Tomima’s Blog - Lingerie & Underwear Expert

Here’s the truth – there is no exact measuring system when it comes to figuring out your proper bra size. Now, I appreciate that this is a rather provocative statement, but after 8 years of helping women find their correct bra size, invariably the tape measure is abandoned and in its place is a conversation about what’s not right about their current size.

First, you need to understand that the tape measuring system was designed by manufacturers to help women with A to D cup sizes only. That’s right, it was never intended for the larger cup sizes, yet retailers will try and make it work anyway.

Measuring to determine your bra size isn’t often accurate because it’s frankly too easy to take the wrong measurements. As an example, when measuring your under-bust, have you first taken a deep breath? Having been a synchronized swimmer in my younger years, my under-bust measurement can expand more than 3” with a good intake of air. Most don’t know that this measurement is to be taken after letting out all your air.

Your tape measure must also be exactly parallel to the floor when taking the under-bust measurement. This is very difficult to do. What if someone handed you a funnel and asked you to take its circumference 1" down from the top? It would be tough; the tape measure would want to slip. As most of us know, we aren’t columnar shaped, so getting this measurement accurately is almost impossible without help.

Now, those are just the issues with the under-bust measurement. Let’s move on to the bust measurement. Again, the tape measure should  be parallel to the floor, and cross over the nipples. Okay, but most of us, except for maybe A cup women, have sagging breasts. So, how do we measure this? Do we take this measurement naked? Do we bend over so that our breasts measure at their fullest? Do we measure while wearing a bra? Do we have someone hold our breasts where we would like them to eventually wind up, then take this measurement? And then, should we breath in or out during this measurement? As you can imagine, all of these considerations will render a different measurement.

The answer is to find your best fitting, non-padded bra, breath out and take this measurement with the tape parallel to the floor. Of course, your best fitting bra is probably wrong (which is the reason you’re going through this exercise in the first place) so even this measurement will be inaccurate.

So, what’s a girl to do to find her correct bra size? What I have found over the years is that treating the ill-fitting symptom with a size change is the most accurate solution. In my next blog entry on this subject, I’ll explain to you what a correctly fitted bra should look like. Knowing this is the first step to getting you to your correct bra size.

You can get more help with measuring for bra size in HerRoom’s fitting guide.

Are you over 30? 40? 50? 60? Treat yourself to How Not to Look Old, by Charla Krupp.

This hot new book has the kind of sensible advice even the style-cynic can take to heart. Fave chapter? "Learn to Love Shapewear." If you think today’s shapewear is only for the plus-sized, think again. According to Krupp, such single-digit sized-women as the desperate Housewives babes, Katie Couric, and Gwyneth Paltrow all recognize the need for some shaping.

Let’s face it, after a certain age, even the slimmest among us are prey to back fat, love handles, Buddha bellies and other less-than-attractive traits. Krupp recommends shapewear for pretty much all day, every day. Some of her suggested "Brilliant Buys?"

Flexees One Fabulous Body Camisole 77320
Spanx 160 High Waisted Footless Pantyhose
Donna Karan Hosiery Donna Karan Body Perfect Slimmer - Level 1 0A701
Maidenform Control It High-Waist Brief 12419

When it comes to bras, Krupp reinforces everything we keep telling you here on HerRoom—it’s about fit, fit, fit. Her quickie saggy boob test suggests you measure yourself from the top of your shoulder to the bend in your elbow. When trying on a bra, your nipple should hit about mid-way between the two, maybe slightly lower for very large breasts. Her Brilliant Buys in bras?

Le Mystere Tisha Bra - Full Figure Renaissance 9955
Wacoal iBra Contour Bra 85380
Chantelle Volupte Molded Minimizer Bra 2361
Natori Sheer Mesh Convertible Contour Plunge 132005
 

If you’re going to start knocking those years off, why not begin with your underwear drawer?

Guys–we understand. You’d love to buy her something sexy and luxurious, but walking into a lingerie shop is right up there with getting a cavity drilled or singing "Feelings" at a karaoke party. Even a phone order is hard–how do you explain over the phone (without the use of hands) what size bra you think she wears?

So, here’s the drill. It’s a a lot easier if you know her sizes. If you don’t, take a look in her lingerie drawer and check the label on a bra–the size should be right there–34B, 38DD, something like that. Panties are in sizes usually from XS through XXL. Sometimes they’re numerical, ranging from about 5-10. You might also take a peak at brand names– especially on items she wears all the time. If you see 3 Wacoal bras, for example, you can be pretty sure that’s a brand she loves.

Now you’ve got the critical info–what to buy? Well, if you see quite a few of the same brand, you can take it up a notch and choose a luxury item in that brand. For instance, if she buys herself mid-range Le Mystere bras like this cotton racer-back bra, why not go all out and buy her this sexy, lacy confection from Le Mystere. Don’t forget to add matching panties. Or, how about buying her something you know she won’t buy for herself? We all hear that thongs are the most comfortable panties ever–but some women won’t  even try them.  Let her try them out on your dime. She might especially like <a href="http://www.herroom.com/hanky-panky-thong—color-play,hnk001-3511,4.html"> Hanky Panky’s Color Play Thong</a>, which comes in an array of pretty exciting colors. Better yet, it’s one size fits most, so you can hardly go wrong.

If you absolutely can’t find her sizes, you’ve got a few choices: guess and hope for the best, ask her outright, or buy something not quite as dependent on fit, like a silk nightgown, or slinky robe. Luckily,we got some suggestions here too.

This Clair Pettibone Stretch Lace Athena gown will make any woman feel gorgeous and the movie-star calibre matching robe will help through winter nights to come.

If she’s more of an all-cotton woman, Hanro makes the softest, sleekest cotton sleepwear imaginable, like this Cotton Clean Chemise, It too, has a matching robe .

Of course you’d like something you want to see her in, but if it’s too gimmicky or plain uncomfortable she’ll wear it  for you, but it won’t leave the drawer more than a few times a year. The key is to choose something that’ll let her know you think she’s special but will also be comfortable. Many women are so hung up about body image that they don’t realize that, to the men who love them, they are hot, hot, hot. So if you bought her a blender last year, this is the time to go all out and show her how she looks in your eyes.