Back Fat and Bra Fit

This isn't a term I love but there's no getting around it, lots of women ask me about back fat. I'm going to start by saying that in the big scheme of things back fat is not something you need to worry about. No one who matters is looking at your back and judging you so you don't need to scrutinize yourself either. Having said that I know that it bothers lots of women so I want to help you understand how your bra size and shape can affect how your body looks under clothing. There are two main causes of avoidable back fat 1) bands that are too loose and 2) wings that are too shallow.

How a Loose Band Gives You Back Fat
When your band is too big for you it rides up your back creating an arch shape which cuts across the widest part of your back and pushes the flesh downwards which creates rolls on your back. The weight of your unsupported bust at the front pulls the tissue near your armpit to be pushed up which creates overhang too.

The red line shows where the bra band should lie so that the flesh is not pushed up or down

Lots of women think that a snug bra will give them back fat but it will do quite the opposite. A snug band will fit you at the narrowest part of your torso. The will stop the flesh above and below being forced up or down into rolls. A loose band doesn't just cause rolls it also lowers your bust at the front and causes your straps to dig in.

How the Depth of Your Wings Affect Back Fat
Bras with deeper wings will smooth out your back. Just as long panels of shapewear smooth you out under clothing so too a deeper wing will smooth out your back.

Left, Lucy by Cleo. Right, Profile Perfect by FayreForm

In the image above you can see that the wings on Lucy are shallower than the wings on Profile Perfect. The deeper wings spread out the pressure of the band over a greater area and so the back appears smoother than the shallower wing

Fit is more important than Fat
If you carry a lot of weight around your back then you are always going to get some dips where your bra fits but having a bra that fits you correctly is more important than something even you can't see without twisting in a mirror. If it really bothers you then you can wear shapewear over your bra that will add another smoothing layer to your undergarments but in general choosing a bra that is the best shape and band size for you will make a huge difference to the smoothness of your look xx