50 Bra Fit Problems (Exhaustive List) According to Customer Complaints

A lady with reddish rashes on her shoulders due to a bra with straps that are too tight. This is one of the bra complaints in our expert round up of the 50 bra fit problems, common bra fit issues, bra fitting problems and solutions for women
We pored over Reddit, Quora, Amazon, and any other platform where women buy or talk about bras.

We were trying to find out and understand all the problems that different women have had with different types of bras. We also heard from fashion and health experts, such as Dr. Greenfield, a dermatologist.

It’s important to note that most of these issues and complaints are not really a problem of the specific bra or brand: it’s the wrong selection done by the buyer. After all, a person’s opinion is largely a reflection of who they are.

So this guide is not meant to scare you off certain bra brands rather, it’s a way to help you become more discerning when selecting bra sizes, types, fabrics, prices, and so on.

Here is the Table of Contents

29 Common Bra Fit Issues (Familiar to Any Woman)

1. Buying the Wrong Bra Type for Your Breast Shape

Not all bra styles are suitable for every woman. For instance, if you put on a plunge or balconette bra but your breasts are rounded and fuller, it won’t look good when your boobs seem to be flowing over the bra cups.

The gorgeous models on online shops shouldn’t lure you to buy the bra just because it’s your perfect size. Here is Valerie who had breast reduction surgery and no available size of Freya Women’s Soiree Lace Padded plunge bra could fit her. The bra is cute and of great quality so the issue is not the bra but the buyer.

“I really wanted this bra to fit! The  32FF seemed to fit well in the cups, but it felt tight in the band , so I exchanged it for the 34FF. The 34FF was too big in the cups; I had gapping at the top of the cup where the strap connects to the cup (this is a problem I have had with many bra styles ever since I got a breast reduction).  I exchanged this for a 34F, which fit in the band, but gave me a little quadding in the cups . Since the 34F was too small in the cups and the 34FF was too big in the cups, I’m just going to write it up to a  shape mismatch .”- Valerie

2. Underwire Pokes Breast Tissue

You may find a bra whose underwire pokes or sits right on top of your breast, and you have to keep on adjusting it all day. This happens when the cup size and underwire are smaller for your breasts or the bra is larger than your breasts causing the cups to fold and bunch up.

I’m measured to a 32H and ordered so but the underwire cut way too far to the side so much that I made the choice to return both, they fit great other than that, and was really nice that they were convertible from classic straps to racerback.”Ana B. on Panache Women’s Porcelain Elan Molded T-Shirt Bra

In a correctly fitting bra, the underwire should lie flat under the breast and against the breast’s outer side without shifting, cinching, or poking. See what to do when a bra is too big.

3. Underwire Digs into the Rib Cage

The wires in an underwired bra can dig into your chest or ribcage if the band is too tight, and/or the cups are small or shallow. This will cause the cups to ride down your breasts. It’s a hot topic on bra Subreddits.

A woman's post in the AbraThatFits Subreddit about how the underwires in a bra used to poke and hurt her ribs. This is because the bra cups were smaller than her breasts, causing the underwires to have a small curvature that would dig into the bottom of her boobs, a common bra fit problem

You can solve this by replacing the bra with one that has an adjustable band and more form-fitting cups. Here is our guide on what to do if your brassiere doesn’t fit you.

4. A Narrow Range of Sizes

Despite having the best quality of bras, Victoria’s Secret is a culprit for this…

Their bra sizes range from 30A to 44DD and there are no half cup sizes. So if you have plus-size boobs that fit in J or KK cups, or your cups are between C and D, then you would have to look elsewhere.

Victoria's Secret bras and bralettes range from 30A to 44DD. This limits a buyer who is between cups sizes or has extra large breasts
Victoria’s Secret bras sizes run from 30A to 44DD.

To increase your options when you want a bra that fits perfectly, some brands such as Third Love, have developed half-size increments in band and cup sizes.

5. Excessive Cleavage or Overflow of Breast Tissue

When the band is fitting you perfectly but the cups are smaller, your boobs will appear to be popping out of the bra. Telling how much cleavage is too much is subjective, but honestly, too much boobage like this might be taken as distractive and indecent in some places.

