The problem with ‘bras’ (Part II)

By Michelle Gonsalves

PROBLEMS WITH BREAST TISSUE

1. My buttons keep popping open on my blouses

A bad bra can make your breasts look saggy
A bad bra can make your breasts look saggy


Reason: Your breast projection in front is such that it causes your buttons to be pulled apart and pop open.
Solution: This is the reason we have minimizer ‘bras’. A minimizer ‘bra’ reduces your front breast projection. It’s like taking a mountain and turning it more into a hill, while using the same amount of dirt. Most minimizer ‘bras’ can reduce your breast circumference by 1’ to 1½”.

2. Sagging breasts
Reason:
– Your ‘bra’ does not have enough support.
– Your cup fabric is too stretchy and flimsy for your breasts.
– Your Band Size is too large.
– You may also have heavy breasts that are becoming pendulous, due to lack of proper support.
Solution: The apex of your breasts should fall halfway between your elbow and shoulder. To get there, you need a ‘bra’ with good support. Features of great supporting ‘bras’ include a three-section cup; support panels built into the cup; a band all the way around the bottom of the ‘bra’; and three or more hooks in the back. Avoid single-layer, molded-cup ‘bras’. Going down a Band Size and up a Cup Size may also solve this problem (e.g. 38C to a 36D).

Apex of breast should be between shoulder and elbow
Apex of breast should be between shoulder and elbow

3. Rashes and redness under breasts
Reason: Your cup is too small; your underwire is not in the breast crease; and your ‘bra’ does not give enough support to lift your breasts off your ribcage. Consequently, your breast skin is overlapping and rubbing on your ribcage skin, and irritation is occurring.
Solution: Increase your Cup Size until you find the right underwire that fits within your breast-crease comfortably.
Choose a ‘bra’ that has a band on the bottom. This band will give additional support, and ensure your breast tissue does not come into contact with your ribcage skin. Finally, consider a soft-cup/wireless ‘bra’ with a band and good supporting cup design.

PROBLEMS WITH CENTRE PANELS
The centre of my ‘bra’ does not rest on my sternum.
Reason:
– Your Cup Size is too small.
– Your ‘bra’ is a minimizer or a soft-cup style, and these ‘bra’ styles tend not to touch your sternum.
– You’re not wearing your ‘bra’ correctly.

Before and after bra fitting
Before and after bra fitting

Solution: Re-arrange your breast tissue in the cup and see if the fit improves. If this doesn’t solve the problem, try on the ‘bra’ in the next larger Cup Size (e.g. go from a 42D to a 42DD). If your ‘bra’ is soft-cup/wireless, and you’re large-breasted, the centre panel will probably not touch. This is okay. Minimizer bra- styles also tend to push away from the sternum. If you’re large-breasted and have touching breasts, your centre panel will probably not touch your sternum. Better bra style choices would be ‘bras’ with little or no centre panels, and plunging bra-styles.

PROBLEMS WITH ‘BRA’ BACK
‘Bra’ rides up in back, and my bra-size is correct.

Reason:
– Your torso does not get narrower at the waist, and in fact might be wider.
– Your breasts are large and heavy. Both these body characteristics predispose your bra-back to riding up.
– You have curvature of the spine, which makes it difficult for the bra-back to stay in place.

Solution: Make sure your bra-back has the leotard back-strap styling; is wide; four or more hooks along your back closure; and wide elastic sewn along the bottom edge. Also, when you put on your ‘bra’, make sure your bra-back is pulled down under your scapulas or shoulder blades; this will also help to better anchor your bra-back in the correct location. Other ‘bra’ options include backless ‘bras’, which have lower back designs; posture ‘bras’, because they have large backs and no back closures; and front-closure ‘bras’, because, again, there are no irritating back closures.

PROBLEMS WITH SHOULDER STRAPS
1. Shoulder straps keep falling off shoulders.

Reason:
– If tightening the strap is not working, the problem could be that your Cup Size is too big; you’re not filling out the top of your cup, probably because you have shallow upper breast fullness, and this is causing your straps to slide down your shoulders.

– You’re using ‘bra’ extenders, which move the bra-strap placement closer to your shoulders’ edges.
– When putting on your ‘bra’, you are not making certain your bra’s back is pulled down and under your shoulder blades.
– Your band may not be tight enough, or may be a size too large, and the straps in the back are thus too close to the edge of your shoulders.
– Your bra-style could be the problem: Wide-set straps are very popular, but if you have small or sloping shoulders, this style is not for you.
– Your ‘bra’ straps are attached to a ring, either in front or back. This ring allows your straps to swivel, and thus contribute to their falling off your shoulders.

Solution:
– Try your ‘bra’ style in a smaller Cup Size, or select a different style ‘bra’ with straps sewn closer to the neck.
– Look for ‘bras’ that have centre pull straps; straps sewn directly above the cup’s apex rather than over towards the side.
– Look for ‘bras’ where the straps are sewn close together in the back; also called kicked-in or set-in straps.
– Racer-back bras and leotard-back bras are great solutions for falling straps.

If you’re using ‘bra’ extenders, remove them and buy the ‘bra’ in a larger Band Size and one Cup Size smaller, to maintain the same cup fit.

 2. Shoulder straps dig into shoulders.

Reason: Your ‘bra’ is not giving you enough support, so your shoulder straps are being forced to do too much work, or your straps are too tight or too narrow. Straps should carry no more than 10% of the breast weight.
Solution: If you drop your shoulder straps off your shoulders, your ‘bra’ should stay in place. If this is not the case, your Band Size is too large, and you should go down a Band Size and up a Cup Size, so your cups fit correctly (e.g. from a 42D to a 40DD or 40E).
‘Bra’ straps should never create dents in your shoulders; straps should carry only minimal breast weight. A wider ‘bra’ strap is also a good idea for breast sizes larger than a D-Cup. Buying a ‘bra’ with a band in its design under the underwires will give you the greatest support, if your Band Size is also the correct size.

 

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