80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size

According to a survey, 80 percent of all women are wearing the wrong bra size. But how do you calculate it correctly?

Women know it. You're standing in the underwear department of a department store and suddenly you can't remember your bra size. So you grab a handful (or two) of silk, cotton, and lace bras and head to the dressing rooms.

After much dressing, undressing, and contorting, you just grab the one that "looks about right" and check out with your hard-fought conquest. It's only when you're getting dressed for an important event that you realize that your purchase is either:

A) is way too small and pinches where the back meets the arm, resulting in an ugly little roll that shows under your outfit, or

B) is way too big and offers little to no support, making you remember your great aunt who almost knocked you unconscious with her big boobs when she hugged you at Christmas.

Well girls, you are not alone with this problem.

A study conducted by lingerie brand Triumph in Australia found that as many as 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size.

Sure, it wasn't all that bad during the lockdown, because many hardly wore bras anyway during this time.

But now that everyone is slowly emerging from their bubbles of sweatpants and TV streaming, it's bra time again — at least for the most part.

To help us get back to normal and combat fit issues, Triumph's experts conducted a unique study of consumer trends. They analyzed over 280,000 bra-related Google searches in 2021 to find out what Australians are looking for in underwear and what we really want to know now.

And when it comes to what we're unsure about, we look for the following questions: how to measure bra size correctly, how bra size actually works, how a bra should fit, and the importance of understanding how the individual breast shape can affect the fit and how a fitted bra can help with sagging breasts. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Why is it so hard to find a bra that fits well?

The most frequently asked questions were answered by Kate Minin, bra fitting expert. She has over 25 years of industry experience and has advised over 50,000 women on choosing the right bra.

"The big spike in searches this year for seat and measurement is due to the Covid lockdown," says Kate. "Women couldn't go to stores for advice, so they wanted to do their own research to find the perfect fitting bra."

In fact, the results show that searches for bra measurements increased 44 percent over the year.

"Our bodies change naturally through changes in lifestyle and routine (hello Covid-19!), through menstruation and pregnancy, and regular fluctuations in weight," Kate continued. "Some women don't consider how these changes can change the shape of the breast, which in turn affects the fit of the bra."

Poorly fitting bras can be bad for your health

Many continue to wear the same bra size that they have had for years, which can be detrimental to their overall health and well-being. In addition to being uncomfortable, ill-fitting bras can be detrimental to health, affecting breast tissue, causing back pain, affecting posture and affecting mental well-being.

Unfortunately, many don't know what it feels like to wear a well-fitting, supportive bra.

"A well-fitting bra is something we should all have and feeling confident about your bra and your body again shouldn't be a secret," adds Kate.

How to find the perfect fit

If no professional can advise you, Kate has some tips:

underbust measurement

The first measurement is the underbust measurement. This must be an accurate measurement as the tape measure does not stretch like a bra. This gives us a rough estimate of bra band size - 70, 75, 80 etc. The measurement should preferably be taken over the bra you are currently wearing, but can also be taken over a t-shirt if you are uncomfortable with your clothing undress

chest circumference

The next measurement is taken across the chest. To do this, the tape measure must be across the fullest part of the chest. But it should be measured loosely. Imagine the tape measure falling between your breasts to determine the correct size as accurately as possible. The difference between the underbust measurement and the bust measurement is then the cup size (A, B, C, etc.).

If only the great aunt had had access to this vital information...

Susan Hicks

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