healthnut

According to Wacoal, you will need a new bra whenever you lose 5 to 7 lbs. That can be a costly proposition if you plan on losing a lot of weight. The Le Mysterie bra can cost over $80, thanks to Oprah. Bras are not cheap and will not get any cheaper. Thanks to the US government, clothing is about to get more expensive due to the China’s rising yuan. While there is no simple solution to this, a sports bra may deter some costs, but keep in mind that as you lose weight, your band size will likely downsize as well.

If you listen to the fashion industry for proper fitting guidelines, you fit into the old adage that 80% of American women wear the wrong size. And the wrong size means a waste of money!

First off, your bra size is not the width of your bust but the size of your bandwidth. Many women, especially skinny women, assume that it’s the size of their bust because over the years, men have taught us that the perfect figure is 36-24-36. Skinny women are precluded to the number 36 but don’t realize to achieve a ribcage of 36, they need to gain weight. And, so their straps fall off, nothing fits properly, and they keep buying MORE bras because they think the next one will solve the problem. Sounds familar? In some sense, it’s a conspiracy in the fashion industry to keep these women in the popular 36 isle, so they will keep on buying.

If you think the supporting letters: A, B, C, D, etc. mean the difference in inches between the bust and the bandwidth, you have been listening to the fashion industry a little too long. Developed in 1928 by a man named William Rosenthal, the Rosenthal sizing system really indicates the maximum support in fluid ounces a cup will hold:

A cup - 8 fluid ounces
B cup - 13 fluid ounces
C cup - 21 fluid ounces
D cup - 27 fluid ounces

Ok, now for some dirty secrets about lingerie:

1) Bras are NOT designed to fit you but the prototype model. Watch this National Geographic segment on how bras are made.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H51R2SBkJ_U

2) Thoracic bra issues, ie. excess side room, roll up issues, etc., are unsolvable at this time. Sorry to disappoint but there is no such thing as a “thoracic fitting” weight loss bra.

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/wacoal_style_65547.html

3) And Victoria Secret does not make lingerie but contracts with off brand companies. These same off brand companies make bras for other brands as well, which may very well explain why there is always an excess supply of VS bras on eBay.

http://www.mast.com/customer/customer.htm

For an illustrated guide on proper fitting, check out:

http://www.herroom.com/solve-bra-size-and-fit-problems,909,30.html

Sources:

http://ngcblog.nationalgeographic.com/ngcblog/2007/09/unhooked_history_of_the_bra.html
http://www.wacoal-america.com/lizsmith.html