Find Your Perfect Fit(s)
We're here to help you if you need us, but you can also measure yourself at home and it's a lot easier than you think.
Band
It may surprise you but the band does most of the work in supporting you. If your shoulders are hurting you, chances are it's because the band isn't tight enough.
- A new bra should fit snug and be on the outermost hooks because the bra will stretch over time.
- The band should stay put even if you raise or stretch your arms.
- If the band is riding it means it's too big, if it's bulging it's too small.
- Don't get hung up on the size, it's important it fits you correctly.
Support
While wearing a bra is not mandatory, it does help with back and posture health and can be a confidence booster. That said, A bra should never be uncomfortable. A great bra should lift your breasts up and away from your body.
- Turn to the side and look in the mirror. If the center of your breasts sits in the middle of the distance between your bent elbow and shoulder then you're being perfectly supported.
- If your breasts are sagging below that center point after you've adjusted the straps then that is NOT the bra for you and that is totally OK! There are plenty of fish (aka bras) in the sea (aka our product offering).
Shape
Bras, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. Demi, Plunge, Balconette, Full Coverage. Finding the right shape(s) for you is completely personal. Just remember, you're not stuck with only one shape. Shape preferences come down to comfort, outfit needs and your breasts.
- Like we said, you can wear whatever shapes you want, but when you look at yourself in the mirror, you should never see your breasts spilling out beyond your frame.
- You'll know the shape is flattering to your body if it's giving you side-support and smoothing.
Cups
There is no reason for you to be fiddling with your cups throughout the day or to be worried about a wardrobe malfunction.
- Start by positioning your breast at the center of the cup.
- Your breast should sit comfortably in the cup. If you're popping out, you need to size up. If there's a ton of extra space, you need to size down.
- Just like with the band, don't fixate on the size. Focus on how your breasts fit in the cups and size accordingly.
Straps
Most bras have adjustable straps to account for your height and they are second to the band for support. Strap adjustment comes down to comfort, they shouldn't dig or slide off.
- A good test is to try sliding two fingers under the strap. If you can't slide two fingers, it's too tight, if you can slide your fingers but there is a lot of space, it's too loose.
Bra Sizing
If you want to calculate your bra size on your own, here’s an example: Your bust measurement is 38 inches, and your band size is 32 inches: 38 – 32 = 6. Using our chart, you are a DDD cup, and you will want to shop for the bra size 32DDD.
What you need to get started
MEASURING TAPE
Technically you can use some yarn or fabric, but then you have to line that up to a unit of measure, it's really just best to use a fabric measuring tape. We like this one.
MIRROR
You'll need the mirror to see yourself during the measurement process and when you're trying the bras on to make sure everything fits properly.
PATIENCE
It's a little tricky to properly measure yourself by yourself but YOU CAN DO IT!
Check out our fit videos
We created these fit guides with Gabby, our Nordstrom-certified fit specialist, to make measuring yourself at home even easier.