many women are very flat through their upper chest across the breast bone (their breast tissue doesn't become obvious until farther down their chest - usually, level with their armpit).  If you're flat through your breast bone you'll find you can wear a variety of styles.

If you've been trying on the same style of bra, or even the same brand of bra, and are still struggling to find your size I recommend trying a different style or brand bearing in mind this information about how your breast root can affect the shape of your breast and so you'll need a cup shape that's right for you.  xx

Why Do Victoria's Secret Measure OVER your breasts?

Every week Lucy and I do online bra size consultations for women across North America. The majority of women who request a consultation have been fitted at Victoria's Secret and these are the women who invariably have the most bra complaints. These women are without fail wearing a band that is four to EIGHT inches bigger than their body as well as experiencing issues like straps that dig into their shoulders, cups that spill and straps that slip. The reason these complaints are so common with women who have been fitted at Victoria's Secret is because they measure for band size over the top of your breasts under your armpits. By measuring this way Victoria's Secret recommends that your band should be at least four inches bigger than your body, a fitting technique that is disastrous for full-busted women.

VS Fit Errors: Left: Band riding up, Center: Gore not against body, Right: Band not flush with the body

Victoria's Secret comes in for a lot of grief because good bra fit is not their main focus. Their models are often in the wrong bras in product shoots and runway shows and their over-zealous Photoshopping (to make models look skinnier or bras fit better) is legendary. In reality Victoria's Secret doesn't position itself as an expert in bra fit, they very rarely allude to bra fit at all. They are in the business of making a few bra styles and a few bra sizes in alluring colours and affordable prices that make you aspire to looking 'as sexy as an Angel'. The bra sizes and styles that Victoria's Secret do make are mostly suited to women with smaller breast volumes with closer-set breasts who need more band than cup ratio because their breasts are in a different position to full busted women.

Related Articles: The women who need to add inches to their band size

Victoria's Secret only makes 36 bra sizes and in practice there are over 175 bra sizes regularly available on the market (Butterfly Collection carries over 60 sizes) and over 148 other sizes available through specialty manufacturers. So you can see that the number of women for whom Victoria's Secret really can offer great bra fit is very narrow. The +4 measuring technique is appropriate for some of the women who can wear the limited size and style range from VS so that's how they can justify using the +4 technique. The problem is, Victoria's Secret will never tell you if their bras and bra fitting technique is not right for you (and let's face it, that's most of us). They'll never concede that your band size is smaller than those they carry or that your breast volume requires a cup size they don't have. Nope, they'll just use the same fitting technique on a full-busted woman and send her away in a bra that will causes a myriad of fit issues.

This is my greatest grievance with Victoria's Secret. Their lack of honesty about their fitting method's effectiveness leaves women feeling that their bodies are wrong, which doesn't make you feel 'as sexy as an Angel'. With their brand position in the market Victoria's Secret could be a hugely empowering influence on improving bra education and diminishing breast stigma in North America, but unfortunately they are part of the machine that perpetuates the idea that bra sizes outside of the 32-38 A-D paradigm is alien and that bra fit is secondary to looking sexy. 

No matter how dominant a brand is it's up to us as consumers to decide whether a product is right for us. Your breast health is too important to blindly put your faith in a gigantic marketing machine that tells you bras are just about push-ups and pouting. We need to be savvy shoppers who understand what good bra fit looks like and then decide whether Victoria's Secret bras offer us that fit (for many women the answer will be yes, but for the vast majority of us the answer is no).

How I Recommend Finding Your Band Size
I maintain that getting your band size right is the most important part of finding great bra fit because your cup size is determined IN RELATION to your band so without knowing your band size you can't begin to find the right fit.

Related Articles: Not all D cups are the Same and What Sister Size Bras Look Like

I recommend a good starting point for working out your band size is to wrap a tape measure around your ribcage directly under your breasts, against your skin where your band should lie. There's no need to breathe out or pull tightly, simply put the tape measure flat against your skin so that it is parallel with the floor all around your body. This measurement (in inches) is the best starting point for finding your band size (if you're an odd number then simply round up one to the next even number as your starting band size).

