Tuesday, 08 April 2008

• The Bra Matrix

  
  

  
  The Bra Matrix is the world of false bra measurements and uncomfortable bras.
  
  It is the world where busts are divided into A, B, C and D, and underbust measurements into 70, 75, 80 and 85.
  
  It is the world in which you live feeling that you have a strange bust, and that adjusting your bra umpteen times a day is the norm.
  
     I've always thought that I had the right bra. I read those little tables on websites, measured myself, and bought 75 c bras.
     I thought that it was normal to adjust the bra a couple of times every day. I believed that my breasts were spaced too far apart, and that was the reason that the underwire never went all around the breast, but poked into it. I thought that comfortable bras don't exist anyway, well maybe only if I had the money to buy a really expensive one. And I was sad that pretty thin bra straps were bad because they didn't offer enough support.
  
     Until the day I discovered I was stuck in the Bra Matrix.
  I informed myself, measured myself, and got a 65D bra. I was delighted ! For the first time I had a bra that was comfortable and made me look good ! The band was tight, but contrary to expectations it was very comfortable. The underwire reached framed my entire breasts, so I had found the solution for what I thought were breasts spaced far apart !
  
  

  >Pics of my breasts, before and after<
  

  
    So, now I reveal the secret to you:
  
  I discovered this blog. Since you probably don't read Polish, I'll explain.
  
  

  The biggest misconceptions that exists in the bra consciousness of people, is that there exists a fixed size of each cup. For example, that the only difference between 70A, 75A, and 80A is the size of the band that is attached to it.

  This is not true. The cup size changes with the band size.
  
  Take a look at these photos:

  DD cups are big in the NZ band size 18 (EU 90) and quite small in NZ 8 (EU 65)
  

  
  Both the cups here are DD... but as you can see they are not the same !
  
  
  
  Another example:
  The D cup in 65 and the B cup in 70 are very similar in size ! However, the 65D underwire is slightly broader than the 70B.
  
  
  
  
  
  The other big myth is that to get your under-bust measurement, you have to measure yourself under the bust, add 5 cm, and go up to the nearest band size.
  
  This is absolutely stupid for the following reasons:
  * The elastic tape is not stretchable. The bra band is, and it stretches up to 20 cm.
  * It is the band and not the shoulder straps that should support the bust. To give good support, the band must be snug, not loose.
  * After a few washes, the bands stretch even more.
  * Would you wear panties that are bigger than your hip measurement ?
  
  

  A test if you are wearing the correct band size:

  Do a jumping jack: Jump, lift your arms over your head, and clap. If your band moved, it's too loose.
  
  Another way to check is to take a look at your back view in the mirror.
  
  The correct band size should look like this:
  
  
  
  
  The band size is too big if it looks like this:
  
  
  
  
  

  Now read this:
  

  how to measure yourself and get your CORRECT size !!!

  and then read: How to buy your first right-sized bra
  
  
  
  

  Want more info ?

  
  ♥ Read the original guide to choosing the right size.
  
  ♥ Video: how to choose a bra that fits, from Bravissimo.
  
  ♥ Bravissimo's step by step bra fitting guide
  
  ♥ For examples of bra before and after shots, take a look >here<.
  I will give a small preview:
  
  
  

  70B to 60E !!!
  note the "quadruple breast" effect in the wrong size (70B)
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  note: I am using European measurements.
   Use this chart to convert it to the sizes of your country.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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  You might also want to read:
  

  * how to measure your bra size correctly
  * Does this bra fit ? How can I tell ?
  * Bra Myths busted
  * The tricks we use to pretend that a bra fits
  * Even Rihanna gets it wrong
     * Bra Matrix Central *
  

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  • 5:38 PM
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