“A newspaper reported that I spent $30,000 a year buying Paris clothes and that women hate me for it. I couldn’t spend that much unless I wore sable underwear.” – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Are you wearing the right undergarments much less are you wearing any at all?
I am going to take on this needed topic of underwear and the importance of it and I will break it down for those who need to know. Since, the subject is so board I will break it down into parts. So stay tuned…
First and foremost, Pay Attention to your underwear. Think practical when picking out undergarments. Lingerie is fun to shop for especially the cute and sexy pieces. However, be conservative. Think about what you wear everyday to the office. Smooth panties and a fitted bra will do more for your figure than anything you put over it.
The Right Bra
So what is the right bra? There is so many to choice from. So many different options. It’s overwhelming!
The T-Shirt Bra from MySkins.com
Everyday use:
For everyday use, I recommend smooth and silky bras. This fabric is practical for all tops. Save the pretty lacy ones for after hours. Usually, the lace shows through.
#1 rule: Invest in several nude colored bras. When deciding which bra to wear with your white blouse, always wear a bra that is the same color as your skin tone. This will ensure an invisible undergarment. Check out Myskins.com to get the perfect shade for you skin tone.
Balcony Bra from Big Girls Bras
Small Bust: To make the most of a small bust, try a balcony style bra, with or without padding. This can give you an enhanced neckline, excellent uplift, and a lovely, curvy shape. Half-cup bras also flatter a smaller bust; padding at the sides and under the bust give maximum lift. Avoid bras that have square-cut bust lines; they’ll flatten you even more.
Other styles for petite figures are Bralette, Contour Wire Free, Major Push-up.
Where to Shop
Women have been telling me, “It is so hard to find pretty lingerie without going into the kids section.” Most local department stores do not have a wide variety to choose from. However, listed below, you may find these websites to be helpful in your quest to get a nice bra for your petite frame.
Bralette from LulaLu.com
Lulalu.com specializes in petite lingerie. They have bralettes, demi-cups, sports bras and so on.
TheLittlebracompany.com also specializes in lingerie for small breasted women.
IttyBittybra.com – Their motto is Itty Bitty & Proud!
Urban Outfitters has a unique assortment of Bralettes to choose from.
Medium to Large Bust
Seamless Minimizer from Wacoal-America.com
Medium to Large Bust: For women with larger busts, wider shoulder and back straps give firm support. Full cups contain the breast better and give a better appearance. Underwired bras provide better support under the bust. Smooth, plain bra styles, without too much lace, help to make your bust appear smaller.
Contour Underwire
Demi-cups provide more sex appeal by giveing breasts a boost. Only wear this bra with button down tops. Do not wear with t-shirts. The bra can cut you in half when it shows through the top. Add bronzer to the decolletage and claevage to provide a glow.
A Minimizer is the best bra for large breasts that need lots of support. It gives full coverage without altering shape and prevents uni-boob.
Sport Underwire from Wacoal
Sports Bras with Molded Cups – The molded cup keeps the uni-boob at bay. It supports the breasts yet allows curves to show. The Sport Underwire from Wacoal (shown above) is the perfect sports bar. Without underwire is another option. Sizes go up to DDD.
Where to Shop
Because the average American women is a 34C and above, most local department stores provide great quality bras for the larger sizes. Macy’s and Nordstrom’s have an assortment of highly recommended bras to choose from. The department stores have Professional bra fitters to measure you. After measurements are taken, they will find an assortment of bras to choose from.
Full Coverage Bra from Natori.com
Natori.com offers a perfected foundation to wear underneath you clothing.
Wacoal - The intimate apparel brand is known for its superior quality and fit.
The Lingerie Store sells bras designed for breast implants.
Big Girl Bras provides DDs on up to cup size H.
How-to Fit the Bra
Usually, you can go to your local department store and a trained sales representative can assist you in fitting the right bra to your shape. However, below, I have broken down steps on how-to-measure yourself.
Step 1:
Measure around the top of your ribs, right where your breasts meet your ribcage. Pull the tape tight around your back. Add five inches to this measurement, and you have the number part of your bra size. (So if your ribcage measures 29 inches, you’re a size 34.)
Now run the tape measure from the inside of your sternum (right between the breasts) to just outside the edge of one breast. Four inches roughly equals an A cup: five inches, a B cup; six inches , a C; and so on.
Step2: Try on Everything
Even when you know your correct size, don’t just pull a bra off the rack and buy it. Bra cuts vary wildly, and their tags don’t include subtle info like”full side cup” or “broader” through the back.” These are the little differences that make one bra fit perfectly and another not.
Step3: Check the fit
In a well-fitting bra, your breasts will completely fill the cups (in soft cups, check the tip, especially: in mold bras, be sure that the top of the cups are filled out.) Cups should hug the outer edges of your breasts, and the back band should be anchored under the lowest part of your shoulder blades. Last of all, the short piece of fabric between the breast should lie flat against your body.
The straps should not be too tight. If you are unable to place two fingers in between the shoulder and the strap, your strap is too tight.
Other Tips that Matter:
- The cup should completely contain the breast with the exception of push-up bras and demi-wire styles.
- The breast should not spill over the top or sides of the cup. This indicates that the cup may be too small.
- The cups fit smoothly. Gaps or puckering indicate that the cups are too large.
- The bra should be snug but not too tight around the body.
- The back of the bra should stay down and not ride up on the back. This indicates a large band size. Try one band size smaller.
- The center of the bra should lie flat against the breastbone. Otherwise, the cups may be too small. Try a larger cup size or a different style.
- The straps should be adjusted to support comfortably without pressure or cutting.
- Don’t Go Overboard -Careful with the push up or enhancing bras. These can easily create an unnatural look.
Jaylynn R. Perkins
myshopper@dressyourbodytype.com
My Resources:
The Lucky Shopping Manual, By Kim France and Andrea Linett
HowToMeasureBraSize.com
- Instyle Magazine May 2010
