Why Are My Bra Straps Falling?

by April Buchanan February 7, 2021

What is in this article?

Bra Straps Keep Falling? It's pretty common

4 Main Reasons that Bra Straps Fall Down

You are wearing a less than adequate fit

You are wearing a style that doesn’t work with your body

You haven’t adjusted your straps since you bought it

Your bra is caput!

Some Solutions

Live in or around Raleigh, NC? Visit the Perky Lady in Person

Outside the Raleigh Area or want to fix it from home? Book an Online Appointment with us

Bra Straps Keep Falling? It's Pretty Common

One of the most common things that I hear when meeting new clients is, "My bra straps keep falling down! I have to mess with them constantly and it's driving me crazy!" The statement is normally accompanied by a an exasperated sigh or in some extreme cases, a quivering lip.

Let's start here, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. It's a very common problem that I hear (And fix) in my shop every single day. In fact, it's so common I don't only hear it in my shop but when I'm out and about in public as well. Ladies always fidgeting and readjusting their straps. Listen up, ladies! Your bra is trying to tell you something. As a professional Bra Whisperer, let me help you decode it's message:

The explanation is quite simple. It comes down to four (4) main reasons your straps seem to refuse to cooperate.

Reason 1: You are wearing a less than adequate fit.

The first reason your bra straps keep falling is because the fit isn't quite right. This can be either your band, your cup size, or both. "How can that be? I know my size." If you said that, I suggest you read this article on Bra Fitting. There is a reason I said the fit isn't right and not that the size isn't right. This is the type of education we love to give our clients here at The Perky Lady.

Let's start with the band. When your band is too loose it rides up on your back and there is too much movement for the straps to be able to stay in place. Additionally, the band size correlates to how the bra is scaled. Straps on a 34 band are typically more narrow than a 36 band. It’s called scaling. Which also plays into the next reason – style.

What about the Cup? The same concepts in play for the band apply to the cup as well. If you haven't been properly fitted then you may well be spilling out on the top, sides, bottom, or all of the above. When that happens your body creates gaps which give your bra a chance to move. Movement = sliding which is what we're talking about.

Reason 2: You are wearing a style that doesn’t work with your body.

Strap placement is crucial not just in relation to sizing and the seemingly magic scaling ratios for your body, but also for style. Strap placement, both front and back, are integral to both design and how the bra functions and wears.

This is obvious if you think about it. A plunge and a balconette are going to move the breast tissue in different ways and therefore push the straps that support them in different ways. A push up that isn't properly fitted for example could create the gapping on the top that I was talking about above and move the straps to the side causing them to fall off the shoulders. The result, you end up lopsided with one pushed up boob and one fallen soldier. Not a good look...

Reason 3: You haven’t adjusted your straps since you bought it.

Everyone is different and bras try to adjust for this beyond just band and size by using adjustments. This is why a bra fitting is so essential! When you shop at The Perky Lady we fit the bra to your specific body and are happy to take the time to educate you on the how and why of the process.

That being said, every day is a roll of the dice. We've all looked at a piece of cake and felt the band on our bra get tighter as a result. That's where adjustments at home come into play.

Some people over adjust (see the next reason), some don’t adjust at all. If they are loose, maybe they just need a little tightening. Slide the tension so that you can fit 2 fingers snuggly between the strap and your shoulder. If you can move your fingers easily it is on the loose side. If you can’t fit them under, it is overly tight. See? Simple when you know the secrets!

Reason 4: Your bra is caput!

Unlike that pillow you've had since you were 8 or the partial T-Shirt you got in college that you simply can't bring yourself to get rid of because it feels so good to lounge around in... bras expire. The grim peeper comes and takes them to that great open catwalk in the sky.

Use whatever term you like. Done, finis, expired, dead…caput. Whatever you call it our straps are overstretched. They have lost their elasticity and it's time to move on.

The main ways your straps lose their elasticity is the bra is old and has lost the ability to retain the proper shape. The bra’s fabric has been compromised by the washer and dryer (My Perky Ladies shudder at the thought and are silently judging you for not using SoakWash and extending the life of that perfect bra but I digress). And/or you have overtightened the straps in a desperate attempt to find the support you are desperately lacking. (Hint: support comes from your band, not the straps!)