Wide Coverage or Lean Cut: What It Means

The short answer: "wide coverage" means the cup extends round the side of the bust, under the arm, and holds it from the outside in. "Lean cut" means the cup stops at the bust and sits inside its edge. Wide coverage stops side spill and centres the bust; lean cut disappears under thin fabric and a t-shirt. Same size, different job.

No label says which is which, which is why two bras marked 36C can feel like different sizes. Our founder sorts the range this way every day in fittings; here is the sort.

Wide coverage: holds from the side

Signature Seamless Bra (M to 2XL), Sure Cover Bra (M to 3XL), Seamless Contour Bra (M to 3XL), Plus Size Sculpting Bra (XL to 5XL), and the GlowCut Seamless Bra when it is in stock. The cup wraps further round, the wing is wider, the band is wider. Choose it if:

• You spill at the side in most bras (spilling or gaping).
• Your bust sits wide or points outward and you want it brought to the centre.
• You wear a saree blouse or a fitted kameez and want the side line smooth.
• Your bust is fuller, D and above (the fuller bust guide).

Lean cut: sits inside the bust

Seamless Air Bra (M to 3XL), VLite Seamless Bra (S to XL), the Seamless T-Shirt Bra, Un-Lined Bra (M to XL). Less fabric at the side, a lighter feel, nothing to show at the edge of a sleeveless or a scoop neck. Choose it if:

• You want to feel almost nothing, especially from April to October (bras for Dhaka heat).
• You wear t-shirts and thin cotton and want no edge to show (under a thin kameez).
• Your bust is small to medium and does not spill.

The one-question test

Do you spill or do you show? If you spill, wide coverage. If the edge of the bra shows under thin fabric, lean cut. If both, wide coverage in a seamless style: the Signature and Contour are wide and still seamless, which is the combination most women here end up in (the five everyday bras compared).

Questions women ask us

Is wide coverage the same as full coverage?

Nearly. Full coverage is about the top of the cup, how high it comes; wide coverage is about the side. Sure Cover is both.

Does wide coverage look bigger?

No. A bust held from the side looks tidier and often smaller. The minimizer effect on the Signature and Air comes from this (minimizer explained).

I am an M. Do I need wide coverage?

Only if you spill. Most M and L women are happy in a lean cut; from XL up, wide coverage is the usual answer (bras in 3XL, 4XL and 5XL).

Can I try both?

Yes, in any store, free and private, and you never have to buy (what happens in a fitting).

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