As in most cases in life, appearances deceive. Women go for fancy and good looking bras of varieties like lace, net and underwire, when they select a bra. However, the most important thing in the process is choosing the right size. There are ill effects on look and health, when one wears a bra of wrong size. Most women long for a sleek and elegant look and one is devoid of this, while wearing an ill-fitting one.  It also brings in unsolicited attention to the bust area.  When one feels that one’s bra is loose or tight, it is time to go for a right fitting one.

One may take it for granted that their bras are of right size, as they had measured their bust only a few years ago while buying in a store or tailored it for some special occasion. However, the fact is that our bodies change even within a short period – of just a year or two. The reasons may be gaining or losing of weight, shift happening in muscle tone with exercise, pregnancy or illness or simply the ageing process. The statistics says that between seventy five and eighty percent of all women wear wrong sized bras. 

The advice of experts is to measure one’s bust and go for a right-sized bra, every time one goes for a new bra and not to limit it to a span of few years.  Even hormonal differences occurring regularly can affect the breast size.

Women wearing wrong size bra often face difficulties in keeping the right  posture.  Instead  of sitting and standing upright, they slouch. Not maintaining correct posture will lead to inexplicable back and neck pain.

Women with large breasts and ill fitting bras combined tend 

Wearing the wrong Bra size?

to stoop due to the pressure exerted on chests by thewrong sized bra and the effect of gravity of overweight breasts.

This may cause pain in the hip area. Tight bra exerts pressure on the rib cage leading to back pain. They lead to breast pain, too. They also cause pain in the shoulders, as their straps exert pressure there. The resultant strain may reach up to neck, resulting in severe pain.

As lymphatic vessels of the breasts are extremely thin, slight and constant pressure from tight fitting bras can squeeze them. This may ultimately result in the closing of lymph valves and vessels.

Sagging of breasts can occur as wrong sized bras can irreversibly damage breast ligaments and this may result  in pain, also. Loose fitting bra can also cause sagging, as they badly affect the size and shape of the breasts. The inability of loose bras to lift breasts and keep them in shape, make breasts heavier.

A bra of improper size may also cause blisters around the breast, especially one of size smaller than the breast, as they fit extremely tight around the bosom. A bra, far too tight, will cause a scarring effect on the breasts, in some time.

As a bra company’s tagline says, “A bra that fits correctly will lift the bust, improve the posture and also make one look slimmer.”

However, there are many medical experts, who hold the opinion that the practice of wearing bras and panties – even right fitting ones – itself is inimical to health. A French Sports Science Researcher Professor Rouillon, who conducted a 15-year study on the effect of bra on 330 women aged 18 to 35, says that “Medically, physiologically, anatomically – breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity. On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra.” Dr. Stafford Broumand says that "For younger women, not wearing a bra will lead to increased collagen production and elasticity, which improves lift in a developing breast." Practitioners of traditional medicine, including Ayurveda share this diagnosis. There are many Indian companies, who have taken the lead and started marketing health friendly underwear, especially of cotton variety, globally. It seems that even in the matter of lingerie, oriental held more wisdom than the modern and western.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Harikrishnan