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Bra fit 3month rule?

jenanded

Veteran

Lyn D noted in Denise's post that bras really have their best life in the first 3 months. I never know if its the new style I buy or the elasticity of the bra which makes the difference. Seems we all struggle with finding good styles. Any insights or advice?

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Lyn D.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I tend to disagree. My bras have an exceptional life for at least a year or 18 months. I wash with care and NEVER tumble dry my bras. I also purchase exceptional quality bras, which I've found makes a difference. You also need to swap out bras every few days in order for the elastic to recover.

That said, I have found that my larger busted clients need to purchase new bras every 6 months. They seem to be harder on their bras by requiring more support.

Diana

Veteran

Mine last way longer than that, years even. I have a bunch though and try to never wear the same one two days in a row. Just like shoes, they need resting time to spring back. I guess if you only had a couple of bras, they'd wear out faster.

And as Angie says, I never put my bras in the dryer. I do put them in the washing machine (in a lingerie bag) but I always air dry them.

Lastly, I buy mine to fit on the loosest hook. When they start to stretch out, I move to the tighter hooks, which prolongs their life as well.

Parsley

Veteran

3 months when worn how often?
If it's your only bra, well, maybe. But if you have several that you alternate, I would certainly hope that they'd last longer than that.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I definitely go way longer than that. I am still using a bra I got in 2010 at NAS and it is still good. Mind you it was a higher end bra and I have 6 of them so that may make a difference either...and I have a smaller size (34C).
Actually my 2 bras I got in 2011 fit as tight as when I bought them (Chantelle and Natori). I alos wash them on a delicate cycle in a bag and air dry.
I think cheaper bras I had before got stretched out way sooner...

Isis

Veteran

Yes this rule makes no sense without knowing how many bras someone has.

For an absurd case, if someone has 90 bras they will wear each only once during a 3 month period. But 10 bras, not an absurd situation, will only be worn 9 times each during the 3 month period. I can't imagine even cheap bra wearing out after 9 wears....

K. Period.

Veteran

Yup, I agree with all the comments above. I have multiple bras and I am careful to rotate them so that I'm not wearing them repeatedly. Even when I've only had two and wore them days in a row, because they were very good quality (Wacoal, Le Mystere, Chantelle) and I always hand washed and air dried, they were good for more than a year. I am not extremely busty (34 D or DD), though. I think that our glorious Ms. Day Vies wrote a great post about how, as someone with a very full bustline, she approaches her bras. 3 months is definitely not a hard and fast rule.

Elly

Veteran

Well, I was finally professionally fit by Intimacy and was THRILLED with my bras. I bought them in December and haven't worn the new bras every day (I still have a couple older ones I tend to lounge in and do things like clean house, ect). The bras are Marie Jo ($$$) and Chantelle ($$) and in the last month or so I've noticed they've significantly started to look more worn and stretched and I've had a bit of discomfort. I hand-wash in a lingerie wash, hang to dry, and never wear 2-days in a row, and wash after 2 wears (all according to the instruction of my bra-fitter). I am hoping that I can switch to a different hook on the band and continue to wear them comfortably-- one year would be great, because I'm unlikely to be able to get to the city to have another bra fitting for a year, maybe a couple months more.

I'm a 32 F, BTW.

Editted to add-- I have 3 everyday bras I rotate through (and a sports bra). I would like to have a 4th, but in reality unless your bust size never changes having more than you can wear out in a year or two means that you might be replacing bras that aren't worn out. On my budget bras are just too expensive to do that with!

jenanded

Veteran

Yes it strikes me as a marketing ploy about their longevity but just interested to ask as fit makes such a difference to our clothes. It almost seems our bigger problem is finding THE one in the first place... and did any of us factor in the combo of boredom factor and practicality of some of those darlings that just work with everything!

Thistle

Veteran

So, I need to change out bras every 6-12 months.

I buy high quality bras, most range betwen $60-$120 each. Beacuse of their price, I tend to purchase 3-4 and I have them in rotation so I never wear the same bra two days in a row.

I wash by hand using a special lingerie soap I bought from the boutique where I purchase my bras. By hand means in the sink, not even the hand wash cycle on my washer.

I am amazed ladies can keep theirs so long!! I am a 36F so that might have something to do with it.

Astrid

Veteran

My bra size (65E=30DD) isn't really available in most B&M stores in Germany, there's only one chain that carries it and I buy all my bras there. But the cuts they have don't work equally well for me, so I always have a look in between and get a new one if they offer a suitable model. I have three in rotation right now so they get worn often. I handwash and let them airdry and they are all still looking alright even though the newest one is almost a year old. And they were not super expensive either. I also buy my bras so that they fit on the loosest hook, that way I can adjust and go tighter with time.

Gaylene

Veteran

I really think it has more to do with how often you wear the bra. I find that my pricey bras ($125-$190) last for 150-200 wears if I take care of them by hand washing, line drying, and regular rotating so the bra has a chance to "relax".
Towards the end of their life cycle, most will start to show some wear and I'll have changed to an inner hook to keep the band tight. Some bras will still be wearable (read supportive) beyond this period, although they might look a bit tatty.

