How to fit your bra band

Bras are one of the most functional items of clothing you wear most days. There is a lot to them, every element has been thought out to create perfect comfort and support.

But, did you know that the bra band, also known as the under band or ribcage band, is the most important part of your bra?

The bra band is a key element of the bras support structure

In a well-designed bra, most of the breast weight (around 80%) is distributed throughout the bra band.

It's easy to think that bras’ support comes from the straps. This is actually the most common factor women get wrong with their bras fit. The shoulder straps are designed to keep the bra in place only.

It’s essential to make sure your bra band is the right size for you, because that is where the most support comes from. During pregnancy and postpartum it’s even more important to make sure this fits well.

The band size of your bra is determined by the inches underneath your breasts, and is one of the two important measurements needed to find your bra size.

The dark red sections in the image above shows the areas of the bra that support the most weight, the areas of the bra that have the least support are in blue. It’s clear that the bra band should provide the most support over the straps.

How should the bra band fit?

To fully support your breasts, the bra band should fit firmly, but not uncomfortably tight. You should be able to pull the band out about one inch, any more and your bra band is too loose. If the bra band is fitted correctly, it will sit low and stay in place; when you put your arms in the air, it won’t ride up.

What happens if the bra band is not fitted correctly?

If the band around your ribcage is too large or loose, it will ride up your back. This means that it no longer supports you well. This will put extra weight on the straps, possibly triggering pain on your shoulders and neck.

When the bra band doesn’t fit well, the back of the bra sits high and the front sits low, this is called the see-saw effect. This can be very uncomfortable and it means your breasts are unsupported.

Note that if your bra band is fitted too loose, it will move when you raise your arms. If it’s fitted too tight, it will squeeze your back making your skin bulge out around the band. Another reason why you want your bra to fit properly during pregnancy!

What about Infiniti Bra’s band?

Infiniti Bra’s band is unique. It can expand up to four inches in the back! This is absolutely amazing as it means ribcage size fluctuations during pregnancy and postpartum can finally be addressed. Infiniti Bra will fit every day! In addition, women can easily tighten or loosen the back band when wearing Infiniti Bra, so even tiny size changes throughout the day can be catered for to ensure a proper fit. No more walking around feeling uncomfortable and unsupported. 

We can’t wait for you to wear our innovative Infiniti Bra. In the meantime, here are a few tips to get the best support from your current bras:

1 - When buying a new bra, always fit it to the loosest hook setting. This allows you to pull the hooks in as the bra stretches, which it will. The three hook positions on the back are designed for exactly this - to maintain the firmness of the bra as the materials stretch. (Link to IG post about the three rows of H&E if reposted before).

2 - If you go down a band size, you need to go up a cup size in order to keep the cup volume the same. So, if you’re wearing a size 34C, but feel the bra band is too loose, then you will need to go to the 32D to maintain the cup volume.

Don’t hesitate to read our bra sister sizing blog again to know more about confusing bra sizing.

And remember to keep up to date with Infiniti Bra’s progress, subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to buy Infiniti Bra when it is available.

Elo