Why the old bra stopped working
Bodies change through the fifties and sixties: weight moves around, the rib cage can widen a little, breast tissue softens and sits lower. None of that is a problem. The problem is wearing the same size and style you wore at 45 and blaming yourself when it digs, rides up or gives no support. The bra is wrong for the body you have now, not the other way round.
The three things that are usually wrong
1. The band is too loose
The band, the part that goes around your ribs, does most of the supporting. When it's too loose it rides up your back, and the straps have to do the band's job, which is why they dig into your shoulders. The fix is almost always a snugger band and a bigger cup, not a bigger band. A band that's right feels firm on the loosest hook when new, and you tighten it as it stretches.
2. The straps are doing all the work
Grooves in your shoulders by lunchtime mean the straps are carrying weight the band should carry. Fixing the band fixes most of this. The rest is strap width: wider, padded straps spread the load, and the support styles from Wonderbra and Bali that we carry are built that way.
3. The style is wrong for the body now
A plunge or a demi cup that worked when tissue sat higher will now spill or gap. Fuller coverage, a taller side panel and a centre that sits flat against the breastbone bring everything back where you want it. And if underwire has become the enemy, modern wireless bras are not the shapeless things they once were. We keep several wireless styles.
What to try instead
- Full-coverage with a wide band and wide straps. Start here if you have a fuller bust.
- Wireless or soft-cup. Start here if wire digs or you've had any chest surgery. Try more than one; they vary a lot.
- A minimizer. If blouses and jackets pull across the bust, a minimizer redistributes rather than squashes and can drop a blouse size.
- A front-closure bra. If reaching behind your back has become a chore, this ends it.
- A smooth t-shirt bra for under knits, so the bra disappears.
How a fitting works here
No tape measure theatre. You tell us what you wear now and what bothers you about it. We bring three or four options to the fitting room. You put your own top back on over each one, because that's how you'll actually wear it. We adjust from there. Twenty minutes, usually. If you'd prefer a quiet time, call (905) 627-1150 and we'll suggest one. You don't need an appointment.
When to see a specialist instead
We fit everyday bras. If you need a post-surgical or mastectomy bra, a prosthesis, or a compression garment, that's a medical fitting and you should be seen by a certified fitter through your care team or a medical supply boutique. We'll tell you that honestly rather than sell you something that isn't right.
The short version
Band snugger, cup bigger, straps wider, style fuller. Try wireless. And try it on with your top over it before you decide. If you do nothing else, come in once and let us re-size you; many women leave in a different size than they came in wearing, and they leave more comfortable.