Why do my bra straps dig into my shoulders?

We’ve all been there, suffering from massive headaches or big red indent marks on our shoulders from those super-annoying bra straps. Before you tear your bra off and swear never to wear it again, try our bra troubleshooting tips to ensure your bra is supportive and comfortable all day (or night) long.

Your band is too big…

Ever feel like you’re not sitting high enough at the front? You tighten your bra straps to get the girls sitting up, only to have your bra band sneak up your back and everything at the front falls right back to where it started? You may need to make a trade for a bra with a firmer back band. 90% of the support of your bra should be coming from the band which will help to prevent strain and pain in your shoulders. To test if your bra band is firm enough, pop your bra on and slide the straps off your shoulders. If it stays in place, awesome! If the bra starts to slide down your back, fasten it on a tighter hook or try a smaller band size.

Your cups are too big…

Once again, if you feel like your bust isn’t sitting high enough and you have extra pressure on your shoulders, it could be that the cup size of your bra is too big. The tell-tale sign of a moulded cup that is too big are indents in the cup that remain even after readjustment, and fabric gathering in the cups of non-moulded bras, particularly at the top of the cups. You could also feel like the underwires are digging in or sitting too far around your back, or that where the cups meet the straps is cutting into your arms. Try a smaller cup size and see if this fixes the problem.

Your cups are too small…

If the cups of your bra are too small, you could be over-tightening the straps to compensate for not having enough space in the cup. If you find that you’re spilling out over the top of your cups and you are tightening your straps and shoving yourself back into your bra on the regular, you may need to try a larger cup size. Ensure that the underwire is sitting flush against your skin at the centre and well back behind any breast tissue on the side.

The straps won’t stay on your shoulders otherwise…

Some people have naturally sloping shoulders and struggle to find a bra that won’t slide off throughout the day unless they keep the straps super tight. The solution here is to look for certain styles that will work better with your body shape. Avoid balconette bras as they are designed to sit wide on the shoulders. Styles with thicker straps like the Empreinte Melody Full Cup Bra work well, as do styles like the Fantasie Rebecca Moulded Spacer Bra where the straps are designed to sit centrally on the shoulders. You could also look at styles that include a J-hook to convert to a comfortable racerback fit like the Elomi Matilda Plunge Bra or use nifty accessories like the Braza Magic Clip to bring your bra straps closer to the centre of your back, higher up your shoulders and re-adjust the weight to a more comfortable position.

You’re just wearing them too tight…

If your bra band is firm but comfortable and your cups look ok, it could just be that your straps are simply adjusted too tightly for you and are causing unnecessary pain and discomfort. To re-adjust them to the correct place, loosen them most of the way, then re-tighten to a firmness where you can fit two fingers under the straps. This will ensure that they’re giving you the best support and the highest amount of comfort.

And if you still can’t get comfortable…

Come to Brava! Our fitters are experts in their field and will be able to find the perfect size and style to work with your shape. If you can’t make it in, our online fitting team will be able to assist via our award-winning Virtual Fitter service. All you need to do is register an account, complete the form, and our team will help you find the best possible fit.