Are You Wearing Someone Else’s Bra?

Most women are wearing the wrong size bra–or the wrong type of bra–for their needs. Doing so can make a woman look saggy, old and fat.

“Well-fitting lingerie should be the foundation for every great outfit,” said fit expert Margaret Mullany. Margaret works at Charmelle 28, an upscale lingerie boutique in the San Francisco Bay Area, with stores in Palo Alto, California and Burlingame, California.

“There have been ladies who have dropped dress sizes just from wearing the right size and shape bras for their figures,” she said.
“A good fitting bra will improve your posture,” she continued. “Your clothes will sit differently and it’s proven that you look slimmer, enhancing your silhouette when your bust line is where it should be.”

In addition, the weight of a breast should not be underestimated. It is necessary to wear a bra in order to support the breasts, avoiding neck and back problems.

“Customers come in complaining of an aching back, shoulder ache, a sore ribcage and a sore chest from badly-fitting bras,” Margaret stated. “It is important to ensure if you are wearing a bra that it fits you correctly. Remember every woman is an individual so what works for you may not work for the next woman. This is a good reason to see a specialist who works with women of different shapes and sizes all the time,” she added.

As if all that is not reason enough to invest in a quality bra wardrobe, consider this: Your breasts are composed mainly of fat tissue and over time they lose elasticity; wearing a bra every day can help prevent stretch marks and sagging. You should know you are wearing a bra but you shouldn’t feel extra pressure or discomfort if you have an excellent fit.

When To See Your Bra Specialist

In addition to the bras wearing out, another reason to see a specialist is the fact that a woman’s body is constantly in flux.

These changes are due to a variety of reasons–from having children, to changes in lifestyle or general hormonal imbalances. Therefore it is recommended that you should replace your bras on a regular basis, every six months to a year according to Margaret.

Factors to consider on this time frame are how many bras you have in your rotation and how well you take care of them. Remember that bras should always be hand washed in cold water with a delicate detergent such as the classic powder Forever New, or Eucalan’s Wrapture, a no-rinse wash that’s spiked with the delicious essential oil of night-blooming jasmine.

“You should get professionally fitted once or twice a year and have at least four basic bras in rotation all the time,” Margaret said. What is meant by rotating you bra? Your bra has lycra in it, if you do not let it rest it will lose its elasticity. “Think of it as a rubber band. If it is always stretched it does not go back. It’s the elasticity that gives you support.”

In addition, it’s a good idea to have more than one style of bra. Why? “Look at how many different necklines women wear,” Margaret said. Believe it or not, every style of bra gives us a different shape, which enhances each neckline.

“For example, a balconet bra goes great under a sweetheart neckline; a plunge bra works with a low V neckline; a demi-cup bra gives a clean line to a square-neck top…So if you are ever wondering how many bras you should have, think of 2 for each different neckline you wear…and don’t forget your basic, ‘everyday’ bra or your t-shirt bra,” Margaret explained.

How To Find A Good Bra Fitting Expert

I hate to break it to you, but if you think that Victoria’s Secret is high end, or that you’ll ever find an employee there who knows how the hell to measure you for a proper fit, you are sadly mistaken. Victoria’s Secret is not status lingerie. It’s the fast food drive thru experience for disposable pieces that are never going to look or feel good in the first place.

Victoria’s real secret is that they use brilliant marketing to appeal to an inexperienced audience that doesn’t know the difference between good lingerie and bad lingerie in the first place. And if all that is not enough, can you believe that this empire of undies does not sell anything higher than a DD cup? Shame on you, Victoria’s Secret, for having hoodwinked the public so completely!

In reality, Victoria’s Secret makes their bras from the most pathetic laces and dismal materials, with the shoddiest construction known to mankind. And as for an experienced saleswoman who knows how to measure you, if you’ve stepped into one of these help-yourself buffets of tacky lace and ill-fitting garments with a one-size-fits-all mentality, I need not say one more word. You must, and I repeat must find an experienced woman who is versed in measuring and fitting.

If you shop at Victoria’s Secret, I urge you to seek out an intimate lingerie boutique in your area, like the aforementioned Charmelle 28, pictured above, where they fit from a size 30A up to a 46H! And the greatest thing about it is that they have beautiful designs in a plethora of jewel tones for all sizes!

We ♥ a Great Fit

Nordstrom department stores also have an excellent lingerie department equipped with knowledgeable, trained fitters and backed with a good return policy. Today and tomorrow is the Nordstrom We Heart a Great Fit event in stores. Nordstrom’s fit stylists will have the very latest lingerie styles available, and can help you find a bra that fits perfectly. In addition, for every bra sold during this event, Nordstrom will donate $2 to the Young Survival Coalition, a charity devoted to young breast cancer survivors. It’s a great way to start your weekend.

Once you have experienced the way a quality bra feels and looks, you will be so thrilled with the results that you’ll never walk into Victoria’s Secret again!