Image: supplied.
I like to run away from my family on weekends for brief periods by pretending I have ‘errands to run’ and fleeing to Westfield to walk around the shops. Last Sunday I decided I needed a new bra.
Bras have not been making me happy lately. My bras. Any bras. It feels like they’re all those moulded contour cups and for me, that look is just too padded.
I’ve always been small-boobed. I just don’t feel comfortable with big ones, they make me feel matronly. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been a cleavage girl and so those contoured cup bras can make me look like I have a pillow on my chest.
I also never wear anything tight around my waist — I like clothes that just fall loosely from my boobs. Another reason why padded and push-up bras can make me look frumpy. Welcome to This Is Your Life: Mia Freedman’s boobs.
Watch Dr Sam Hay demonstrate a breast check on Studio 10. (Post continues after video.)
So I went to the underwear department in Myer and grabbed a dozen bras in my size, 12C. Except I’m not 12C, APPARENTLY. I learned this when I asked the lovely fitting lady for her advice and she told me all my sizes were wrong.
“You’re a 10D” she said.
“Oh no, don’t be ridiculous” I said. “My boobs aren’t that big. I’m not. Hush now.”
But it turns out they are. They’re saggy-big, not bouncy-big.
My friend is a breast physician. She's the one who talks me through every 'lump' I find ("that's not a lump, that's your rib" etc) and she frequently tells me that I have wonderful non-fatty breast tissue which makes them very easy to assess via mammogram.
"Does that mean saggy?" I once asked? Well yes, she admitted.
I've never been so happy.
Anyway, so it turns out my saggy boobs are bigger than they used to be and bigger than I thought. When the fitting lady brought me some 10Ds to try on, it was a revelation. (Post continues after gallery.)
What kind of sport of sports bra do I need?
My boobs - and my body - looked completely different. I won't lie, it wasn't as comfortable as the size 12. And I think that's where I've gone wrong. I'm a lazy bra wearer.
Half the time I wear little crop tops with no structure at all. But it doesn't give you a great shape under clothes and at my age, I probably need more support.
So here is what my bra drawer looked like before I went shopping:
And here's the after shot:
I bought a few new bras: Triumph, Heidi Klum and Fine Lines.
And this week, under my clothes, they have made me look and feel different. So next time you have a spare hour, go find a lady to feel you up. Time well spent.
Do you enjoy bra shopping? Have you ever been fitted properly? What are your bra-shopping secrets?
This is an excerpt from Hey Mia, Mia Freedman's newsletter. You can subscribe to it here.