Actress Sheyla Hershey showing too much breast cleavage due to a bra that is too tight or small for her large bust. Buying a bra whose cups are smaller than a woman's breasts is one of the most popular bra fit problems
Actress Sheyla Hershey showing too much cleavage

6. A Uniboob

A push-up bra is good when you want some lift but if the cups are smaller and closer than your gals, then your boobs will appear to be a single ball of flesh. Sports bras are also popular for this offense because they don’t have the conventional cup structure of other bras.
A uniboob is not only uncomfortable and unappealing, but it also increases sweating and rubbing between the breasts as well as the risk of yeast infection.

7. A Bra Rash

If you’re busty and your bra is tight and synthetic, then once you get sweaty, the bra will shift and chaff and you can’t help ending up with a reddish rash around the bra line and underwire. According to Dr. Nava Greenfield, intertrigo can be irritating, painful, and also trigger a yeast infection.

If you know you will be active, you can avoid a bra rash by wearing a comfortable and breathable bra. Or else use these absorbent bra liners that’ll prevent sweating, irritation, and rashes.

A lady with a reddish bra rash on her shoulders due to a bra whose straps are too tight. This is one of the common bra problems
                                Bra rash

KimYoung Brushed Cotton on Both Sides - Bra Liners for Sweating, Rash Boob Sweat Liner, cotton pads that prevent sweating and rashes under the bra

8. The Hassle of Removable Pads

Some ladies love detachable pads because they allow them to feel either freer or protected depending on the weather, the occasion, and so on.

But many just loathe having to fit the pads in place every time they’re wearing the bra. No to mention that there are some removable bra pads for which once you wash it, it starts to wad up or fold inside the breast, and you have to squeeze your fingers to yank the thing in place. Which leads many to throw the pads away and forget about them.

I was on this ABraThatFits Subreddit thread and the complaints are galore.

They drive me absoflipping crazy. All I want are sports bras with some freaking padding  that I don’t have to find and jam back in every time  I wash them.

It’s infuriating. I ended up just living without padding. Everyone will just have to deal with seeing my nipples.”- I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983

“… more often they wad up / fold over inside the bra  so I have to try to get them opened flat and rearranged through the little hole. I’ve taken them all out at this point.”- I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983

“Yours stay in place?  For me they get folded over anytime I wash the item . Since they are usually found in swimsuits and sports bras, I am washing those items a lot and it’s so annoying.”- hurray4dolphins

“Plus they always seem to end up with some weird permanent crease mark so then you just have lumpy boobs from wear 2 through eternity.”- Smobasaurus

9. Side Boobs

Bulging of breast tissue under the arms due to a tight brassiere is an all too common bra fit problem everywhere you ask ladies or read their bra reviews.

In most cases, it’s clearly not a problem of the bra but the wearer who got the wrong size. So if you tend to have side breasts or ‘chicken wings’, you can prevent them with a full coverage bra or one with wide and stretchy side bands.

“…The underband is longer and tighter than needed so it rolls. My bust is flattened and  I have more underarm fat  than I do with a more lightweight bra. Go figure.”- Kimberlini on Blue 55 Women’s Bralette

“…This product missed the mark a little, as the cups on a size medium were  not big enough to prevent some “spillage” out of the sides  near the underarm area.”Kae P. on Calvin Klein Women’s Motive Cotton Lightly Lined Bralette

10. Straps Digging into Your Shoulders

If you’ve ever had shoulder pain due to thin, tight bra straps and/or a loose band, then you know the meaning of a long day.

A woman lamenting on the Windsor Peak Forum how a Playtex nursing bra dug into her shoulders leading to soreness and pain

If your shoulders are straining or paining due to poor posture, surgery, lactation, or any other cause, you need a bra that will lift and support your back and the bust to relieve pressure on your shoulders. The shoulder straps also need to be adjustable.

11. Straps are Too Thin or Too Wide

When the straps are too thin, they’re likely to dig into your shoulders unless you wear the bra to bed; when the straps are wide, they’ll be comfortable when you’re cool but they can chafe, rub, or slip on your shoulders when you become sweaty.

“A little uncomfortable.  The straps dig in a bit  and are a bit complex to wear. Def can wear it for 2-3 hours but not all day.”feedback for The Natural Women’s Plunge Bra

Either way, your shoulders will hurt and the ultimate solution is properly a fitting bra with soft or lightly padded straps.

