Are You Wearing The Best Bra?
When it comes to a favourite bra, many women will admit to being creatures of habit. Once we find a style and size that 'seems' to work well, most of us will stick to that same style and size for years (and years and years). This is great if you truly have found the perfect style and size, but if you have a niggling feeling that its not quite right, then we urge you to read on sister!
Have you ever had a professional bra fitting?
If your answer is no, you're in good company. Recent studies have shown that as many as 60% of women have never been fitted by an expert bra fitter. For many of these women, bra shopping involves rummaging through the racks in the local department store and trying bras on until they find one that doesn't cause too much discomfort.
The truth is, we tend to get used to wearing a certain type of bra from our first fitting or bra purchase. Why change if you know this kind of bra works for you?
Our bodies are constantly changing.
Your bra size may have fit perfectly when you were fitted as a teenager, but our bodies are constantly changing. It's common for your bra size to fluctuate month to month, and of course weight loss/gain, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause all have a big effect too. We recommend that you be fitted to check you're wearing the right size every 12 months, more often with rapid weight loss or gain. Along with bra size changes, you may also find that the styles you used to love may not feel as comfortable anymore and you need to find a different style to suit your changing body.
If you are experiencing common bra fit issues like underwires digging in, cutting in at the sides, the back band riding up or breast tissue spilling out of your cups then we recommend you visit a professional bra fitter. The only regret you will have is not having done it sooner!
There are many different styles of bra & they all fit differently.
Regardless of whether you’re a 12GG or 18D, one size doesn’t fit all and neither does one style. It's common to wear different bra sizes in different brands or styles of bra, as they all fit differently.
At Brava, we work with our customers to understand the designs they like so we can suggest bras that we think will be a good fit and style. Of course, the end decision will always be yours, but it’s good to know all
Bra myths.
There are a lot of myths surrounding certain bra styles. For example, many women believe that a minimiser bra needs to be non-moulded and flattening. We often find the opposite to be true. A minimiser bra style is a popular first choice for D+ cup women, as this is usually one of the limited bra styles they've found available to them over the years. We've written a little more about this here.
Essentially, minimiser bras work by squashing or flattening your bust across your chest and into your armpits. But this comes at a cost. Although you may find it easier to do up your shirt buttons, the result is usually that your shape is distorted and you end up looking like a barrel. There are plenty of bras that can minimise and give shape once you’re in the right size. One of our favourite moulded bras that has a minimising effect is the smoothing Prima Donna Perle and a non-moulded style is the Prima Donna Madison.
So, what is the best bra style?
Some women suit rounder looks and others prefer more forward projection. Its personal preference, but you might find that a non-moulded is more comfortable than a moulded style or vice-versa. It’s hard to move away from what we’re mentally comfortable with. If you’re used to wearing a moulded plunge bra your whole life, you may not realise that there’s something out there that can give you a better shape. Or let’s say you don’t like having a rounded look, we’d bring you in an Ewa Michalak bra or the Panache Jasmine because they have impressive side-slings to pull you in on the sides and bring you forward.
The right fit and shape can work miracles for you, but you may need to step out of your comfort zone to do this. That’s why at Brava we provide personal fittings every time you shop and provide bra recommendations!
The best bra for you is the one you feel most comfortable