Last night I listened to a podcast interview with a woman called Laura Tempesta, owner of a website called bravolution.com. She is the only woman in the USA to hold a Masters degree in lingerie design, and she is working to revolutionise the world of bra design! Her TED talk is below, it's entertaining!
I found this all extreeeeeeeeeemely interesting and thought I would share.
Did you know that what you probably thought about bra sizing is all wrong? Did you know that (for example) a 34A, 32B, 30C, and 28D all fit EXACTLY THE SAME BREAST SIZE???
The Bravolution website is not selling anything, and it has a wealth of information about how to find the best-fitting and therefore most supportive bra.
The podcast I listened to is focused on sports bras specifically (the TED talk is more general), and it is also entertaining, but you should note: I listened to it through an ear bud and I was nearly deafened a few times because the interviewer, Kelly Roberts, kept SHOUTING! I like Kelly, but she is LOUD!! So be warned 😂
Here's the website - it is American so some of the sizing info may be slightly different, but the basic idea is that you work out your size roughly, consider some other factors, and try things out for yourself. And basically, don't put up with a bra that hurts you!
And here's the TED talk. I have a slight issue with what Laura says about changing your bra every year - given the price of sports bras this is unrealistic for many people and I take it with a pinch of salt! Still a good talk though.
Apparently it is the most important item of clothing for women runners after shoes! For those of us who are still rather well endowed it’s a priority 🤪❤️
It was interesting on the podcast Laura says that bras actually have a lot more in common with shoes than they do with garments! They are basically equipment.
Even when you're not well endowed it's important. I have an AA cup (don't know if the sizes in Belgium are the same as there) and when I run without my sports bra, I feel those tiny lumps jump around a lot and it absolutely does not feel nice! It's even kinda painfull. So yes, a sportsbra is indeed the second most important thing for runners.
My big butt was the first sure sign that the weight was shifting. One chap quipped that he would miss the total eclipse that occurred whenever I bent down 😁😁😁😁☺️
I agree with CandyCool vitally important piece of kit. I’d never replace either a sports bra or everyday bra without going to a specialist shop and being fitted, same as trainers. I ignore the actual data on the label and always do a test by jumping up and down🤣
So I've just recently done a bra update. For my town bras, I booked an online M&S free sizing thing which was really good actually. In the past I'd been (as a treat) to Rigby and Peller and I remembered a few things but learned some more this time and exaclty that about changing cup and size means you end up with something similar. It seems that getting the sizing right with wired bras is most important so as not to damage tissue.
For running bras I have now invested in Rundewear having tried a friend's bra and yeah they are expensive but they hold you in really firmly and so I think it's worth it for me (DD/E).
Last week I saw a lady running braless and I nearly got my friend to stop the car...
I got measured at M&S about a year ago, 38a, perfect fit and really comfortable. Bought the same size, same description bras online a couple of months back, they’re about 1cm smaller in all the measurements. For my build it works on a run as what little is there is firmly held in place but for everyday it’s just annoying and uncomfortable.My nearest branch is an hour away, not sure if I’ll bother going back, I’ll just do trial and error again at TK Maxx, their bras are usually prettier too.
Sizing varies between bras annoyingly. What you could do is line up the bras you have and do an online consultation (with other brand bras too) if you wanted
Interesting. I bought my shock absorber and everyday bras at a well known dept store, and they don’t measure anymore. It is purely by looking at you and then comparing one bra with another. Perfect fits but the sizes shown are completely different.
Thanks for this roseabi, I’ll definitely give that a watch.
Like CP2, I had my best sizing done at Rugby & Pellar before I got married. They do everything by eye, I went down 6inches around my back. Went to M&S about a year later and they used a tape measure, and it was totally wrong. It was a long time ago so hopefully they’ve updated the way they’ve measured since then. I now go to Bravissimo and they’re similar to R&P in the way they ‘measure’.
