Bra size turns out different than expected? Heres how to choose well

Your bra size often comes out different online because the size you measured a while back doesn't match anymore, because every store uses its own size chart, or because you're only looking at the cup and forgetting the band. Always go by the size chart of the store you're ordering from, not by what you've worn for years from another brand. If the size still doesn't work out, you can usually just exchange it without a hassle.

Your old size might not be your size anymore

Your body changes, even when it doesn't feel that way. Age, weight, your cycle, having a baby: all reasons why the size you've worn for 10 years suddenly doesn't fit right. One customer put it simply: a different size because of age. That's exactly it.

The problem is that you carry that old size over to a new store without measuring again. You order "what you always wear" and then get caught off guard.

A different bra style can also be the reason your old size suddenly stops fitting. If you mostly wore underwire bras and now switch to a different style, the same size can feel different. That doesn't mean you measured wrong, it just means different styles fit a little differently. So don't blindly trust a size you wore somewhere else. Check it again every time you buy something new.

Try this: grab a measuring tape and measure your band snugly under your bust, on bare skin, no bra on. Then measure around the fullest part of your bust. If there's more than a 3/4 inch difference from your last measurement, your old size isn't reliable anymore and you need to recalculate.

Our size chart isn't the same as your last store's

This is where things go wrong most often with online orders. One brand calls something an L that another brand sells as an XL, and one store's cup sizes go up to F while you're used to G or H somewhere else. A size like S, M or L isn't a fixed standard: every brand converts it from its own bra size chart.

With the Monavida Daily Essential Bra, for example, the size chart runs from cup B all the way to cup H, with band sizes from 32 to 48, spread across 12 sizes from S to 3XL+. If you wear an L at another brand, that doesn't mean it's the same size here.

Try this: look up your exact bra size (say, 36C) and compare it to the size chart of the store you're ordering from, instead of picking based on the letter size you "always" wear. That one extra step prevents most surprises.

You check the cup but forget the band (or the other way around)

Band and cup are two separate measurements, and you need to check them separately. A lot of women still know their cup size but haven't checked in years whether their band size still holds up. That's exactly where it goes wrong: you order by cup, and the band turns out too loose or too tight.

In our own survey of almost 2,900 customers, 8.2% named the wrong size or cup as their biggest frustration with bras. That might sound small, but combined with complaints about underwire (32.8%) and a band that digs in or cuts (23.3%), you can see that band and cup are often the real culprits together.

Band test: put your bra on at the loosest hook and slide two fingers under the band at your back. If that's easy with room to spare, the band is too loose. If you can barely fit one finger under it, it's too tight.

Cup test: look in the mirror from the side. If the cup gapes at the top, it's too big for your band. If your breast spills out over the top or side of the cup, the cup is too small.

The size of one bra didn't turn out as expected. I got good advice and was sent a new, correct size.

That's exactly why you're not stuck with your first guess at Monavida. Also check out what to do if you ordered a bra too big, one of the most common versions of this problem.

A wireless bra feels different from what you're used to

Coming from an underwire bra, switching to wireless takes some getting used to, including in sizing. Underwire holds the cup in a fixed shape, while a memory foam cup molds to your body instead. That can feel looser or different than expected when you first put it on, even when the size is actually right.

This is exactly why a lot of women who switch feel unsure at first: they think the cup doesn't fit right, when really it's just a different kind of fit than a stiff underwire cup with a set shape. Give it a chance to settle before deciding the size is wrong.

Try this: put the bra on and wear it for an hour before you judge it. A memory foam cup needs a little time to adjust. If the band is still loose after an hour, or you still see gaping in the cup after an hour, then it really is the size, not the material.

Not sure if a wireless style even works for your cup size? Check out Is a wireless bra also a good fit for smaller busts?

What to do if the size still isn't right

You measured, checked the size chart, and the bra still doesn't feel right. It happens, and that's exactly why you're not stuck with the wrong size at Monavida. The Daily Essential Bra has memory foam cups that mold to your shape, a 3-inch band that carries the weight off your shoulders from below instead of loading it onto your neck, and double-layer side panels that keep everything in place. If the size still turns out different than you thought, you don't have to let it sit quietly in your closet.

You're covered by our 30-day perfect fit guarantee, and you'll simply get a different size or your money back. Find out exactly how that works in What exactly does a 30-day perfect fit guarantee for a bra cover? Already have an order that doesn't fit and not sure what your options are? Read Ordered the wrong bra size: what are your options?