My take is that a well-constructed, well-fitted, comfortable bra that is also gorgeous to look at and makes you feel wonderful when you wear it is an indispensable item for any woman. My revelation came after too many years of grabbing inexpensive bras that seemed OK but, I later realized, didn't fit properly and weren't much in the looks department. Wearing a gorgeous bra is a big first step in learning to celebrate your body's shape; it's hard not to be happy when you first see yourself in a pretty, lacey bra that suddenly makes all your clothes fit better.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

This is a subject close to my heart as it were:)

I buy expensive bras Simone Perele or similar & have at least 4 everyday ones in rotation. I wash them by hand & never tumble dry them & find they last between 9 to 12 months. I'm a DD to E cup depending on the style.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Hmm, it does look like bust size has something to do with the longevity after all...which actually makes sense because the bigger are your breasts the more pressure and weight is put on the bra band and therefore more stretching.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I have a lot of bras that I rotate, currently up to 10 in rotation. But I have several that need replacing that might be a year to 18 months old right now. My bras are all better to high quality (Calvin Klein at the lowest end, Simone Perele at the highest end, Natori in between). The Natoris are really comfortable but don't last as long. The Calvin Kleins I find to be very durable, and their 32 band is tighter than the others. I've also tried Wacoal but been unhappy with their fit on me, although I like their workmanship. It makes a big difference how tight the band is to start out with, and if the strap is fully adjustable. If you can crank down that bra strap/band as it loses its elasticity, you can use it longer. I wear a 32E or 30F depending on the brand, so a bit full busted for my frame, but not super heavy in the chest. Enough of a chest so that I need a really good fitting bra though. The wrong bra will make me look bigger than I am.

Carla

Veteran

I usually have 4 everyday bras ( currently 2 white, 1 black, 1 beige) and two special ( coloured ) bras ( 1 red, 1 purple ). Due to sports I have 6 compression bras, but they are in the sports drawer and not considered lingerie. I machine wash on gentle and hang to dry. I don't think much about the bras, but every year after Christmas (Jan/ Feb) I audit my underwear thoroughly.

This year was a big overhaul, 4 new bras ( the coloured ones were all in good shape) including a fitting which resulted in a different size (32D). 6 new pairs of smalls, and 2 new half slips ( white, and black).

BTW, 2 people who have known me a long time, asked me if I had lost weight recently. My weight has been pretty much the same for the last 25 years, but I have noticed that since getting the new bras ( smaller band, bigger cup) the 'girls ' are higher, and front and centre, and my waist is more defined.

Day Vies

Veteran

My favorite subject is bras. I have found that with extra special care (hand-washing with special detergent and drip-drying) my bras can last 1 year. If I machine wash them on gentle and hang them to dry I have 6-8 months (which because I've been busy this is more likely). Longer than that, the firm support of the band is gone and my shoulders begin to hurt because the band isn't doing its primary job.

3 months is a little short, but tumble drying will shorten the life of any bra regardless of how well made. So if you'd like them to live a little longer, don't dry them in the machine and if you want the most life out of them don't put them in the machine at all.
KEEP BRAS ALIVE !

I forgot to add that I am a 34K and have 6 bras in active rotation (I just ordered 3 more because the current batch is coming up on 5 months old-- where did the time go?) I have 4 bras that are about a year old that I wear around the house (so that I avoid wearing my newer bras when I'm not leaving the house). Like everyone else I don't wear the same bra 2 days in a row. I tend to wash all of my bras every 3-4 weeks. My favorite brands are Panache, Fantasie and Bravissimo (Alana).

Anonymous

This is such an interesting topic. I have 5 bras that I rotate for most wear with 2 strapless for special needs, usually summer. I wash them in a sink and hang to dry, never wearing
them two days in a row. When I bought them (30D), they fit on the outer hook. After almost 2 years, they still look great but I now need to use the tightest hook. I hope to be able to wait until NAS to replace most of them.
The Calvin Klein brand has held up especially well and been the most comfortable. I hope to find a Simone Perele bra to try because I'd love to have a pretty bra and those available in my size are rather utilitarian.

Diana

Veteran

Ah, like Sveta I am a 34C. So I think there must be some truth to the statement that smaller breasts mean your bras last longer. I think Gaylene's 150-200 wears ballpark is about right for me as well (it would be like 3 years for me, since I generally have around 7-10 bras in rotation).

Jules

Veteran

I don't think most people need fittings that often (of course that depends on pregnancy, breast feeding and other weight changes). So even if yours are wearing out in 3 months, you probably don't need another fitting IMHO, if it's a hassle. And I live in the big city within a few blocks of a couple of well-known lingerie stores, but I consider it a hassle to go in and deal with aggressive fitter/saleswomen who try to sell me $$$ bras. At 36D I'm fine with Warner's on sale at the department store and I just keep buying the same model over and over, again to avoid hassle.
I know it's more difficult for larger sizes, but once you have some experience of a well-fitting bra you should be able to tell how a new style should fit without needing a 'professional' every time.

Lyn D.

Veteran

......slinking back to add that it COULD just be bra manufacturers recommending changing every three months, or is it like toothbrushes- We don't notice it until we use the newbie and it cleans so much better