Jade-clothing
Well-Known Forumite
We once had a thread from someone asking where she could go for a bra fitting but I thought I would start a separate thread to give advice on all things lingerie. After all there are a lot of lovely ladies on here and we all need bras!
This isn't just a plug for Saffron, I'm quite happy to give advice on here. Course, it would be nice if you wanted to pop in and say hello, even nicer if you had a free fitting and nicer still if you brought a bra but I used to run an advice page for Breastfeeding support (I'm a qualified breast feeding adviser) and nursing bras and I miss helping people online so feel free to ask any questions either on this thread or PM.
80% of the ladies in this country are wearing the wrong size bra and it is thought that this is because they have never been for a proper fitting. I see every day at least one lady who is wearing an ill fitting bra who has never been for a fitting and didn't realise her bra wasn't the right size because she didn't know how a bra should fit.
Ladies generally wear a band size too big. One reason for this is because they don't like to 'feel' the band and another is because they think if it's firm on the band fat will spill over the top giving unattractive back fat. The problem is 80% of the support comes from your band so the band needs to be firm. You should only be able to pull it out an inch away from your back at the back of the bra and it should fit snuggly under your bust at the front and sit flat on the chest. If it's too loose it will not support your breasts, the band will ride up your back and when that happens your bust will droop onto or below your band. A lot of ladies complain the wires in the bra hurt them - this is usually because the band is too big - if your band isn't snug and firm it will move around resulting in the wires rubbing. A firm band does not move and supports your breasts.
A lot of ladies are confused about cup size, come to think of it gentlemen are too! How many times have you heard a bloke say - 'She's a DD - wow!' There is no such size as a DD - a 32DD bra hasn't got the same cup size as a 34DD bra. So you can't say someone has big breasts because they are a DD because it depends what band size she is too. Cup sizes are relative to band sizes. A 32DD, a 34D, a 36C, a 38B and a 40A all have exactly the same size cup. Very often a lady who thinks she is a 36B but the band is too tight will then buy a 38B because the cup was ok but she should buy a 38A to get the same cup size.
Another confusing matter is measuring - we haven't measured for a few years now because it doesn't work. You don't need to measure under your bust and add x amount of inches and then measure the full part and get all confused by the numbers. Every bra and every make and every style fit differently so there is no point in us giving you a bra size because you won't be the same size in every bra. We fit each bra onto the lady, checking for fit. The size doesn't matter as long as the bra fits correctly.
So hope that helps and any questions feel free to ask. I can also give advice on mastectomies, mastectomy fittings and prostheses - a sensitive subject so please do private message if you need any help.
This isn't just a plug for Saffron, I'm quite happy to give advice on here. Course, it would be nice if you wanted to pop in and say hello, even nicer if you had a free fitting and nicer still if you brought a bra but I used to run an advice page for Breastfeeding support (I'm a qualified breast feeding adviser) and nursing bras and I miss helping people online so feel free to ask any questions either on this thread or PM.
80% of the ladies in this country are wearing the wrong size bra and it is thought that this is because they have never been for a proper fitting. I see every day at least one lady who is wearing an ill fitting bra who has never been for a fitting and didn't realise her bra wasn't the right size because she didn't know how a bra should fit.
Ladies generally wear a band size too big. One reason for this is because they don't like to 'feel' the band and another is because they think if it's firm on the band fat will spill over the top giving unattractive back fat. The problem is 80% of the support comes from your band so the band needs to be firm. You should only be able to pull it out an inch away from your back at the back of the bra and it should fit snuggly under your bust at the front and sit flat on the chest. If it's too loose it will not support your breasts, the band will ride up your back and when that happens your bust will droop onto or below your band. A lot of ladies complain the wires in the bra hurt them - this is usually because the band is too big - if your band isn't snug and firm it will move around resulting in the wires rubbing. A firm band does not move and supports your breasts.
A lot of ladies are confused about cup size, come to think of it gentlemen are too! How many times have you heard a bloke say - 'She's a DD - wow!' There is no such size as a DD - a 32DD bra hasn't got the same cup size as a 34DD bra. So you can't say someone has big breasts because they are a DD because it depends what band size she is too. Cup sizes are relative to band sizes. A 32DD, a 34D, a 36C, a 38B and a 40A all have exactly the same size cup. Very often a lady who thinks she is a 36B but the band is too tight will then buy a 38B because the cup was ok but she should buy a 38A to get the same cup size.
Another confusing matter is measuring - we haven't measured for a few years now because it doesn't work. You don't need to measure under your bust and add x amount of inches and then measure the full part and get all confused by the numbers. Every bra and every make and every style fit differently so there is no point in us giving you a bra size because you won't be the same size in every bra. We fit each bra onto the lady, checking for fit. The size doesn't matter as long as the bra fits correctly.
So hope that helps and any questions feel free to ask. I can also give advice on mastectomies, mastectomy fittings and prostheses - a sensitive subject so please do private message if you need any help.