12. Straps Falling/Slipping Along Your Shoulders

Wide straps are notorious for sliding to the sides of the shoulders while thin straps tend to twist and dig into the shoulders. If you don’t want the straps too tight and you still don’t want them to slip, you can let them criss cross your shoulders if they’re multiway, use a clip to hold them together at the back, or use fashion tape to stop the sliding.

Slipping of bra straps is a trending topic on Quora.

A discussion on Quora.com about how band aids can help prevent bra straps from slipping

A discussion on Quora.com about how a stay-up adhesive can be used to prevent bra straps from slipping on the shoulders

13. Scoliosis or Uneven Shoulders

Scoliosis is characterized by uneven shoulders, which means that a normal bra is likely to have one of its straps sliding on the lower shoulder.

If you have narrow, sloping, or uneven shoulders and a bra with adjustable straps still doesn’t work for you, you can look at which of these slipping bra strap solutions will work for you.

14. Lack of or Little Lift and Support

Every bra company claims that their bra will lift and support breasts the way you want. But this is sometimes a lie or it might be true but your experience will depend on the weight, shape, and size of your bust.

15. The Band Rides Up at the Back

This is what happens when the band is a size bigger or it has stretched out over time. Or you’ve stretched the straps too tightly for comfort.

The band should carry 80-90% of the bust’s weight but when the band is loose, the weight of the breasts will pull the bra down in the front, causing the back to ride up.

If you can squeeze two fingers or more under your bra’s band, then it’s loose. So if you’re on the tightest set of hooks and eyes but it’s still riding up, then it’s time for a tighter bra.

16. Bra Digging into Your Chest, Ribcage

A band that’s too tight will not only hurt your back but will also cause the cups to excessively push against your chest and rib cage. Cups that are smaller for your breasts will also hurt your chest, and this worsens when they have underwires.

It’s high time you took new measurements of your breasts and upgraded your wardrobe.

17. Bustline Pulling Down

The front and back of your bra should create a straight line all around. But if the cups are a size bigger and/or the straps are loose, then the weight of your breasts may push the bra down in the front causing the bra to ride up at the back.

18. Lack of Multiple Rows of Hooks and Eyes for Adjustability

Your breasts will always go through seasonal changes in size due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, medication or surgery, weight gain and weight loss, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Thus the same bra may not fit you the same way at different times of the year. A bra with only a single hook and eye may lie forgotten in a wardrobe corner when your bust size increases or decreases.

Sports bras don’t have adjustable bands and straps but most of them are made of a higher-than-usual proportion of spandex to increase stretchability.

19. Discomfort

It’s hard to imagine that one can find a bra that you will forget to undress after a hard day at work. The need to be decent or to impress in rounded and supported breasts comes at the cost of freedom to stay natural.

But no matter how breathable and comfy it’s said to be, a bra will always accumulate dirt and sweat and these are some of the things that lead to discomfort and increased risk of infection.

Some women can confess that they only wear a bra because free-ranging is not an option for them.

20. Strange Closures, Clasps, etc

We are all used to hooks and eye closures whether they’re in the front or the back, and the simple shoulder straps.

But some fancy or frilly bras come in unfamiliar claps and attachments that have made some buyers lament that you need an engineering degree to understand how to put on the bra : )

No no no no… Not if you don’t have an engineering degree . Not if you don’t have time to sob over straps and attachments and configurations. This is not the plunge bra you are looking for. This is a devil’s maze of horror. No.”- Jules on The Natural Women’s Sexy Plunge Bra

21. Cone Shaped Cups

Cone-shaped bras were first released by the Perma-Lift lingerie brand in 1941 and they were called bullet bras, pointy bras, or torpedo bras to reflect the World War II era then. They were popularized by famous models and actresses like Marilyn Monroe and other celebrities of the 1940s and 50s. But it’s a style that has refused to come back into fashion despite Madonna’s attempt to resuscitate it in the 1990s.

So some women are surprised, disappointed even, to order a bra only to find that the cups are a lil’ pointy. If you don’t want the conic cups, please check the shape of the cups and also read the reviews before you buy.

