Frequently Asked Questions

Custom Curves is located at 135 Portland Street, downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Click here for map, hours and contact information.

The average bra is priced between $55 - $95, depending on brand and style.
Please see our collections page for a list of the brands.

Items in unused condition with tags intact may be returned or exchanged within 14 days of purchase.
We are unable to give cash or debit refunds. Purchases made by cash or debit are valid for exchange or store credit. Refunds may only be issued to the original card used (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)
Items that have been worn, damaged or altered may not be returned or exchanged.
For hygiene reasons, underwear, shapewear and sale items are final sale.

Underwire escaping, hooks or eyes bent? Bras don't come with warranties and are unfortunately susceptible to wear and tear. We offer repairs at no charge for bras purchased at Custom Curves.

Your bra size is determined by two things: band size and cup size. Measure your bare chest- no shirt or bra- with a soft measuring tape (in inches).
Determine Band size:
1. Wrap the tape around your torso directly under the root of your breast- where your breast tissue meets your body- keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
2. After exhaling, pull the tape tight enough that it feels snug and does not move around, but not so tight as to stretch the tape.
3. Note down this measurement; you will need it to calculate your cup size.
4. Round this measurement up to the nearest even number. (If the measurement is over 36", you may round down) This is your band size.

Determine Cup size:
1. Lean forward until your back is parallel with the floor so that gravity pulls all your breast tissue downwards. Reach around your sides and push breast tissue that may be underneath your arms forward with a sweeping motion.
2. Loosely measure around your bust, with the tape passing over the fullest part of your hanging breasts. Do not bend the tape into your cleavage; keep it perpendicular to the floor in a straight line. Tighten the tape just enough so that it doesn't easily slide off the skin, but not tight enough to press into the breast tissue.
3. Subtract your underbust measurement (previous step 3) from this bust measurement.
4. Round the difference up to the nearest whole number and look it up on the chart below. The corresponding letter is your cup size, and may vary with different manufacturers. (UK, US and EU cup size progressions shown for comparaison)

• The band should be comfortably snug and not move around or ride up in the back. It should appear parallel to the floor and level with the underwires.
• The straps should neither fall off nor dig into your shoulders.
• The bra cup should be smooth with no wrinkles or empty spaces and should not cut in or create 'quad boob'.
• The wires should sit in the inframammary fold (where the root of the breast meets the chest) and should fully contain your breast tissue at the sides.
• The gore (center front of the bra, in between the cups) should touch your sternum.
• The bra should feel comfortable and the wires should not dig in at the sides or at the center.

Machine washing and drying will shorten the life span of your bras.
Always wash your bras by hand and air dry. Use a basin or dish tub with cool/warm water and detergent formulated for hand-washing (such as Soak, Forever New, Eucalan or Woolite). Fill with enough water to fully immerse your clothing. You can soak 2-4 bras at a time (light and dark colors separately).
After rinsing, gently squeeze -do not wring- excess water from your bras. You can also use an absorbent towel. Then simply lay them flat or hang to dry.
Never put your bras in the dryer.

Custom Curves specializes in extended bra sizing. Our priority is to provide options for sizes that are underrepresented or unavailable at other stores.
We carry band sizes 28 through 46 and cup sizes D to K (US N cup). We also carry small band/small bust options for sizes 28-32 A-C. Special ordering is available for sizes up to a 50 band.

Chain stores tend to stock relatively limited sizes (e.g. 32-44 A-D) with little to no options below a 32 band or above DDD. Some stores use outdated bra sizing methods to fit customers into the narrow size range they carry.
The most common problem that results from this is wearing bra bands too large and cups too small.
A bra's support diminishes the looser the band gets, resulting in underwires sitting on breast tissue, 'floating wires' not touching the sternum, cups that do not fully encapsulate and support the bust, a bra band that rides up, straps slipping or digging in- and so on!

Our mission is to help you get the best bra fit possible, and this is often achieved with having extended sizing available.

A corset is a garment made of sturdy, non-stretch material typically used to support the torso and cinch the waist. Traditionally, corsets have steel boning, a front closure (busk) and lacing up the back, used to adjust the tightness of the corset and ensure a snug fit.
A corset is NOT...
A bustier: garment with bra cups, usually waist or upper hip length. Made with bra materials and with hook & eye closure at the back. These are sized by bra size.
A waist trainer: although "waist trainer" is a catch-all term for garments that are intended to hold in and train the waist, modern day waist trainers with multiple hook & eye settings are often made of latex, mesh, neoprene or other elastic materials and are usually clothing sized. (We do not carry waist trainers)

No. We carry ready-to-wear, off-the-rack and standard sized corsets from brands such as: VG London, Timeless Trends, Orchard Corset and Mystic City. Retail corsets range from $90 - $170.
Instock corsets are viewable in our online catalogue.(external site) Corsets are sorted by size; we carry waist sizes 20 - 44!
Please note: online shopping is not available. A fitting is recommended to determine your corset size as well as which corset will suit your body type- we encourage you to visit and try a variety of styles.

Always loosen the lacing before putting on or removing a corset.
Store flat- inside a dustbag if desired- or draped over a hanger. Do not roll them up for an extended period or it may warp the boning.
All corsets are dry clean only, spot clean when necessary. Corsets with vinyl/PVC/faux leather accents are spot clean only. We recommend fully opening the corset- adjusting the lacing to maximum- before cleaning.

Corset sizing is based on "reduced waist" sizing. For an off-the-rack (standard sized) corset you typically subtract 4-5" from your natural waist measurement to find your corset size (e.g: 28-29" natural waist = 24" corset size).
However your body type and personal level of comfort is important in determining your corset size. If you have a straight or muscular build you may be more comfortable with a 2-3" reduction. If you have a naturally curvy hip-to-waist ratio you may be able to wear up to a 6" waist reduction.