I use Shockabsorbers which have been a wonder. The Running Channel recommended a Maaree bra which I’d love to try but at £64 a pop I don’t want to risk not doing it’s job as I’d expect. Unfortunately I give them quite a battering so they only last about 6 months each. That together with the number of miles I’ve been putting into my shoes this year, whoever said running was cheap must have been a man!!
Ah yes i got asked to measure my chest at m&s and then they say add 4” which doesnt work at all. The lady who Ihad realised that and just went by eye and trying different ones on. Good to know about bravissimo!
Re sports bra, if you try rundewear there is a pack of 2 which makes the overall cost not so excessive. Definitely prices by men though
Bravissimo own brand sports bras are really too CP2, I use them at the gym. They have a big selection of all sorts of bras.I was wondering about Runderwear bras. Do they actually keep everything under control??! They got a good review in Runners World but I do like to play safe with the Shockabsorbers.
Every year? Pah! I still have the one I bought during C25K. I recycle my sports bras in much the same way as my shoes - running to cycling to pilates!!! However, there is getting to be quite a queue!
Yes! It's interesting what they said on the More or Less programme that the "80% of women wear the wrong bra size" statement could not be verified. Laura Tempesta starts off with that statistic in her TED talk, but I can't find mention of it on her website, so perhaps she's dropped it!
We need to know these things. I mean, do you think that energy swirl of eight builds up further momentum? 😬😱 And I’m just recalling playing with skipping ropes at school.😂
Hi I am a bra fitter and the one thing I always tell my ladies is they could be a different size in different styles and makes and a sports bra is the most important bit of exercise kit they will every buy as a woman and it needs to fit perfectly and minimise bounce when running. I see so many ladies bouncing so bad that they must hurt after there run it took me months to find the perfect sports bra and to be honest it’s over a year old and still does it’s job perfectly.
My advice get a bra fitting and don’t panic if it’s not the size you think you are it’s just a size the important bit is that it does the job and is comfortable 😊
🙈 it’s so uncomfortable to 😭I forgot to take my sports bra once when doing an exercise class 2 minutes in I had to stop it was so painful and BOUNCY lol xx I would have had a couple of black eyes 👀 if I had continued lol
Thanks you!!! I have found my perfect for me... So important to find the right one. I could not wear anything with fasteners or zips so for me a seamless support bra is great.
Getting in and out of it is fun... and when I inadvertently sent for the wrong size ( brain fog) last month.I nearly dislocated my shoulder getting out of it, when trying on!
Omg one of my friends said she likes putting her sports bra on!! I was like, no. When I’m nearly done i sometimes realised it’s inside out and have ti start all over again
I spent ages finding a sports bra that works for me. I spent all my adult life with 2 backs - hardly worth bothering with a bra- except in those first few days after I had my babies then once they started feeding it was back to next to nothing. 🤣Then came the menopause!!!!! And I ended up with 36DDs. I tried every sports bra I could find and then my daughter found one that suited her ( she’s a 30E!!) and recommended it. It’s the front loading / zip up /lime green and orange one by Shockabsorber -ended up having to go to the 38DD size but it does the job beautifully. And I bought 2 more ( another lime and then a red and navy one) to rotate them while one was in the wash.
During lockdown I sneaked a fair bit of weight on and I know am considerably larger around the bosom!! But I am in the largest size for my sports bra!!!they don’t make a larger size in that style. So annoying!! The weight is coming off very slowly but it is more of a workout getting into my “too small “ bra than the actual run nowadays.
Bravissimo has been mentioned and I'd reiterate it. Initially, during lockdown, I bought a sports bra online and it was hopeless. They *are* expensive, so when lockdown lifted I went for a fitting and - of course - I'd got the sizing wrong. The same bra in the correct size is a revelation! So get a fitting: it's too important. I'll always go back to Bravissimo now, but any retailer which offers specialist fittings should be fine.
I had a fitting in John Lewis. Like many women, I had been wearing too big a chest size and too small a cup. I hadn't really thought about the fact that cup size isn't fixed; it's just a ratio of the chest size.
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