By Lovern Hayes, Staff Reporter
Bras courtesy of Touch Of Silk, Lane Plaza, South Avenue, Kingston - Carlington Wilmot /Freelance Photographer
A good bra can make you look 10 pounds lighter and a good deal younger
Breasts. Beautiful, bountiful, bouncing breasts. Okay, maybe some of us don't have enough breasts to bounce -- but they are still beautiful. After all, no matter what the size they nurture our children and cradle our lovers, and they do make the female figure complete.
The point of this article is not to make you into a breast enthusiast, but to help you understand the power of your breasts (big or small) when they are properly packaged.
WITH BREASTS being so up front, it's no wonder that bras are such an important part of a woman's wardrobe. It goes without saying then that when women dress, they must consider their breasts and hence their bras.
For some women bras, though out of sight, are an important part of their wardrobe.
Flair conducted a survey and found that while some women find the undergarment to be a nuisance, many of us take pride in the way we package our breasts.
Francine usually wears 34B, but has a problem. "It is difficult for me to get my cup size in the colour I am looking for. And even when I do find the colour, it's hard to find brassieres without the pattern that prints through my clothing," she says.
Tonya is a petite 34A and is addicted to the demi-cup underwire padded bra. "When I take it off at night I feel a dreadful deflation, a loss of drama and spice and oomph," she admits.
Michelle, on the other hand, wears a 40DD and prefers brassieres that fully support her ample bosom. "I go for comfort and support before anything else. Sometimes though, when I want fancy or sexy bras in my size, they are hard to find."
Simone, at 18, hates wearing bras and most days opts to go without. "They are so restrictive. When I was younger my mother used to force me to wear one, now that I'm 18, I can do whatever I want so I usually go without," Simone says.
Kamara, who boasts a 36B cup, says that she absolutely loves buying bras and has no particular preference. "I have so many bras but it never seems like enough. My most recent addition was the bra with the transparent straps. I also have bras of various colours. I find black and white bras very boring so I always go for colour, the most outrageous being a yellow demi-cup bra I bought earlier this year. I have pink, green, navy blue and lilac bras too."
GETTING A BRA THAT FITS
Like wearing the same makeup everyday or sticking to the same old perfume, your breasts can fall into a routine...same old bra, same old shape. But the truth is that breasts like a little variety in dress and undress so we can be as big and brassy or as soft and sexy as we like, it just takes a little more imagination.
Asymmetrical dresses, halter tops or those with a single strap demand a more creative method of support. One bra really will not do for all. Fortunately, we have choices.
A good bra can make you look 10 pounds lighter and a good deal younger. Below we tell you how to avoid those ill-fitting bras that leave you pulling and tugging them into place and how to buy the best bra for you.
Always be sure to try a bra before buying it. Bras come in a variety of styles and often differ in the way they fit.
After putting on a bra, use your hands to make sure that your nipple is centred in the cup. Unless you are wearing a demi bra, all of your breast tissue should be contained within the cup of the bra. If breasts bulge out, the cups are too small; if the cups wrinkle or pucker, the cups are too large.
Never buy a bra that you have to fasten on the tightest hook. Instead make sure you can fasten it on the middle clasp to allow it to give over time through wear and washing.
If the shoulder straps dig into your skin, you either need wider straps or a bigger cup. If the straps fall off your shoulders, the band is too big.
Finally, check your bra from the back view; it should be level with the front. A rising back usually means the band is too big or the straps are too short.
PROBLEMS THAT CAN ARISE
FROM ILL-FITTING BRAS
Bra straps can dig into your skin, leaving unattractive and sometimes painful lesions. The bra band can inch up your back, annoying you and causing discomfort. Many women may be familiar with the annoyances of an ill-fitting bra, but did you also know that there can be health consequences to wearing the wrong size? Here are just a few:
Pain in the upper back, neck, shoulders and arms, or headaches
Breast pain during exercise
Skin abrasions or infections underneath the breast in full-breasted women
A well-fitting brassiere can provide the necessary support to take tension off the breasts and other parts of your body, alleviating or preventing these potential problems.
Also, remember that your breast size often changes over time. So be prepared to make adjustments as you get older. Pregnancy, menopause, and weight gain or loss can change the size and shape of your breasts, so re-measure your breast size at least every two years.
Here are some bras that you should have in your wardrobe:
1 A nice white lace bra for the first day of every week. This demi-cup bra also gives you that extra oomph.
2 A soft stretchy bra for T-shirts.
3 A bra that is not black, white or beige to wear when you want to create a stir or change your mood.
4 This bra with transparent straps is new and can be worn instead of a strapless bra.
5 A bra with straps that can be manipulated to allow you to wear it under an X-back, cold shoulder and halter tops and dresses.
