May 4, 2026
How to check your bra size without a professional fitter
The four-point fit check — band, cup, gore, strap — described so clearly you can do it alone at home.
Professional fitters are useful, but not always available or convenient. The four-point fit check can be performed alone, in five minutes, with no equipment beyond a mirror and the bra you are assessing. It will tell you whether the bra fits correctly, and if not, which variable is off.
The four points
1. Band check
Stand normally. The band should sit level — at the same height at the back as at the front. If the back of the band is higher than the front underwire, the band is too loose.
Now raise both arms above your head. The band should stay in place, or move no more than a centimetre. If it rides up toward the shoulder blades, the band is too loose.
Press two fingers under the band at the back. They should fit, but you should not be able to pull the band more than an inch away from the body.
2. Cup check
Face the mirror directly. Look at the upper edge of the cup. The fabric should lie against the skin. If you can push the fabric inward — if there is a gap between the fabric and the breast at the top of the cup — the cup is too large.
Now check for overflow. Look from the side and from directly in front. Is any breast tissue above the cup edge, at the sides of the underwire, or under the arm? Any overflow indicates the cup is too small, even if the cup appears full.
3. Gore check
The gore is the bridge of fabric at the centre front. Place one finger on it and press gently toward the sternum. The gore should rest flat against the skin without any pressure. If the gore lifts, floats away from the skin, or requires pressure to contact the sternum, the cup is too small for your breast root spacing — or the style is not suited to your anatomy.
4. Strap check
Slide two fingers beneath each strap at the shoulder. They should fit easily, but the strap should not have so much slack that it would slip off the shoulder under normal movement. Now press the straps gently downward and observe whether the cups move. They should not — if they do, the straps are doing structural work that the band should be doing, indicating the band is too loose.
Reading the results
- Band riding up + cups fitting: band too loose, cup size may need to change as a result (sister sizing)
- Cup gaping at top + band fitting: cup too large, or wrong cup shape for your breast projection
- Cup overflow + band fitting: cup too small
- Gore lifting + everything else fitting: cup too small or style not suited to your breast root spacing
- Straps digging + band fitting: straps adjusted too tight; lengthen them and check if band takes up the support correctly
If multiple things fail at once, start with the band — it is the structural foundation of the fit. Getting the band right first often resolves or clarifies the other points.
For the measurement approach to finding a starting size, see how to measure your bra band size at home. The full fit picture is in the bra fit guide.