We are lucky in West Sussex to have some fabulous independent retailers for bra fitting and shopping. Foundations are everything – you wouldn’t build a new house without first creating a solid base – who wants wonky walls?! Considering your bra, in the same way, helps us understand why this often-emotive item of clothing is so essential in our wardrobes.
Why Bra Fitting and Shopping are Important!
When you have a great bra, it changes the way your clothes fit and hang.
If you have a short body and a fuller bust, you lose space around your torso. A good bra lifts and shapes and can give you a waist you may not realise you had!
A bra can give you fullness and emphasis if you have a small bust.
Our busts are different shapes and sizes, and this makes a difference in the best bra style to suit us.
Fit is everything! It can be hard to know when you’re getting it right with many different elements. And that’s where a professional fitting comes into its own. I highly recommend Smitten Lingerie to Love in Chichester (West Sussex) for a bra fitting.
Are you wearing the correct size bra?
According to Rachel Blackburn, who owns Smitten, over 80% of women wear the wrong-sized bra. She says, “a good fit creates good posture and good blood circulation, a nice shape and support where your bust needs it most.” And there can be other health issues if the fit isn’t great; Rachel told me, “Wearing a badly fitted bra can cause headaches and neck pain and can cause muscle strain as the weight of your bust is pulled downward.”
Post Surgery Bra Fitting and Shopping:
For those who are post-surgery and have had breasts removed or reconstructed, there is another great West Sussex specialist – Nicola Jane, also in Chichester, whose mission is ‘to see beauty in everybody’. Melissa Muvuti, their Director of Sales & Customer Experience, says, “We know that comfort, shape, and support are of the utmost importance to our customers after breast surgery. As well as being developed with these three factors in mind, our bras are designed to cover scars, hide indentations, and avoid discomfort.”
When to fit…
Smitten recommends a first bra for young women ages 11 to 14 but having a bra fitting isn’t a once in a lifetime activity!
Just a slight change in your body shape – whether we’ve put on a little weight, lost it, changed shape after giving birth, or perhaps the good old menopause, can all mean our bra size is also likely to have changed. It’s worth having an update every year or so when you notice any changes.
If you’re feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, please don’t worry; the highly trained teams at independents like Smitten and Nicola Jane make it a positive experience. So please don’t put it off.
I’d encourage you to buy the best bra you can afford. Cheaper options don’t have the number of elements that a more quality bra has. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but you do get what you pay for here, and as you’re wearing it every day, the cost-per-wear formula works out!
And finally, if you’ve invested in a decent bra, it’s worth looking after it. Many recommend hand washing, but in the real world, if you’re anything like me and never get round to this, then putting your bras in a lingerie bag and washing them on the delicate or handwash setting of your machine is best. And always wash darks and lights separately to avoid the greying bra!
I highly recommend contacting Smitten Lingerie to Love or Nicola Jane for bra fitting and shopping in West Sussex.
And finally, for advice and guidance to dress with confidence, I’d love to help, so please get in touch!
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