FIT TIPS & ADVISCE
Here are the 10 bra mistakes you're most likely making:
- Choosing a bra by cup size.
So we shouldn't be choosing bras based on cup size? "Cup sizes are directly related to a band size," she told us. "So for somebody to say, 'Oh, I'm a D cup' is irrelevant unless you know what band size it's correlated with." Cup sizes are not standard, meaning you may be a D with one band size but a E with another size band. A 32D bra is a cup size smaller than a 34D, for example. Letting go of whatever cup size you think you are will allow you to explore and find the best-fitting bra for you. Which leads us to...
2. Wearing a bra that's too small.
Many women's identities are tied up in their cup sizes, Bobbie says, making them resistant to go up a cup size in order to go down a band size. But you may be wearing a 36C when your ribcage measurement is a 32... which would require you to buy a bra that's a 32E
3. Fastening your bra on the tightest hooks.
When measuring your band size, you should go according to the outermost set of hooks, not the innermost. A bra is going to stretch about three inches in its lifetime, and when it does, "that's when you go to the next set of hooks." Buy a bra that fits snugly on the last set of hooks, and only later should you need to use the tighter ones.
4. Letting the band ride up on your back.
The back band should never be higher than the underwire. If it does, it doesn't fit you properly.
- Insisting on a contour-style bra instead of a softer seamed, lined bra.
Contour bras are the molded ones, the kind that keep their shape even when they're in your drawer. Seamed bras are the soft ones with floppy fabric cups that mold to the shape of your breast. Which one is right for you, depends on the texture of your boobs. "If your breasts are firm and they sit up high on their own," "then you can get away with the push-up bras and the contour style." But if, like most women, your breasts are softer and not naturally perky, "they're going to settle at the bottom of the contour cup and you'll going to have space at the top of the strap."
Why does this happen? A breast is naturally cone-shaped, not round, so when you wear a contour with its own shape, you're trying to fit soft tissue into that shape. The seams of a seamed bra, on the other hand, function like the support beams of a house, giving structure and shape to the breast. They work with your breasts to mold to them, instead of your breasts having to fit into a pre-determined shape.
6.Thinking you can wear one bra with every type of outfit.
Yeah, you just can't. Certain dresses are going to require a more perky shape, while some shirts might look better if your breasts sit lower and flatter. Try different bras for each item of clothing you have to ensure you're pairing your outfit with the best bra possible.
7. Wearing a bra two days in a row.
You may have that one bra you love, but bras shouldn't be worn two days in a row. "Letting a bra rest at least one day in between wear will help the elastic regain its strength,". "When you’re wearing it two days in a row, it's like pulling on a muscle -- it's going to strain it and it won't be able to snap back." One thing that helps keep that elastic fresh? Washing it in cold water helps it, because the cold water shocks it.