It gives  pointed cone-shaped tits in shirts . If you don’t care about looking 60 in your 20s/30s, or if you have a costume event where pointy tits are wanted, then definitely buy it.”Vee on the Elila Leopard Lace Softcup Full Coverage Bra

“I purchased this bra once I tried it on I felt and looked like a training bra very unappealing I had this  point like cones on nipple area .”- A buyer of the Carole Martin Front Closure Wireless Bra

22. Gaping or Wrinkling of the Cups

This is the obvious result of larger bra cups. If you still want to stick to the specific brand, consider replacing the bra with half or one cup size down and a size up in the band.

23. The Center Gore Doesn’t Sit in the Middle of Your Breasts

In a properly fitting bra, the gore should lie at the sternum without creating a gap. If it’s not at the center, or it keeps shifting side to side, then the cups may be too small or the band too big.

24. Unsymmetrical Breasts

Many women have unnoticeable breast asymmetries and there is no bra problem with that. But if you have significantly uneven breasts, the conventional bra will not fit either of your breasts. A bra whose cup fits the larger breast will have a gap in the smaller breast while in the reversed situation, the larger breast will be bulging out of the cup.

If your bra only fits the smaller breast, then you just have to give it away. But if the bra fits the larger breast, you can use the Meddom Silicone Bra Inserts to add volume and weight to the smaller breast.

25. Different Bra Brands and Styles Fit Differently, A Common Bra Problem

It’s all too commonplace to get used to a 34D bra, only to find that the same size doesn’t fit you with a new brand. Getting the right size for many sports bras is actually a gamble.

“I  got 2 sizes up  than I would normally wear just Incase and  it didn’t even fit me . I have no idea what the sizing is because according to the chart it should’ve been a little loose.”AmazonObsessed on CYDREAM Women Sports Bra

“…The band felt loose, like a 30 instead of the 28 I ordered, but it would be impossible for me to size down in the band because this brand does not make bras with a 26 band. The cups were too shallow for me even though I have a shallow shape, and had a flattening effect.”- B Dub

26. Unrealistic Models are Used to Market the Bras

Modern advertising involves filters and high-tech equipment and setup to create hyper-sexualized fashion models. This makes us go wild and we can’t control the urge to spend because we want to be as desirable as the images we see.

The reality is that only 5% of women have the booties, boobs, and silhouettes seen online and on TV, so they should not lure you to buy a certain bra if it’s not your type.

27. Clueless or Inexperienced Bra Fitters

Bra fitting isn’t about throwing a measuring tape around your breasts and reading the inches. But many of us have gone to a lingerie boutique or department store only to find that the girl who has been assigned to measure your breasts is wrapping the tape measure around your bust while you have your cardigan on.

There are a handful of options for becoming a professional and skilled bra fitter, such as training with major fashion retailers like Victoria’s Secret or Nordstrom, upgrading skills online, or taking an independent in-person Bra Fitting training course. As an online customer, some of these reputable brands will have a bra fitter guide you through bra measurement via video call, so that you end up with the most fitting bra.

This shows that in this day and age, there is no excuse for having customer assistants who guess bra sizes whether online or at a boutique.

28. Lack of or Misleading Online Guidance on Bra Sizing

 Wrong bra sizing is the most common bra problem and yet there are many brassieres without a size chart on e-commerce shops. There are still many others with a sizing chart all right, but you only realize upon their delivery that the sizing was UK/ European or Asian based. If the latter is the situation, you need to know how to convert your breast size, say from US sizing to UK sizing. If it still feels confusing, contact the merchant for guidance before clicking check out on the shopping cart. 

“Perfect and gorgeous! Know your UK sizing  I accidentally ordered the wrong size the first time thinking it was US sizing , oops. I wear a US 32h UK 32ff Freya is a beautiful brand very dependable…”Juliette on Freya Women’s Fancies Underwire Longline Bra

29. Cost

There is no one who wouldn’t want the Empreinte Women’s Cassiopee Seamless Spacer Bra at $213, the Norma Kamali Women’s Standard Bill Bra with Rhinestones, Dolce & Gabbana Beige Silk Floral Stretch Underwear, or the Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra, but the price tag is honestly not for everyone.

There is nothing to worry about though, because there is a lower-priced replica of almost any bra nowadays. Too cheap is almost always expensive. But something funny is that expensive doesn’t always mean quality, and it doesn’t always mean that the bra will serve your needs. So sometimes there is a need for balance.

6 Bra Fit Problems and Solutions for Pregnant and Nursing Women

1. Buying the Nursing Bra Too Early in the Pregnancy

Your breasts gradually increase in size during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period and it takes at least 6 months for them to start settling into a smaller size that approaches how they were before you became pregnant.

