Let's face it, ladies. A bra can make or break your day. A good bra makes you feel sexy, powerful, and great about yourself. A bad bra - well, they can not only do everything opposite, but they can put you into some pain too. After working in lingerie for two and a half years, I saw the difference with not only costumers, but myself and my family. My mom has had back problems for years. She was also in the wrong size bra. When we got her a proper fitting bra, her back felt better, her clothes fit better, and she just felt better about herself. It was a wonderful job, very rewarding.
Now that I am living in a small town, 3 hours away from a town with legitimate stores, I wonder how many women really know their right size, or if they just hit the store and pick up whatever. Do you know that 8 out of 10 women are in the wrong size? Did you know a bra should be snug around the middle of your back? Did you know your underwire should hit under are arm pit on your ribs? You shouldn't feel tissue under there, just ribs.
Anyways, here are some facts for you if you don't already know:
The majority of women get a bra that is too small in the cup, so they go for a bigger band size, because heaven forbid you are a big cup size! Look at my pictures. I am a 32D. Believe it or not, that is what I am. I used to wear a 36B. Did you know that cup sizes are NOT universal? A 34B is not the same as a 36B? When you go up in band size, you go down in cup size. I used to tell my customers it was "bra math": a 34B is the same as a 36A or a 32C. DD or DDD's are average sizes. It freaks people out. They don't want to be that big. When really, it's NOT that big. Hell, I'm a D-cup. And I am no where close to Pam Anderson sizes.
A single bra has the life span of 6-9months. This INCLUDES stretching. It might look like it's fine, but bras stretch. I have bras that have lasted me years, but that's also because I literally have over 20 bras to rotate through. It's recommended that you have 4 to 7 in your wardrobe to rotate through. The more bras you have, the longer they will last. You shouldn't wear the same bra two days in the row, the elastic needs time to bounce back. A nude bra is much better than a white bra. A white bra will show up under white tops and the color will pop. Nude bras will blend into your skin (I've astonished many customers with this). A wired bra is not something to be scared of when you are nursing. Yes, wired bras are the main cause of mastitus, BUT that is because the cup is too small and it is hitting some of the main glands on the breast. Just get measured two weeks before your due date, or whenever after your give birth.
I am going on this rant because I want to know how many women out there reading this have gotten measured for a bra before. Whether it was at a department store or a lingerie shop, doesn't matter. If you haven't, I recommend you do. I never complain about my bras. Not even my strapless bras. I love my bras, they are so comfortable. I always hear women complain about there bra's and it breaks my heart! Haha, but yah. So, have you been fit??
PS. In other news, my friend back home at Nordies gave me a call the other day to tell me about a sale going on. I ended up getting two new bras. :) They are DKNY, my favorite style, in a new blue color and new nude to replace my old one that is too small (surgery made me gain weight, and in turn made my boobies get bigger... ) It made me happy. I love undies. They make me feel happy. My drawer is overflowing right now. If I get anymore, I'm going to need to use two of the three drawers in my dresser for just underwear. :)
Cami, BP by Nordstrom
