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Cara from Austin
Q. What questions can you ask to determine if someone is a professional fitter?
A. Assuming that you’ll get an honest answer, you can ask how long they’ve been fitting? And, where they were trained?
Kate
from Dayton
Q.
How do you know when to throw a bra away?
A. You can tell when a bra has out-lived its
usefulness when you start to notice a lot of “give”
in the straps and band – even when they’re tightened.
Appearance is also sign, although not as accurate as how the
bra feels on your body. If it looks worn, frayed or washed out,
it’s probably time to part ways. A good bra that is properly
rotated and cared for, can last 18 months or more.
Candace
from Atlanta
Q.
Help, I can’t seem to find a strapless bra that fits right.
They always seem to fall down. What should I do?
A. If you go down 1 size in your back band
and 2 sizes up in your cup, this should solve your problem.
In strapless bras, the cup size is shallower than in a normal
bra. A loose band is probably what you’ve experienced.
With a tighter band and looser cup you will have all the support
you need.
Amber from San Diego
Q.
My bra rides up in back?
A. Try hooking your bra on a tighter setting
and loosening the straps. If this doesn't work, your band size
is too big and you need to buy a smaller size (e.g.: from a
36C to a 34C)
Audrey
from Washington
Q.Have the rules
relaxed regarding showing a lot of cleavage at work? I’m
noticing that a lot of the younger women seem to have their
breasts on display.
A. Audrey you’re not being old-school
-- and if you are, so are the powers that be – the ones
that sign the pay checks and approve promotions. Corporate image
consultants consistently say that the office isn’t the
place to show off cleavage. Less is still more.
Nicole from St. Louis
Q. I’ve recently picked up weight and
bought a few bras in the next size (I plan to drop the weight).
However, I was disappointed that the bras don’t give a
good fit or feel good. Any thoughts?
A. Nicole, were you professionally fitted?
We hate to sound like a broken record, but a professional fitting
can make a world of difference. Also, did you try on bras with
a larger band and cup size? Many of women make the mistake of
just asking for a larger band without considering that they
might need a larger cup too.
Also, good luck in getting the weight under control. Most of
us have suffered through that a time or two
Sarah from Chicago
Q. How many bras are enough?
A. Sarah, a minimum of three bras is recommended
for everyday use. The rotation goes like this – one for
wear, one resting and one in the wash. Resting allows the elastic
and supportive fabrics to rejuvenate -- this prolongs the life
of the garment.
Mildred from Atlanta
Q I wear a DD cup and would like to look smaller,
although not as if I have no bust. A friend recommended that
I buy a minimizer. How do they work?
A.. Many women rely on minimizers to reduce
the appearance of their busts up to a full cup size. However,
minimizers don’t do anything that a really well fitted
bra won’t do. In fact, a good fitting bra can actually
slenderize and enhance the figure. Minimizers typically compress
the breasts rather than lift them. The breast tissue is flattened
to spread over the chest wall. Think about it, anything that’s
flattened spreads…and this defeats two of the main benefits
of wearing a bra – lift and separation.
Gail
from Detroit
Q. I frequently hear women complain that their
bra straps cut into their shoulders. To the contrary, I have
a different problem. My straps fall off my shoulders. Any advice?
A. Both of these are very common problems,
but fortunately we don’t have to tolerate either. While
it may sound strange, the solution to both of these annoying
situations could be a correction in the band size. The band
is the anchor of the functionality of a bra. Some experts say
it provides 90% of the support. If the band is too loose and
rides up in the back, straps fall off the shoulders. Some women
try to compensate for this by over-tightening the straps --
to the extent of digging into the shoulders.
Be sure that your band fits snuggly around the body, is worn
about midway on the torso and is perfectly parallel to the floor.
According to Kat Janowicz-Jimenez of Allure Lingerie Polonia,
“If there were no straps, the bra should still stay up.”
Kelli
from Chicago
Q. We all want our bras to provide good support
and lift, but I don’t think I’ve ever been told
how high the lifted breasts should be.
A. Be sure that you are not alone. Most of
us are taught very little about the basics of wearing a bra.
The breasts should be lifted enough to look natural. This means
that the points of the bust are usually level with the middle
of the upper arm – between the shoulder and the elbow.
And the nipples should point forward.
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