Choosing A Bra

Health & Comfort

It is important to understand that choosing a bra is far more than simply picking the "prettiest" or most colorful, or perhaps the sexiest. The bra is a garment that is crucial to the real health of your breasts and surrounding muscles of the body. Certainly, the bra is also important from a comfort standpoint.

An improperly fitted bra that does not offer enough support or does not fit well can displace the breast tissue over a long perios of time and that causes the weakened muscles of the breasts to sag and become mishapen. Wearing a properly fitted bra that affords the right amount of support will, in fact, maintain a more youthful, firm mescle structure and appearance.

Another good reason to take care in the selection and fitting of a bra is that bad bras are the number one fashion disaster that make expensive dresses look like bargain-basement knock-offs.

Testing For Proper Bra Fit

There are some important signs that indicate that you might not be wearing the right bra:

• Do your bra straps cause red marks on your shoulder?
• Do your bra straps slide down unless you're constantly adjusting them?
• Do your breasts bulge over the top of the cup in a double bump?
• Do your breasts droop or look generally out of shape?
• Does your bust fall forward, instead of being in its central position?
• Does the bra pull your shoulders forward?
• Does your bra band ride up in the back?
• Does the center of your bra fail to touch your breastbone?

Answering yes to any of the questions above, could well indicate that your bra is either fitted improperly, or you are wearing the wrong type, or the wrong size.

To properly test a bra, place the bra straps over your arms and set them on your shoulders. Bend forward from the waist and adjust your breasts within the cups with your nipples located at the fullest point of the cups. Make sure the hooks are fastened in the middle position and then stand upright. Adjust the straps of the bra so that your breasts are at the right level ensuring that the bra does not rise at the back and is comfortable without being overly tight.

Potential Breast Health Issues

Poorly fitted bras do more damage than simply unflattering your figure. When a bra does not fit properly, or you wear the wrong bra for your breasts, you could experience shoulder pain, neck pain, headaches, stretching of the breast tissue, or compressing or distending the muscles of the breast. These are the principal areas of concerns but clearly, wearing the wrong sized bra can also cause severe breast pain.

Breast Size vs. Bra Styles

Women with smaller breasts cannot go wrong with balcony-style bras (with or without padding) as this style highlights the natural curves of a smaller bust. This bra style provides lift and a lovely curvy shape as well as a nice neckline.

Half=cup bras are also a good choice for a small bust and selecting such a bra with padding at the sides and under the bust will provide extra lift.

Small breasted women should avoid square-cut bras as these tend to flatten the look of a small bust.

In the case of women with large busts, they should look for wide shoulder and back straps that offer firmer support. Full cups provide better shaping and contain the breast tissue more effectively than other bra styles.

Underwire bras provide the best support for big breasts; however, be aware that lace and other cup decorations make a breast appear larger, so choosing a plain bra will make your bust appear smaller while giving your breasts a smooth and natural look.

Always A Sports Bra

Some women consider sports bras as "optional" during exercise. They're not. Any excessive breast movement puts a significant strain on the ligaments that hold the breasts in place, causing them to stretch and resulting in long-term sagging.

Everyday bras simply don't provide enough support and hold the breasts firmly in place during exercise. Sports bras are specially designed to allow freedom of movement while holding you firmly in place, and they're made of fabrics that channel moisture away from the skin to the outside of the fabric. Sports bras come in different shapes and styles suitable for different activity levels, but they're absolutely vital to wear when you exercise.