Ladies, now that you are ready for your first/next bra you may be surprised to learn that there is a proper way to wear your bra.
Well, as it happens there are a couple of things that could possibly go wrong when putting on and wearing a bra even when you have bought the correct size.
How to put on and wear a bra properly is a technique that very few women know, but it doesn’t mean that you need a Ph.D. in rocket science to work it out. All you have to do is follow these easy steps.
Before we go any further, we need to make sure that you gave the correct size bra. Putting on a bra correctly can make the right size bra fit better, it can’t compensate for a bra that is the wrong size.
Measure Your Bra Size In 2 Easy Steps
Did you know that around 80% of women wear the wrong size bra? A correctly sized and well-fitted bra is not only important for your clothes to have the right look, but also crucial in defining the good posture and lending the needed support.
One of the major reasons behind badly fitting bras is that most women never bother to get their bra size measured.
Knowing your correct bra size is the first step towards finding the perfect bra fitting. Thankfully, calculating your bra size is easy. All you need is a measuring tape and a mirror. Though I must say that if you have a friend to help measure you it will go a lot easier.
Check Your Bra Size Like This
Step1. Calculate band size
- The tape should be levelled and snug.
- Round the number obtained, to the nearest whole number. If the number is even, add 4 inches. If it’s odd, add 5.
- The sum of this calculation is your band size
Example: 25.6 Inches will round off to 26 Band size – 26 + 4 = 30
Step2. Calculate bust size/ cup size
- Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust
- Make sure it’s not too tight or too loose and without any falls or twists
- Round off the number to the nearest whole number.
- Now, subtract the band size calculated earlier from the bust measurement
Example: Bust = 37 inches, Band = 34 inches, 37 – 34 = 3 inches. That’s a 34C! - If the difference between the band and bust measurement is 1 then your cup size is A. If the difference is 2 then the cup size will be B so on & so forth.
Some things to remember to select the right bra
- It is better to check your bra size every 3-6 months
- Your bra straps shouldn’t be too loose or tight & adjustable to your desired level of elevation.
- Your cups should properly cover your breasts from the front as well as sides.
- Your bra band & center gore should rest flat on your body without being too tight.
- Knowing how to measure your bra size will not only allow you to know your perfect bra size, but it will help you also know which bra type suits your body silhouette.
- Swimsuits are sized in the same way as your bra.
- Remember that breast inserts will change your overbust measurement. So, if you plan to wear inserts for certain occasions remember that you will need a different size bra to wear with your inserts compared to your normal every-day bra.
5 issues you might face if the bra size is not correct
- Body Ache Wearing the wrong bra size can often result in body aches. If the straps are not adjusted properly they can dig deep into your skin, and will very likely cause you shoulder pain.
- Bad Posture If you notice a curve or arch at your bra band, this means that the bra doesn’t fit you properly. It may also result in a hunched back and droopy shoulders. Picking the wrong bra size can totally ruin your body posture.
- Ill-Fitted Look Your underwear is the foundation for your outerwear. An ill-fitted bra with loose cups will never give a rounder & fuller shape to your breasts. On the other hand, a small bra may flatten your chest making your outerwear look ill-fitted too. You may want to check your bra cup size in such a case.
- Bulges If the bra cup size is too small for you, it will surely cause your breasts tissues to spill out, creating unsightly bulges and bumps or even double boob effect. Wrong size or a small-sized bra may even result in back bulges that look hideous, especially under fitted clothes.
- Discomfort If you aren’t comfortable on the inside, it will always show on the outside because it will affect your confidence. A bra should never be too loose or too tight. It should be snug enough to be comfortable all day long.
Putting Your Bra On Properly
Now that you have learned how to measure for a bra that will fit you properly, we can move on to explaining how to wear your new bra, step by step:
Step 1 Lean On
The best body posture when putting on your bra is to lean forward. This allows your breasts to naturally settle and fit into the bra cups. A slight jiggling of the breasts is all it needs to fill the cups fully and settle down properly.
The same lean forward and jiggling will allow breast forms to settle into your bra cups too.
Step 2 Hook On
Many women make the mistake of hooking just a single clasp. This gives you partial support and results in aches and rashes. You should always hook all the clasps of bra and make sure it’s neither too tight nor too loose. The bra band should sit flat on the back without riding up, parallel to the ground.
This step takes practice. Many women “cheat” this step by putting their bra on back to front, hooking the clasp, then swiveling the bra around your body. Only after this hooking your arms and trying to center your breasts into the cups while the band pulls a bit to one side because of friction.
Many new girls struggle with their bra clasp behind their backs. That is why a pullover sports bra is a good idea as a first bra so that you can become used to wearing your bra without battling with your back clasp from day one.
Step 3 Strap On
The bra straps play a vital role in providing the support and lift you need. You should always make sure that the straps are adjusted according to your shoulder.
If the straps are too tight, they may result in severe back & shoulder aches. Similarly, if they are too loose, they may annoy you by constantly falling off your shoulders. For a comfortable fit, you should be able to glide 2 fingers easily beneath the straps.
Step 4 Gentle Lift
Underwired bras give your breasts a gentle lift, making them look rounder and fuller. However, for desired results, you should make sure that the underwires fit you correctly. The center gore should lie flat at the center of your breasts and the underwires should comfortably sit right under your breasts, without digging into the skin.
The underwired cups will only lift your breast tissues if they fit you correctly or else they will make you uncomfortable and uneasy and likely pinch your breasts or dig into your flash. This comes back to making sure that you measure yourself for the correct size of bra.