Bras are no easy feat to master. It’s been said time and again, most women have their bra size wrong, it’s a shockingly ironic statement considering the fact that most women wear a bra on a daily basis. But the breadth of bras doesn’t stop there (hence a million dollar industry), most women aren’t aware of what bra styles best suit them, take for example if you’re flat-chested a no-wired cotton bra isn’t going to do you any favours, while a push up bra for someone beyond a c-cup is superfluous.

To help us better understand how to find a bra that fits and flatters your chest, we speak to Lisa Cheng of lingerie boutique Sheer to elucidate the matter.

Basic Bra Fitting Tips

The rule of thumb is - if you’re consistently adjusting your bra throughout the day, something’s wrong. Here are three simple steps to see if a bra is fitting correctly:

The Band: 80% of the support comes from the band so it’s important to find the right size. The band should always be parallel to the ground. If it rides up in your back, the band is too large. If it always feels tight, the band is too small. The number of your bra size, for example “34” in 34B, is your band size.

The Cups: A good fitting bra should lift and centre and the cups is where the magic happens (or not). If the cups are too big, you’ll find that you don’t fill the cups well – you’ll see gaps and you’ll find that the bra digs into your breast bone. If the cups are too small, you’ll find that the underwire digs into your breast on the sides (you may see the unflattering underarm bulge) and the centre panel lifts away from your skin. If your bra also moves up when you raise your hands, the cups are too small.

The Straps: Sometimes if the straps are too tight, it may seem like the cups are too small. You should be able to comfortably fit two fingers on top of each other between the strap and your shoulders. If you can fit three or more fingers, it’s too loose. If two fingers seem tight, loosen it a bit.

See our interview with Alexander Wang here.

General rules on shapes and styles

If you’re cup A – B: Plunge styles give you the best lift, support and will even have the least chance for gapping. Always look for cups that are closer together rather than further apart as that will give you the most centering effect.

If you’re cup C – D: Generally all styles work really well from plunging to French balconnettes. You can wear push up, lightly padded or even a sheer, lacey bra as long as it has a supportive layer of mesh underneath.

If you’re cup D or above: Support is crucial so two-part or three-part bras work really well. Fuller cups will help give a smooth look, or if you’re looking for ultra support, a minimiser bra works too.