How to find the right bra size step
1: Realize that you’re not aloneFor something that women wear every day, our standards of fit and comfort in bras are surprisingly lax. “In the industry they say that generally 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong-sized bra,” Mann explains. “We conducted our own survey in which every woman that came in, we wrote down if she knew her bra size, and that included new and existing customers, and we found that 92 percent of woman don’t know their size.”
2: Get fitted—right nowWhen’s the best time to go for a bra fitting? “When you can’t wait to take your bra off, when you’re driving and you’re taking it off on your way, it’s time.” She recommends getting refitted once year, even to just to replace the bra that you wear most often, as it loses its elasticity and support overtime.
Wearing the right-sized bra helps to improve not just your appearance, but to prevent long-term health issues. “It helps your posture, it helps your spine because your posture is improved, and it gives you more self-confidence because you look better. Every aspect of it makes a difference but it’s a very unsettled difference so people don’t really talk about it or recognize its importance.”
Wearing the right-sized bra helps to improve not just your appearance, but to prevent long-term health issues. “It helps your posture, it helps your spine because your posture is improved, and it gives you more self-confidence because you look better. Every aspect of it makes a difference but it’s a very unsettled difference so people don’t really talk about it or recognize its importance.”
3: Ditch bras that just don’t fitYes, it has a bow and you bought it on sale, but if a bra doesn’t fit, you have to let it go. “So many women think that it’s not important because nobody sees it. And yet it’s the one item that everybody sees because it influences the way your clothes fit,” says Mann. “And if you have the right bra, your clothes will fit like they were custom made for you—and when you have the wrong size bra you look heavier.”
4: Get measuredThe sizing of the bra refers to the circumference of the area just above the bust, as well as the cup size of the actual bust. But of course, there’s no one size fits all. “Different styles fit differently, different fabrics fit differently, different brands are cut differently— so how is a woman to know?” asks Mann sympathetically.
What to look for in a bra fitting: the underwire should sit comfortably underneath the bust, separating in the middle. Stand sideways and make sure the wire doesn’t run into the armpit, otherwise it pushes the breast tissue under the arm, which becomes uncomfortable and makes you appear larger. It also shouldn’t dig too deeply in the breast tissue. The bust shouldn’t spill out of the cups along the sides or décolleté. The back should be straight across and not riding up, while the straps should be comfortable with just enough tension.
What to look for in a bra fitting: the underwire should sit comfortably underneath the bust, separating in the middle. Stand sideways and make sure the wire doesn’t run into the armpit, otherwise it pushes the breast tissue under the arm, which becomes uncomfortable and makes you appear larger. It also shouldn’t dig too deeply in the breast tissue. The bust shouldn’t spill out of the cups along the sides or décolleté. The back should be straight across and not riding up, while the straps should be comfortable with just enough tension.
5: Adjust your expectations“Women will say, ‘This bra, can I wear it with every outfit?’ And it’s funny because women would never ask that about a pair of shoes,” she muses. “Yet for bras we have that expectation that one will work for everything and it’s impossible.” Mann notes that creasing cannot be corrected by the bra alone. She recommends layering with T-shirts to conceal any crease, and not to sacrifice the fit.
Of course, there’s always shapewear (a.k.a Spanx) for that, but even they have their limitations. “No item will make you look size 4 (unless you are a 6) and what you are trying to hide will not disappear, it needs to be pushed somewhere else,” she says.
6. Invest in a few good bras
Invest in several perfect-fitting bras so that you have different options on a daily basis—this will help extend their lifespans. “This is one of the biggest myths that women have, they think that the less they wash their bra the longer it will last, and it’s exactly the opposite.” Avoid wearing the same bra every day to give the Lycra in the fabric a chance to relax and get back to its shape, and wash your bra every other wear at minimum.
Of course, there’s always shapewear (a.k.a Spanx) for that, but even they have their limitations. “No item will make you look size 4 (unless you are a 6) and what you are trying to hide will not disappear, it needs to be pushed somewhere else,” she says.
6. Invest in a few good bras
Invest in several perfect-fitting bras so that you have different options on a daily basis—this will help extend their lifespans. “This is one of the biggest myths that women have, they think that the less they wash their bra the longer it will last, and it’s exactly the opposite.” Avoid wearing the same bra every day to give the Lycra in the fabric a chance to relax and get back to its shape, and wash your bra every other wear at minimum.
