ADVICE & BRA BASICS

BRA FITTING

To find out your Band Size, do the following steps:

1. Stand straight. Wear a wireless, comfortable bra.
2. With a measuring tape parellel to the ground, place the tape securely around your back and measure it at the rib cage, directly under the breasts. Exhale to get the smallest number.
3. Hold it firmly across your bust. But not too tight.
4. Any fraction of an inch is rounded up to the nearest whole number

To find out your Cup Size, do the following steps:

1. Stand straight. Wear a wireless, comfortable bra.
2. With a measuring tape parellel to the ground, place the tape securely around your back and measure it at the fullest part of your bust (at the nipple)
3. Hold it firmly across your bust. But not too tight.
4. Any fraction of an inch is rounded up to the nearest whole number

To calculate your Bra Bize:

Subtract your Band Size from your Cup Size measurement to determine your actual Cup Size. For each inch difference, it increases the Cup Size by one full size. For example, a 33 inch cup size and a 32 inch band size is a one inch difference. Therefore, the size is 32A. (Note, AA is 1/2 inch difference)

Bra Conversion Chart

 

B
a
n
d
 
S
i
z
e Cup Size

BREAST TISSUE
 

A woman’s breast tissue (the amount of tissue making up the breast shape) affects the way a bra fits. There are three types of breast tissue: shallow, medium and full. All of these types require different bras to achieve desired results.

Shallow Breast Tissue
This is common with women who have given birth or as women get older. The tissue swoops down at the top to meet the nipple. Push Up, Plunge, Balconette and Demi Cup Bras are perfect to gather the breasts and create a fuller look. If the client doesn’t want to add fullness, bralettes are sublimely comfortable and complimentary on shallow breasts.

Medium Breast Tissue
With the breasts tissue coming straight down to meet the nipple, all bras will look good with this tissue type. The bra style chosen depends on the desired effect.

 

Full Breast Tissue
This breast type rounds above the top of the breast before meeting the nipple. Contour and Soft Cup Bras and Bralettes are exceptionally flattering on this tissue type.

 

MYTHS OF SMALL BREASTS
 
Women with Small Busts don’t need a bra.
Myth
With time, even tissue in small busts looses it’s elasticity. It’s important, especially when exercising, to wear a good supportive bra. Cosabella’s Talco Bra is the ultimate yoga bra, offering comfort and support for small breasts.

Women with Small Busts can only wear training bras.
Myth
The lingerie industry is being to get savvy that all women are made unique and beautiful. In recent years, luxury bras have been made in larger cup sizes, and we’re starting to see additional beautiful and well made smaller cup and petite sizes for small busts. All the bras at Eve’s Apples are selected due to their exceptional fit on small breasts, comfort and beautiful style.

Women with Small Busts can only wear bralettes.
Myth
Today, small busted gals have many options when getting a bra. Many bras are versatile, going from day to evening or the boardroom to bedroom. These bras vary in style based upon your needs from padding to no padding, underwire to wireless, push up and plunge to bralettes. It’s entirely up to you to decide what suits your needs and desires.

Women with Small Busts aren’t sexy.
Myth
Beauty comes in all shape and sizes. Feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin is the sexiest lingerie a woman can wear.

Think of all the famous and infamous small breasted women that are utterly sexy: Audrey Hepburn, Kate Hepburn, Betty Davis, Keira Knightley, Kelly Ripa, Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Longoria, Victoria Beckham, Michele Pffeifer, Alicia Silverstone, Evangeline Lily, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Oh, Kate Hudson, Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, Kate Moss and many more.

Your breasts are small so you must wear an A Cup.
Myth
Women who have shallow breast tissue (the tissue that makes up the shape of the breast) can wear a larger cup size, including a B Cup, C Cup and D Cup. Wider shape breasts require larger cup sizes, otherwise, the bra cup will gap in front.

Shallow breast tissue is very common for women who just had a baby or are older. There are still beautiful bras to support and compliment women with shallow breast tissue.

