Bras - The Choices Are Endless

So that got me thinking about lingerie and bras in particular. I had been shopping the other day for a bra and I did not buy one because I was not prepared to make a decision when I was faced with the myriad of choices placed before me. I had to come home and re-think what I needed and why. I am one of those analytical kinds of people who try to break down a complex task into more manageable smaller and simpler ones. So I divided bra buying into three easier steps to help me cope with the main task of procuring a new one. They are: (1) what size, (2) what clothes are you going to wear it with, and (3) what is the need.

The first thing to do is to determine what is your correct size. Ah simple you say and simple I say no. Why are there more and more stores offering to measure you correctly if it is so simple? I keep seeing advertisements stating that at least 30% of all women are wearing bras that do not fit. I am sure that for some of us we would welcome an impartial sales woman to measure us correctly. But for those of us whom need some help filling out a cup size that goes with our body type, it could be a bit embarrassing: therefore, most of us do the measuring at home. I think the big controversy is whether the band measurement is taken under the breast or above the breast. Everyone seems to agree on how to determine the cup size. One thing to remember girls is that you need to use a cloth measuring tape instead of the metal one in your toolbox to do this.

The big key is finding the right bra is to determine what outfit you will be wearing. This is a sort of an “outside looking in” form of dressing. Your choice of outfit will determine your shoes, hose (if any), accessories and most importantly your “underpinning” (as my mother calls them) which includes your bra. If you were going to wear a tight knit top or sweater you would want a bra with a smooth cup because you can see seams and texture of some bras through clingy fabrics. A low cut dress would need a demi bra or possibly a strapless bra. If the top is sheer to the point where the bra will be seen through the material, then you will need to consider color, pattern, and fabric. I find that a solid color is more universal while a print can be distracting from the over look. For color you want to go with a color near to that of the top so as to be less noticeable. And yet a lace bra barely seen through a sheer blouse can be classy, fashionable, and sexy.

In this same vain, modesty or vanity also must be considered. There are bras that minimize, ones that offer full coverage, bras that work wonders and others that perform miracles (objects in the mirror appear larger than they actually are), bras filled with gels and water, front closure, padded, racer back, longline, underwire, and the list goes on and on. Plus there are issues of comfort. The fabrics can range from cotton, to nylon and polyester, to lace, to even more exotic materials. If you want to show some cleavage then a padded pushup bra can make mountains from molehills and a canyon out of dents.

So why are we offered so many choices? Why do we place so much importance on this unseen garment? Certainly for some it is a means support for our breast. But I think the real reason is pure vanity. Our breast are an integral part of our womanhood. So deep down we want our breast to be seen (or maybe I should say – that we want the world to know that we have breast) and we are proud of them. And when we are not proud of them, we spend thousand of dollars of creams and lotions to help us firm them up or on surgeries to change their size. Plus breast attracts men (and some women); therefore, we want to look good to attract a potential mate.

There is a fourth step in this process and that is timing – when do the bras go one sale? A good bra is an investment which might explain why they are often more expensive than the clothes covering them. However, how many of us can afford the Million Dollar bra from Victoria Secrets which is encrusted with diamonds? I have to draw the line somewhere. For that kind of investment my broker will need to be measuring me, and I am too modest to have him see my portfolio or me.

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