Bras

Most of what goes wrong with a bra comes down to the band. It carries the support, so a band that rides up at the back usually means the size is off, even when the cups look fine. Before anything else, measure yourself with the step-by-step bra fitting guide or run your numbers through the bra size calculator.

The main styles

• Underwire: a wire under each cup gives shape and lift. The wire should sit flat against your ribcage and fully around the breast tissue.
• Wireless and bralettes: softer, often stretch lace or knit. Lighter support, sized by cup or by S, M, L.
• Balconette and plunge: both lower the neckline. A balconette has wider-set straps and a straighter top edge; a plunge drops low in the center.
• T-shirt bras: molded, smooth cups that leave no seam line under a fitted top.
• Sports bras: built for movement, either compressing or holding each breast in its own cup.

What to check in the fitting room

The center panel (the gore) should rest on your sternum. Cups should meet your body with no gap at the top edge and no spilling over it. Straps finish the job but should not be doing the lifting. Shape matters as much as size: two people in the same size can need very different cups, which is what the breast shape guide is for.

Posts here are mostly try-ons and reviews: which size someone ended up in, how a band ran against the label, whether a lace cup cut in at the edge. If you are between sizes, searching a brand name in these posts often turns up someone who was too.