What’s in Your Underwear Drawer?
February 17, 2011
Winning Entry: Help a Mother Out! Life and 3 Phases of a Lingerie Drawer.
Before: lots of cute sets (34B). The first year: those not so cute nursing bras (34D). Now: a darling boy and two boring bras(34A). I could use some help!
Find the bras that fit at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 11:24am
1 Comment »
Finding Your Personal Bra Band Size
January 07, 2011
Personally, I think finding the right band size is really tough. A bra’s cup size either fits or it doesn’t, but finding the right fit in a band size can be a little subjective. And it’s because of this that mistakes can be made.
Simply put, women – and bra fitters for that matter – have their own opinions on how tight a band should fit. I know that I prefer a bra band on the slightly loose side. I’ve seen bra fitters put women in band sizes that I thought were way too tight. The final decision should ultimately rest with the wearer of the bra. So, how do you decide your personal band size?
First, women with cup sizes C or smaller can decide what is the most comfortable for them. Their breast size does not dictate the necessity for a firm band size. But, D cups and larger really need to consider a few more variables. Ninety percent of breast support comes from the bra band. Therefore, the band should be firm enough around the chest to support the breasts. A quick trick to see if this is the case is to put on a bra, then take the straps off your shoulder. If the bra falls down to your waist, or slips down your torso, your band needs to be tighter. Another test is to put on a bra and then twist your shoulders side-to-side. If your bra band is moving on you while you do this, your band is too loose.
The difference between band sizes is 2". Almost every bra comes with 3 hook closure options along the back. The difference between the loosest and tightest position is between 1" to 1 1/2". So, when you put a bra on for the first time, try it on its tightest position first. If it feels comfortable, I would go down a band size. The reason is that you have nowhere to go once the bra begins to stretch with wear, and the next band size down will accomodate that stretch. Say you are trying on a 38 band size on its tightest fastening and it feels comfortable. I think you should go down a band size to a 36. Note: when you go down a band size, you need to go up a cup size if you want to maintain the same cup volume.
Alternatively, when you put on a bra for the first time, you should fit to the loosest adjustment. Put on a bra and attach the hooks to the closest eyes on the bra’s other end. Does it feel snug? If it does, that’s your band size. Now, as you wear that bra, you have the ability to adjust it tighter as the bra stretches out over time. And, all bras stretch over time.
So, where do you start to find the right band size for you? Begin with a tape measure. Making sure it’s parallel to the floor, wrap the tape measure around yourself along your bust crease – the place where your breast skin turns into tummy skin. Do this while not wearing any bra, and exhale to make this measurement as small as possible. Now, to that measurement, add 3" or 4" to get you to an even number. This should be your starting band size. But, it doesn’t have to mean it’s your final band size. You decide whether that band size feels comfortable to you and you like the support it provides. Go up or down a band size till you feel comfortable. But remember two things. 1. Each band increase/decrease means a 2" difference in the circumference. So, if one size is a little tight, and the other is a little loose, fine tune your decision by moving the bra closure in the back to the second position. 2. Cup sizes change in fit when you go up or down a band size. So, say you like the fit of a 38C bra in the cups, but the band is too tight, you should move to a 40B. If the 38C band is too loose, you should move to a 36D.
Again, let me emphasize that you should be the final arbiter on what band size you wear. Don’t let someone else tell you what it should be. There are a lot of women who own bra mistakes because they didn’t speak up or challenge the band size choice when they were fitted.
Find bras in all sizes at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 9:26am
7 Comments »
What’s That ‘Measured’ Bra Image About on HerRoom?
December 08, 2010
Since the beginning of HerRoom, every bra on our site has included a front shot on a mannequin with a kind of grid overlay on top of it. I’ve come to learn that some women find it invaluable, but others blow by it or totally ignore it because they don’t understand what it’s telling them. Well, it tells you a whole bunch. Let me explain.
Here are two examples of some measured shots on our site. The one on the left is the Wacoal 65191. On the right is the Bali 3413. The horizontal line shows the breast apex line. This means this line goes through the points of the breasts. Most bra’s center panel comes up to this line as it almost does on the Wacoal. But, if you look at the Bali, you can see that the center panel is below this line. This tells you that a lower cut top can be worn with this bra. The vertical center line tells you the center panel of the Bali bra is about 3/4" lower. So, now you know how much lower on your chest the center panel will sit. This vertical line also allows you to measure the height of the center panel.
Let’s talk about the two vertical lines running through the apex point on each breast. These two lines tell you a lot as well. First, the straps on the Bali bra are very close to these lines. This tells you the straps are a center pull strap. If you have problems with straps falling off your shoulders, a center pull strap (meaning the straps are attached to the cup more in the center than to the sides) will stay up on on your shoulders. The Wacoal bra has wide set straps. This strap placement is great for necklines where a large percentage of your chest will be exposed.
Here’s what else these two vertical lines tell you – the cup coverage. The Bali bra is going to have more breast coverage. The cups come up 2 1/2" above the breast apex. The Wacoal bra has just 2" of coverage above the apex of the breast. Clearly, the Bali is going to give you good breast coverage while allowing you to wear a low v-neck blouse.
These two vertical lines also extend down to the breast crease line where the underwire rests at the base of your breast. On the Wacoal bra, there is a nice lace edge added just below the wire. However, on he Bali bra, you can see that they have built a lower band under the wire for additional support. This was probably done to strengthen the support of the bra since they lowered the center panel. For petite women, bras with a built-on lower band may be too much bra for them. This could be true for short-waisted women as well.
The next time you shop for a bra at HerRoom, I hope you will take a second to view our measured image. It goes a long way towards telling you how a bra will fit and look on you before you even try it on. No other site on the Internet gives you this information… yes, I’m tooting my own horn here. Okay, I’m stepping off my soap box.
Find these measured bra images at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 8:16am
3 Comments »
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