Advantages of Front-Close Bras

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I love the fit and look of front-close bras. Here are a few reasons I recommend trying one.

Bras with a front clasp closure have the advantage of being easier to put on. If you have trouble reaching around to fasten the hooks of a back-closure style, slipping into a front-close bra can be a relief.

Front-close bras can fit better on some body types than the more common back-hook closure bras. The front clasp pulls your breasts closer towards the front from the sides. For wide-set breasts, this can help move some of your breast tissue forwards from under the arms, providing a fuller appearance at the center. 

Find suggestions for popular front-close bras here.

Those with wide-set breasts may also feel more comfortable in a front-close bra, in addition to the advantage of its more flattering appearance, especially if it has an underwire. This is because you are less likely to have the underwire digging in to sensitive breast tissue at the sides than you are in an underwire back-close bra, since that tissue is being pulled forwards by the center clasp.

Prina push-up front-close bra, at Hunkmoller US.

If you decide to try a front-closure bra, be sure to get the right band size, since they can’t be adjusted the way a back-hook closure bra can. Measure your underbust below your breasts and around the rib cage. For an odd number, round up to the nearest inch or centimeter. This is your band size in most bras.

For cup size, measure around the fullest part of your breasts and around your back under the arms while wearing an unlined bra. For an odd number, round up to the nearest inch or centimeter. Subtract your band size from this number. The result is your cup size.

You may need to be less selective in choosing a front-close bra than you would be with back-hook styles, because they are less easily available. So my advice is to make sure that you purchase a front-closure style that you can return or exchange for free if it doesn't fit.

Also, make sure you know what tends to fit best on you in general in terms of bra types: is it push-up, lightly lined, demi, full-coverage, wireless, plunge, etc.? Stick with a type that has worked well on your body in the past.

Don't rely on how a photo looks to decide whether a bra will fit you or not. This is not a good indicator of how the bra is going to fit in real life. You can sometimes evaluate how a bra will fit you from how it looks on a model if she has a similar body type to yours, but not always, since proportions and angles are not always accurately represented.