How to Care for Your Bra
Ever had a favorite bra lose its shape long before it should have? It happens to all of us, and usually it isn't the bra's fault. It's how it went on in the morning, and how it got washed at night. Get those two right and your bras will last you so much longer.
This guide covers everything in one place: how to put a bra on, how to tell if it actually fits, what to do when something feels off, and how to wash, dry, and store it. There's a lovely Japanese word for the instinct behind all of this. Mottainai. It means not letting a good thing go to waste, and we think it applies to the bra you reach for every morning as much as to anything else you own. A little care really is the easiest way to keep loving what's already in your drawer.
1. Putting Your Bra On, Step by Step
1. Slip both arms through the straps, lean forward, and settle each breast into its cup. Fasten the hooks at the back.
2. Move the underwire so it sits right at the base of your bust.
3. Check that the band sits level all the way around.
4. Still leaning forward, scoop each breast from the side in toward the center, one cup at a time.
5. Hold the underwire in place with one hand as you stand up straight. If the straps are loose, adjust them now.
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The back of the band rides up → lengthen the straps.
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The little panel between the cups (the center front) lifts away from your chest → if the band feels loose, try a smaller band size. If the straps are pulling short, lengthen them.
One more thing. With a new bra, try it on with the tags still attached. If the size isn't right, we'll gladly exchange it or take it back.
2. How to Tell If It Fits, and How to Fix It
A bra that fits sits smooth against your body, nothing gaping and nothing spilling over, and the band stays level all the way around. If something isn't sitting right, here's what's usually going on, and what to try.
| What you're noticing | What's probably going on | What to try |
|---|---|---|
 Spilling over the cup edge |
Cup too small | Go up a cup size |
 Gaping or wrinkling in the cup |
Cup too large | Go down a cup size |
 The band hurts, feels tight, or leaves marks |
Band too small | Go up a band size |
 The band rides up or feels loose |
Band too large | Go down a band size, or move to a tighter hook |
 Straps slip, or stop holding you up |
Straps stretched from wear, or the band is loose | Shorten the straps. If that doesn't fix it, recheck your band size |
Your size shifts over time. A change of just four to seven pounds (2–3 kg) is often enough to move you into a different one. Not sure where you land these days? Our Size & Fit guide walks you through measuring the ribcage under your bust and the fullest part of your bust, which is what gives you your band and your cup.
3. Washing, Drying, and Storing
Before you wash
- Check the care label near the hooks. It'll tell you what that particular piece needs.
- Have a look for loose threads or small tears, and mend them before washing so they don't open up in the water.
- If one spot is especially dirty, like the gusset of a pair of panties or the neckline of a camisole, hand-wash just that bit first. It comes out much more easily that way.
What you'll need: a basin roomy enough for the bra to move around in, a mild neutral detergent, and the piece you're washing.
How to wash, step by step
- Fill the basin with cool or lukewarm water, around 86°F (30°C), and dissolve a little neutral detergent in it.
- Swish the piece gently through the water. For a stubborn spot, press it between your fingers rather than rubbing. Scrubbing, kneading, twisting, and wringing are what pull a bra out of shape, so be gentle.
- Take out any removable pads and wash those separately. Left inside the cups, they hold onto detergent.
- Rinse thoroughly, then wrap the piece in a dry towel and press gently to draw the water out. Hang it up right away. Left sitting damp, it can pick up color transfer, creases, or a smell.
Check the care label first. Most of our bras are hand-wash only, including anything with an underwire or hooks. If the label does say a piece is machine-washable, put it in a mesh lingerie bag, and run the gentlest cycle your machine has.
Drying
Dry in the shade, somewhere with good airflow. Direct sunlight yellows fabric and weakens it over time.
- Bras: reshape the cups, then either clip the band and hang it upside down, or fold it in half between the cups and drape it over a hanger. Never hang a bra by its straps. The weight of the wet fabric stretches them right out.
- Panties: smooth out the creases, reshape the waistband, and clip both sides to dry.
Storing
Fasten the hooks and reshape the cups before a bra goes in the drawer. Then give each piece a bit of room. Packing them in tight is what creases the fabric and pulls cups and underwire out of shape.
Our period panties are made to work with a pad, not replace one, right down to the little pocket that holds the wings. They need one extra step before they go in the wash, and our guide to caring for them has the details.
4. Signs It's Time to Replace It
Looking after something and keeping it a long time is a lovely habit, and washing and drying a bra properly really does add months to its life. But mottainai cuts both ways. Once a bra has truly reached the end of its life, hanging onto it out of thrift starts working against you — it stops supporting you, and both your shape and your comfort feel it. Here's when it's time for a new one.
- Your weight has changed by four to seven pounds (2–3 kg) or more since you bought it
- It hurts, pinches, or feels loose when you wear it
- The lace is fraying or has stretched out
- The straps have stretched and don't hold their tension anymore
- The band has stretched and doesn't feel supportive anymore
- A cup is warped, or the underwire is coming through the fabric
- You just don't reach for it anymore
Most of us end up replacing bras somewhere between every three and six months, though looked after well, yours will go longer than that. And keeping a few in rotation instead of wearing the same one every day is one of the easiest ways to make each one last.
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