"Bra" room Brawl: Stop Letting Your Breast Beat the Pavement!

Ladies, I'm tired of seeing ill-fitting brassieres. Sagging, drooping, dragging, pushed too far up, popping out, laying to the side....it is NOT appealing. Wearing cheap brassieres need to stop. Most don't provide adequate support and coverage. I see women spend damn near their life savings for Victoria Secret undies rather than purchase a good bra. Your girls shouldn't be sagging low enough for someone to play double-dutch with them.

Does the bra you have on RIGHT THIS MOMENT fit properly?

Common mistake for a woman to make when purchasing a bra is NOT GETTING MEASURED FIRST. You may have been a 34 D but maybe you lost some weight and have gone down a size (lucky you!) or gained some weight and went up a size (damn girl or lucky you!).  Another common mistake is purchasing the WRONG TYPE of brassiere you need. If you're already say a 38DD, why would you purchase a padded bra or push up bra? Women often times get swept up in the pretty, frilly, sexy brassieres that may look like pure eye candy but not fit properly. Another common mistake is wearing the WRONG COLOR bra with tops. My grandmother taught me from the ripe ole age of 10 when I got my first bra (was a 34B right off the bat!) white shirt=black or nude bra, black shirt=black bra. Boy was she right! Wearing a white bra underneath a white blouse or shirt only draws more attention to your breast (and bra for that matter). You can clearly SEE the bra. Wearing a black bra neutralizes the transparency of the shirt or blouse you are wearing. When wearing a black shirt or blouse with a white bra is equal to turning on the lights in a dark house.

See how light and bright her bra shows up? HUGE NO, NO!

One of the more common and frequent mistakes women make is misunderstanding the measurements of a brassiere. You would figure as a woman it is one of the things that you should know and understand but many don't. The number represents the circumference of your chest and the letters represent the cup size. When properly measured for a brassiere one of two measurements can be taken to determine your ballpark number. First, directly below your bust is measured using a cloth tape measure. The other is measuring around the middle of your bust (which can be most likely inaccurate in finding a proper measurement). Measuring yourself may not be the best method. Asking a trusted friend or partner would be most helpful and more accurate.

For women who have small breasts a balcony style bra and padded bra suits you best. They will give you a more fuller look. You're able to get away with brassieres that have lace and design work. You should avoid purchasing larger cup brassieres to attempt to give you a larger breast appearance.

For women who have large breasts you need wider shoulder and back straps to give you added support. Underwire/Full Support provide the best support. One common problem for larger breast women is brassieres that rise up in the back like this:

Larger breast women also need to make sure their bra doesn't "dig" into the shoulder. You bra should NEVER leave shoulder marks or cause discomfort. That's a sign your bra is TOO SMALL. Make sure you get a bra that provides good back coverage. You know. The "back fat." Yeah, that.

As you can see in the photo above the back straps are not adequate. No woman likes back fat. Some of us have it. Some a little. Some a lot. It's a part of life. But you can make it easier by wearing a bra to help with that.

A lot of us fore go wearing a good bra because well...they cost a GRIP! On the flip side they are SOOOOO worth the cost! About two years ago I bought $325 worth of brassieres (13 total) ranging from $21-24 a piece. If you can spend that on ONE PAIR OF SHOES YOU CAN SPEND THAT TO GET SEVERAL GOOD BRAS! I saw it as an investment in my breast. They deserve to sit up tall and look youthful for as long as humanly possible. I owe them that. They have help me out a lot! LOL

Here are a few tips for a good fit bra:

1. Make sure you get the RIGHT CUP SIZE. Your entire breast should be covered. You shouldn't be overflowing or hanging out.
2. Your brassieres shouldn't cause you to become a pill popping nightmare because they hurt so much! They should be comfortable and you shouldn't be fussing with straps or constant adjusting.
3. Choose function over style. Yes, we want a pretty bra. We like pretty things. Now get over it when it comes to buying a bra. Unless you plan on ONLY wearing a bra sans a shirt or a blouse who cares about the lace details?
4. Note your problem areas and make sure you relay that information to a sales clerk or if shopping online, look for brassieres that target those problem areas.
5. Do not let cost make you sacrifice support! You can often find a great deal online. My favorite is freshpair.com! Make sure the site you purchase from shows plenty of pictures of the bra on a model.
6. DO NOT purchase an ill fitting size because of a sale and they don't have it in your size! What's the point?!
7. Wash your bras in a lingerie bag to help prevent stretching, fraying and broken hooks.
8. About every two years purchase new brassieres. They aren't meant to be passed down from generation to generation. Toss the old one's, re-purpose them or donate them.
9. Purchase neutral color brassieres. Black, White and Nude. Leave the crazy colors to the younger crowd and sometimes the bedroom.
10. Keep tabs on your size! Get measured every two years and ALWAYS give yourself a self-breast exam!
11. If you workout, wear a tight fitting sports bra with adequate coverage that doesn't choke your breasts but restricts movement as much as possible.
12. Try not and sleep in your bra. It may cause stretching and discomfort.

Have any questions? Ask me! Happy bra shopping!