Fitting Service

The importance of a well-fitting bra cannot be underestimated. The correct bra can change the whole appearance of your outfit, will have a huge impact on the level of comfort you experience and also prevent back aches and neck strains – this is particularly important for those of us that are blessed with large breasts.

Finding the right size bra for you can be very confusing. Different advice in how you should measure yourself, sizing variations within brands, differences in how styles fit, can all make the process overwhelming. The most important thing to remember is that your bra needs to be COMFORTABLE! No straps that dig in, bands ridding up, bludging out the sides. You shouldn’t even know you are wearing one.

Here are a few tips (and even a video) to guide you................

Putting it on

1. There are two main ways to put on a bra. Fastening the bra at the front, twisting it around and then putting your arms into the shoulder straps. Or putting your arms into the shoulder straps first, scooping it under your bust and then doing it up round the back. Be sure to adjust the straps to their maximum length first (you’ll shorten them later) - you should be able to fit 3 fingers inside the shoulder strap.
2. Once you put your arms through the straps, lean forward a little and place your bust into the cups.
3. Do up the back of the bra on the loosest or second loosest fitting hooks
4. Lift and place your breasts into the cups so they fit in properly.
5. Hold the bottom of the bra and ‘jiggle’ the bra so your bust sits in the cups properly.
6. Slip the straps off your shoulder and adjust them so they are not too loose or too tight. There should be no gap between the underwire (or base of the bra) and where your breast sits inside the cup.

Helpful Hint: Always look in a mirror when trying your bra on.

Underwire

1. Have a look at the underwire at the front of the bra. Does it lie just under the breast, or is it being pulled further down your ribcage? If the underwire is being dragged down to where your ribcage is slightly narrower, this is a sign that you are wearing too small a band size.
2. Is the centre front lifting away from the body? The centre front of the bra should lie flat against the body. If it doesn’t, this could be a sign that the cups are too small, causing the breasts to push the centre front away.
3. Is the wire digging into the breast at underarm? Look at the sides of the cups – it’s important that the breast is completely encased by the underwire. It sounds like you may need to try a bra with a bigger cup size.
4. If you find that your breasts are falling out the bottom of the underwire, try a bra which is smaller in the back and larger in the cup.

Band

1. If the back of the bra rides up, it is too big. Use a tighter set of hooks (assuming that the bra fastens with hooks) or buy a smaller band size. If the bra leaves red marks, it is probably too small.

Cups

1. If your breasts bulge out at the top, bottom or sides of the cups then the cup size is too small. If the material on the cups is wrinkly, the cup size is too big.
2. If the centre of the bra does not lie flat against your chest then it is being pushed out by breasts contained within cups that are too small. In the case of very large breasts this may be impossible to prevent, but try anyway.
2. If there are creases in your cups you might want to try going down a cup size. If, however, the cup fits snugly everywhere but is gaping where the cup meets the strap, it could be that the bra is finishing too high up the chest for you. Some people are more hollow in this area than others, so square necklines that finish lower down on the chest – as in a balconette, for example – are better.

Straps

1.The majority of us the supporting should be done by the cups and band…not the straps!
2. If the straps slip down on their own they are too loose.
3. The straps are there to assist the rest of the bra, they should not take the weight of the breasts themselves and so there should be no red marks on your shoulders when properly adjusted. Larger breasts need more support and so wider straps may be needed in order to stop them digging in.
4. If you find your straps are leaving indent marks try a smaller back size. It could be because the under band is too loose and the straps are doing most of the work to support the bust. Alternatively it may simply be a case of loosening the straps.
5. Do you find that your size fluctuates. This is a common problem for most women. We recommend that you buy a bra with some stretch in it; this will mean that it is more comfortable.
6. Do you have one breast bigger than the other? Most women have one breast around half a size bigger than the other. It’s important to always fit the bigger breast – tighten the other strap slightly to avoid the cup with the smaller breast sagging. And don’t forget that you can always lightly pad the smaller breast.

How to measure your size

This Fit Chart is here to asist you in manually determining your bra and cup size.

Step 1.Take the tape measure and place it around your body directly below the bust.

- Ensure that the tape is firm and is not over the bra or underwire.

- This measurement is your size (see below chart)

Step 2. The next step is to measure across the fullest part of the bust.

- Place the tape measure around your back firmly and then over the middle of the bust.

- Your cup size will be calculated by the difference between this measurement and the bra size measurement.

For example, if your under bust measures 70cm and the fullest part of your bust measures 85cm:

86cm-70cm = 15cm

YOUR SIZE = 10B

Please note this is a guide only. If you would like further assistance with fitting or determining the right bra size for you, e-mail us on customerservice@sauvage.com.au