Related Tool: Bra Size Calculator

This is a starting point from which you might add or subtract inches depending on your physique. The reason that +0 is an impartial starting point is that as many women will need to add inches as need to subtract them so starting at zero means there's no weighting in either direction. As a very general rule of thumb, if you have a muscular, toned or just firm ribcage then you might have to add inches to your band size to allow for flexibility. If you have a fleshy torso or a springy ribcage then you might find that you need to subtract inches to find your band size because your band can't anchor to fat which moves up and down your body as you move so you need a firmer fit that account for the wobble of our middle bits (I wear one band size smaller than my ribcage measurement as my torso is squidgy).

I hope this helps you figure out whether your body and breasts fit one of the 36 sizes available at Victoria's Secret. If you are then you'll probably find that their over the breasts measuring method works for you, and if you're not then you've got another 300+ bra sizes to choose from! xx

Video: 5 Problems Caused by a Bra Band that is Too Big

As you know the most common problem I see with bra fit is women wearing a bra band that is too big for them.

Related Article: Is Your Bra Fitter Giving You The Right Bra?

A bra band that is too big for you can cause lots of problems and in this week's Vlog I explain how it causes the 5 most common issues:

1. Bra Band Riding Up
2. Bra Straps Slipping
3. Bra Straps Digging In
4. Cups Spilling
5. Wires Digging In

Click Here to Watch

For more information on why some stores use Sister Sizing to fit you into a 38D when you really need a 32FF read this blog post. xx

Do You Shy Away From Lace Bras?

I am, and have always been, in love with lace. I remember the first time I went to Italy when I was 16, I saw a woman with flawless ebony hair, cream pencil skirt and black satin blouse that draped elegantly at the neck revealing the merest hint of a fragile black lace bra beneath. Perhaps because I was just coming into young womanhood, that image has stayed with me all my life as the epitome of sophistication. She was powerful, elegant and seductive - an amazing trio.

Since that time I have always owned at least one lace bra. I can't imagine opening my bra drawer and not seeing a delicate lacy bra with a pattern that feels as unique as a snowflake. Whenever I wear lace I feel more sophisticated, no matter what I put over the top.

Lace Isn't For Me
In North America there is a wide-spread perception that lace is too flimsy to support large breasts, it shows through clothing and it's scratchy and uncomfortable. Modern lace has come a long way since the Victorian looking fabrics. Modern lace can be so flat that it doesn't create lumps and bumps under your clothing and it's often mixed with elastane (like spandex) which gives it a soft, stretchy quality.

There has been a gradual erosion of style choice in many North American stores. A sea of molded cups greet you in lots of boutiques and department stores, and while a molded bra can be great it's not the only option in life. The natural shape of your breasts can be enhanced and celebrated in a lace bra and there's no need to compromise on support because inner slings and cup design can give you great support. 

Jasmine is a favourite design for its use of stretch-lace

Lots of styles combine the support and smoothing of one fabric with the breath-ability of lace. Stretch-lace is often used in the upper-cup section because it can improve fit for women with differently sized breasts. Jasmine is a great example of this kind of design.

Lace and Breast Health
Lace bras designs are usually 3 or 4 part cup designs which means there are seams. However, the seams are usually flat and as I've discussed elsewhere, they help to enhance your natural shape. Many molded cups can bisect your breast tissue at the armpit giving you displaced breast tissue. The soft but supportive nature of lace means that the tissue at your armpit is brought forward into the cup rather than being forced outside.

Idina is a great example of a stretch-lace bra that works really well for women wanting to retrain migrated breast tissue back into the cup. 

No matter whether you are a busy working Mom, professional or student, you can add a touch of lace to your lingerie collection and still have support and a beautiful shape. If you've been habitually wearing molded bras for a long time then maybe it's time to give something else a try. xx

Your Boobs Tell You When They Need a New Bra

We are getting back to bra basics so that you can spend the rest of the year (and hopefully your life) in bras that fit you. Even if you don't yet know your bra size range (I say range because you may fit a 30FF in one style or brand and a 32F in others) you can easily work out if your current bras do or don't fit you by listening to your boobs. If your boobs are uncomfortable, irritated or feel unsupported then they're trying to tell you that your current bras aren't working for them. The Five Essential Fit Points in the diagram above are the easiest way to assess whether your bra fits.

