Before you load the undergarment drawer with the lacy nothings, here’s a fact sheet that’ll help you get your lingerie shopping sorted.

From Kate Winslet’s mother trying her daughter’s corset to enhance her full figure in Titanic to Kareena Kapoor boldly hooking up her bra in her introductory shot in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, the bra has come a long way. The modern bra is more decorative than its predecessors with its focus having shifter from functionality to fashion. The lacy inside garment now makes for a multi-million dollar industry. The hush-hush bra is now bolder, brighter and is worn to be shown (at least partly). These days it’s all about a pink ‘B’ with a pink tee. Remember, no one bra is better than the other – it all depends on which style works best for you.

HAZARDS OF THE WRONG ‘B’

Shoulder Pain

Use of extremely thin bra straps can exert pressure on the trapezius muscle resulting on temporary symptoms such has neck and shoulder pain and consistent headache. This is more common for women whose work involves a lot of hand movements.

Back Pain

This is particularly common amongst large-breasted women who wear ill-fitting bra. In extreme cases, such discomfort can lead to women seeking breast reduction surgery. According to lingerie designers across the world, “overestimating the width of the back and underestimating the cup size transfers the breast weight to the shoulders from the chest, and this subsequently leads to severe back pain”.

Common Problem

According to medical professionals, a bra size has lost its meaning in this day and age. “Different bra styles and lack of standardisation across various lingerie brands have left the bra size determination to be more of an educated guesswork rather than a sure choice” says Dr. Kushboo Ganjoo, consultant physician – Gera Clinic, Gurgaon. Wearing the right bra keeps the breast well supported and prevents injury to the breast tissue. A well-fitting bra is also important for a woman’s posture, particularly if she has large breasts. The solution is to know your size and the kind of bra that fits you the best.

FACT SHEET

Bra Search

Finding the right bra size is not an ordeal if you know the basics. A bra size has two important dimensions: chest/band size and the cup size. It’s important to get both – the chest and the cup size right to get the right fit.

The band runs across a girl’s chest and around her back and the cups holds the breasts. Bras come in many sizes with various chest size and cup size combinations.

Make sure you don’t take the cup size lightly – an oft-repeated mistake most Indian women make.

If you wear a bra with a smaller chest size, the band will ether feel tight and uncomfortable around the rib cage and will compress the breasts and force them to bulge out. Similarly, a bra that is too loose will ride up on the breast and the cups will wrinkle and pucker making the garment wore over it look untidy and shabby.

Judge the Bra

Take a good look at the bra you are about to buy and think if it will be able to survive a full day of wear. Evaluate the following:

• Does the front closure pop open easily?
• Are the strap adjusters sitting right on the shoulder or the collarbone?
• Test the grip of the bra band by lifting your arms in the air and putting them down by your side a couple of times. If the bra rides up across your breasts, the band is loose.
• If you are looking for a sports bra, jump up and down a couple of times to evaluate its strength.
• You must wear a garment over the bra to see the finished effect.

Exercise Care

A research carried out in the UK has found that out of the total number of women who exercise, 77% don’t wear a sports bra. This is bad news considering any excessive breast movement puts a huge strain on the ligament that holds the breast in place causing them to stretch and sag. To stay in shape, a well-designed sports bra is must while working out. Sports bras are specially designed to allow complete freedom of movement while holding you firmly in place, and are made from specialised fabrics that channel moisture away from the skin to the outside of the fabric.

The following information might just convince you to never exercise with sports bra: a bust size of 34B bounces 8 centimetres.

SIZING IT UP

Small Bust

To make the most of a small bust try a balcony bra. A balcony bra is extremely similar to a half-cup bra, its purpose is to provide sufficient amount of support to offer a fine cleavage, an excellent uplift and a curvy shape.

Half-cup bras also flatter smaller bust sizes. Avoid bras that have square-cut bust lines; they’ll flatter you even more.

Large Bust

For well-endowed women, full up an underwired bras will do the trick.

Caution: If you are on a weight-loss spree or if your weight keeps fluctuating from time-to-time, it is best to wear a bra with some lycra. This will naturally accommodate the varying size and won’t crease under the clothes.

Remember, your breast size changes with diet, pregnancy, exercise, age and consumption of contraceptive pills. Avoid underwired bras during pregnancy as breasts during these months become fragile and extra sensitive.

BOOBY TRAP

In addition to the fit, here’s an important factor that you should take into account while buying a bra.

Different-Sized Breasts

Most girl’s breasts grow at different rate and they find themselves with one that’s bigger than its partner. This is not an abnormality and is common to a lot of women. Most bra manufactures design their products in a way that they are able to accommodate asymmetrical breasts.

• You can start by setting the strap adjusters to different lengths.
• Or buy a bra with removable padding – you can take out the extra for the larger breasts.
• Push-up bras can work well in such cases for they often come with an easily removable padded section called a ‘cookie’ that sits under the breast.

MEASURE IT RIGHT

So how do you calculate your chest and cup measurements? It’s easy – something you can do in the privacy of your home. All that you need is a measuring tape.

Chest Measurement

The most common and accurate method to take your chest measurement is by running a tape measure under your breast, all the way around your back and rib cage.

• The tape measure should rest flat on your skin and lie straight across your back with a fairly firm grip.
• Make a note of your measurement and add five inches to it. This is your chest size.

Cup Measurement

Be careful about the type of bra you wear while taking your cup measurement. Sports bras flatten the breasts and give a cup reading that’s too small and padded or lined bras have an opposite effect. It is best to wear a well-fitting, unpadded bra to get the accurate reading.

• Run the tape measure around your body and take the measurement across the fullest part of your breast.
• Right down this number and subtract your chest measurement form it.
• If the difference between the two number is less than one inch your size is AA; if it’s 1 inch your cup size is A; 2 inches, your cup size is B; 3 inches your cup size is C, so on and so forth.