Sleek Simplicity collection by Bra Doctor Lingerie, available exclusively at Now That's Lingerie.com

Welcome back!

It’s sure been awhile, but many exciting things are happening at once.

It’s the first anniversary of the online launch of Bra Doctor Lingerie, so to celebrate, Now That’s Lingerie.com is offering 25% off all Bra Doctor styles!  So far, the feedback has been very positive, and we can’t wait to hear what you have to think about our collections… with even more new styles to come.

Enjoy browsing, and let me know what you think!

More news to come very soon…

Your Bra Doctor
bradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com

Eat your way to a better, healthier lifestyle with berries, high in antioxidants.

1. Get in touch with Mother Nature. Exploring the great outdoors is a natural, fun and surefire way to stay healthy while enjoying activities as diverse as rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, jogging, biking and waterskiing.  Let the sun naturally fuel your body with Vitamin D, which helps regulate calcium, boosts your immune system and helps prevent osteoporosis, and leaves you energized.  Use sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 to keep harmful rays from damaging your skin.

Tri-Action Wire-Free Sports Bra by Triumph International, available at Now That's Lingerie.com

2. Get a REAL Sports Bra THAT FITS. Over time, your bras naturally wear and tear, making it crucial to renew your wardrobe at least once a year and make sure your bras fit properly.  This DEFINITELY includes your sports bras!  Your breasts’ and skin’s elasticity decrease naturally with age, pregnancy, weight loss or gain, etc. If you wear a sports bra that doesn’t support properly, this process is sped up, making your breasts bounce and causing small tears in the ligaments that keep your breasts firm, potentially causing sagging.

3. Vitalize. Get a dose of energizing, exotic fruits rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals like pomegranate, berries and kiwi, or veggies like peppers, spinach and ginger.  Incorporate these into your breakfast to get a kick-start to your day, or fill small tupperware with fun salads to grab when you’re on the go or for a healthy mid-morning or afternoon snack to get a natural, revitalizing boost of vitamins and minerals without the burnout effects of caffeine or energy drinks.  Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds are also rich in antioxidants and are a super tasty and creative add-in to your cereals and fruit salads.

4. Clear your mind and lower stress.  Try meditating, yoga, tai chi or other relaxing, invigorating low-impact exercises that tone your body, relieve stress and help you relax.  Doing any kind of physical activity boosts endorphins, increases muscle and blood circulation, which will make you feel happier and less stressed.

Yoga balances body and mind, relieving your stress.

5. Clean out your space. Organize To-Do lists, recycle old newspapers and magazines, tidy your drawers, or host a garage sale on your block.  Donate clothes that no longer fit or that are just so 90′s you’ll never wear them again.  By getting rid of clutter in your personal space, you’ll ease your mind and feel refreshed, instead of stressed and claustrophobic. Plus, you’ll also have much more room to store the shoe boxes stacked five feet high in your closet…

Share YOUR tips for fitness and healthy eating with us!
Comment here or e-mail me (Lisa) at nowthatsliving@nowthatslingerie.com.

Let me start with one of the basic principles of bra fitting (you can see my other blogs on this by clicking here).  When your bra fits properly, the underwire should contour all of your breast tissue (from under your arms to where your cleavage resides) and lay flat against your breastbone in the front, without constraining your breasts or rubbing against your skin.

Dahlia bra and panty set by Valisère (Triumph). Size range: 34-40, D-DD cups. Available at Now That's Lingerie.com.

The purpose of an underwire is to contour the natural shape of your breast by encompassing the entirety of your breast tissue and giving it lift and a round shape.  When encased in those cups, your breasts will only be supported to the extent that the fabric of your cup covers your breasts.  For example, let me compare two distinct types of underwire bras.  If you’re wearing a padded push-up bra (most of which offer only minimal support), you are getting less support than if you were wearing a full cup minimizer (intended to deliver the utmost support).  But both bras have underwire.  So what determines this difference in support levels?

