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Maybe you saw that episode of Will & Grace when Grace wore a bra padded with water to make her seem bustier. She's at a classy art gallery opening when the bra springs a leak. It's hilarious on TV, but it does conjure up nightmares for any girl who's ever wondered if her bra might disobey her and do something awful.
So why bother with bras?
Bras not only minimize jiggling and shape the appearance of a girl's breasts, they're also helpful from a health standpoint. Wearing the right bra keeps a girl's breasts supported while she's playing a sport and can help prevent injury to breast tissue. A well-fitting bra is also important for a woman's posture, particularly if she has large breasts. A bra that doesn't fit can cause back problems, muscle tension, and even headaches.
Yet seven out of 10 women wear bras that don't fit.
All About Straps, Snaps, Bands, and Cups
Finding the right bra doesn't have to be an ordeal if you know the basics of bra sizing. There are two parts to a bra's size: the chest size (also called the band size) and the cup size. The chest, or band, size is the part of the bra that runs across a girl's chest and around her back. The cups are the parts of the bra that hold the breasts. Bras come in many sizes, which are different combinations of the chest sizes (shown as numbers - in the United States, these are 32, 34, 36, etc.) and cup sizes (shown as letters - AA, A, B, C, etc.) It's important to get both the chest and cup sizes right to ensure a proper fit. Some bra manufacturers are now starting to offer cup options in half sizes in addition to regular cups to help girls get a better fit.
If a girl wears a bra that's the wrong chest size, the bra's band will either feel tight and uncomfortable around her rib cage or it will be too loose and ride up her breasts. Bras that are too small in the cup will compress a girl's boobs and force them to bulge out the sides (think armpit boobs). And cups that are too big can wrinkle and pucker, which won't look good under clothes. So how do you calculate your chest and cup measurements? It's easy, and it's something you can do in the privacy of your own room at home. All that you need is a tape measure.
Chest measurement. Bra fitting experts offer two methods of calculating the chest measurement. The most common method involves running a tape measure just under your breasts, all the way around your back and rib cage. The tape measure should rest flat on your skin and lie straight across your back - not so tight that it digs in, but not so loose that it sags down in back. Make a note of your measurement and add 5 inches. That's your chest size.
You can also estimate your chest size by running a tape measure across your chest above your breasts, under your armpits, and around your back (measure from the same back position as in the first chest measurement option). This method is easier because you don't have to do any addition or other calculation, but some people feel it's less accurate than using the first method.
If your chest measurement comes out as an odd number (such as 31 inches or 33 inches), it's usually a good rule to round up to the next number. Most bras have a few sets of adjustable hooks and eyes, so you can adjust the tightness. It's a good idea to round up, rather than round down, because when you buy a new bra that hooks on the first or middle hooks - rather than on the last - you can leave room for growth.
