Envie - Women's Bras Fitting Guide
Problems finding the right bra size? We can show you to measure up with our Bra Fitting Guide.
Research suggests that 70% of women's bras are the wrong bra size. So, we have gathered all our expertise together from the last ten years of measuring thousands of customers to suggest the following advice to help solve your problems and choose the correct bra size.
Click here for our womens general bra fitting guide
Click here for our womens maternity / pregnancy bra fitting guide
Click here for our men buying for women guide
Advise for women - You need to find out both the back size and the cup size. You can either measure wearing a bra (as long as it is not padded or none at all. If you have extra large/heavy breasts, hold them up and measure around them. Work in metric as it is more accurate than inches.
Measure around your body underneath the breasts. The tape measure should be pulled snug against your body, as the band of your bra would be. Tip - the band of the bra should be firm but comfortable around your body. If you cannot run your finger under the band easily, it is too tight. However, if the band is too loose it will ride up your back. It is also worth remembering that the fit of your bra when you receive it will be tighter than when you have worn it 'in' in a couple of weeks time and the fabrics have become softer with washing and wearing.
| Back measurement (cms) |
63-67
|
68-72
|
73-77
|
78-82
|
83-87
|
| Bra back measurement |
30
|
32
|
34
|
36
|
38
|
|
88-92
|
93-97
|
98-102
|
103-107
|
108-112 | |
|
40
|
42
|
44
|
46
|
48 |
Finding your Cup Size - Measuring the difference between the back size and the bust size is not necessarily an accurate rule. The best guide is the cup size of the bra you are wearing. When a bra is correctly fitted the whole of the bust should be contained in the cup. The wires should lie flat against your body and the cup should have a smooth outline.
Like shoes, the fit of a bra varies depending on the style and manufacturer. Like feet, our busts differ in size and shape. So, the best way is to understand for yourself. You can judge whether you are wearing the correct cup size using the following guide. Here are the main problems:
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| Breast bulging over the top of the cups | Cup is too small | Increase cup ie, a to b cup |
| Breasts forced towards the sides | Cup is too small | Increase cup ie, a to b cup |
| Bra band rides up at the back | Bra back size too large | Decrease back ie, 36 to 34 |
| Cup has wrinkles all over it, particularly top and sides | Cup size too large | Decrease cup ie b to a cup |
| Wires stand off the body at the front or dig in under the arms | Cup size too small | Increase cup ie, a to b cup |
| Centre front (bridge) stands off the body | Cup size too small | Increase cup ie, a to b cup |
| Bra band too tight | Back too small | Increase back ie, 36 to 38 |
Brief Fitting Guide
| EnVie Size Guide | S | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL | XXXXL |
| 8-10 | 12-14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | |
| Panache Size Guide | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | ||
| Playtex Size Guide | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16/18 | 18/20 | 20/22 |
For any further information on bra size or fit, please telephone our customer service team on 01274 873610. We will be happy to answer your queries.
