7 Tips for Finding the Best Everyday Bra
October 26, 2016 | Filed in: Your Closet
No matter how great the outfit, a bad bra can ruin it. (An MM staffer who shall remain nameless once had to leave a party early because her bra closure broke, which was a downright waste of a fun night.) Meanwhile, a good bra can transform a decent dress into a fabulous one—MM stylists have seen it with their own eyes.
Still, when it comes to the bra you reach for on a Monday morning, most of us ignore the high-quality stuff and go straight for the ratty old faithfuls, even long after their expiration date has passed. It’s a force of habit, or inertia, sort of like not noticing when you need a haircut.
Enter Ginny Gerard, the CEO of lingerie retailer Rigby & Peller US. She knows a thing or two about the magic of a perfect bra—her company prides itself on having one of the most exhaustive employee training programs in the industry. “It’s like a lingerie school, and it takes a minimum of six weeks,” she says. “Our stylists have a huge body of knowledge to help a woman find a bra that makes her feel confident, so that she doesn’t have to think about what she’s wearing underneath her clothes and can focus on her business or whatever it is she has going on in her day.” We’re sold.
How to achieve workwear bra nirvana? Ginny shared seven guidelines for finding the best everyday underpinnings—and the pitfalls to avoid—below.
1. Comfort is key.
We did a poll of over 2,000 American women and found that a large percentage of them were wearing the exact same bra every day. We also found that 80 percent of women would rather wear an old, gray bra that’s comfortable than an expensive new one that isn’t. So, bottom line: No matter how great a bra looks, if it doesn’t feel comfortable, you won’t wear it. Sometimes, a bra will fit from a technical standpoint, but for whatever reason, you just won’t feel comfortable in it. It’s very individual. Be picky!
2. There are five fit points for any bra, and they affect comfort as well as appearance.
1. Check the central part of bra, between the cups. It should sit flat against your chest, directly on the skin, without digging.
2. Make sure that the edges of the cup (the underwire, in most cases) sit comfortably around your bust, not pressing against or standing away from the skin.
3. The cups shouldn’t dig or gape anywhere—there should be a smooth, clean silhouette.
4. The band is the most important part of a bra. When fastened on the middle hook, it should sit horizontally across your back without riding up. A helpful rule is that you should be able to slip two fingers underneath it; if it’s hard to do that, then the band is too small, and if you can fit more than two fingers easily, it’s too big.
5. The straps should sit on the shoulders without moving or leaving marks or indentations. If the bra is sized properly, then the band—not the straps—will support your bust.
3. You probably need a smaller band size.
We’ve done studies on points of pressure within the different components of a bra, and it turns out that the band does about 90 percent of the work when it comes to support. The straps are there to pull everything together, and depending on the style and cut, the cup is doing the rest. Most women wear a band size that’s too big, and on top of that, the band stretches over time—it needs to fit firmly in order to do its job. What’s more, women’s bodies are constantly changing. It’s important to do regular check-ins, ideally with a trained stylist, to make sure that your bras fit properly.
4. An everyday bra doesn’t need to be boring or simple.
An “everyday bra” means something different to every woman—each woman’s shape is different, and the way she wants to look in her clothes is different. A lot of women think a neutral T-shirt bra should be their go-to, but if you’ve got a beautiful hot pink bra that fits well, you’re going to look great in your clothes with that, too. Unless you’re wearing something very sheer, the color of your bra is almost irrelevant. There are a lot of women who are afraid to wear lace because they think the texture will show, but a well-made bra in a high-quality lace can be as invisible as anything else.
5. Take care of your bras.
Your bra is probably the most technical piece of clothing you wear, and a lot of thought and engineering goes into one that’s very well-made. It’s worth investing in it and taking care of it, especially if you’re full-busted. Every woman should be rotating her bras; they need to rest for at least a day between wears. If you have five to ten bras in your rotation, they’ll each have a longer lifespan because the elastic won’t break down as quickly. Don’t throw them in the washing machine, and definitely don’t toss them in the dryer. Lots of women will say, ‘Oh, hang-drying is too much trouble for me,” and I think, “I know for a fact that you have a very nice pair of jeans that you’d never put in the dryer.” And almost nothing dries faster when it’s hung up than a bra, and it takes barely any effort. I recommend washing them after a few wears with lingerie soap that’s gentle.
6. Buy more than one.
If any woman finds a bra that she loves, get it in multiples, absolutely. Buy different colors, get matching panties, the works—it’s the foundation of a great wardrobe. But remember that one style won’t match all of your needs. Depending on the cut of an outfit or what you’re doing in it, you might need something different—a sports bra, obviously, or a strapless bra, or a plunge bra, among others.
7. And then go buy some more.
We recommend replacing your bras somewhere between the 6-to-12-month period (depending on how many you have in rotation). Every bra has a lifespan, and a lot of women hold onto their bras way too long. Not only does your body change, but bras stretch out and stop making you look your best. Don’t fall into the trap of buying the same size automatically, either. Get rid of those old bras and make more room in your drawer for ones that fit you. Quite often, a woman thinks that she has a problem—her shirt doesn’t look right, or the buttons are gaping—and she internalizes it as her fault. But it’s actually that her bra is past its prime. Your bra needs to hold up its end of the bargain. The power of a great bra will help you stand a few inches taller and concentrate on bigger things.
