No sooner than spring had sprung and I was digging out my summer clothes. Standing before the full length mirror and trying them on provided some important, although not welcome, personal information.

Sigh … My girls were evidence of the power of gravitational pull. They’re descending downward so a change was in order for this ‘I’d rather be bra-less’ woman. I went lingerie shopping.

Many women are on a constant quest to change themselves. Their breast size is a particularly sensitive subject; they either curse that they have too much or wish that we had more. What most don’t realize is what I learned while modeling; the clothes they wear can make all the difference to the way they feel about their bodies.

When I was a young thing I was very slender and worried I’d never develop a set. My mom and her sisters told me otherwise. They assured me I would be a “late bloomer” and that I’d be glad that I was. And although their words didn’t comfort me then, they did prove to be true when over a decade later I developed an hourglass figure.

As a woman, who has avoided wearing bras for decades, I decided to be professionally fitted and I discovered the bras I’ve been wearing now and then have been the wrong size. The correct fit made all the difference to how I felt, as well as, how I looked so I bought 4 new bras.

Know this: the first step to take towards flattering your upper body and giving your spirits a lift is buying bras that fit properly.

Bra Fitting
The most important thing about a bra is that it should lift the breast to just the right height. So bend one arm at the elbow to form a right angle and then lay your arm across your middle. Your bust should be halfway between your shoulder and elbow.

Measure yourself – With a bra on, measure yourself tightly around the top of the rib cage just beneath the bust. If it’s an odd number of inches, add 5 to find your bra size; if it’s even, add 4 (so if you measure 29, your bra size is 34 and if you measure 31 your bra size is 36).

For your cup size, measure around yourself again, but this time place the tape measure loosely over the fullest part of the breast. Subtract the first measurement from the second. A 1-inch difference is an A cup; 2-inch difference = B cup; 3 = C; 4 = D; 5 = DD; and 6 = DDD or E.

A bra should lie flat – If your cup wrinkles on the side, you need to go down a bra — not a cup — size. And the short piece of fabric between the breasts should be flat against your body. To make sure you put the bra on correctly, put the straps on first, then lean forward into the cups before you fasten the hooks.

The cups should hug your breasts – Your cup should be full, hugging the outer edges of the breast. If your breasts spill out from the sides or over the top of the cups, you may need a larger cup size or a cup with more coverage on the sides or top. If you favor soft cups, make sure no fabric bunches at the nipple. (Softer fabrics tend to fold on themselves.) For molded bras, be sure your breast fills the cup entirely and there isn’t empty space.

Straps should be comfy but should not fall down – Your bra straps are the right length if your bra is level across your back and not too tight when using the middle hook. In front, your bra should lie flat against the middle of your chest, and the back strap should rest under the lowest part of your shoulder blade.

A strap should do its work but not cut into your skin. If your straps fall down, even after the right adjustment, your breasts may not be filling out the top of the cups and you should go down a cup size. If straps leave marks, it doesn’t always mean they’re too tight; it may mean you need a more supportive bra. If the bra rides up in back, try a tighter hook or loosen the straps and if neither works, go down a bra size.

The great underwire debate. Underwires are found in 90 percent of bras made today, and should end at the side edge of your breast.

Know your cups. If you’re shopping for a cup size larger than B, try underwire soft cups, which offer support and will give you a natural, unsculpted line. Full coverage, molded-cup underwire bras are smooth and provide a professional look but may be stiff. Demi cups, which show the top of the breast, are found in soft or molded cups and usually have underwires. Rules of thumb: Define your breasts with molded cups, boost your breasts with demi cups and make your breasts look larger with padded cups.

Finally, keep in mind:

Smooth, silky bras look best under all fabrics.

Match bras to your skin tone, not to the color of the garment you’re wearing.

Not surprisingly you will find many bra fitting references on the internet. Here’s a sampling.
Bra Fitting
Finding the Perfect Bra
Lingerie Essentials: The Complete Bra Wardrobe
Top 10 Bras for summer