Are you familiar with the name Mary Phelps Jacob? No? Well, I think that we women owe her a debt of gratitude because, in 1910, this young American woman fashioned the first bra, as we know it today, out of two silk handkerchiefs, pink ribbon and some cord. The desired effect was to create a device that was “light, soft, comfortable to wear and naturally separated the breasts”. Up until then, women laced themselves into corsets which were “heavy, stiff, uncomfortable and created a mono- bosom!” Not a good look!!
Bra design early 20th century
The truth is that wearing a well-fitted bra can make you look slimmer, fuller/smaller, taller, have better posture and make your clothes hang better. Getting your bra right is an important step to improving your overall image. But it isn’t just a question of measuring your band size and cup size! Sara O’Regan from Bra Sense will tell you that choosing the right bra for you is just as much about shape! No two pairs of boobs are the same even if they measure the same. We all differ so much, so it is very important that you get yourself properly fitted by an expert!
For this reason I have asked Sara to write a blog for me this month. Sara travels the United Kingdom (top to bottom) giving hour-long bra fitting sessions to lucky ladies who then receive a thorough report, so that they really understand what bras will work best for them. Here is what Sara wrote:
We’ve all heard that “a good fitting bra is key”. Whilst it sounds obvious, understanding why it matters is important.
The practical reason is that a good fitting bra will make you look and feel a dress size smaller than you would expect. If your bra is the right fit, design and construction for you, an outfit in your ideal size will fit. If your bra isn’t the right fit, you’ll end up wearing a dress size larger than you really need, to compensate. In summary, your bra is the key fashion foundation garment.
Want to prove it to yourself? It’s simple. Grab any top, dress or jacket out of your wardrobe, and look at the shape. The shoulders, bust, waist and hips are cut and shaped in proportion in all fashion garments.
Now. Our shoulders are fixed, as are our waist and our hips. The bust however can move up, down, in or out, depending upon our bra.
If our bust is sitting where nature intended, you will be in proportion, look your best and be the right dress size for your body.
If it isn’t, your clothes won’t sit over the bust correctly, leading you to choose that one size larger that you don’t really need.
Traditionally, we’ve always believed that size is the important thing in bras. However, the right design, the right construction or make-up and then the right size all matter equally.
The resulting shape of the right bra is the key fit point as it ‘connects’ the shoulders to the rest of the body, emphasises the waist and smoothes the hips. Because then you will look and feel proportionate, just as nature intended.
So,when we describe the bra as being ‘the key fashion foundation’, we are not exaggerating
To check if you are wearing the correct bra shape and size, follow the 3 fit tips:
1.Band: should be level all the way around the body and the bra band should sit just below the shoulder blades at the back.
2.Shoulder straps: Should sit at the top of the bust and not take the weight of the bust. If you’re having to tighten the shoulder straps to lift the bust, the bra is not the correct size.
3.Underwire: this is perhaps the hardest thing to get right as the biggest difference between different manufacturer’s bras is the underwire shape. Every manufacturer has their own and they are all different. This is why some brands work for you, whilst others don’t. If a brand works for you, then the underwire is probably right. The underwire should sit around the bust, not digging in to the tissue at the sides or the centre. This is where shape rather than size is key.
Sara O’Regan – Founder of BraSense Ltd.
Email: Sara@brasense.co.uk
Website: www.brasense.co.uk
Telephone: 0044 (0)1530 274840
Twitter: @brasense
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