That time has arrived. You need a new bra. You’re already dreading the experience. If you’re not lucky enough to live in or visit St Francis Bay and get to the Beltza boutique for a free bra fitting, this blog will guide you to fit yourself in the shop and also offers top tips on how to care for your gorgeous new lingerie items. Once you have these key elements in mind, bra shopping gets a bit easier.
Take a few sizes into the change room with you that are similar to the size you already have on, that way you can compare fit. This should include a band size higher as well as lower than the bra you’re currently wearing. It must also include a cup size higher and lower than the bra you’re currently wearing. For example, if your bra size is 36D, take a 34D (smaller band, same cup size), 38D (bigger band, same cup size), 36C (smaller cup, same band size) and 36E (bigger cup, same band size) into the change room with you. This will help you compare all the most important elements I describe below.
When you try on a new bra, the band needs to be snug. Not so snug that you can’t breathe properly, but not so loose that the bra lifts off your body when you lift your arms up. A rule of thumb is to pull the back of the bra away from you. If you can pull it more than 2cm away from you, the band is too big, size down in your band. There are usually three rows of hooks on the clasp, the bra should be perfectly snug on the loosest row. This is for the longevity of your bra and gives you added wear. As you wash and wear the bra, the elastics stretch and lose their properties over time, but because you have three rows of hooks, you can simply move the bra to the next row once you feel the band becoming looser around you.
Straps pay an important role, but not to hold the girls up. That is the band’s job. Ideally, wider straps are better for larger busts as they offer more support, but again, not to hold things up, rather to help distribute the weight across more surface area. As you wear your bra, the elastic in the straps stretches and the sliders on the straps tend to slide down over time. Every time you put on your bra, make sure your straps aren’t so loose that you can pull them up past your ears. They must be snug enough that when pulled you can only get around 2cm of movement from them.
Should you wear a wired, or non-wired bra? This is an important, and controversial, subject. There is a lot of incredible and important research out there explaining why wearing a wired bra is bad for you. I will write a blog about it in detail very soon. I agree with the majority of the research, however I also understand ladies’ frustrations when it comes to having a larger, rather heavy bust that needs all the support she can get. Wires are there for shape, and support. The wire should NEVER sit on your breast tissue, anywhere on your chest. On your sides, the breast tissue stops as far back as just under your arm, so make sure the cup of your bra sits behind it, not on top of it. If your bra wire digs into you anywhere, it isn’t the correct size, please book a fitting to prevent further damage to your body and your stress levels.
Next up is the bridge! Such a small piece of the bra, such an important one too. This is the piece that sits in the centre of your chest, between your cups, and is responsible for you wanting to rip your bra off at the end of the day, or not as the case may be. When your bra is the correct size, the entire bridge, from top to bottom, will sit flush against your chest bone. Top tip, the narrower the bridge, the more cleavage you will have and the less support you will get. Wider bridges are better for larger busts and offer more support, as they separate the breasts, lessening the weight across your chest. Told you, it’s an important little piece of the bra.
If your breast tissue is overflowing over the tops of your cups and you have a quadra-boob effect going on, your cups are too small, go up a cup size, or two. Each breast has to sit inside the cup.
If you are bulging over the sides of your bra, under your arms, the band might be too small or too narrow. Go up a band size to compare, look for wide bands to keep the ‘bad friends’ in their lane.
If you’re bulging at the back, consider a bra with a wider back panel or band, same applies here as for the bad arm friends.
Please bear in mind, most of us are normal human beings and have bulges on our backs or sides. This is a normal human trait. Unless you are an Olympic athlete, a supermodel, or just very lucky, we all have softer sections in various places on our bodies. Please, be kind to yourself.
Hand washing bras & lingerie is the ultimate form of care you can give your intimate items. Use a small amount of mild handwashing soap and lukewarm water. Soak a while if needs be, gently rubbing and washing each item. Make sure you rinse VERY well as soap residue can contribute to quicker fabric degradation over time.
Machine washing. I’m going to be controversial here. Yes, you can wash certain lingerie in the machine*, but please use a lingerie bag and please don’t wash over 30ºC. If you don’t use the lingerie bag, the bra straps get wrapped around other clothing, the bra clasps snag other items and after the spinning cycle is done, everything ends up in a twisted, pulled mess. You also risk ruining your favourite sweater. Putting your intimates in a lingerie bag helps to keep them separate from larger, heavier items. Make sure to close your bra’s clasps so they don’t get caught on anything in the wash, even if inside the bag.
*Disclaimer: You accept full responsibility for your lingerie and your washing mashine if you choose this method.
When drying, always hang your bras over in half. If you hang it from one end, the fabric tends to stretch out sooner. Instead of pegging the pretty fabric or lace, close the bra clasp, this prevents damage to delicate fabrics and it won’t go flying off into the neighbour’s yard.
Storing your bra is important too. Avoid folding one cup into the other so one is inside out, this accelerates the aging of the bra, particularly with t-shirt bras as it degrades the fabric quicker.
When you look after your bras correctly, they should last between 1 and 3 years. The key variables here are how often you wear it between washes, how often you wash it, how you wash it and how you store it.
I get it, this blog is a lot to take in. It seems daunting at first, but I promise, if you make these small changes to how you shop and care for your bras, you will have an easier time finding new, beautiful items to love.
If you have any questions, queries or need advice, please let us know, we’re here to help you achieve bra happiness. You can contact Jenn on 0746743194 or email info@beltzalingerie.com.
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