Bra shopping is a thankless task that many people consider to be traumatic and distressing. Many women would rather walk around with an uncomfortable bra that falls off the shoulders and digs into their skin than go to a bra fitting.
Here are some tips and tricks for all those women who do not want to put themselves through the sometimes traumatic experience of getting a bra fitting.
Support Comes from the Band
The cups hold the breasts in place but actually, the band is responsible for 90% of the actual support. Many people believe that the cups and the straps do the hard work but in reality, they exist to shape the breast. If you get a good enough band that fits well to your body you won’t need to worry about straps or cut size.
Make sure you get a band that fits if you’re between cup sizes. If you’re someone who finds straps never fit your body go strapless, straps are there for peace of mind and aesthetics.
Do the Math
There is an equation for figuring your band and cup size. Your bra size is a ratio that combines the measurements of your cup and band size.
To avoid a professional fitting you can measure yourself at home. You will need two measurements, one around your back and under your bust to measure band, and one around your back over your nipple for cup size. You’ll then subtract the difference. For example, if your bust measures 35 inches and your rib cage 32 you’ll be a 32C (35 minutes 32 equal 3, so C in the alphabet).
Choose The Right Bra For You
There are lots of different styles of bra on the market from soft sports bras to sexy push up pieces. Different brass can have different uses and suit different people better.
A sports bras will help minimize bounces during physical activities but will not affect your results. Different sports bra will offer different levels of support, you will only need to purchase an item with a high level of support if you do high impact activities like running or Cross Fit.
The traditional smooth bra works best for everyday activities as it will look clean and untraceable under clothing. This comes in many colors, including flesh toned or with push up inserts for enhancements.
A convertible bra is a nice weapon to keep in your lingerie wardrobe as they can be adapted to fit with strapless closer, racerbacks or crisscross tops. Having no visible bra straps is a much more professional and fashionable look.
Remember to take into account what the material the bra is as well as the fit and look of it. If you have sensitive skin you may want to choose a softer fabric, especially in a sports bra and you might want to investt in an item that wicks away sweat.
What to Do If You Vary in Size
It is completely normal to have breasts that are not the same size, most women have one breast bigger than the other. Some people’s breasts vary a minuscule amount that is only noticeable to the individual and some are a whole cup size.
If the difference is significant enough to affect how you buy lingerie then fit the bra to the larger size. The best option is to buy the bigger cup size and then fill in the other side with a bra cutlet, another option is to buy a bra with removable inserts so you can even out the cups.
How to Spot a Bad Bra
If you find your breasts are spilling out from the top of your bra then they might be putting too much weight on the straps. If you find yourself having to continuously adjust the straps then you would benefit from buying bras with larger cups.
If you find the straps keep digging into your shoulders this could be because the band is too loose, making the straps do all the work. If your straps keep slipping it could be a sign your cups are too big.
The correct band size should be loose enough that you can fit your finger between your back and the strap with only an inch of stretch. If your band is too small the underwire can injure breast tissue and if it’s too big you will get no support. Many people think a looser bra strap will be more comfortable but in reality it will make your breasts bouncier and the band may ride up between the shoulder blades.
And don’t forget to treat yourself with a piece of Erotic Lingerie or Elegant Lingerie coupled with a body harness fashion lingerie or body chain fashion lingerie!