It’s thus recommendable to buy your nursing or pumping bra a few weeks before or upon delivery so that you get a size that’ll last you through the breastfeeding period.

2. Sore Breasts

Wearing a bra that’s too tight for long periods during lactation can cause the flow of milk in some ducts to be blocked. The affected breast may become sore, painful, reddish, or hard in the affected area, and this can develop into mastitis if left untreated for a long time. Here is an experience by a mom in the Windsor Peak Press Forum

A mom explains how she experienced clogged milk ducts due to a restrictive nursing bra - Windsor Peak Forum., a forum with bra fit problems and solutions

3. The Bra is Not Stretchy Enough to Accommodate your Breasts When they Fill with Milk

Breast milk is normally highest in the early morning hours and a good nursing bra should stretch to accommodate the fuller breasts and relax a bit when the breasts have been suckled. If that’s not the case, the bra will exert pressure on the milk ducts, leading to sore or painful breasts. Pressure on the breasts’ fluid drainage system can also lead to lymphedema.

Besides expanding with your lactating breasts, a stretchy bra would also serve you for longer as you gradually lose baby fat.

“I like this bra enough I would recommend it, it’s easy to use while nursing, although I do feel it got stretched real easy and as I lose more and more baby weight it does not fit as well.”Risa Winkler on Gratlin Women’s Support Nursing Bra

4. Leaking Breast Milk

Breast milk builds up as you sleep and it’s not uncommon to find your top and bed sheets wet in the morning. Sights of wetness in your clothing around the nipple areas are also common. Every bra brand claims to have a leak-proof nursing bra but that’s not what all moms get.

We’ve even seen interesting cases of a woman for whom the bra would stick to her nipple when she leaked.

“Great fit but  if my boob leaks, the fabric sticks to my nipple  and it hurts pulling it away.”-Elizabeth Nagel on Gratlin Women’s Underwire Nursing Bra

5. Backache Due to a Non-Supportive Bra

Your breasts will increase in size and weight throughout the pregnancy and lactation period, so you need a pregnancy bra that’ll provide enough lift and support. Otherwise, your posture may be slouched leading to back, neck, and shoulder pain. So you need to be careful about this issue since your pregnancy or nursing bra will obviously be wire-free.

The bad stuff: It’s definitely a sleep bra, with  little or no support . It does nothing to prevent the saggy look of a new mom, if anything it accentuates it. I prefer a bra that lifts my breasts and makes them feel held without feeling compressed. The straps were a little long, and there wasn’t enough material on the side of the bra to prevent spillage into the arm holes.”-  MollyBenjamin on Kindred Bravely French Terry Racerback Nursing Sleep Bra

6. Hands-Free Pumping Not Possible

There are many reports of women who have bought a pumping bra that fits them well but the holes were not wide enough or well designed for the flanges to fit through and hold in place for hands-free pumping.

“I followed the sizing chart and ordered what was supposed to fit. It was way too small and did not fit my breasts even with an extender. It was way  too hard to put the flanges into the openings “- Kera

“It doesn’t give me the support me as I wish I could.  It does snap out of place when I am pumping  with Elvie pumps…”Blanca

If it’s not possible to slip the pump flange through the bra cup hole, it should be possible to unclasp one side of the bra and fit a removable flange, without having to remove the whole bra.

Momcozy Hands Free Pumping Bra, Adjustable Breast Pump Bra and Nursing Bra All in One with Nursing Pads, All Day Wear

12 Bra Fabric Problems

1. Nipples Showing Through The Bra

Some lightweight unpadded bras are breathable and soft but the problem is that they may show your nips, especially during pregnancy when your nipples become larger and darker than normal.

If you’re not comfortable with padded bras, you can opt to insert nipple covers such as the NuBra Women’s Self Adhesive Pasties into the bra cups to help hide your areola while freeing the rest of your gals.

Nubra Women's Self Adhesive nipple pasties. One of the best unpadded bras for hiding nipples, a common problem that women have with bras fabrics that show the nipples

2. Bra Showing Underneath Clothes

Bra outline shows through shirt

Lacey and the old seamed bras will always create an outline underneath lightweight or tight-fitting tops. Seamless and smooth bras will get you sorted when you put on tight clothing.

