Bra Wearing - Get it right!

It seems unbelievable that 70% or more of women in the UK are wearing the wrong size bra? But it's true!

A tight band!

Strap cutting into shoulder!

When you remove your Bra lookout for marks, lines and red areas on your shoulders, sides and around the breasts.

Also check: -

Does your bust bulge out at the top, sides or bottom of your bra?

Does your bust fall out or become visible underneath the bra, or push the centrepiece of the bra away from the body?

Do your bra straps mark your shoulders?

If your answer is Yes to any of the above then your cup size is too small!

Do you have red marks around your body after taking off your bra?

If your answer is yes your bra is too small for you. Measure yourself correctly for a larger size.

Does the back band ride up above your shoulder blades?

Do your bra cups look wrinkly?

Does your bra centrepiece sit away from your body?

If the answer is yes to any of the above you are wearing the wrong size bra.

Measure yourself for correct fit.

Please be aware that bra’s can be very much like shoes in that they can vary in size from manufacturer to manufacturer. Even though the label says it is your size it may still be a bad fit for you so always try before you buy!

The fit of any new bra will normally be slightly tight, but after a couple of weeks the fabric will have become a little softer and will be a more comfortable fit.

Wearing your bra too long? 
Tara says: Look after your breast health “Get out of the bolder holder” Give your Breasts a break from being cooped up in a tight bra all day. Allow yourself a few hours in the evening without a bra, slip into a comfortable camisole top and maybe try a little breast massage.

Sporty? -

Breasts contain fat and glands but no muscle. Therefore it's important to prevent the ligaments, which provide natural support in the breast, from overstretching. Providing good support during exercise or when playing vigorous sports will help prevent the breasts from drooping.  NB. For normal daily life it is not critical to wear a bra constantly to prevent sagging, although it is fine to wear a bra for up to 12 hours or less. It is widely known that breasts change shape, as one gets older. This is more noticeable for large breasted women.

In the teen years or during puberty the breasts sit high up on the chest wall then as a woman matures and the breasts develop fully they will drop slightly with a lower nipple position and will probably be softer in composition.

Further changes will take place during and sometimes more radically after childbirth and breast-feeding.

Putting your bra on:

Put the straps over your shoulders.

Bend forward at the waist, and ease your breasts naturally into the cups. Adjust your breasts so that the nipples are centred into the fullest point of the cup. The cup should completely contain the breast (with the exception of the push-up styles).

Set the back fastening to the loosest position.

Stand upright. Adjust the shoulder straps to a comfortable position and make sure the back fastener is not too tight. Always make sure you can easily slip two fingers under the bands and straps of your bra to ensure that it is not too tight!

Sizing your bra. Come on Girls - Measure yourself properly! ...

A hopeless fit!

Under wire marks.

Peeping out underneath?

Always measure your bust size wearing your best fitting bra - not without! Otherwise your breasts will not be supported properly and will tend to droop down flatter against the body, giving the impression you are a smaller cup size (This is especially true of the larger bust, which will require a good supporting bra to pull the breasts up). If you recognise any of the bad fitting examples from the pictures above, - buy some new lingerie! 

Don't make do with bra's that are years old and worn out. With new well fitting underwear you will feel like a new woman!

To obtain the band size:

Measure right around your torso, placing the measure just under your bust at the front and making sure the tape measure is completely flat against your body all the way around and hasn't dropped at the back.  Pull the tape measure fairly tight to make sure you have an accurate measurement.

Measure your cup and band size accurately. If you are still not sure visit your local lingerie specialist

Measuring yourself without your bra may not give an accurate measurement

To obtain the cup size:

As above but this time measure across the fullest part of your breasts at the front. And this time, make sure the tape measure is a little loose. When the tape measure just slips off the bust this is the measurement you should take. (This can be awkward so you may want to enlist the help of a friend or partner) 

Fitting Guide

Use my fitting guide to find your correct size in standard (imperial) UK sizes, bear in mind that some bra’s can be a bit like shoes, i.e. not all 34B cup bra’s will fit the same.  Don’t buy it just because the label says it’s supposed to be your size, keep trying different bra’s until you find the perfect fit!

Bear in mind most Bra’s will fit a little tighter when they are new.

Example 1:

A measurement of 29inches for your under bust size, is rounded up to give you a band size of 34inches, and if measuring around the fullest part of your bust was 35inches, you will see from the guide below that this would be a size 34B bra.

Example 2:

A measurement of 28inches for your under bust size, is rounded up to give you a band size of 32inches, and if measuring around the fullest part of your bust was 35 inches, you will see from the guide below that this would be a size 32D bra.

As you can see the measurements were similar, only the band size changed by one inch but there is a two-cup size difference between these two examples. Double-check and get it right.

Use my chart to find your size: