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Like a preacher at a tent revival, I tend to get passionate when it comes to spreading the word of proper bra fittings. Undergarments, when sized accordingly, can give women a confidence boost that can best the sexiest pair of shoes.
But when it comes to finding the right fit, women are mighty creative with excuses. I've even used a few myself: I don't want to spend a lot, I don't like strangers touching me, blah blah blah.
Girls, zip it. There is simply no excuse for wearing ill-fitting bras.
I know from experience that's much easier said than done. Sure, there's been blips of heightened awareness, like when Oprah Winfrey had her entire talk show audience measured and refitted with properly sized bras.
But because so many of us are guilty of wearing the wrong size, I sought advice from experts Jennifer Manuel Carroll and Kathy Shultz, authors of the new book “Underneath It All: A Girl's Guide to Buying, Wearing and Loving Lingerie.”
What's behind the widespread lingerie angst? A defeating mix of denial and self-loathing that needs to go away.
“It's almost like we have a block about our bodies, what they really look like,” Carroll says.
When the fit is off, women tend to shut down and settle for less-than-right. That is simply unacceptable.
“When you are paying attention to your underwear, you're paying attention to yourself,” Carroll says. She owns the Bellefleur Lingerie Boutique in Seattle and partnered with fellow lingerie-lover Schultz to write a guide that aims to empower women from underneath their clothes.
The fastest way to cure an ill-fitting bra is to put yourself (literally) in the hands of experts at a boutique or department store.
And get over yourself: You are not the first bare-chested woman this salesperson has seen. Try to find someone with a similar body shape and take advantage of this one-on-one attention. As you try on different styles, talk about the fit.
You won't be standing still when you've got this bra on, so give it a test drive in the fitting room: Move around, bend over at the waist. The bottom of a well-fitted bra should sit flush against the bone between your breasts.
My bra epiphany came about six years ago. Until then, my bra purchases were more of the quantity-versus-quality kind. I figured I could make it work if it was cheap enough. But something finally clicked: I started considering the fit of my clothes and how I carried myself.
I visited a lingerie boutique in Charlotte. I swore to myself I wouldn't leave until I had found the perfect bra.
I won't lie – there was plenty of whining and a few near-tears moments, but the sales staff and I worked through my fit issues and I walked out a more confident, less self-conscious woman.
Once I was armed with my proper size, I indulged my inner deal diva and started shopping around. I was no longer intimidated by foundation wear, in fact, I was so confident, I politely questioned the qualifications of another department store salesperson helping me (completely acceptable, boutique owner Carroll says).
And I learned things. For example, a new bra should be fit on the first set of hooks. As wear increases, and the fabric gives, move to the second and third set of hooks. Carroll says a well-made bra, with proper care, should last two years.
“Knowledge is power,” Schultz said, as she recounted the impact a T-shirt bra made on her wardrobe. “It's amazing what one small change can do.” But be careful – it can turn into a new addiction.
“If you can afford to treat yourself to a new bra and panty set, do it,” Schultz says. “It is such a lift.”
