Tuesday's Tip-Are you wearing the correct bra size?

Today is the last day to enter my Basics by Bravado Nursing Tank & DVD giveaway. So while we're on the subject of bras....
Did you know that 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size? That would include me...until about a week ago! Can you believe that such an important undergarment that we wear day in, day out, one that provides support, needs to be functional, yet comfortable, and one that sometimes needs to be attractive to look at ~wink~.....that 85% of us are wearing the wrong size and therefore probably quite uncomfortable? I am shocked!

I am not one that usually blogs about something so personal as...ahem...bra size....but I felt the need to share this w/ you ladies!

As I mentioned above, I am currently giving away, and had the honor of reviewing, some breastfeeding gear. I was super excited about this since the 2 nursing bras I had were so uncomfortable. I thought it was just because they were fairly inexpensive. I happened to stumble across this article about a proper bra fitting over at The Fashionable Housewife. What a breakthrough for me!! It wasn't the fact that I was wearing inexpensive bras, it was that they were totally & completely the wrong size! I was wearing a 38 and am actually a 36, and was wearing a cup size too small as well. I couldn't believe I was that far off so I went to a local department store, tried on a bra in the size it said I should be wearing, and.....ahhh....haven't been that comfortable in months!!!!!!!

So, without further adue, here is an excerpt from The Fashionable Housewife, on how to fit yourself for a bra properly.

"A properly fitted bra is comfortable to wear and, ultimately, will feel as if you are not wearing a bra. A woman should visit her favorite lingerie store at least twice a year and, ideally, each quarter to ensure her bra fits properly.

While the guidelines below will help a woman achieve a general idea of her bra size, the actual bra size purchased may vary because of the lack of true standardization among bra manufacturers. For this reason, a woman should always be willing to focus more on fit and comfort than her historical or projected bra size based upon measurements with a tape measure.

Follow these four steps to achieve your bra size:

1) Measure under your bust line. Put on your best-fitting, unpadded, under wire bra. Measure underneath the bust line and make sure to measure tightly. Be sure the tape measure is straight across your back. The general rule of thumb for all measuring is: less than 1/2″, round DOWN, more than a 1/2″, round UP. So if your measurement is 32 1/4, call it 32.

Calculate your band size. If measurement 1 is UNDER 33 inches, add 5 inches. If this number is odd, round up to the next EVEN number. If measurement 1 is OVER 33 inches, add 3 inches. If this number is odd, round up to the next EVEN number. Write this EVEN number down.

2) Measure over the largest point of your bust line. Make sure the tape measure is straight. Then calculate your cup size. First subtract measurement number 1 from measurement number 2. Then consult the following chart to find your cup size.

If measurement 2 is: Your cup size is:

0″ larger than measurement 1 AA
1″ larger than measurement 1 A
2″ larger than measurement 1 B
3″ larger than measurement 1 C
4″ larger than measurement 1 D
5″ larger than measurement 1 DD/E
6″ larger than measurement 1 F

Please see below for a list of common
bra fitting problems and their simple solutions.

Problem: – The band at the back of the bra rides up.
Explanation: – The band of the bra is too big
Solution: – You need a bra with a smaller back size.

Problem: – Under wire digging in under the armpit.
Explanation: – Your cup is too small, the underwire should encase the breast not dig into it.
Solution: – You need a bra with a bigger cup size.

Problem: – Indents in the shoulder where the straps have dug in.
Explanation: – Your bra is too big in the back and not big enough in the cup, this is causing you to pull the straps up too tight for support.
Solution: – You need a bra, which is smaller in the back & bigger in the cup.

Problem: – Breasts falling out of the bottom of under wire.
Explanation: – The band of your bra is too big and the Cup is too small.
Solution: – You need a bra which is smaller in the back and bigger in the cup.

Problem: – Bumpy silhouette under clothes
Explanation: – Cup encasing breast is too small and so causes breast to overspill.
Solution: – You need to increase your cup size, until you have a smooth silhouette.

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Other Helpful Hints

Proper Fitting:

The backstrap (band) and cups should provide most of the support, rather than the shoulder straps. When viewed from the side, the strap that runs around the body should be horizontal, should not ride up the back, and should be firm but comfortable. The underwires at the front should lie flat against the rib cage (not the breast), along the infra-mammary fold, and should not dig in to the chest or breast, rub or poke out at the front. (Please note that it is better for your breast health to wear bras with NO underwire.) The breasts should be enclosed by the cups and there should be a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends. There should not be a ridge or any bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even with a low-cut style such as the balconette bra.

A common mistake is to take the overbust measurement with a bra on, instead of braless, with the breasts held at the desired position."

There you go! I encourage you to grab a measuring tape and measure away! I actually did mine bra-less as I didn't understand how wearing a bra would give me a true size.If you're like me, you're going to wonder how you were so wrong for so long! ;)