Do you have a drawer full of bras and only wear a few of them?

I had written previously about how to choose the right briefs for your shape and the clothes you are wearing.

I was recently shocked to find out that 80% of women are wearing an incorrectly fitted, ‘wrong’ bra.

This has prompted me to share with you a few tips on whether you are wearing the correct bra for You. Years of experience with my clients, and seeing the correct vs incorrect bra, has taught me what to look out for.

Wearing the right bra makes a huge difference to the way your whole outfit sits and looks; it may affect the style and size of garment you are wearing as well.

I know you want to feel comfortable and not restricted but a well-fitting bra will give you comfort and SHAPE. Lifting your boobs to the correct position will give you more of a flat point under your bustline. This means dresses and tops will sit far better on your body shape - and you will appear slimmer.

Let’s have a look at whether you are wearing the correct bra for YOU.

Firstly, I want you to pop on your bra and stand in front of the mirror. (I bet you’re thinking I really don’t want to do this.)

It won’t take long.

Just ask yourself the following questions whilst looking in the mirror, to identify if you are wearing the correct bra for your body.

• Are you spilling over the cups?
• Are you spilling over the sides or the back strap?
• Do you have gaps in your bra cups?
• Is your bra flattening or squashing you?
• Is the band too tight and leaving marks on your skin?
• Are your straps too loose and keep falling off your shoulders?
• Is the underwire cutting into you?
• Is the underwire lifting up and leaving a gap?
• Is the band too loose?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you are wearing the wrong style or size of bra for you.

Check the band by placing 1 or more fingers under it:

• For comfort you need one finger space underneath the band
• If you can fit two or more fingers, then it’s too loose and not giving you the support that is needed.

Check the straps :

• If the bra strap needs to be tightened too much to lift the breast you may have the wrong cup size.
• The straps are there to provide support and shouldn’t cause indentation into your shoulders.

Choosing the Cup size - This can be tricky.

• If you have one breast smaller than the other go with sizing up to the larger breast.
• You want the cup hugging your breast. You don’t want to see any gaps or spillage.
• We don’t want to flatten or squash our breasts either.

The GORE

Another thing I want you to look at is the ‘GORE’. I'll bet your thinking what’s that?

The GORE is the triangle piece that sits in the middle of the bra. It determines how close or how far apart your breast will sit.

The Gore should sit flat on your sternum and be comfortable.

For Larger Breasts –

A ‘minimizing’ bra will give you a streamlined look and may work better with fitted garments.

For Smaller Breasts –

• I always feel more comfortable and confident in a well-fitting push-up bra
• I use the extra inserts depending on the style of garment I’m wearing.

Strapless Bras –

You have three things to keep in mind for a strapless bra:

1. the band and
2. the cup and
3. if the Gore is sitting flat and is providing the right separation for your outfit

Styles and sizes will vary from brand to brand, so you need to make some ME time go and try on various styles and see what suits you, gives you the best shape and uplift, and is comfortable.

If you have a special occasion outfit, take it with you when trying on your new bra, especially if you are looking for a strapless bra.

Fabric choices are personal but remember that silk and cotton are breathable fabrics.

Now you are armed with some new tips, I want you to go through your bra drawer and have a look at what works and what doesn’t. Make sure you remove what not working for you and put in the charity bag – someone will have a use for it.