Fear Not, There is Hope
If you’re a female, you know the one thing we hate – shopping for bras. If you’ve ever gone bra shopping and come out unscathed you are one of the lucky ones. Bras are not a “one size fits all”, but the manufacturers would like us to think so. Sure, each brand has different sizes, but we women seem to navigate toward the ones that we feel will make us more attractive. So, many bras, so little time; how does one choose? We say to ourselves “I bought a size 34B at the department store last time, so I’ll start there.”
In our endeavor to find the oh-so-perfect bra that we somehow think will conjure up Mr. Right, we immediately gravitate toward the colorful, lacy bras. Then our eyes spot the underwire (albeit the most uncomfortable), the 3-way, the 5-way, the padded bra for that little extra oomph, and so on and so forth, you get the idea. Elated that we’ve found a bra for every occasion, we head off to the fitting room to try them on. Too tight. Too loose. Breasts peek out the bottom of that one. This one squishes the “girls” like sausages in a casing. Disgusted but not dissuaded, we give the bras to the salesperson and leave empty handed.
Store after store, bra after bra it’s the same thing. But it doesn’t have to be. There is hope, ladies, really. There is a formula for getting the perfect fitting bra. First, you need to get a tape measure and figure out your band size. You get this by measuring around your rib cage directly under the breast. (You should write that number down because if you are like me, you may run out of fingers very quickly.) To that number, add 5”. This is your band size. Next, to figure out your cup size, with your current bra ON, measure the fullest part of your bust without pulling tight. If your bust is 1” over the band measurement, then you are an “A” cup. For ever inch you are over the band size, increase the cup size by 1”. Example: if your bust is 2” over the band size, you are a “B” cup, 3” inches over, a “C” cup.
Armed with this useful information, ladies, stress no longer. Happy bra shopping! Now, if only we could find that perfect man.