Just Right

If you’ve ever picked up a women’s magazine with an article about finding the right bra, you’d know 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. 85%??? Sound awfully high, doesn’t it? After chatting with some of my co-workers about this topic, I think part of the problem is we don’t want to believe we are as little or as big as the measuring tapes tells us.

As one who has been struggling with finding the right bra after they discontinued the bra style I wore pretty exclusively for the first 15 years of my bra-wearing life, I’ve been searching for the next “It” bra. I’ve tried on bras in all styles searching for the right one. My needs are simple -- it should be wireless with straps that don’t fall off my shoulders and preferably, with a front closure. A few years ago, I found a pretty good replacement for the dearly departed Olga bra of my youth. It was a less expensive Maidenform line sold at WalMart. I bought one to try it out. I returned a week or so later and bought two more. Then they were gone. Why do they always discontinue styles that are comfortable? A bonus for this bra was the straps were convertible.

John, aware of my unhappiness with the bras I own, kept urging me to get measured professionally. Maybe it was the size I was wearing and not the bra itself, he suggested. I’ve measured myself many times, so in that regard, I didn’t think I was wearing the wrong size. It was really just finding the right style. Believe me, I have a drawer full of bras as evidence of my quest. And some of them are actually not that bad. Even the ones with underwires.

I once bought one at Kohl’s on sale (of course!) because it was a bright turquoise and lime color. It is a brand worn generally by teens and I didn’t try it on before buying. It was cheap enough that if it wasn’t the greatest, I could toss it into the “wear when everything else is in the dirty laundry” drawer. It’s actually pretty comfortable for an underwire bra. The problem is the straps fall off my shoulders. And the little plastic ring that connects the strap to the bra makes a squeaky noise when I move. I call it my “squeaky bra” when I wear it.

So, back to the bra size part of this story... There’s a little specialty bra shop next to this restaurant we like. Every time we go to the restaurant, the shop is closed. They carry mostly high-end brands, (we’re not talking $700 or anything) but more expensive than what I would generally pay. I’ve been meaning to stop in for a while to get measured and finally went on Saturday. Surprisingly, I was wearing the correct size!!! I tried on at least 30 bras and ended up buying two different styles. It’s exhausting trying on that many bras!

One of the bras I tried on was $120.00. I gasped when I saw the price. Maybe the words, “Holy Crap!” escaped my mouth too. It was a pink gingham material, so even if it fit like it was custom made for me, there’s no way I would have purchased a pink bra.

Anyway, I’m glad I went and got measured and found I was in the right size. Like any clothing, I just have to try on a lot of different styles, even if they don’t look like they’d fit or be comfortable. Take it from me -- stop fussing with that yucky bra, go get measured and don’t be embarrassed if the tape measure says you should be in a different size than what you think you are. Life’s too short to be uncomfortable!