Image consultant, Carol Brailey, demonstrates a simple test to determine if your bra is doing its Job. Are your girls sitting where they should be? If in doubt, take the tests included in this video.

4 ways you can tell your bra is not fitting right

Your bra causes back fat 

Yes, it's actually the bra that does this. Many of us mistakenly think that back fat is caused by back bands that are too small. But bands that are too big are actually to blame.

When they’re too big, they don’t stay in the right place on your back, which is parallel to or a little lower than where it is in front; the bands ride up and create dreaded back lumps.

The center panel in the front doesn’t rest against your skin

This means that your breasts are too big for the cups you’re trying to fit them into, which results in the whole bra resting against your breasts instead of against your upper rib cage and sternum. The front middle of the bra should sit firmly against your skin, this way your bust will be lifted and separated.”

And if you can feel your underwire—as in, it sits on the bottom part of your breasts rather than fitting comfortably underneath them—you have the same problem. Underwire should not sit on the breast tissue at any time. If you see skin pinching from under the wire, you may need to go up a cup size.

The straps dig into your skin or fall down your shoulders

According to experts, straps should do only 10 percent of work; the band is responsible for 90 percent of a bra’s support. If you have to keep straps super tight to lift up your breasts, that means your band’s too big to give you proper support. Straps become loose and fall for the same reason (the ride-up factor), though it might also mean that the strap hasn’t been adjusted for your height.

You’ve got armpit boob

Some call it armpit fat, but armpit boob sounds kinder, don't you think?  Either way you say it, if you’ve got it, it means your cups are probably too small. If your cup is digging into your skin, whether it creates bulges over them or to the side, it indicates a need for a bigger cup size.

Here’s something important to remember

When bra shopping, going up or down a band size makes a much bigger difference than going up or down a cup size. According to HerRoom.com, going up a cup size with the same band size (for example, going from 34B to 34C) increases the bustline by an inch only. But if you raise the band size within the same cup size (switching from 34B to 36B), it raises the band circumference and the bust line by two inches!

If you have any of the 4 problems mentioned here, a consultation with a bra specialist may be in order. Nordstrom typically has specialists on staff who can help.

I found a great bra measuring guide at HerRoom.com. 

How about you? Does your bra fit properly?