Fit Beauty: What to avoid when buying a bra
Do you remember back (way back for some of us) around the time we were about 11- or 12-years-old when sexual education started to be a regular unit in health class? Our fearless teachers managed to sit through all of the giggling long enough to explain the many technical details about growing up into men and women. As I've gotten older, I've learned a few things (whether through the experiences of friends or on my own) that I really wish they'd covered back then.
One of those things is the basics behind buying a bra. OK, I suppose it isn't really the education system's responsibility to make sure that you know how to get the right fit but it's still something that I think we girls need to learn as early as possible in order to save years of struggling through life in ill-fitting, uncomfortable brassieres.
According to this (and as many of you have likely experienced), wearing the wrong size bra can have a range of negative effects on your health including sore shoulders, back and neck, bad posture and aching breasts. Granted this isn't an expert's website but I've heard all of the problems echoed elsewhere on numerous occasions.
Plus, and I wonder how many women are actually aware of this, bras that fit will make you look so much better! Not only do your clothes fit better but the right bra can make you appear thinner. Let's face it, it's hard not to notice a women wearing an ill-fitting brassiere when all you can see is droopiness, bunched up back fat or breasts exploding forth from too-small cuts working desperately to keep those boobs inside where they're meant to be.
So, for all of you out there who still haven't made getting the right bra a priority -- whether it's due to embarrassment, expense or whatever -- you owe it to yourself to take the time to find your size and invest in a bra that fits. If you really are too shy to have a professional fit you, grab a measuring tape and do it yourself using the guidelines contained on the page listed above. Above all, make sure you're you're honest with yourself about those measurements whether you want them to be bigger or smaller. You won't be doing yourself any favors by changing the results by a few inches. If you are will to let a professional measure you, make sure you don't suck in your stomach as this will change the size of your ribcage and alter the results.
Once you've got your size figured out and you're ready to shop, be prepared to try on a lot of different bras. Just like finding a great pair of jeans, getting a great bra will take patience as not every one will fit exactly the same way. Also, keep in mind the bra-buying blunders listed here.
According to the article, if when you're trying on bras your boobs are spilling over the top, then the cups are too small. You can ensure the band is the right size by checking to make sure that center of the bra sits flat against your breastbone. If you find you've got back fat then the band is too small, and it's too big if it hangs way down below your shoulder blades.
The piece also reminds us all that pretty bras don't necessarily make good bras. If it's lacy but offers no support, it's best to avoid -- well unless you know that it'll be coming off right away, I suppose! Try to have enough bras for different occasions as a single perfectly fit bra won't necessarily look perfect with every item in your wardrobe and finally, remember that if your bra is causing you pain, it doesn't fit right and needs to be retired for one that does.
Keep in mind that breast size changes throughout your life for various reasons including pregnancy, weight loss or gain, and aging, so a bra that fits now may not in a few years. Therefore, it's a good idea to get re-measured every couple of years or after any major body-shape-changing events.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-31-2008 @ 4:40PM
jennywenny said...
Another thing to do is to put your top back on to check how it looks under clothes.
If you live in the uk and are on the larger side, then Bravissimo is an invaluable resource. They'll even come into the changing room with you and check fit. They have really beautiful bras, so you can be glamorous and comfortable. Here in the US I resort to buying their stuff online. www.bravissimo.com
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 8:11PM
jamie said...
Wearing the right bra is very important.
I love spanx and wear them always...it gives a great line under
clothing.
I buy at BareNecessites.com (which has great selection and pricing)
through an online shopping mall that gives me between 5-55% back in
cash on all my purchases. There are over 1000 stores including Bare
Necessities, Sephora, Apple, The Gap, Target (great for soo much),
Macy's. I also wait for sales so I get my cash back and the lowest
price
http://www.dailyoink.com The site is ugly, but well worth it.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 8:53PM
JO said...
They need to make the bras better, under the arms=they have made that part smaller thru the yrs. and when you have larger breasts, there's nothing under the arms to hold them in.
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2-02-2008 @ 8:55PM
JO said...
The underarm section is too small to hold in larger breasts. They have taken this part and cut it too small thru the years.
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2-02-2008 @ 9:29PM
cpecat4 said...
You are right. My mom had the same problem. We ended up buying one size up- (DB D)- where the side supports were much better, and then I cut down the cup size to make them fit her. Suggestion-hope maybe it helps. Mom was pleased because she wanted the extra support under the arms. The only bras we could find that had that were very big sizes.
2-02-2008 @ 9:30PM
J. C. Wolf said...
I find that women's bras are much easier to get into if they hook in the front. As women get older two things seem to be important. wider shoulder straps, and front hooks.
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2-02-2008 @ 9:31PM
CAROL said...
i like the minimizers, they spread you east and west instead of sticking out.
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2-03-2008 @ 12:12AM
Pamela said...
I too love minimizers. As I can't yet afford a redux (and ppl always look at me funny when I dream of a full masectomy), they are the next best thing.
