How to Find The Right Bra and How to Make It Last

It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a $5 blouse or a $500 blouse — if your bra doesn’t fit right, your wardrobe isn’t complete.  And the odds are that if you’re a woman living in America, your bra doesn’t fit right!

So here’s how to find a bra that fits, and how to get your money’s worth out of it.

Image via Wikipedia

The Fit

At home, measure your rib cage where the bottom of your breasts meet your chest by circling a cloth tapemeasure completely around.  Make sure the tape is level around all sides and that the breasts are not under the tape measure.  It may be helpful to have someone help you out with this.  Write down your measurement.  Next, measure the fullest part of the breast by the same method.  (Hint: this is usually the nipple area.)  If your breasts sag, wear a thin bra for this measurement.  Record the measurement.

The first number is your band size.  For example, if you measure 36 inches around then you should look for a 36 inch bra.  If you measure 37 inches, go up to a 38.  Determining the cup size involves a little math:  subtract the second measurement from the first adjusted measurement.  For example, our lady who measured 37 inches would subtract her first measurement from 38.  Each cup is an inch:  An A cup is a 1″ difference, a B cup is a 2″ difference, a C cup is a 3″ difference, and so forth.

One final note about measurements:  if the band feels too loose or too snug after 3-4 bras of the same size, go up or down a band size.  If you find a different band size works, you may need to recalculate your cup size as well.  Just do the math again with the new band number.

At the Store

Now that you have your size, it’s time to hit the stores.  We’re going to look at four areas of fit:  the hooks and band, the center gore, the straps, and the cups.  First, look for a bra with a band that doesn’t ride up in the back on the outer most hook.  If the bra rides up in the back, it is not going to support you at all.  Once you find a bra that has a snug fitting band, look directly down.  See that little bit of fabric between the cups?  That’s called the center gore.  It needs to be in direct contact with the skin between your breasts.  If it sticks out or puckers open, find another bra.  Next, adjust the straps so that they’re comfortable but supportive.  (And if you found a bra with a good fitting band, you won’t have to worry about the straps digging in.)  Avoid buying a bra where you have to make the straps extremely short in order to work.  Finally, look at your profile in the mirror.  If your breasts are spilling out from the cups so much that it looks like you have four boobs, find a different bra.  You may need to go up a cup size.  If you find that the cups are partially empty, go down a cup size.

This may take a while, and you may have to try on several bras.  I know, it’s frustrating and I hate it just as much as the next girl.  What you want is a firm fitting bra that isn’t painful or uncomfortable.  It may feel strange at first, but it shouldn’t hurt.

Once you find the bra that fits, buy two to four in a color that matches your skin tone.  The hard part is over!

Taking Care of Your Bra

Now that your bras are home, you’ll want to wear them as long as possible because bras are expensive.  Hopefully you found a bra that worked on the outer most hooks and with minimal strap shortening, because this is the secret to bras your mother never told you about.  As they get older and lose their spring, you move in a notch and tork the straps a bit up.

You’ll want to handwash your bra after each wearing, regardless of how sweaty you get.  Have you ever noticed how jeans are looser on the second day of wearing them?  Well, the same thing happens to your bra.  When you wash it, the bra rebounds into its original shape as it dries and provides better support the next time you wear it.  It only takes 3 minutes to wash a bra by hand, so just add this small step to your night time routine.  Hang the bra to air dry, and you’re ready to go.  Oh, and that’s why I told you to buy 2 to 4 bras, because no bra will completely airdry overnight.

You can wash your bras in the machine if you absolutely must, but use a bag designed for delicates and don’t use any fabric softener, as this will spring the elastic.  Never ever put a bra through the dryer.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will answer it ASAP.