The secret to a comfy bra

Published Aug 28, 2007

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"So, what size are you"? That's what my curious colleagues have been asking me for the past month. The size they are referring to is my bra cup size.

This after I volunteered to go for a fitting and do what many women don't do: find their correct bra size.

As a "curvaceous" woman it has been a struggle finding a correct fit. But I'm not alone - I'm reliably told 85 percent of women worldwide wear an ill-fitting bra.

For a decade I have forced my boobs into small, pointy, beige or white brassieres. Not my fault, I thought, the industry doesn't cater for my type.

Breast reduction seemed the only solution, drastic as it sounds. If you've been subjected to the white and beige "cross your hearts" you would know why that's appealing. So finally I went for a fitting.

When I arrive at Storm in A-G Cup in Claremont, owner Isla Lovell tries to make me feel as comfortable as possible as she shows me to the changing room. No need really, I thought, after putting up with every breast comment you can think of. It's amazing how people air their views about my bosom. This was nothing.

"Okay, take off your top and let's have a look," Lovell says. "Very nice bra," she continues, "but it's not really doing the job: lifting."

She then brings in several bras of different styles - pinks, peaches, chocolate browns, olives, low plunges, full structured, T-shirt bras... I've never seen so much variety while shopping for a bra - and to think they are all possible fits.

Without taking any measurements she hands me a peach, rose-patterned full-structured bra. "Try this." And voila, it's perfect.

It lifts, gets everything inside, with nothing popping out, and creates an illusion of height. And it actually feels comfortable. It's as if I've never before worn a proper bra.

Lovell says the secret is in the style, and not the size. After years of working in this industry, her eye is well practised. I apparently am "much in the centre" while others would be more fleshy under the arms. And I also have a smaller back.

Lovell explains the importance of measuring the smallest part of the body (around the ribcage) and not the shoulders.

"You must get the cup size right - boobs should drop into the bottom of the cup, and then we can always work around the body of the bra. Another important thing is knowing your body shape. We are all different," she says. And this is where professionals come in. On another day at another store, any of the 10 different bras I fitted would have been deemed "right", not taking into account the style, fabric and feel.

After 90 minutes of bra fitting and bra talk, I conclude that no woman can claim to know her size. It's just not about size, but more what your style is.

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