Bra 101 :: Everything You Need to Know {& more!}

I couldn’t wait to buy new bras after I finished nursing my daughter.  The only new bras I have purchased over the past 3 years have mostly been nursing bras.  I was overdue and, needless to say,  these boobs of mine have changed over the past 3-4 years.  Two pregnancies followed by nursing my two babies for a total of 15 months changed just about everything with my body — not just my boobs.  My apologies for the TMI. 

Buying bras can be intimidating.  You definitely need someone who knows how to fit you for the proper bra and someone who can guide you in finding bras that fit your needs.  Just ask Oprah.  Or the sweet ladies over at Uplifting Bras.

We have partnered with Uplifting Bras to bring you everything and more you need to know about  choosing, trying on, purchasing, and then caring for your bras.  Added bonus :: Uplifting Bras will have a booth at our upcoming Mom’s Night Out on May 13th — details on that at the end.

First though, let me fill you ladies in on a little secret …  Uplifting Bras has the most gorgeous bras for D cups and up.  I’m serious, these are beyond gorgeous bras.  And well made.  I’m now the proud owner of three bras from Uplifting, two of which I’ve rotated almost daily for over a month, and they are still in perfect condition and just as comfortable.  Those of us D+ and up know how hard it is to find 1) the right fit and 2) a sexy style once we start diving deeper into the bra alphabet.  Uplifting Bras solves that and for a better price than I can find at my other usual, go-to chain stores.  The other great thing about Uplifting Bras is that they can come to you and offer a personal bra fitting for you and your friends so that you can try on bras in the comfort of your own home.  If you know your correct size already, you can browse and order online here.  They ship quickly — super fast, really.

Now, as promised, here’s the Bra 101.

1. Get Fitted

This is a must according to Uplifting Bras owner, Jaleesa. Women should be precisely measured to get a proper fit and for optimal comfort.  The width, provided in numerical numbers, is the measurement around a woman’s rib cage.  The cup size, represented as letter values, is the actual measurement of breast tissue.  Unlike many stores, Uplifting Bras carries very unique sizing.  It is very hard to find bras that fit a small rib cage but a bigger cup size. {Trust me on this one — or just ask my husband how many hours I used to spend searching for the perfect bra.}

2. How To Know You Have the Perfect Fit

Now that you know your measurement and cup size, what’s next?  Here are important tips to remember when trying on bras ::

• be sure the band in the back is parallel with the bottom of the cups in the front.  It should not ride up.
• the breast should not spill over the top of the cups or over the sides of the cups.
• always remember to hook your bra on the first set of hooks in the back — this allows for you to gradually move over to the inner hooks later as the band stretches slightly and loses elasticity with time.
• ideally, the fabric that connects the two cups in the front {the part that sits just at the end of your sternum} should sit directly on your skin.  There should not be a space between your skin and the fabric.
• the under wire should not dig into your skin and should comfortably fit all of your breast tissue.
• adjust the strap adjusters to ensure a comfortable fit.
• be sure no permanent marks are left on the skin from wearing the bra.
• and a tip for us well endowed ladies — remember to lift and adjust.  As Jaleesa with Uplifting recommends, don’t be shy as sometimes you might need to “man handle” your girls into the correct placement to ensure a proper and comfy fit.

3.  Try and Compare

No two bras are created the same.  There are a ton of different bra styles out there.  There are padded bras and non padded bras.  There are push up bras and then there are bras with more forgiving cups.  There are demi-cup bras that leave more of the top part of the breast exposed and then there are more full coverage bras.  There are your sexier lace bras and then there are t-shirt bras.  Feeling overwhelmed, yet?

All that said, when shopping for bras, be sure to try many different styles to see which one works best for you.  During my fitting with Uplifting Bras, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted — a smooth, more full coverage, t-shirt bra in my typical nude or black color {just like every other bra in my drawer — I’m boring like that}. Then the ladies at Uplifting Bras suggested that I try on a couple different styles just for comparison.  I now own two of their lace bras in very bright and fun colors.  Totally not what I thought I would want, but I bought them and have been wearing them nonstop.

4. How To Care For Your Intimates

Last but definitely not least, we bring you some housekeeping instructions to increase the longevity of your bras.

• handwashing in warm water is recommended
• for best results, use detergent specially designed for delicates
• DO NOT tumble dry your intimates
• hang dry all bras
• DO NOT bend wires

Special thanks to the gals at Uplifting Bras for their insight and then some on bras.  Uplifting Bras is offering HMB readers an exclusive discount. Enter MOM at check out for 10% off your order.   They’re also giving away one free bra of your choice to one lucky winner.  Enter below to win, and remember you need to be D cup or up!

Winner :: Ria A.

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As I hinted to earlier, Uplifting Bras has teamed up with us and Mint Baby & Kids for our Mom’s Night Out on May 13th. This is the perfect chance for you ladies to have your own personal bra fitting by Uplifting Bras and then browse their selection of fabulous bras. You don’t want to miss this. Spots for fittings are limited.

If you’re D cup and up and are interested in a private fitting at the Mom’s Night Out,
please e-mail us at [email protected] to sign up.

And if you haven’t purchased your Mom’s Night Out ticket yet,
you can shop now.  Hurry though, spots are limited and we are almost sold out!

[hr]  Please Note :: Although Uplifting Bras is one of Houston Moms Blog’s proud sponsors, all thoughts and opinions in this post are proudly my own.