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To reduce your risk of Breast Cancer
How to Buy a Bra ?

         Would you change your clothes?

 "The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras"

It’s been around for ages, survived all sorts of changes, even survived the feminist bra-burning revolution, and come out on top! Sarah Raskino, lingerie designer for Marks and Spencer tells you how to buy the perfect bra.

They come in all shapes and sizes. And something women across all ages and cultures have realized that it is essential to wear a bra – a good bra. We all know how a bad bra, especially if you have a fuller bust, can cause your muscles to stretch beyond repair a leave with a ‘saggy’ shape. Here are some tips that will ensure you buy the right kind of bra.

Fabrics:

Watch out for rigid (non-stretch) fabrics such as woven cloth in which it is very difficult to get a good fit. Moreover, it can shrink in washing and does not suit most women whose bust size fluctuates during the month.

Stretch fabrics always give more support as well as a better fit. Try Lycra blends as opposed to knitted jersey (non-Lycra) fabrics, which get baggy after a while and do not give adequate support

Lace:

Watch out for rigid lace, which can scratch and cut you, more so in our tropical Indian climate. Try stretch laces with Lycra which are now available with cotton blends which are soft, strong, cool and let your skin breathe easy

Smoothness:

If you wear close fitting clothes, avoid bras with lots of frilly straps and bows or highly topstitched obvious seam lines. Instead buy a ‘moulded’ (seamless) bra or one with a small dart

Underwires:

Only buy wired bras if they are a perfect fit as a wire packing can lead to health problems. The wires should sit flat against your ribcage and not on your actual bust with no gap between the garment and your body. The wire bras should be made soft, but strong casing. Wired bras tend to give more support to a fuller bust and more definition to a smaller bust.

Soft Bra (Unwired):

These are generally more comfortable and can give good support to a fuller bust if they are made in medium or firm control fabrics

Straps:

They must be adjustable and have good elasticity. If they are totally rigid they will cut your shoulders and if they are loose and springy they will not give adequate support

Fastenings:

A single hook width looks very neat, but it is not practical for fuller busts. A fastening with two or three hooks is much more comfortable and supportive for everyday wear.

All straps should have adjustable levels for the hooks to be tightened or loosened to accommodate fluctuation of weight or washing changes. A Stretch bra, with Lycra, will get bigger over time and a firm cotton woven bra will shrink.

People often wear bra, which is too big in size and too small on the cup, which is shown by the elastic riding up the back instead of sitting straight at a horizontal angle from the front. And this is one of the biggest mistakes women do in maintaining their bodies.

Unless a bra fits just right, it could ruin the shape of your bust if it is too big. Alternatively, if it is too small, in extreme cases it could even leave you vulnerable to tumors. Never buy a bra without trying it on and never get anyone else to buy it for you. Because nobody knows your body like you do.

Things to check in the Fitting room

• Do you like the look of it?

• Does it enhance your shape? (Try a top over it)

• Is it comfortable? Is it cutting anywhere?

• Does it give you the necessary support?(Jump up and down!)

• Is it durable?

How to Measure Yourself:

Measure your rib cage under the bust in inches and add four-five inches to bring it to an even number. This measurement is the bra size; 32, 34, 36, etc. Measure across the top of your bust without a bra on. Subtract the bra size measurement from this new measurement. The balance you are left with is your cup size: AA, A, B, C, D, DD etc. If the first measurement is 29-30 you are a size 34". If the second measurement is 35" and you subtract this from the second measurement you are left with 1" (B cup).

Your cup sizes less than 1" = AA;

No difference = A; 1" = B; 2" = C; 3" = D; 4" = DD