Lets talk about bras baby!

Bra tip: Stacking your bras in your lingerie drawer helps to maintain their shape.

If I could describe what the in between of heaven and hell was; it would be bras. That beautiful curve, cleavage and proper bra support and that moment at the end of the day when you remove your bra and it feels like you just broke your tatas out of a supermax high-security prison, that's heaven!
Getting your bra size wrong and all consequences that come along with that, that's hell. Most of us are probably in bra-hell right and don't even know it! Here's your way to freedom and a few tips and tricks :)

Types of bras. Source

Not too long ago, Woolworths brought this offer that included getting your bra size checked so that you can buy the right size bra. I went there, probably not for that specific reason but because there was a bra sale and they undoubtedly have good bras. To my surprise, I had been wearing the wrong size for the longest time. I got measured for the perfect fit and afterwards started researching on-line and what I found got me hooked onto my laptop's screen for hours!

Lets get down to the basics. There are two main things to know about, the band size and the cup size. The band size is the measurement of the rib cage denoted in bra sizes and measured in inches. The cup size is that part of your bra that holds your breast. In simpler terms, the band size is the number while the cup size is the letter.

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While we are on cup sizes, there is something I learnt called sister sizes. These are bra sizes that hold an equal amount of mass. Here is where I realized I was wearing the wrong bra for quite a long time. I am a 34D bra size but had been wearing a 36C bra. The 36C is a sister size to the 34D and therefore why I never knew that what I was wearing was wrong. Here's an image explaining this further:

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Let this chart sink in for a bit... Are we there yet? Okay. Here are some stats for you to digest:

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Can you imagine that 85% of women wear the wrong size bra?

Yeah, you read that right. A staggering 85%! Am I the only one who is totally 'flabbergasted' by this? I think not. (Lol! I just wanted to use the word flabbergasted on a serious sentence). But on a serious note, that means most of the ladies reading this are probably wearing the wrong brassier. Sorry beaus. A bra, being a quintessential in a woman's wardrobe should be taken seriously. I have one thing for you to smile about though, here's a guide to help you figure this out.

1. If your breasts are spilling either on top or on the sides of your bra, you are wearing a cup that's too small. Try going up a cup size.

2. If your straps are painfully digging in to your shoulders, you should loosen them so that you can get two fingers between your shoulder and your strap. If by doing this your boobs start sagging, you were probably using the straps to support them and you might need to get a tighter band.

3. If your under-wires are digging onto your armpits or if your under-wire is not directly on your ribcage, you are wearing a cup size too small. Try going up a cup.

4. If your cup is wrinkly, you are either wearing a cup whose style isn't suited for your breast shape (i.e you're lower pole fullness is more than your upper pole fullness and you are wearing a cup whose style is of the latter) or the cup that you are wearing is too big.

5. If a bra is flattening your breasts and feels too tight, try going up a cup size before going up a band size.

6. If your band rides up your back and is not parallel to the floor, your band is too big. Try going down a band size.

7. If your band is too tight, increase your band size.

8. If the centre of your cups (otherwise known as the gore) isn't touching your torso, your cup size is too small. Try going up a size.

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If you are tired of seeing a bulge on the side of someone's top or blouse or that bra that's almost crawling up one's neck. Hook a sister up with this post! Or, if you are a man and your girlfriend/ friend (e.t.c) needs this info, send her right here. You can check this awesome DIY bra tutorial from my girl's blog here. Another tutorial here, here and here as well. With all that said, get good bras dearies, because when you look good, you feel good! You are confident and feel beautiful inside out! Indulge yourself on the scoop and swoop method that can help you figure your bra size all by yourself. If you have any questions, tips or tricks, leave a comment below :)

xx
Mimmie