Size matters.
Myth
Our society is used to seeing exceptionally large breasts due to the media, Hollywood and breast augmentations. As a result many women who naturally have A Cups, B Cups, C Cups and D Cups have gotten breast augmentations, thinking that their breasts are too small. In society as a whole, our perception of what is a “small breast” is distorted.

Recently, I went shopping with a “small busted” friend (with shallow breast tissue) who wanted a breast augmentation. She thought she was a 34B. After a fitting, she discovered that she is a 30D. This is common. Now she’s perfectly happy with her breast size and bra selections.

I have another friend who got a breast augmentation so that she could be a “B Cup.” I took her to get fitted. She’s a 32DD!

Always get fitted from a reputable lingerie store, specializing in fittings, before making a life altering decision.


TYPES OF BRAS

Push Up Bra: Creates a fuller bust and cleavage. This bra the appearance of ½ to one full cup size larger.

T-Shirt Bra: A smooth bra, creating rounded looking breasts under t-shirts and thin material. An essential bra in any lingerie drawer.

Gel Bra: A push up bra where the insert is made of gel.

Air Bra: A push up bra where the insert is made of air. Many have removable air inserts to increase or decrease bust size.

Bralette: This wireless and unpadded bra is an ideal favorite with small breasts, being more comfortable and cute than supportive.

Balconette Bra: The straps sit further out on the bra, allowing the breasts to take center stage. A great bra that pushes up breast tissue. Due to the position of the straps, the bra doesn’t provide a large amount of support, but is wonderful on smaller cup sizes.

Plunge Bra: Provides great cleavage. The angeled cups push small and petite breasts together in the low front, accentuating cleavage for small and petite busts.

Convertible Bra: A versatile bra that can be several bras in one (halter, racer back, one-sided and cross back.

Strapless Bra: A supportive bra that doesn’t have straps to keep the bra up. Usually silicone strips keep up the bra. Many new and inventive brands have created adhesive strapless bras for special events.

Demi Cup Bra: Showing ½ cup, many push up the breasts. A flattering look on small and petite breasts.

Sports Bra: Even smaller breast tissue needs support while exercising. Sports bras compress breasts to protect tissue and help to defy gravity and age.

Soft Cup Bra: A wireless bra that provides minimal support. Ideal for small busoms.

Contour Bra: Creates a more rounded, balanced looking bustline, without increasing or decreasing bust size. The fiber fill used in bra protects nipple from showing through. Chantelle Basic Invisible is the exception, in which removable cookies allow the “A” cup bras to increase or decrease in size.

TYPES OF PANTIES

Thong: A bikini in front with back of panty cut out, exposing bottom. Eliminates visible panty lines.

Brief: Provides more coverage than a bikini with a full bottom.

Bikini: More playful than the brief, comes in a variety of side details and has a full back.
However, the fullness of the back cut various based upon the design.

Boyshort: A comfortable alternative to preventing visible panty lines due to the panty being lower on legs. Can make legs look shorter.

High Rise: Usually hits high up on the leg and up to the belly button. Makes legs look longer.

Low Rise: Usually at hit at or below the hips. Perfect for low slung pants.
No VPL (visible panty lines): A panty constructed to create a flattering look by eliminating panty lines from behind.

Seamless: A panty constructed without side seams. Keeps the wearer from having visable panty lines.

Lace: A beautiful detail that enhances the look of panties.

G-String: Like a thong, with less material in back. For women who want as minimal material on her bottom as possible.

Shorty: A combination between a thong and boyshort, sitting higher up on the bottom. It creates a sexy look on the bottom.

 

LINGERIE CARE
 

Handwash lingerie only. If you’re unable to handwash, put lingerie into a lingerie bag before washing. The lingerie bag will add life to your lingerie. Lycra looses it elasticity in the washing machine and beautiful lace and embroidery can get destroyed. Always hang dry lingerie. Never put your lingerie in the dryer…Never. Ever in the dryer.