How to measure your bra size at home (and why it might surprise you)

Here's something we say a lot: most ladies are wearing the wrong bra size, and it's almost never their fault. If your band rides up, your straps dig in, or you spill over the top of your cups, the bra is wrong. Not you.

The good news? You can find a much better starting size at home in about a minute. All you need is a soft tape measure and a mirror.

Before you start

Pop on a non-padded bra, or nothing at all. Padding adds centimetres that aren't yours. Stand in front of a mirror so you can check the tape stays level all the way round. If someone can help you, even better.

Step 1: Measure your underbust (your band)

Wrap the tape snugly around your ribcage, directly under your bust. Keep it level and breathe out. It should feel firm, like a well-fitting band. That number is your band size.

Step 2: Measure your bust (your cup)

Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, level and relaxed, not pulled tight. If you're fuller-busted, lean forward slightly for a more accurate reading.

Step 3: Work out your size

Your cup comes from the difference between your bust and your underbust. Rather than doing the sums yourself, pop both numbers into our Find my Fit calculator. It works in centimetres or inches, gives you your starting size and your sister sizes, and takes you straight to bras in your size.

Why your size might surprise you

Freya, Elomi, Fantasie, Wacoal and Goddess all use the modern UK fitting method: your underbust measurement is your band size. Some older methods, and plenty of online calculators, add 4 inches to the band. That gives you a bigger band and a smaller cup, and it's exactly why so many of us end up in a band that rides up and cups that are too small.

So if the calculator tells you you're a 32FF when you've been wearing a 36D for years, don't panic. Letters are just letters. Most of a bra's support comes from the band, not the straps, so a firmer band and a bigger cup is usually where the comfort has been hiding.

Check the fit when your bra arrives

• Band: sits level front to back, firm on the loosest hook. New bras stretch, so you can move to tighter hooks over time.
• Centre gore: lies flat against your breastbone.
• Cups: no spilling at the top or sides, and no gaping.
• Straps: do very little work. The band does most of it.
• Scoop and swoop: lean forward, scoop all your breast tissue from under your arm into the cup, then check again.

Band rides up? Go down a band and up a cup (34E becomes 32F). Band too tight? Go up a band and down a cup. These are your sister sizes, and they hold the same cup volume on a different band.

Still not sure?

Every brand and style fits a little differently, and that's where we come in. Send us your two measurements on WhatsApp for a free virtual fitting, and we'll help you find your size and the styles that suit your shape.