Like the need for a yearly update with your favourite bra fitter, here are my yearly bra fitting tips! Let’s look at why your bras are perhaps not fitting you very well or just plain incorrectly.
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The sizing dilemma…it’s been said the world over that up to 90% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size. I’m not sure I agree with that particular statistic but it is indeed common. More accurately, women tend to choose the same size bra in different brands and designs. This is where a good bra fitter will take into consideration that breast tissue will fit differently depending on the style of bra, and that most women are not just ‘one size’.
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Wearing the same bra everyday…you may have a ‘go-to-bra’ that you wear everyday due to it’s comfort factor. Unfortunately this will ware it out pretty quick. Try to alternate between three or even four good fitting bras throughout the week. Natural body salts, heat and sweat are what destroy the elasticity and fine fibres of a bra. A bra really needs 24 to 48 hours to rest and return to it’s former shape before wearing it again – constant exposure to the salts in our sweat cause ageing to the bra.
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Adjusting the straps when necessary…as a bra fitter I notice busy women may forget to shorten or even lengthen the bra straps as needed. A good rule of thumb is to adjust them after every wash. If they’re too short the bra will be feel as though it’s being moved up your torso – a lot of breast weight also will be placed on the neck and shoulders causing unnecessary strain. And if they’re too long (or loose) they’ll probably slip off your shoulders and you’ll have less support and lift.
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Knowing when to adjust the band…I see a lot of ‘over sized’ bra bands! The band will stretch and relax over time as it ages and moulds to your body. If you start on the outermost set of hooks this will give you the most amount of room and where a new bra should start from. It’s time to move to the middle hooks when you feel the band is arching rather than sitting horizontal to the floor. Or you begin to feel as though your bra is moving or wriggling slightly around your torso. And eventually you can move to the innermost placed hooks for added firmness. This is also the point at which you’re probably needing a good update.
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Different styles achieve different results…Just like shoes there are a myriad of shapes and styles when it comes to bras. From wire to wire free, balconette to moulded, from push-up to full cover, demi and contours styles. Where do you start and what suits your particular breast tissue? Finding the right style is just as critical as finding the correct size. Good quality time is needed to discover all of the above – this is why you need to find a fabulous bra fitter you feel comfortable with.
