We’ve all heard the fact that most women don’t wear the correct bra size. Busy as we are, we don’t have the time or energy to really think about it. But it turns out that wearing the wrong bra size can do a lot more damage than just make your top not fit well.
Debbie Stachowski, owner of Your Perfect Fit bra boutique in Boalsburg, learned that lesson the hard way. To try and make her chest look better for a party, she sewed her bra straps in half to get more lift. Over time, that led to a pinched nerve and a revelation of how bras should fit.
Stachowski says that most women make the same mistake she did and assume that it is the bra straps that provide support. Nope – that would be the band. Yes, the most boring part of the bra is the sole thing keeping your boobs up.
“If the band is too big, then the weight of your breasts is on your shoulders so that can cause shoulder pain, back pain and poor posture,” Stachowski says.
Stachowski also says that a woman can irritate her skin if the band is too big and allows skin-on-skin contact. And that can lead to some nasty rashes and sores.
It’s not your fault, ladies. Bra sizing in the United States is not as specific as European sizes. For U.S. sizes, as the cup increases, the band also increases. That means a person may get a cup size that fully covers their boobs but hangs too loose in the band, not giving them any support.
So what can we do? Stachowski suggests examining your bra habits first.
“When you put on your bra in the morning, you shouldn’t have to touch it all day,” she says. “You shouldn’t be tugging it down or pulling at the straps. That means there’s a problem.”
After that, she recommends a professional bra fitting After you’re done, your bras will be so comfortable and well-fitted that, “you can run a marathon in them.”
“You’ll look better, thinner, taller. You’ll sit taller and walk better. You’ll feel better. And there’s nothing wrong with knowing something more about your breasts.”
Photo by Brittany Trappe
