The statistic about 80% of women wearing the wrong bra size is one that's quoted ad nauseum, but really it's little wonder that so many of us are wandering around in bras that are - usually - too big in the back and too small in the cup.
That's not just because the size of your boobs changes throughout your life of you're not getting measured often enough, though. Unfortunately, quite a few "professional" fitters seem to be completely crap at what is presumably a core aspect of their jobs. I honestly can't count the number of times I've had to completely reject the recommendations of the women who've measured me and just go it alone because the bras they've suggested fit me so bloody badly.
Furthermore, like most other clothes, bra sizes vary between brands: even if you're a perfect 36C in one bra it's unlikely that size will automatically fit you well every time.
Nightmare!
Here's a little guide to help you decide if you're one of the eight out of ten offenders wearing the wrong bra size and hopefully put you on the road to finding the right one.
Please be aware that it is not intended as a substitute for a fitting with someone who really and truly knows their stuff. Following on from last week's bra discussion, the following stores were rated: in Dublin, Intimate Lingerie on Tara Street comes highly recommended; Bella Lusso in Castlebar and Anthony Ryan in Galway get the thumbs up from the women of the West.
Is the band of the bra riding up at the back? Do the straps cut into your shoulders? Do your boobs slip out the bottom of the bra cups?
If you can answer "yes" to any of these, you probably need a smaller back size; the band of your bra is what should be doing most of the work supporting your boobs, not the shoulder straps. They should be just tight enough that they don't slip off the shoulders.
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To provide support, the band of your bra needs to be level and perfectly horizontal the whole way around your body. It should fit firmly and snugly without being too tight - you should be able to easily get one finger in between the strap and your skin on both sides (just under your arms) simultaneously. If you can pull the band of your bra more than two inches away from your body at the back, it's likely too big (or worn out!)
If you're purposely wearing a bigger band than you should to try and prevent it digging into your back and creating unsightly bulges, try a bra with a thicker band and three hook-and-eyes rather than one or two. It should help to smooth things out nicely.
Do you need to wear bras on the tightest fastening as soon as you buy them?
Again, you need to go down a back size.
When you first buy a new bra, it should fit snugly on the loosest back closure. It will loosen with age and washing, at which point you can then fasten it more tightly.
All about underwire...
Underwire should hug your boobs by sitting into their crease (around the sides as well as underneath) and lie flush against the skin without pinching or catching any breast tissue. It should ideally sit flat on the breastbone at the front and definitely should not chafe or rub.
If underwire is catching any breast tissue or it stands away from your breastbone at the front, the cup size is too small.
Do the tops or sides of your bra cups dig into your boobs? Do your cups runneth over? Do you suffer from Quadruple Boob Syndrome?
If your outline under a close-fitting top seems to suggest that you have two boobs sitting atop one another on each side of your chest, the cups of your bra are too small and you should go up a cup size.
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Finally: are you putting your bra on properly?
I mean, presumably you know that it's not supposed to be worn on the head (and if you didn't - you're welcome!) but there are a couple of things you can do to make the most of a well-fitting bra.
When you've got your bra on and fastened, lean forward and lift your boobs up and into the cups so that they sit in the cups correctly (you can also hold the underwire at the bottom and wiggle it from side to side while leaning forward for the same effect.) You'll be shocked at how much better everything immediately looks.