For any bra, the straps, elasticated back band, fabric, stitching, underwire and coverage all work together to play a crucial role in perfecting your comfort.  The majority of the support of a properly fitted bra lies in the elasticity (or firmness) of the fabric of your cups, plus the stitching (if any) on or along the cups.  (The reason I emphasize properly fitted is because, if your bra doesn’t fit, it doesn’t matter what style you’re wearing– you will not be get the support that the physics of your bra intended!  Click for more of my blogs on bra fitting.)  So, if your bra cups only cover half of your boobs (like in a demi-cup or demi-bust bra), then chances are, your bra won’t give you as much support as a full-coverage bra– regardless of whether there is or isn’t an underwire.  This also means that a bra with a stretchier fabric on the cups will support your breasts less than a bra made with a sturdier, less extensible fabric.

So that’s part of understanding what underwire can do for you.  Before I continue, I want to make something clear.  Just because you may prefer to wear non-underwire bras does NOT mean you are getting less support than a woman who wears underwire.  Many non-underwire bras are equipped with a supportive elasticated band around the torso and have seams that are stitched internally in such a way as to provide shape and support.  Full support bras DO exist without underwire and their support can be comparable to that of an underwire bra.  The major difference is that the shape of your breasts will sometimes be different in either type of bra.  You see, underwire works to envelop the entirety of your breast tissue, from beneath your arms and below your breast, bringing their weight closer to the front and slightly lifted upwards.  Some non-underwire bras may constrain the breast tissue nearer to your body, but this may make your breasts seem smaller, especially since your breasts will seem less separated from each other than if there was an underwire contouring each breast.

The Vintage Touch wire-free bra by Warner's offers a naturally rounded fit and unparallelled comfort. Available at Now That's Lingerie.com

So what have you learned?  Properly fitted, underwire bras help give you a more precise fit while supporting your breasts, but what more fully determines the support level are the fabric (and stitching) of your bra cups (more on this in a subsequent blog!).  All these aspects (and more, like the strap’s width) work together to provide support.  For women who do not like underwire bras and find them uncomfortable, don’t fret– there is still a wide range of non-underwired bras available for your comfort and convenience.

For all your bra fitting questions… contact me at celinethebradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com!  I hear from dozens of women every week with a wide range of bra fitting issues, and I respond to them personally.  So don’t hesitate or wait to feel comfortable in your bras.

See you next time!
Your Bra Doctor
bradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com

Petites
If your bra size is an AA, A or B cup, chances are you are not looking for a full support bra. Your ideal support would be light or medium, depending on your level of daily activity. Padded and push-up bras typically offer a light support, but in general, serve mostly to enhance your breast size. If you are between a B and a C cup, check the next section.

B and C cups
Women who fall into this category require slightly more support for day-to-day activities. You can find comfort in a medium support bra, either with or without underwire, which will enable you to work and walk around without worrying about whether your breasts will continue moving when you stop. Bras that have a double layer of fabric (or mesh on the inside) will offer a medium to full support. If the cup covers the entirety of your breast tissue, you will have a more firm support. If you are wearing a demi-bust bra, either padded or non-padded, you will receive a medium support, which is great for moderate activity. For increased daily activity levels or for maximum comfort, see the next section.

Full cup, full support bras
If you take a C cup or higher, you will require a minimum of a medium support bra for everyday wear. If your work necessitates a lot of activity, you should opt for a fuller support, full-coverage bra. If you prefer padded bras, select one that has a square-cut neckline rather than a V-cut, since the former will support more of the breast tissue and provide more adequate coverage and support. For all other bras, make sure the fabric has some (but not too much) stretch to it, so that they will mould to your body shape while still offering support. You will find extra support for all bras with a vertical or diagonal seam on the cup, or those which have a double layer of fabric or mesh along the inside of the cup, and of course, those which cover the entirety of the breast tissue.

Plus-Size: DD cups and up
Women who fall in the DD and up size range usually want to be completely supported in their day-to-day activities, especially since this is the group of women most susceptible to back, neck and shoulder pain. Although most bras within the DD, E, F, G, H, I and J cup sizes are full support, some will also offer a minimizer effect, which will give fantastic support while reducing the appearance of having large breasts (many women prefer this, especially for work purposes). Strap width is also an important consideration, since a slightly wider strap will hold better on the shoulders and more equally distribute the weight of your breasts. IF your straps cut into your shoulders but you still do not feel supported, chances are you are not wearing the right size or shape for you.

For other bra fitting questions, or suggestions for Bra Doctor blog articles, please contact me at bradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com.