Full cup bra showing under a plunging top

The upper edge of bra cups peeking above a low-cut top or dress is another challenge every woman has faced when trying to style different bras and outfits. Here you would have to either change the bra or change the top. But a low coverage bra (demi bra), and a plunge bra should properly hide underneath rounded and plunging tops and dresses respectively.

If your breast tissue and/or back fat are bulging over or under the bra, these will also show under your outfit. There is no argument or justification here. Your bra is too small. Period.

What about the color of the bra showing through your shirt?

Bright red, crimson, yellow, or neon green bras are likely to show underneath white and see-through shirts and tops, the same with white underneath white. If you want a no-show bra, you can’t go wrong with a skin-colored bra underneath any sheer garment. Some shades of red are also good, but you would have to test and see which one works for you. A lace bra will also deflect light, thus becoming less visible underneath clothing.

3. Sweaty and Not Breathable

Sweating in bras sucks but this is what you should expect from any synthetic garment. I know there are many women who will admit having contemplated removing their bras on a workday just to free themselves from the sweating and ‘suffocation’.

A light and breathable bra should let your skin breathe even on a hot day. And if that’s still not enough, we have sweat-wicking spandex bras like the Hanes Ultimate Wireless Bra with Moisture-Wicking Fabric. Sports bras worth their name are also made of moisture-wicking technology.

Hanes Ultimate Wireless Bra with Moisture-Wicking Fabric, Our Best T-Shirt Bra, Convertible Wirefree Back Lace Bra. A bra that prevents breasts from getting sweaty, a common bra fit issue

4. Too Much Padding

Padded bras are inappropriate to wear with certain clothes because they will be visible underneath, and also inappropriate in hot weather or on a workout due to sweating. Bras with removable padding would be a versatile alternative for your different needs.

“These are darn near perfect and very comfortable. But  the inner pads are too large for the bra  and they fold over on themselves, creating a bump near the under boob. So strange! Was this intended? Are they defective?”TamaraEsq on Kalon Women’s Demi Padded Bralette

Too much padding can also make the cups run small for your size. This means that you would have needed to size up when buying.

“I bought size 34C, the description was that “C is lightly padded” which is incorrect. From outside it looks the same cup size as any 34C bra, but there is so much padding inside that there is almost no coverage,  the padding pushes everything up and out …”Olga G. on Eleplus Comfort No Wire Bras

5. Too Little Padding

How much padding is too much or too little is subjective but it’s always disappointing when you don’t get what you expected.

6. Irritating Fabric

You may be allergic to certain fabrics common in bras, such as nylon and silicone. Wearing such bras for long hours is likely to leave your bust with rashes, acne, yeast infection, and such skin issues. If you can’t fathom, going braless, going for organic fabrics like bamboo and pure cotton will prove comfy for sensitive skin.

However, irritation and discomfort don’t have to be only about allergies. Rubbing of your breasts against each other or against your chest and a chafing band are also irritating. If the bra cups are too close together, your boobs will rub at the cleavage and the best solution is a bra that will separate them a bit. If your boobs are heavy or have drooped with age, a bra with proper lift and support will prevent them from rubbing against your rib cage especially when you sweat.

7. The Bra Starts to Tear at the Seams Too Fast

A bra that is loose and poorly stitched will be immediately noticeable at a costume boutique but not so when you’re buying online. You only get a feel of the bra when it’s delivered, so it’s better to order bras that provide a return guarantee.

8. Wear and Tear or Lace Overlay Appearing as if it has Been Pricked with a Needle Too Soon

I haven’t seen a bra that comes with its Fabric Wearability Code, double rub test results that estimate the number of cycles the material can withstand before tearing apart. The double rub test codes are common to furniture and car upholstery, but not lingerie, so many women do a trial and error test on bras which is not good for your time and money.

A better approach is to always check the feedback from previous buyers as well as the fabric ingredients. The typical bra fabrics are nylon, polyamide, polyester, cotton, Spandex, and silk. Cotton is the most durable, natural, and supportive fabric, and that’s why most bras are made of either cotton or cotton blends. However, it’s not the most stretchy and breathable, and that’s why it’s blended with Spandex or microfiber to achieve these qualities. Synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyamide, and polyester are lightweight and comfortable but they wear faster than cotton.

