As well as being an image consultant and stylist, I’m also a bra fitter for Harris Scarfe. I’m used to seeing many women in the wrong bra! It’s very easy to forget or neglect to update your most important garment. When a women has been wearing the same one, or few for a long time, it’s hard to remember what a great fitting bra should look and feel like. Take a good look at the ones you own presently and see if my seven bra fitting facts are in order.
Harris Scarfe http://www.harrisscarfe.com.au/about-us/rundle-place
I’m used to seeing many women in the wrong bra! It’s very easy to forget or neglect to update your most important garment. When a women has been wearing the same one, or few for a long time, it’s hard to remember what a great fitting bra should look and feel like. Take a good look at the ones you own presently and see if my seven bra fitting facts are in order.
- The band around your back must be firm but not tight as this provides 85% of the support to your entire breast tissue.
- The straps should be firm but not digging into your shoulders causing strain to them and or your back – they only provide 15% of the overall support & lifting of your breast tissue.
- The under wire must encase your bust perfectly and sit outside your breast tissue at the sides toward your armpit.
- Your breasts should not spill out over the top of the bra cup as it must sit flat against the chest wall.
- The center of the bra/gore must sit comfortably against your sternum separating breast tissue to the exact width your breasts sit apart from one another.
- When you raise your arms above your head the under wire should not move forward or upward but sit flat across your ribs.
- If you were to release the straps down & off your shoulders your breasts should still sit in the correct place due to good band anchorage & correct cup size.
- Your nipples need to be sitting exactly half way between your shoulder line and elbow when in the correct fitting bra.
- A bra should last anywhere between 12 & 18 months if you hand wash it in a lingerie bag or alternatively use the cold hand wash cycle in a front loader.
- It’s best to have 3-4 great quality bras you can alternate from day to day to give the fabrication a chance to rest & be restored, because the key element to your bra is the elastic. It gives you the gentle support that gives you shape. When you wear your bra your body heat warms up the elastic causing it to gradually stretch. To give the elastic time to recover it is best not to wear your bra on consecutive days. Heat is what destroys your bra & that includes heat from a tumble drier – it’s best to lie your bra flat to dry after washing. Body salts also subject the bra fabric to wear & tear & aging, therefore another good reason to not wear the same bra for several days in a row.
- Hang your bras over a clothes hanger in your wardrobe with the center piece/gore resting directly over the hanger – this way the straps don’t get over stretched & they’re not squashed in a draw. This will also air them out in between wearing.
- Lastly, your bra should feel so comfortable that you feel as though you don’t even have one on!