Posted by denise in Style | 2 Comments
Your bra is showing
No, I don’t mean your bra straps, I mean your bra. Believe it or not, your bra is the most visible piece of clothing that you wear. They’re not called foundation garments for nothing. Everyone sees the silhouette a bra creates on your figure, so it’s worth spending time and money to make sure that silhouette is flattering. There are some women for whom wearing a bra isn’t necessary, but these women generally have smaller breasts or are very, very young. Few of us fall into those categories, but if you do, you are excused from class! Here are three common challenges of finding a great fitting bra, and how to overcome them.
Budget. What else do you wear every day, and spend so little on? Nothing, I’ll bet. Bras get worn out after six to twelve months, and that’s when they’ve been lovingly cared for (meaning the dreaded hand-washing!) Surrender to the fact that a well-made, well-fitting bra is going to cost some money, that it’s going to have to be replaced once or twice a year, and adjust your budget accordingly. Ask yourself: what else are you wearing in the same size that you wore when you were eighteen? For most of us, nothing. Chances are very good you are currently in the wrong bra size: most women find that they need a smaller band but a bigger cup size.
Depending on your wardrobe, the fewest number of bras you can get by on is three. You may want or need more bras for special occasions or strapless dresses and the like. Please don’t think that you can have one bra and wear it every day: it’ll last about a month. It can be hard to spend money on something you think isn’t that important, but remember: no one is going to notice your splashy new handbag or cute shoes when all they can focus on is your bust line heading south.
Fit. Many women complain that finding a bra is impossible and that they are especially hard to fit. Frankly, everyone who wears a bra is going to have fit issues. The only way around this is to get expert help. When you go to a lingerie department or, better yet, a lingerie boutique that specializes in bra fittings, you get the benefit of the clerk’s vast knowledge of product and sizing that you can’t possibly be privy to. Ask her to explain what she’s doing. How should the bra feel? What type of bra does she recommend to you, and why? How do the straps and underwire lie?
Lastly, put your shirt back on over the bra. You should be pleasantly surprised at how much better you look. When your bust is in the proper place, clothes fit better. You may even discover you have a waistline! A common complaint is that the bra feels “tight.” Ask yourself if the bra is tight, or does it fit? A new bra is always going to feel a bit tighter than you’re used to, especially if the elastic in your old bra is shot! Remember, too, that ninety percent of the support a bra offers is from the band, not the straps, so it should fit snugly.
Care. Ah, now that you have your little darlings at a precious price, you need to baby them. Do not wear the same bra two days in a row. The elastic will last longer if you give it a day to rest and relax back to its (nearly) original size. After three wearings, hand wash your bra in cool or cold water, preferably with a product made for lingerie. You’ll be surprised at the difference this makes: no weird, soapy residue left behind. Fill the sink with water, add a bit of the lingerie wash and dissolve it. Swish the bra around a bit and let it sit for a few minutes. Empty the sink, then keep refilling it and rinse the bra until the water becomes clear. Squeeze as gently as you can (to be honest, I am hardly gentle) and lay flat to dry on a towel.
You can always wash your bras in a lingerie bag in the washing machine, but they will not last as long. Of course, you may have one of those fabulous, new machines that have a rack where the water simply cascades over the bra: lucky you!
Want to look terrific in everything you already own? Go get fitted for a new bra.
Hi, I’m Denise. I own
Once again, you are spot on. I feel like I have had big boobs since I was born! I was fortunate to have a mother who taught me the importance of a good bra, even if I was the only kid in 4th grade wearing one.
Sometimes women would come into my shop and complain about how their belly looked in a dress, I would reach in and pull up their bra to where things should/could be, and every single time they had a revelation, and loved how they looked in the dress. I would kill for a 50′s style bullet bra today.
Bree, you’re so funny: “big boobs since I was born!” And you’re right: those 50′s style bullet bras are hard to come by, aren’t they?