Bra Fitting Guide

Heard the rumour that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size? Well, it’s true!

It may sound unbelievable, but most women have never really been shown how a bra is meant to fit, and, as a result, professional bra fitters all over the world report that in at least 8 out of 10 cases, they change a customer’s bra size when they fit them for the first time – and the change is often quite dramatic!

Most bra manufacturers use the same volume of cup to cater for more than one bra size. For example, a 34B bra will have the same cup volume as a 36A and a 32C because all 3 of these breast sizes are actually very similar. The main difference between women who need a 32C versus a 34B or a 36A is simply that they have a narrower back – the breast itself is actually very similar in all these sizes.

‘Why do I need to know that?’ you may ask. Well, most of us who haven’t had a professional bra fitting don’t realise how firmly a bra should fit in the back. The result? 80% of us are wearing a bra in a band size that is too loose and as a result putting up with the wrong cup size too.

Bra fitting experts report that the most common fitting error they find, is women wearing a back size that is one or two sizes too big and a cup size one or two sizes too small – for example the 32d woman who wears a size 10 or 12 in tops but doesn’t realise how firmly a bra should fit in the back so wears a 36 back. In a 36 back she will only need a b cup to accommodate the volume of her breasts – BUT crucially, a 36b bra will actually accommodate her breasts very badly – the loose back means that she will get very little support and shape and quite possibly be popping out of the cups and dying to take her bra off at night!

 This is such a common problem, that bra fitters report that typically when they fit a customer for the first time she is likely to change from wearing an average size of a 36C to an average size of a 32E!

How does Katherine Hamilton help to solve the bra fitting problem?

The Katherine Hamilton brand was born out of a realisation that lots of women were in the wrong bra size, and that part of the reason for that was that the right sizes were not actually available on the market. As a slim size 8 and a 28GG, Katherine knew that plenty of women like her were putting up with bras that simply didn’t fit firmly enough in the back for sufficient support because they couldn’t fund them – so, quite simply, she created her own collection to provide the perfect fit!

The first Katherine Hamilton collection was inspired by Katherine’s own experience of having a larger cup and smaller back band and wanting a design that not only looked beautiful and elegant but also offered a great shape and felt so comfortable that it could be worn all day, every day. The end result? A range of bras in 54 sizes, uniquely starting from a size 26 back size as standard to ensure that those with a smaller frame can obtain proper support, especially where they also have a fuller bust.

The Katherine Hamilton collection means you no longer have to put up with the closest size you can find to the one you need – get the perfect fit every time. In fact our most popular sizes are often our smaller backs such as 28s, 30s and 32s. Many women who follow our fitting advice find that they go down from their normal 32, 34 or 36 back size and up by a couple of cup sizes (if you ever thought a d+ cup was big then think again – its’s very normal!) – and as a result find the perfectly fitting bra for the first time in their life. We’re regularly told that that’s priceless!

Check out the size range we stock on our handy BRA SIZE CHART – and if you think the back of your bra may be too loose (our Fitting Test can help you to spot if that’s the case) then the chart will guide you to the best size to choose.

Why choose Katherine Hamilton when there are hundreds of bra brands to choose from?

The Katherine Hamilton collection is unique in that while most fuller-bust brands use underwires adapted from smaller sizes & simply make them wider and deeper, Katherine Hamilton has developed its own unique underwires that offer a superior fit for fuller cups. After years of putting up with wider wires that didn’t fit well on her smaller fame and suffering from underarm discomfort and the unflattering shape of her breasts being pushed to the side, founder Katherine realised that breasts don’t get wider, but instead get fuller (otherwise they would grow around our sides!) To rectify this she created narrow underwires that are modelled on real women’s shapes & replicate how breasts actually grow to create forward projection, lift and underarm comfort.

Described as ‘fitting like a glove’ her bras have been developed with real women in mind, to ensure they are contoured perfectly for and offer complete underwire comfort.