I liked the Enell sports bra(the ones Oprah endorsed) when they were new, but they are expensive ($63!), and they have a visible seam across each cup that shows up whenever I wore a light colored shirt. I think I'll take Brenda's advice and look at thr Playtexs
2-02-2008 @ 10:11PM
tootsie said...
Not sure where you are shopping, I have never had that problem in the many places that I have lived, in the bargain stores and the exclusive stores. Under pants I can see, but not bras. Take that back, did run into that is one place and I simply walked out to another store and made my purchase. When you are my size and have some of my problems, due to surgeries and a lumpectomy, I don't buy a pig in a poke.
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2-02-2008 @ 10:39PM
Michelle said...
I've never really had too big of an issue buying a bra, except for one time. I was tired of having ill fitting bras, so I went to an exclusive store (won't say the stores name, but it's really no secret which one it was). A salesgirl asked me if I needed any assistance and after I told her that I was looking for a new bra, she asked me what size I was... 32B. Well, her response to that made me want to slap her. "Oh, we don't make bras in *that* size." I've never been ashamed or embarrassed about my size until that day. I asked to speak to a manager, but it turns out I was already dealing with her. I haven't been back to that store since.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 10:59PM
Diane said...
You wanted to slap the salesgirl girl because the store doesn't offer a product in your size and she informed you of that?
2-02-2008 @ 11:42PM
brafitter1 said...
michelle,
32B is not that uncommon of a size. i see it everyday. as i've mentioned go look at the intimacy website to try and find a good store near you. i can almost guarantee that will have something in your size. and i know what store you are talking about and let me tell you i have no high regards for them. i myself am a 32D and they once told me i was a 36A. and when i used to try and see if they had 32s they never did. so please look at intimacy and see what you can find. you won't be let down.
2-02-2008 @ 10:44PM
Charlie said...
I only wear bras on vacation, even tho i am a male....simpley because it's the safest way to carry ready cash....my wife thinks it's hilarious.......i find one can carry sufficient ready cash flow in a double A cup
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:21PM
Emily said...
Charlie you are a hoot. My gramma used to make little silk pouches that you pinned in your bra for mad money as she called it. I still have a couple for sentimental reasons.
You know they make belts that have a zipper on the inside to keep cash?
I hope it's not an underwire and you get stopped at the air port.
2-02-2008 @ 10:45PM
brafitter1 said...
Ladies,
I work at a bra fitting shop in Northern Virginia. and there are a few pointers i want to point out. When fitting for a bra, it's a little bit more difficult to get fit for a cup just because not every woman is perfect and when you measure right across the fullest part of the bust you don't get the weight on the bottoms or the top of your breasts. Therefore there is no scientific way to measure for the cup of the bra. So to know what size you are i highly recommend going to the website www.myintimacy.com. There you will be able to put what state you live in and find a store near you. The people there will be able to get you all sized. Do not be afraid to try something on higher then a DD. really that is small in comparison. If you live in or near the Northern Virginia area I highly recommend Trousseau, located in Vienna. They were the winner of WUSA9 news networks best bra fitting/lingerie store in the area vs. 4 other fine stores in 2006. They were also awarded the best store by Intima. This is a national award vs. all other stores in their category. So i highly recommend searching for a good store on myintimacy. Now back to bra fittings. Another thing "back fat". "Back fat" is actually just the elastcic of the band pressing against your skin. EVERYONE has skin, therefore everyone should have those little indents just to show that the bra is secure and fitting right. Even 30AA's have "back fat" so when you are shopping for a bra DO NOT worry about it. Also stand up straight when you are trying something on. It will give you a better idea. Anyway i hope this helps you in someway shape or form.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:06PM
Julie Shumate said...
Great article. I am a representative for Essential Bodywear, llc (www.juliethebralady.com). Did you know 85% of American women are wearing the wrong size. I can change that by properly fitting you in the right size and style.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:11PM
nocarbons said...
Agree with writers' comments. The sides need to be wider for better fit and support. I am sure most of us would pay a few cents more for side support. I hope bra companies read these comments.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:15PM
ScrappyPeanut said...
Perhaps I should clarify- I wanted to slap that snotty salesgirl because of her attitude when she said that to me. A 32B is not that uncommon of a size. A cousin of mine has a job at the same retailer and they DO carry that size.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:22PM
Belinda said...
No one ever has my size. 30DD. Sometimes a store will carry a 32D, but very rarely. Anyone know of a store that carries a very wide range of sizes? I'm tired of ordering from catalogs.
Reply
2-02-2008 @ 11:38PM
brafitter1 said...
hi belinda,
i don't know where you are located, but again look at the intimacy website. at the store i work at (trousseau in vienna, va) we carry from a 28AA up to a 56K. and this goes out to all the ladies out there looking for that perfect fitting bra, even though no one (we all know it) has the perfect body. Trousseau does complimentary alterations to the bra if we can't find one that fits just right for you. also if we just so happen to be out of a certain size in the bra we think will fit you perfectly, we will order it for you to try on. anyway i hope this helps