Bra Myths oftentimes stand in the way of us purchasing and wearing the bra that will optimize our assets.
1. If my bra leaves red marks on my body, it is too small.
Socks leave red marks, as do some panties. Even a hair band temporarily stationed around my wrist leaves red imprints on the skin and it does not indicate that the band is too constricting.
2. Making the straps tighter on my bra will lift my bustline.
Tightening the straps positions the bra better on the body, causing the cup to encapsulate the breast tissue more effectively. But the straps don’t affect the height of the bustline as much as A) snugness of band, B) the best bra cup for your body, and C) the natural placement of the bustline on your torso.
3. I have to wash my bra after everytime I wear it.
In the heat of the Texas summer sure, wash your bra if its covered with sweat. Otherwise, use discretion to judge when its appropriate to wash your bras. If worn for a half day in mild weather, washing is unnecessary.
4. A bra expires after a certain date.
We have clients wearing bras that are five years old. Bras come and go out of rotation in our wardrobe for various reasons: weight changes, lifestyle changes (pregnancy, etc.) or we choose to stop wearing it for some other reason. When a bra is consistently uncomfortable, then it has expired.
5. The band should be comfortably loose.
The worst offender of all! Just a couple of weeks ago an acquaintance mentioned she had gone up from a 34C to a 36C because the 34 *felt* too tight. While I knew this wasn’t the right move for her, being a C cup its not quite as imperative to have a snug band.
Do you know of more bra myths? Have I omitted one that really bugs you? If so please share your thoughts.
How about big boobs = big girl? What I mean by that is if you have a large bust you must be a large woman as well, when this is obviously not true.
The pitiful lack of size diversity in most mainstream retailers seems to fuel so many of these bra myths. In most stores, the absolute smallest band size you can find is a 32. Often it's a 34 or even a 36. Whenever I do find a 32, it usually doesn't come in anything bigger than a B. Once you get to the larger end of the scale, say a 44, you can't find anything smaller than a C. And in all the available band sizes, the absolute largest cup size offered is usually a DD. This creates the impression that the band size somehow correlates to the cup size (so if your ribcage is small, you must be small chested as well), and also makes it appear that the absolute biggest size you can possibly be is a DD (and that too only if you have a big band size).
I truly feel like 90% of the misinformation about bra fitting is based on the fact that most women buy their bras from places that have no business selling them. Victoria's Secret is the worst offender. Most women go in there with good intentions, thinking they're getting valuable information from a lingerie expert, when in reality they're just getting ripped off.
OK, off my soapbox now. I just had to rant about that one.
A-C you are right, commonly large breasts just look like large person, which is very frustrating.
Maya your soapbox is understandable. I have witnessed first hand mis-information and wrong sizing taking place. But merchants are in business to sell their wares, so they do what it takes.
love your website