The right bra can do wonders to your outfit, figure and self confidence. It is unfortunate that many women still get it wrong when it comes to bras and end up ruining their looks and even jeopardizing their health. Here are four common bra mistakes and their solutions.
Riding up high on the back
Your bra should form a straight line from the base of your breasts all way to the back. A bra lifting towards the shoulders means either one of three things.
One, the bra band is too big and it feels loose at the band. The wearer may be tempted to tighten the straps in a bid to counter the looseness. But if the bra is ill fitting in the first place, then doing this will only make it rise further up the back. Get measured for well fitted bras and you will never come into this problem.
Reason number two is that the straps are wound too tight. That bra itself may be a perfect fit but the wearer pulls the straps too tight for added support. Your support should come from the cups supported by the band and not from the shoulders via the straps. All you need to do in this case is to loosen so that the bra fits snugly.
The third and most common reason for this problem is that the bra has seen many better days and has lost its elastic properties so that the band cannot hold firmly onto your back and the straps have become loose. The only solution for this is to lose the offending bra and go shopping.
Bulging
This is quite a common problem which simply means that the bra is too small for the wearer especially at the band. Given that upto 80% of women are said to wear the wrong bra size, this is not overly surprising. A band that’s too small will cause untold discomfort and also cause the flesh all around said band to bulge. This looks particularly bad at the back. If the bulging is of the breast themselves at the front or immediately under the armpits, then it is the cup that is too small.
Shop for bras that fit. When you’re within the right size, play around with different styles of bras and with time you may discover that you’re more comfortable with one particular type over others. You may be better suited for full coverage bras as opposed to say, padded or push up.
Straps sliding down off the shoulder onto the arm
This means that your bra in general could be too big for you. If the cups are oversize, the straps will also be proportionately oversize. Tightening the straps may not help in this case because even though they reach the possible end, that does nothing to the cups since you’re not filling them up. Another possible reason is that the straps have become loose due to the age of the bra. The only solution to these problems is to buy bras the right sized bra.
Pinching bra
A bra or any other item of clothing should not cause you pain. Quite the contrary actually, you should always go for comfort. A pinching bra will mostly be under-wire. One that pinches especially when you move is sheer hell and other than the immediate pain you feel, it will be causing you headaches, backache, and general discomfort as long as you keep wearing it. Pinching means that the band is too tight. Try hooking it on the very first hook if you’re not already doing so. If you are, then try the next bigger size.
Get measured for the right size and make it a habit to measure afresh every once in a while as your body goes through inevitable changes – weight loss, weight gain, pregnancy and birth and general life changes will affect your body as time goes. Invest in good bras and even though good quality will cost a little extra, it saves you money in the long run as the bras will last you longer.
