Sizing up your bra: how staying healthy means getting measured at different times of life and choosing a quality brand like Maaree, Marbra or Stripe & Stare
Doctors and midwives agree that many women wear the wrong size bra and therefore risk injury during exercise, and discomfort or worse during maternity
Most women are well acquainted with the feeling of wearing the wrong bra: the black one that makes your light-coloured shirt suddenly look transparent; the gauzy one that tells everyone in a 10-metre radius that you’re cold; the sturdy beige one that keeps poking out of what was meant to be a sexy, summery top. But studies show that wearing a badly fitting bra doesn’t just ruin your outfit – it can also have serious health implications.
According to most lingerie brands, nearly 80 per cent of us are wearing the wrong size. While that statistic has been somewhat debunked – what better way to get people up close and personal with a sales assistant than by telling them they have a one-in-five chance of succeeding on their own? – many of us are still wearing cups that are too small, straps that give no support or bands that chafe.
The consequences of this differ according to what you are doing. A badly made sports bra, for example, increases your likelihood of getting injured – unsurprisingly, really, as breasts accelerate faster than a Formula One car if you go running in just a T-shirt. “The breast moves considerably if it’s not supported correctly,” says Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, head of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth. “In our lab, when women are exercising without wearing a bra, we’ve seen up to 21cm of movement.”
This can damage breast ligaments. “During physical activity, human skin can stretch by up to about 60 per cent and it will recover; but without the right support, if we start to stretch it beyond 60 per cent, it might be causing an injury to the fibres in the skin that can become permanent,” she adds.
And it’s not just boobs that are in danger. One study looked into why women are far more likely than men to tear their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – which runs through the middle of the knee and which, when damaged, takes months to heal.
Researchers examined hormones, physical differences and even cultural factors, but made little headway until they investigated sports kits. When women wore highly supportive bras while performing complex athletics tasks, the rate of ACL injuries was in line with men’s. This is because instead of using their ankles for balance, women in the right undergarments relied far more on their hips and waist, which move less when the torso is well supported.
“We see significant changes in movement patterns in the trunk, pelvis and lower extremities since it’s all connected,” says Douglas Powell, an associate professor at the University of Memphis’ College of Health Sciences.
But while the stakes are higher with sports bras, everyday lingerie can also cause problems – not least because it is worn, well, every day. Breasts will hurt if constricted, and even mild discomfort is something to watch out for, so if you’re someone who can’t wait to take their bra off at the end of the day, then it’s time to get remeasured.
