Health News / November 2006
Shape Up, Size Up
According to the undergarment industry, 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong bra size. Some women start with the right size but gain or lost weight. Women may keep a favorite bra, not noticing that they, and the bra, have changed shape. Even good quality bras lose elasticity after time. Many women set their strap length once and don’t realize that the strap, or their bosom, may be slipping.
Too often, women simply adapt to the discomfort of a poor fitting bra, to the poking, chafing, pinching, rashes, sore necks, shoulder indentations and red marks. A good fitting bra affects not only appearance but physical well being, too.
The right size bra is comfortable and allows a woman to look her best in clothing. Experts say “Buy the bra you need, not the bra you would like to be.” One of Victoria’s Secrets and the clue to the Sports Illustrated swim suit issue is that the models wear bras two sizes too small. But those women are well paid for their brief pain. Most women have to look good all day, not just a few hours, and no one is writing them a check for their torment.
If the bra band is too big, it doesn’t snugly hug the chest wall underneath the breasts. A loose band is suspended by the bra straps and shifts with movement, so it can’t support the weight of the breasts. This puts the burden of support on the straps, which are generally designed to adjust height of the bust. If the straps are tightened too much when the band is loose, the bra rides up in back and straps cut into the shoulders.
With cups too small, there isn’t enough coverage. Breasts spill out under the arm, or fall out the bottom of the cups when arms are raised, or “pillow” at the top of the cup, which looks lumpy in tops.
When cups are too big, they aren’t fully filled out by the breasts. The bra cups wrinkle and create a noticeable impression in the top of clothing.
The first step to good fit is the bra band. Correct size is determined by measuring right under the bust with a cloth tape measure. Place the tape around the back and under the bust. If the number falls between inches, round up to the larger size.
When trying on a bra, fasten the closure in the middle set of hooks, never the tightest.
Properly fitted cups should fit all around the breasts, from top to bottom and from under the arm to the center of the chest. Coverage in the front should be complete without falling out when leaning over. If the cups pucker or wrinkle, try a smaller letter size. If the cup runneth over at the top, sides, or bottom, try the next larger letter size, but don’t change the band or inches size to get cups to fit. Most women have one breast that is larger than the other. Buy a bra to fit the larger side.
Straps should be wide enough so they don’t dig into shoulders and tight enough to raise the bust to a comfortable level near the elbow bend. Properly adjusted straps won’t slip off the shoulders.
Underwires stiffen the band, and improve support and shape. They should long enough to hug the body and encircle the sides and bottom of the breast. The underwire between the breasts should lie flat against the sternum.
Because bras tend to stretch in back, the bra should fit firmly on the loosest hook when new.
When shopping for a bra, wear a top that easily shows the bra lines and the shape the bra gives.
To test for comfort and fit, sit down in the bra. It shouldn’t poke under the arm or press against the stomach.
If a bra band rides up in back, the band is too large or needs to be tightened. If the bust is spilling over or bulging under the cup, a larger cup size is needed. If straps dig into the shoulders, try loosening them, but the cups may be too small, pulling the bra downward and creating tension in the straps.
When bra cups are puckering or gapping, band size or cup size is too large. Think smaller.
If straps are falling down, band size is probably too large or, the bra may have lost its elasticity.
When underwire is poking or digging in, the bust has been forced to find somewhere else to go. The cup size is probably too small. Think larger.
Most importantly, always think “comfortable”. PL
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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