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" T-shirt bras are designed to be both sturdy enough to support your bust, and as subtle as possible underneath even the thinnest blouse. But as every woman knows, not all bras are created equal, and shopping for a bra can be frustrating if you aren&amp;#039;t exactly sure what to look for. Thankfully, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) has your back \u2014 or rather, your bust; we spoke with Jenny Altman, the Style Director for Barelythere.com, to get her top tips for picking out the best brassiere for you. In the store:  Assess the lift.  Making the band and straps tighter helps give your breasts support, easing back and shoulder strain. You can see if the bra you&amp;#039;re trying on gives you the support you need by leaning over and making sure your breasts remain fully in the cups. If you find that the shoulder straps are digging into your shoulders, look for bras with padded straps. For constantly-slipping straps, look for a bra with straps set close or even a U-back or ballerina-back style.  Check the back.  If you&amp;#039;re trying on a bra and the band is riding up in the back, you&amp;#039;ll want to go down a size. You shouldn&amp;#039;t be able to fit more than two fingers inside the band when it is closed on the loosest hook. That way, as the bra stretches over time, you can gradually tighten it. The band is the primary source of support for a bra, and so should be doing most of the work. If the bra is not providing you with enough support, try going down a band size instead of just adjusting the straps. If you&amp;#039;re sure you&amp;#039;re wearing the right size, but the band is still digging into your back, choose a bra that is smooth in the back or closes in the front.  Consider the cups.  It certainly seems like common sense. Overflowing? Go up a size. Too much room in the cups? Go down a cup size. As you&amp;#039;re trying on the bra, lean over and make sure your breasts are fully in the cups, then stand up straight in front of the mirror to assess. Also, be sure that the center gore of the bra (the piece of fabric in between the cups) lies flat against your breastbone.  Online:  Know your fit.  This is something you can actually measure yourself at home in a few easy steps. For your band size, bring a measuring tape around your back at the level right above your breasts and directly under your arms; alternatively, you can also measure underneath your breasts across your ribcage. If you get an odd number for either of these measurements, round to the nearest even number. For your cup size, measure around the widest part of your breasts with a tape measure, and then subtract that number from your band size. The amount of inches difference gives you your cup size (i.e. if you have a 34 inch band size, and a 36 inch cup size, the difference is 2, which would mean you are a B cup). For more information, visit barelythere.com.    Brands fit differently.  Just like with clothing, fit can vary, particularly when you&amp;#039;re looking at European retailers. Take advantage of websites&amp;#039; customer service or sizing sections to help you find the perfect fit.   Next: Our handy checklist for smarter bra shopping "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/clothing/bra-reviews/a18805/t-shirt-bra-shopping-tips/>