Band symptoms
What the band is telling you
Band climbs at the back
The band is too loose. Move to a tighter hook first; if you're already on the tightest, size the band down.
Red marks or discomfort
The band is too tight. Move to a looser hook, or size up if you're already on the loosest.
Level and comfortable all day
This is what a correct band looks like — parallel to the floor, snug without digging, on the loosest hook when new.
Tissue spilling at the side
Can be a band issue, a cup issue, or both — check the cup symptoms below before assuming it's the band alone.
Cup symptoms
What the cup is telling you
Tissue over the top
The cup is too small. Try the next cup letter up, or a sister size with a bigger band and smaller cup letter if that's unavailable.
Empty space in the cup
The cup is too big. Try the next cup letter down, or its sister size equivalent.
Loose fabric across the cup
Usually paired with gaping — the cup has more room than the tissue needs.
Centre doesn't sit flat
Often a cup that's too small for the shape it's trying to contain, pushing the centre piece away from the breastbone.
Strap & wire symptoms
What straps and wires are telling you
Sliding off the shoulder
Often a strap adjustment or shoulder-slope mismatch, though an oversized band can make straps work harder than they should.
Grooves or shoulder pain
Usually means the band isn't carrying its share of the support — check the band fit before adjusting the straps further.
Wire sitting on tissue
Almost always a too-small cup. The wire should sit around the tissue, not across it.
Sides lift away from the body
Can mean the cup is too big, or that the wire shape doesn't suit your particular projection.
Questions
Fit guide FAQs
The band is too loose. Try tightening to a firmer hook, or size down the band while sizing up the cup to keep the same volume.
Yes, usually a cup issue. A gore that floats away from the breastbone often means the cup is too small for the shape it's trying to hold.
Often a strap adjustment or shoulder-slope mismatch, though a too-large band can also contribute since it forces straps to work harder.
Bigger cup, generally. Try the next cup letter up while keeping the same band, or a matching sister size if that's not available.
Most often the cup is too small, so the wire sits on tissue instead of around it. Sizing the cup up, even while keeping the band, is the usual fix.
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