Five Signs That Your Bra Fits (or doesn't!)
1. Cups: Your cups fit you when all your breast tissue sits inside the cup (this includes the breast tissue at your armpit). Your bra mustn't gape between the cup and the breast, this means the cup is too big (be sure that you've adjusted your bra strap so that your cup is close to your body before assessing whether it's too big). If you have boob spilling over the cup then it's too small or your band may be riding up high on your back causing your cups to tip at the front. If your band is riding up then check out fit check #2.

2. Band: Your band fits you when it stays level with the ground at the front and back even when you lift your arms straight up in the air. It is too small if it hurts and digs in. It is too big if it rides up your back or you can easily pull it away from your body. If you can lift your bra away from your body when you pull at the front of your bra your band is definitely way too big for you.

3. Gore: This is the centre panel that sits against your breastbone between your boobs. It should lie flat against your skin. If there is a gap between the gore and your body then either your cups are too small, band is too big or both. If the gore digs in then the band is too small on that particular bra - the same band size on a different brand may fit perfectly or the gore is too tall. Your breast bone and breast shape may require you to wear a shorter gore like a plunge style. If you have very close breasts (there's almost no gap between them) then you may find it difficult to get a gore to tack to your body completely. In this case it's important to check that the rest of the fit signs are correct.

4. Straps: Your straps need to be adjusted to accommodate a smaller breast (shorten the strap on the side of your smaller breast). If your straps dig in you need a smaller band size and larger cup. If your straps slip down then chances are your band is too big and riding up your back which causes your straps to lose tension and all off your shoulders so you need a smaller band size. You could also try a different style of bra with closer set straps if you have narrow or sloping shoulders.

5. Wings: These are the two parts that pass around your body and fasten at the back. The depth of the wings can affect how comfortable your bra is. If you have a short torso then the depth of the wing will make even more difference. Choose bras that leave at least 1/4 an inch space between the top of the wing and your armpit.

If any of the five fit signs above show signs of not fitting then it's time to check your bra size. An easy way to get started is by using our Bra Size Calculator. Take 5 minutes and check the five fit signs against the bra you have on right now and listen to whether your boobs are happy xx

Big Boobs and Periods.

If your breasts become fuller before and during your period, you need a bigger cup

You’ve been blessed with some fantastic boobs and most of the time you can keep them under control but then once a month they take on a life of their own! For lots of women the arrival of their period can take their boobs from big to huge. I’ve got some physical and emotional tips to get you through this tricky part of the month.

If you experience this kind of bulging you need to wear a bigger cup during your period

Some women don’t experience any breast changes before or during their period, but for those who do your swelling is caused by water retention. This water retention is a side-effect of your body releasing extra oestrogen and progesterone hormones. The milk glands and ducts enlarge which means there’s some extra space for your body to store water – so it does. Your bra size can change by a whole cup size during this time. Considering that the swelling can cause your boobs to feel painful, tender or lumpy it’s a good idea to have bigger bras available for your period days.

Wearing a bra with full coverage during your period will keep you more comfortable

You don’t need to buy lots of extras bras for the few days when your breasts swell but one or two “period-sized” bras can make your life so much more comfortable. Wired bras are totally fine during your period, as long as they’re the right size – wires from ill-fitting bras poking into soft breast tissue is always harmful so make sure you know your size.

Just three minutes of gentle stretching or exercising can lessen period pain.

There are lots of things you can do to lessen the impact of your period, but I have three top favourites.

1) Gentle exercise (like stretching or yoga) helps to work out the cramps and distract the mind from the pain.

2) Heat helps to sooth cramping so keep a magic bean heat bag on hand that you can sling in the microwave then lie across your tummy or back.

3) Your blood can get thicker during your period, so to make life easier pour yourself a glass of wine because alcohol thins the blood!

So grab yourself a comfortable correctly fitting bra and a glass of wine and get through your time of the month with a bit more ease! xx