Also, if you’ve shopped undergarments a couple of times, you must have come across the term ‘denier’. This is a measure of the density of the fabric’s weaving. The higher the number, the denser and stronger the materials, and vice versa. Denier ranges from 5-100: the lower end of the spectrum, 5-50, is considered lighter and sheerer, while any fabric above 50 is visibly heavier and more opaque.

However, all these facts about fabric strength and density notwithstanding, you need different bras for different seasons and occasions, so you’ll always need to have them in different fabrics and blends.

9. Underwire Popping Out Too Fast

A good quality bra often has multiple layers of fabric and this should prevent the underwire from poking, snapping, or popping out just a few days after purchase. Yes, any bra wire will poke or come out when the bra is old, due to frequent folding in the drawer, when your breasts enlarge, and so on. But only a bad bra will fall apart only a couple of days or weeks after you start wearing it.

“Bra  only lasted two months before the underwire popped out  of the side. Tried to fix it and the wire is poking through again. A $70 bra should last a lot longer than two months.”- MK on Panache Women’s Porcelain Elan Molded T-Shirt Bra

10. Loss of Elasticity

The elastics in a poor-quality bra will start to give after a few washes. This is not only bad for your pocket, but it’s also bad for the environment because all those bras that you’re throwing away might end up in landfills somewhere.

11. Lack of Guidance on How to Wash

Sometimes there are no instructions on whether you should hand wash or machine wash the bra. There is also often no recommendation on how often you should wash the bra.

The agitation in a washing machine can accelerate wear and tear, so you are always safe when you hand wash your most delicate garments in cold or lukewarm water.

12. Lack of Guidance on Storage

Not everyone knows that they shouldn’t fold a bra in their drawer, but it’s hard to see brands that care to caution you on this. Folding the cups destroys their shape and you should let the bras lie flat, stacking each bra’s cups under or over the previous one.

how to pack bras during storage so as to prevent the bra cups from folding or bunching up
     How to stack bras in the drawer

4 Common Bra Delivery Problems

1. Shoddy Packaging

A good bra should be shipped in a paper box with an easy-to-use closure, tie, or wrapper that you can open and close back in case you need to return the item.

Estelle Puleston, a lingerie expert, cautions that to increase the chances of the seller accepting your lingerie back, you need to package them the same way you received them, ideally in the same packaging. This will prevent damage to the lingerie during shipping and storage. You also need a return authorization number.

You should also take care of the lingerie once you receive it so that no tag or sticker comes out as you test the lingerie.

So before you click to check out, it’s good to ensure that your bra doesn’t come in a funny wrapper that you’ll need to tear apart, potentially messing up with the bra itself. Heck, you should confirm whether they have a return policy in the first place.

2. Unscrupulous Merchants Can Send You Used Bras

Some dishonest merchants are known to put their ideal lingerie on display, only for them to ship a defective, rejected, or the used version of the lingerie. This is either about poor quality control or just being careless with the customer.

“Disappointing that the  bra arrived with one strap broken  – no stitching connecting the strap. Too much of a hassle to return; I could sew it, but disappointing to have to repair a purchase.”- Wendy S. Iverson on Cosabella women’s never say never padded bra

3. Color Doesn’t Match The Online Image

Most digital images are enhanced for marketing purposes, but some merchants don’t care enough to inform you that the actual product will slightly differ in shade or hue from the product image published online.

4. Frustrating Or Nonexistent Return Policy

Some brands don’t want to guarantee your purchase, but they never say so. So they’ll take you around in circles and finally find an excuse to reject your request for a refund or replacement.

And there are more than a dozen bra brands for which you would have to pay for return shipping. The $6 or $7 you pay for returning the bra may be worth more than stashing it in a corner of your wardrobe, but it’s an inconvenience, nevertheless.

“#They have  a really short return window  so by the time you realize, the return window will be closed.”- Pooja on Vinfact Nursing Bra

Conclusion

The many bra fit problems that women have have shown that it’s always too easy to select a bra that won’t fit your taste, bust shape and size, health condition, the specific occasion, budget, and so on. And that it’s always hard to tick everything right, whether you’re buying from your local boutique or an e-commerce shop.

So before you buy a bra, please confirm its size, shape, and design, and also read the reviews of previous buyers.

Let me know in a comment below, what other issues have you had with a bra?

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