@thanksforthesupport!

 

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Standing behind this woman in the supermarket got me thinking if it really is appropriate to bear your underwear like this. Pink and black bra, her dress falling over her shoulders, and she not giving a hoot. And the straps were dirty too. She was hot and sweaty and breathing uncomfortably and had stretch marks all over her upper arms.
But it also got me thinking about something else. Bras. A quick survey I did with 10 women showed surprising results- that most of us have no inkling of why we use the support system except that it holds up our assets and keeps them from flopping here and there and everywhere.
Also, that many of us do not know what size we are- the reason  a shop attendant will shove a Size 38 DD in your face, when you are in fact, a petite 32A. That is why we wear bras that shove the boobs right under your chin, that ride uncomfortably up your back, that press into your back, the straps too loose, or the cups too wrinkly. How about the ugly side boob, the bra that gives you too much uplift, or the bra one that cuts into the breast making it look like you have four or more of them. And then the strapless that just goes on a sit down strike!
I recently found out that I have been quietly suffering as a 36C when in fact I am an impressive 34D-er.
I decided on a fact-finding mission armed with four questions I imagined were simple enough.
At one of the shops- I won't say where- the manager was courteous enough to show me their "bras' expert". The young lady was polite and I put to her my three questions- what is a good bra, how can I tell if my bra does not fit, and if wearing the wrong fit has any effects on my health. Hmm... this chic is either a cousin of the boss or a PYT he had a crush on. She could not provide me an articulate answer. I thought I was being pushy, so I tried to ease things a little by throwing in a "little" of what I had (I had a lot of info actually- from Mum and from the Internet. I actually was the bra expert!!!!!!!!)
It went kinda like this:
Me:What would you say is a good bra?
"Expert": A good bra is one that fits you (duh!!!).
And I wanted to hear more but wapi???
Anyway, the conversation got a bit stilted- with me doing all the talking, asking the questions and answering them, and I gave up.
I boldly asked her to measure me, because, as I told her, I was in a 34DD and yet I felt rather uncomfortable and anyway, I am not sure what size I now am because my body is expanding at rate XTRA.
She first pointed my eyes to a graph or table (I am going to download it from the internet), which I will admit, I did not understand- it had 97s and 95s and 32s and 34s.
Then she told me she would measure my "under-bust". It was 34" (yaaaaaayyyy!! so I have been getting it right all along). Now for the cup size. She said "not too tight, not too loose". I wanted to know at what point the measuring tape is able to "detect" what cup size I wear. Vague.
But she also volunteered that the sizes for different countries vary and her advice (the only helpful tip of the day) is to fit the bra before shoving it into a shopping bag.
At this point, the "interview" had gotten too tough (I am a tough questioner, I sometimes come off as a know-it-all). She then suggested looking for something for me to fit (I wasn't gonna buy ma'am, I hope I made that very clear from the start!).
Up and down, here and there, move this, pick that, drop that. Through the "Everydays" and the "Distractions".
Finally, she selected two hot pink and black lace Distraction numbers in 34DD and 34D, another dull pink 34C, and a beige strapless 34C (which refused to give me its support).
Off to the changing room I went. Off with my blouse and bra. On with the 34DD- wrinkly; 34C- tight on the left; ugly pink- my mind refused to register any results (but I imagine that that is what really fits). Like I said the strapless was a disaster, making my boobs even flatter than a chapati, and more disfigured than a mandazi.

I won't lie, I was kinda disappointed and I wanted to know if there are people who DO NOT have a bra size. And she said "yes". I felt that I fitted in that category.
And so I left the store, none the wiser than I had come in. Even more clueless. What is a good bra? What is a bad bra?
But courtesy of Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk) my mission to find the correct answers may just be half-accomplished.

How to get the right fit:
1. The strap around your body should be firm but comfortable. When you stand side-on at a mirror, the strap that runs around your body should be horizontal and should not ride up the back at all.

2. The wires at the front should lie flat against your rib cage and should not dig in, rub or poke out at the front. 

3. Your breasts should be enclosed in the cups and you should have a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends and meets your bust.

4. You should not have any ridge or bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even if you are wearing a "balconette" style or lower cut shape.


And a little bit of history of this famous undergarment from Wikipedia:

"The history of brassieres is inextricably intertwined with the social history of the status of women, including the evolution of fashion and changing views of the body.
Women have used a variety of garments and devices to cover, restrain, or modify the appearance of breasts."