Take the weight off your shoulders
September 27, 2015 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Over the past two decades, with help from the media (especially Oprah), women are learning the importance of finding the right bra and the right fit. With an increase in demand have come specialty boutiques with bra-fitters at the ready.
Dawn Bell and Robin Molyneaux own their own respective bra and lingerie shops in Edmonton and spend their work lives helping women feel more comfortable and confident – 80 per cent of women, says Molyneaux, are wearing the wrong size.
We asked them: what does every woman need to know before she buys her next bra?
Don’t go it alone Neither Bell nor Molyneaux, let customers go into the change room without an experienced bra-fitter helping them.
Bell doesn’t want women trying to fit themselves into a specific bra, rather, she’d like to show the customer several beautiful options that work for her body type. “A lot of women might be confused when they come in because there’s not a lot of stuff on racks, but we get the right fit first, and then you’re just looking at the product that’s going to work for you,” she says.
Four sizes don’t fit all The most common mistake women make when they’re brashopping, says Bell, is choosing the wrong size. “A lot of women are thinking department-store sizes, they don’t even know there are sizes bigger than that. So, they’re getting the best fit with the sizes that are available but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right fit,” she says. “We go from a double A cup to an N cup, and from a 28 band size to a 58 band size.”
Forget what you think you know about sizes, says Molyneaux. “… Once you’re in the right size it makes a huge difference. It takes the weight off your shoulders. A band is what should be doing most of the work – not your straps.”
It’s about your health, too Wearing the wrong-size bra “… can create headaches and migraines,” says Bell. “Or you could get back aches, shoulder aches, or pinched nerves in your shoulders, and it can go right down into your legs with muscle spasms. If your shoulders are supporting your breasts, you’re creating so much pressure on your upper body, and it really should be your back that’s supporting your breasts and holding you in a better posture.”
Wash often Since the tension of the band is what’s holding your breasts up, keeping it in top shape is key to your bra’s longevity. “Believe it or not, you should be washing your bra after every second wear,” says Molyneaux. “Most people think the fewer times you wash it, the longer it will last and, actually, it’s the opposite. The oils in your body get into the fabric … Washing it cleans it out and it breathes again.”
Get fitted often Our bodies change over the years, and so, too, do our breasts. Weight-fluctuation, child-bearing, menopause and just plain aging can cause them to get bigger or smaller. “As weight fluctuates, a lot of women will get new pants or new tops, but they don’t tend to get new bras,” says Bell.
“Even if your weight doesn’t change, you should be re-fit every couple of years because your body still changes.”
