Six smart tips to stop your bra chafing at the sides

14 Jul 2021 11:02 AM

Annica Svensson

Do you have a bra that constantly digs in at the sides? Not only is this uncomfortable and irritating, it can also be painful! Here are six smart tips to stop your bra chafing at the sides.

There are a number of reasons why a bra might chafe at the sides, but none of these problems are without a solution. Here are our six best tips to make your bra feel comfortable at the sides.

Tips 1 – The band size shouldn’t be too tight

The most common reason for a bra chafing at the sides is simply that the band that fits around the body is too tight. If you have difficult taking deep breaths or experience pressure on your ribs, the band is too tight. The band shouldn’t irritate the skin after a day’s wear. You should be able to pull the band about 5 cm from the body, otherwise it’s too tight.

Make sure the band is not too tight so you don’t have difficulty taking deep breaths.

Tips 2 – Don’t pinch the breast tissue

If the underwire pinches the breast tissue, the cup is too small. The underwire should sit behind the breast at the side, not on the breast itself. Go up one or several cup sizes but keep the same band circumference.

Make sure you’re wearing a large enough cup size so the underwire doesn’t pinch the breast tissue at the side.

Tips 3 – A wide back chafes less

Some bras with very narrow and thin bands don’t provide the best support; they can bunch up and cut in. Try a bra with a wider back that provides better support and feels more stable. Find our models with wide backs here.

Tips 4 – Side wings

If you’re curvy with a large circumference, the band can sometimes dig into the skin in an uncomfortable way. It’s not uncommon to have a roll of skin that hangs over the edge of the bra that can cause discomfort or, in the worst case, pain. In this case we recommend trying a bra with an extra side wing along the armpit, which eases the transition between the bra and your skin. Not only does the side wing smooth out any ‘muffin effect’, it makes wearing the bra a considerably more comfortable experience. Find our models with side wings here.

Lovely Lace Support has an extra side wing at the armpit that provides a soft transition between the bra and skin.

Tips 5 – Side bone

Some bra models have a supportive side bone sewn into the side seam that can sometimes feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re curvy. Avoid this type of bra and instead invest in a model without side bones but with a wide back.

Tips 6 – Change bra model

If you’re wearing the right size bra but feel the underwire itself pressing in at the side under the armpit (or the breastbone), try a model with a lower underwire or a non-wired model. We all have different shapes, heights and proportions, which means that the same bra fits differently on different bodies. If you have narrowly spaced small breasts, it can result in the underwire pressing in at the side of the body under the armpit. In this case the cups are too large for the shape of the breasts, even if your measuring tape and sizing chart say otherwise! If you experience empty space at the side of the cups, try going down a letter in cup size and one band size and then add a bra extender to the fastener. This way you’ll increase the width of the back and create a bra on which the cups sit closer together and probably fit your shape better.

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