An early inflation technique from 1968

It all started with the WonderBra, designed to produce a sexy, erotic and alluring cleavage to even the most petite bust. Fashion model Kate Moss praised them in 1994 with her comments to The New York Times Magazine: “I’ve got a couple of those Gossard WonderBras. They’re brilliant, I swear, even I get cleavage with them”.

At the same time Eva Herigova was making a splash with her racy billboard ads for WonderBra. In the famous poster image of her in a WonderBra, gazing down at her breasts and the caption “Hello Boys”, was she addressing male admirers or her breasts?

The WonderBra ad that sent men veering off the road

Since then we’ve been bombarded with “fashionable” images of stick thin celebrities and models displaying their impossibly orb-like breasts. But with or without plastic surgery they wouldn’t have nearly as much impact without a “booster” push up bra, a ‘must have’ bra for any woman’s low-neckline wardrobe!

Commonly called “push-up bras” by most brands, these friendly bra styles help significantly lift and press together the breasts using permanent or removable pads made from foam, gel, silicone, air or water. Some versions use graduated foam cups or built in “bump up” pads which are molded into the interior foam and are lightweight, so there’s no need to worry about inserts falling out!

19604519 Tactel Change Seamless Push Up Bra by Change of Scandinavia

So for maximum impact I’d strongly recommend that you try the Change of Scandinavia’s Tactel Seamless Push Up Bra. It uses the newest foam technology with built-in pads to boost your bust, it’s extremely lightweight, breathable (essential for summer), and the super soft Tactel fabric makes it fabulously comfortable for everyday wear. (See also Calvin Klein’s f2892 Seductive Comfort Customized Lift T-Shirt Bra).

For smaller-busted ladies, Triumph’s 3070 Petites Push-Up T Shirt Bra and the 3040 Diamond Jacquard  Petites Push Up Bra are ideal. The cups are tilted upwards and inwards to produce the best cleavage possible, and the built in pads give an additional “boost”. Because the cups are completely smooth, these bras are perfect under fitted tops too!

One of the prettiest and most curvaceous booster bras I suggest is the new 1838 Lacy Push-Up Bra by Triumph. As well as the foam padding it includes small removable gel pads so you can decide how much cleavage enhancement your outfit can take! With convertible straps too, this bra (and Triumph’s Seamless 1738 version in this new collection) gives you the option to cross the back or replace them altogether with transparent straps (sold separately).

1838 Push Up Lacy Bra by Triumph

And of course if you want to add additional boost to any of your regular push up bras then try adding Bra Doctor’s Silicone Enhancers or one of the Flaunt silicone pads by Fashion Essentials. Take a peak at Now That’s Lingerie’s selection of their most popular pads designed for all kinds of effects, petite to fuller-busted women.

So have fun flaunting your cleavage this summer – Now That’s Lingerie has the bras you need to give you (and your lingerie wardrobe) an extra oomph!

Ask me about fashion!

Teresa

teresa@nowthatslingerie.com

Hello Boys image from mydaily.co.uk : Wonderbra’s Hello Boys campaign featuring Eva Herzigova voted most iconic ad image of all time : MYDaily UK

Gisele, Salma & Scarlett images:Hollywood pictures galleries: 5 Pictures Scarlett Johansson Search Results gisele bundchen–Backseat Cuddler ; Hollywood Celebrities Wallpapers: August 2008

Welcome back!  Today I’d like to cover one of the most common questions asked by women I’ve personally fitted for bras: what do you do when your breasts are not the same size?

Well, believe it or not, most women have at least a slight size difference.  I have rarely seen women with two breasts that are exactly the same size.  As if bra fitting weren’t complicated enough, right?  Different women may have asymmetrical breast sizes for different reasons.  Unfortunately, most women don’t know what to do for this manageable issue, so end up wearing bras that are not the right size and are uncomfortable for them.  Here are some tips to help you achieve your most comfortable fit so you can look and feel great in your bras!

Bra cups are too small, & should NEVER constrain your breasts.

Over the course of her lifetime, a woman’s bra size can change more than five times.  For many developing women, this is also the time when one’s breasts may not grow at the exact same rate, sometimes leaving one side noticeably bigger than the other.  Factor in body changes resulting from pregnancy, breast feeding, weight gain or loss, medication, surgery and just age, and it’s easy to see how the shape of your breasts changes over time.  You should always make sure your bras fit you and are comfortable, because if they aren’t, then you definitely are not wearing the right size or style bra for your unique body shape.

This brings me to one of the most important rules of bra fitting: if your breasts are different sizes, your bra should fit comfortably over the larger (not smaller) breast.  The cup on the larger side should fit the entirety of your breast tissue without cutting into you.  Sure, there may be a gap or a pleat in the cup where the smaller breast resides, but you can fill the space with a bra pad.  This way, the underwire will not constrain your larger breast.  NEVER, EVER buy a bra that fits only the smaller side comfortably, while the larger breast spills over the fabric of the cup or is constrained in any way by underwire or elastics.

Bra cups too big. Fabric should lie flat against the breast tissue.

So what are some available solutions to making your breasts look naturally even?  For starters, wearing a bra that at least has a lined cup will go a long way in making both sides look more similar.  It won’t help to just wear a bra that is very padded (keep in mind this will also make both sides seem larger, but the size difference will remain the same).  You can try wearing a bra that has removable pads or removable cookies; by taking them out of the larger side and inserting them into the bra pockets in the smaller cup, you help even out the difference.  This is usually a perfect little trick if your breasts are just slightly uneven in size, but if there is still a noticeable discrepancy, you might want to try to use other pads in addition to the removable cookies.

Silicone or foam pads, when added to the smaller side of your bra, can fill out the remaining gaps or spaces in your bra cup.  But if this is your plan, it would be best to use them in a lined bra or padded bra (which exist both with or without underwire), so any slight demarcations of the pad inside your bra will be minimized.  If you have a more noticeable difference in the symmetry of your breasts (close to a cup size, for example), Add-A-Size bra pads are definitely worth a try, either in silicone (see Glam silicone pads) or fabric with foam (see Add-A-Size pads).  And if you’ve had a mastectomy, Add-A-Size pads will help fill out the difference as well.

Fashion Essentials Glam silicone enhancers, available at Now That's Lingerie.com

Wire-free lined bra by Triumph, available at Now That's Lingerie.com

A few more tips before you go!  If you decide to use silicone instead of foam, don’t use more than one silicone pad inside the cup on the smaller size, because it could look and feel heavier and bulkier than the other side (if you want to walk lopsided all day, be my guest!).  Also, after inserting your bra pads, don’t forget to re-adjust your bra straps and back closure to ensure both sides look equal and you feel comfy.

Lastly– if you want more bra fitting help, contact me.  I’ve fitted women of all sorts of shapes and sizes, and I can help you find out what best suits your personal needs.  DO let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.  I’d love to hear from all of you!

Sincerely, as always,

your Bra Doctor