So, when your children have sucked the life out of your breasts and you’re left with either poached eggs or empty socks, and you’ve got no time to try on 5000 bras and your girls are in desperate need of a home - and I mean really need a home - what can you do?
How can you take that dreaded bra shop and turn into a good time? It can be done, trust me. Even for larger cup sizes. If I can house my 10HH babies, then you can too.
We all know the importance of wearing a good fitting bra, and the most common mistake I see is women always think they are bigger in the back then what they really are. Often it works out that they are smaller in the back and bigger in the cup.
Here’s how a bra should fit:
• You need a bra that fits snugly around the back & sits even from front to back. Don’t worry about back fat - it’s much more slimming to have your girls lifted so it creates shape and gives you a shapely silhouette.
• Underwires must sit flush against your chest - it's common in bigger cups for the underwires to stick out, and this means it’s the wrong bra for you. No matter what the sales assistant says.
• Your whole breast should fit in the cup with NO spillage or gaping. You do not want four boobs, but you don’t want them swimming around in there either.
• You should be able to fit two fingers comfortably under the straps. If you have indentations on your shoulders, the bras you’re wearing are not strong enough and aren’t supportive enough around the back.
The shape of your bra is just as important as the fit. For years we’ve heard everyone bang on about the fit, but they forget to mention anything about the shape. You know when you buy a bra and it’s your size but it’s really uncomfortable to wear? The underwires may be digging in, or you’re readjusting yourself all the time. It’s the wrong shape for your body.
Let me take a minute to tell you about some bra shapes.
ALL bras everywhere are come in 3 basic shapes. It’s the materials, colours and quality that vary. Companies change the names and different countries call them different things. However, it's not my aim to get technical; my aim is to keep it simple so you know exactly what you're doing and what to look for in a bra.
Plunge bra
Plunge bras started out as the sexy sister of the bra world, but they’ve now gone mainstream. As fashions get smaller, we need our plunge bras more than ever.
If you’ve ever seen a lingerie ad, you may believe that a plunge bra is defined by crazy cleavage and tiny straps. The only thing that defines a plunge bra is a lower centre gore (the tiny firm connector between the cups, if you’re not a bra-aholic like me), making them great to wear under v-neck shirts and low cut dresses
.If you have soft breast tissue due to weight loss or pregnancy, you may have a hard time finding a plunge bra that works for you. Look for bras with narrow wires to help keep everything in place.
Balcony/ balconette bra
A balcony bra pushes the breasts up to create dramatic uplift and traffic-stopping cleavage, but maintains a more traditional bra shape on the bottom. This combination means balcony bras work on almost any body type or breast shape, making them one of the most popular bra types in the world.
Full-cup bra
Full-cup bras used to be the only type of bras. Unfortunately, this has made the full-cup bra the choice of grandmothers everywhere, which hasn’t helped it gain a following among the young and fashionable.
Full-cup bras have come a long way from the bullet bra days, and now feature everything from white cotton to colourful fabrics with sheer cups. Full-cup bras are often combined with minimising construction techniques to create a great basic foundation under clothing.
Whether you’re a fan of nude bras or crazy patterned ones, there is a full-cup bra out there for you.
TOP TIP- Look for a shape that brings your breasts forward - you don’t want them under your armpits! Quality materials not only look great but ensure optimum comfort and support and a longer lasting bra. It will also give you shape and you won’t feel the need to rip your bra off the first chance you get.
Happy shopping!
Renee’s love for lingerie comes from her belief that, if you get your lingerie right, the rest just falls into place. She spent five years researching & fitting to ensure she has the most accurate measuring techniques and knows the best bra shapes from across the world. She is the creator of the worlds most popular Bra Fitting App. Visit her website, Bra Queen.
