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I'm still mulling ways that you can make your wardrobe work in a credit crunch WITHOUT having to shop, shop, shop. One simple way to upgrade your closet is to take a good hard look at your underwear, to be certain that what you are putting on UNDER your clothes is helping you to look your very best IN those clothes.
Bras seem to be a point of contention for most of us; nearly 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. A bra that fits properly can change your whole look -- it can make you look slimmer and curvier and younger, and can improve your posture and the hang of your clothes. And yet we settle for less-than-perfect bras because we don't know how to get a good fit.
Fortunately, lingerie expert Tomima Edmark does know how to get a good fit -- in fact, she knows how to get a GREAT fit. Tomima is the founder of HerRoom, which may very well be the internet's most comprehensive underwear site; she's with us this week to answer questions about getting the right fitting bra every single time.
How do I know what size bra I wear?
For years there has been a traditional measuring system where you take an under-bust measurement and a full-bust measurement, add, then subtract and come up with your bra size. Unfortunately, the system is not fool-proof and only works up to a D cup.
The better solution is to start with your best fitting bra. Look in the mirror and ask yourself what you don’t like or don’t like about the fit. Are the cups smooth? Is the center panel laying flat against your breastbone? Are the straps slipping or digging into your shoulders? We have a fitting checklist on HerRoom that you can use to troubleshoot your bra size.
The most common bra-sizing mistake is wearing a bra that is too large in the band and too small in the cups. Band and cup sizes are not created equal. When you go up a band size, for example from a 36C to a 38C, you are also going up a cup size even though the cup size letter stays the same. It is this little known fact that gets women very frustrated. In this example, if you like the way your cup size fits and you just want to increase your band size, you should go from your 36C to a 38B. HerRoom has more troubleshooting tips here.
I'm having a bra fitting -- what should I expect?
A bra fitting should help you find your correct bra size. However, you must understand who your bra fitter is, her motivation, and how much experience and expertise she holds. In the last few years, most of the major bra manufacturers have hired teams of bra fitters to make appearances at various lingerie stores and departments. Not surprising, they are there to push the brand that’s paying for them to be there. So one of your first questions to your bra fitter should be who is
paying her to help you. The motivation for almost all bra fitters is to sell more bras. If you can be convinced that your current bra size is wrong, your entire lingerie wardrobe is now obsolete and open for replacement.
Don’t load up on a bunch of new bras simply because you’ve been told you have been wearing the wrong size. Instead, buy one bra in your new size and wear it for a week or two. Make sure that size and style are really best for you before replacing your entire lingerie wardrobe.
Experience and expertise are key with a fitter as well. The more fittings she’s performed the better. Also, if her expertise comes from a variety of sources the better. A fitter who has only had a few hours of training is never a good choice. And, one final point, not all fitters will put you in the same bra size. Some fitters like a tighter fitting bra. Others have a preference for a more “forward” look to the breasts, etc. Therefore, you really need to stand firm and insist that your bra fit the way you want.
Tomima has more terrific lingerie advice at her blog, and on Saturday she'll be talking with us about the best bras
