But it turns out the source of your life-long bra battle may be the fact that you’ve been wearing it the wrong way all this time.
Just let that sink in for a moment...
How did we come to this revelation? Well, for starters, we can't take credit. On Oct. 12, Brittany Packnett set the internet ablaze when she tweeted this:It all started when she purchased a new brassiere from ThirdLove and noticed a tag titled, “How to put on a bra,” but disregarded it because this wasn’t her first undergarment shopping trip.
But when the bra didn’t fit right, she turned her attention to the three-step instructions attached. And that’s when it happened … her bra-velation (OK, we made that up, but it kind of works, right?).
“Most women are wearing a band that’s too large for them and are wearing their band on the tightest hook to overcompensate for the extra room. But if you wear a brand-new bra on any other hook than the loosest, you’re probably in too big of a band size,” Ra’el Cohen, head of design at ThirdLove, told TODAY Style.
According to ThirdLove, this method will give you the best fit and prevent your bra from stretching out — and experts agree!
#1: A tight band is the right band
The idea is that when you wear your bra on the tightest hook, you’re essentially stretching out the band from the get-go, whereas wearing it on the loosest hook gives you the flexibility to tighten it over time.
“Absolutely! The majority of the support — 80 percent actually— comes from the band, not the straps, which is why having a snug band is so important,” said Lyn Lewis, CEO of Journelle.
#2: Try the scoop and swoop
Gathering your breasts into the center of the cups gives you the most support and best wire positioning. “The ‘scoop-and-swoop’ technique is a tried-and-true way to bring your breast tissue up and forward where it needs to be,” explained Ashley Kelsch, founder of Teddies for Bettys.
#3: Keep those straps happy
According to Kelsh, tightening your bra straps every month does indeed ensure that they don’t slip, even as the elasticity in them wears over time.