Archive for July, 2009

To tell you the truth, I was surprised to find out that most women are not wearing the right size bras. And I know there is like a million of “how to-s” when it comes to measuring bra size, but I had to bring this up myself, too. So, if you find all that measuring a little bit confusing, I’ll do my best to explain it right here. So, no “smart talks” just plain and simple English, step by step.

So, what you’ll need is a measuring tape and a friend to help you. You can measure yourself, off course, but measuring for a bra is like measuring for a dress-you need to stand straight in order to have a good fit. Small busted girls can do the measuring without wearing a bra while bigger busted ones should wear a soft, unpadded one. So, once you have your bra of choice on your “little helper” can measure your band, bust and cup size.

1. Band size – To get a band size place the measuring tape under your breasts, to the part of the chest your bra band usually sits on. Measure it all around and if the number is odd, add 5 to the number you got. If you got an even number, add 4.

2. Bust size – Place the measuring tape around the fullest part of your breasts. The number you get is your bust size. Be careful when you are measuring this, thought, because the measuring tape should not be too loose or too tight as it may give you the wrong size.

3. Cup size – Now, when you have found your band and bust size, it will be easy to measure bra cup size. Just subtract the band and bust size and the difference you get will show you are you an A, B, C, D or larger cup. If the difference is half an inch to an inch, your cup size is A, if the difference is two inches you should wear a B cup, three inches is a C cup, four – a D cup and so on.

However, this measuring system is not completely flawless because the sizes may differ not just from one country to another but also depending on the manufacturer. So, before you buy a bra, don’t be lazy to try it on. Like I mentioned before, If you managed to get the right size bra, it should be good even without straps. If you feel that a band could be just a little bit tighter or cups could be a little bit bigger, try a different size. A wisely picked bra is the one that stays pretty much in place no matter how much you move and has the cups that shape and lift the breasts without making them spill over the top.

Well, I think we all agree that wearing the right size bra is the only way to ensure ourselves both comfort and good looks. However, a bra size is not a constant number as breasts change during a woman’s life. Our breasts start growing in puberty and they reach their full size somewhere around 21-22. So, puberty is the time when we first start wearing bras and measuring bra size should be frequent as the breasts grow and develop fast in that period. However, the measuring should not stop after that time because there are many factors that affect the breast size even later in life.

One of the most common reasons for the cup size change is weight gain or weight loss. You see, breasts are mostly fat tissue so if you gain weight you could come to a realization that your bras have gotten smaller. The opposite also applies, so once you lose weight you will have to go shopping for a smaller bra.

And off course, we mustn’t forget pregnancy either as this is the period in which breasts undergo many changes. Most women’s bra size increases significantly in this time so measuring bra size should be as frequent as possible. You should re-measure and get the right size bra whenever you feel your current one is not fitting 100%. During pregnancy, breasts enlarge due to hormonal changes so you should opt for regular, underwired bras and later, special maternity bras. The idea is to provide support so your breasts don’t become saggy.

Breast size sometimes changes for no obvious reason. Sometimes the change is temporary, like those days before your period when breast become slightly bigger. But sometimes the changes are permanent so you need to adapt to them. You would be surprised to know that an extremely big percentage of women (staggering 80 percent!) is wearing the wrong size bra without even knowing it. And when you think of it, one size smaller or bigger cup is not too much of a difference, right? Well…wrong! Finding the right bra means picking the one that will provide support and lift even with the straps off. It may sound confusing and it sometimes is considering the fact that there are like a million of bra styles and sizes. However, a good bra is a good investment so you can always pick a lingerie shop that does fitting too. That way you’re going to get your bra size measured by a professional so you won’t have to experiment at home and you’ll make sure you’re getting the right size bra.