Why does my bra ride up?

Why does my bra roll up in the back?

As we've said many a time on the Blog finding a correctly fitting bra can be tough and if you've never had a bra fitting or it's a long time since you've had one, then you can experience some issues or discomforts with your bra and not know why.

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That's where our new series of posts comes in. The "Why does my bra...?" series is here to help you understand the niggly issues you might be having and to help to iron out the problems by giving you solutions.

The first issue we'll be tackling is Why does my bra keep going up?

Ok so first things first, let's establish what we mean by 'riding up'. Riding up means that your back band moves upwards and sits higher on your back. It's a common problem and usually results in your back band sitting in an odd upside-down U shape, similar to the picture below.

It can be really uncomfortable and also be a main contributor to the bulges or 'back fat' that many women complain about.

"But why do I have to keep pulling my bra down?"

Well to put it simply - The back band is too big. This may sound strange as many women couldn't possibly imagine wearing anything tighter, especially seeing as they believe the 'bulges' are caused by the back band being too small however this is just not the case.

A back band that is too large will ride up your back and sit too high up, the reason this happens is because the weight of the breasts is pulling down on the cups and straps and lifting the back upwards. This is why is can feel tight and also it happens to push skin upwards and creating bulges. To remedy a rising back band you need to try a smaller back band. Most women tend to be wearing a back size that is 4 inches too big (two back sizes), so try a couple of sizes.

How do I find my correct bra size?

The best way to find what size you should be wearing is to measure your rib-cage (horizontally directly under your breasts) and whatever the number this is the size you should wear. If it's an odd number then try the size on either side and choose which feels best.

A correctly fitting bra will feel tight at first if you've been used wearing a bigger size however to ensure the back band doesn't ride up and that you're giving your boobs the best support it needs to be snug and laying flat and parallel to the floor like the image below.

So there we have it. A riding back band means you're back band is too big and that it's giving you minimal support. Decrease your back band and you'll find yourself more comfortable and more supported. Win/Win.

Big love x

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