Are You Wearing The Right Bra?

Are You Wearing The Right Bra? We go back to boob school.........lol
Guide to how to avoid the most common ‘booby traps’
Make sure you are wearing the correct size bra
Do you grapple with droopy bra straps? Suffer back pain in the afternoon? Have four boobs instead of two?
It’s likely you are one of 80 per cent of women in the UK who are wearing the wrong size bra or one of a quarter who have never had a bra fitting.

So many women get fitted for a bra when they are 16 years old and continue to buy the size they were fitted in for the rest of their lives!

Bodies change shape with age and weight gain / loss, so it is so important to go regularly.’

I heard of a girl who was a tiny size 6 and had breast implants. She was wearing a 36C for years and thought her bra fitted. But she was actually a size 30E!

A lot of women don’t know that sizes and styles across the different brands differ.Once you change your bra brand the sizing can change completely.

'There are standard fitting brands but some store brands have there own sizes. This keeps you going back to the store for what you think is the right size.’

You've all been guilty of spending a fortune on a new dress, but not giving out undergarments a second thought.

A badly fitting bra can make or break an outfit says Martina Alexander from Wonderbra.

She says: ‘The perfect fit and style of bra completes your look, so it is really important to consider this when choosing lingerie to suit your outfit. Be sure to harmonise the colour of your bra with the colours in your outfit. A good fit is vital.’

But Gwen says no woman wants to hear their bra doesn’t fit well: ‘Women find a bra they think fits and they stick to it,’ she says. ‘Telling them they have the wrong size is like saying you’re a size 16 when you’ve always worn a 12.’

Many women feel uncomfortable in ill fitting bras

Beckie Williams founder of of Busts for Justice blog says her life has changed since finding her correct size: ‘I couldn’t walk down stairs without my boobs bouncing out of my bra cups.

'I would stay as still as possible at all times, or spend the whole day trying to hold them down and rearrange them.

'It was only when a fitter helped me in to a 30G (from a 34E) that I realised that wasn’t normal.'

For years Beckie had believed her body was weird and awkward.

‘My new fit set me free,’ she says. ‘The perfect fit can make the difference between resenting and loving your curves - and every woman deserves to love the body they have.’

Aside from being the perfect excuse to treat yourself to some new lingerie, wearing an ill-fitting bra can lead to health problems including headaches, stomach upsets and back and shoulder issues.

You also run the risk of ­irreversible damage to your breast ligaments, which causes pain and leads to sagging. One of the biggest no-nos is wearing a bra that doesn’t give you enough support, especially when doing sport.

'Most women underestimate the effect of a properly fitting bra, and have no idea what it should look or feel like.

'Wearing the right size can often be a transformative experience, with lots of benefits to breast health and your wellbeing.’

So why is it so hard to get it right?

Women may wear identical bra sizes but actually be quite different body shapes.

It seems the best you can do is get fitted regularly and go on how you feel.

Seven booby traps

The most common, experienced by 41 per cent of the 1,000 women surveyed, is the ‘side boob’, in which the cup underwiring sits on the breast rather than on the ribcage, causing overspill at the side.

And more than a third admitted to experiencing the ‘quadraboob’, in which breasts spill over the top of a too-small cup, creating the impression of four breasts. Britney Spears often suffers the dreaded Quadraboob.


5 top tips

1. Stand sideways in the mirror and check to see if the underband is running parallel. If the back of the bra is riding up at the back it is too loose and you should reduce the back size.

2. Hold your hands and lift your arms above your head. The centre front of the bra (cradle) should sit flat to your breastbone.

3. Don’t put up with constantly pulling your straps up. If the straps fall down you need to tighten them, as they are not providing support to the bust.

4. Try different cup sizes to avoid gaping or spilling out of the cup.

5. If the wire is digging in or lying on the breast tissue, try increasing the cup size to avoid damaging the tissue and remember your breast tissue goes all the way to underneath your armpit!

DID YOU KNOW?

Dark bras may feel tighter than light ones – this is due to the dying process.

Ladies bra sizes fluctuate throughout their monthly menstrual cycle.

The first modern brassiere was invented by New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacobs when she was just 19 years of age.

The most popular bra size in the UK IS 36D.

You can do a degree in Bra Studies at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The biggest bra now available on the high street is an L cup.

80% of women own more than 5 bras.

Was this helpful..........Drop your comments below