A bra should be like your best friend, supporting you regardless of what is happening in your life. But like all lifelong friends, bras need to be understood and treated in the right way. Here are four essential things to know about your bra so that you can make your friendship last as long as possible.
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Finding the right fit
According to Debenhams, 85% of women in Britain wear a bra that is the wrong size. The solution should be simple: you go to a shop, get measured by a friendly sales assistant, get a selection of bras and buy what fits, right? Wrong. Your breast size can fluctuate for various reasons: hormones, exercise, diet, pregnancy. Understanding how your breast size changes according to your hormones and lifestyle is a vital if you want to get the right bra sizes for you. That way the next time your breasts change in size, you’ll have an armoury of different bra sizes in your wardrobe to support you.
It’s particularly important not to wear a bra that is too small for you. Wearing an ill-fitting bra can lead to back pain, scarring, bad posture and more, so it’s vital to get measured more than once every few years.
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What type of bra?
T-shirt bras, balcony bras, plunge bras, full cup bras, bandeau bras, padded bras, push-up bras, shelf bras, underwire bras – there are so many types of bras that shopping can be overwhelming. But aside from some specialist bras such as a sports bra for when you are doing exercise, a maternity bra when you are pregnant or plus-size bras that give you extra support, choosing a bra often comes down to personal stylistic preference. However, there is one rule that you need to follow: it has to fit. That means following the above rule and getting measured.
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How often should you wash a bra?
Once you’ve found the perfect fit for you, you’ll want to know how to look after it. After all, bras are on the pricier end of the wardrobe spectrum considering how many you need to own. That’s why you’ll want to preserve their lifespans for as long as possible.
The washing machine is one of the biggest enemies of the bra; it can cause the elastic to weaken and wear away the fabric. That’s why you should only wash your bra when necessary. Fortunately, you don’t have to throw your bra in the laundry basket each day and can wash your bra after 3-4 wears. For more tips on how to look after and wash your bra, especially the trickier, lacier kind, read this guide on how often you should wash a bra.
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Wearing a bra when you go to sleep: yes or no?
Always a topic of high contention, should you wear a bra when you sleep? Advocates suggest your breasts will defy gravity and stay perkier for longer if you do. Detractors claim that wearing underwire bras at night may even give you cancer. Neither are proven. The answer is simple: wear a bra when and if you need the additional support when you sleep. This can be the case if you are large-chested. But if you wake up with back pain or notice scarring beneath the band of your bra, give your body more breathing space and go braless.
Bras can be our best friends or our worst enemies. In the same way that even your best friends have their flaws, there is no one perfect bra. However, there is one general guide to follow: wear what is most comfortable for you.