I am obsessed with bras. So, I thought it might be therapeutic for me to have my own little thread about the subject.

I should preface this by saying that I am overly endowed. I've considered breast reduction surgery, but have talked myself out of it for various reasons over the last 20 years. But, my obsession with bras isn't just for the bodacious among us. I beleive that a good bra is essential, regardless of your size. Everyone can benefit from a properly fitted bra, and no one should go thru life with a safety pin holding their bra together.

So today I'd like to talk about fitting yourself for a bra. I think it's best to do this yourself, not in a store by a trained salesperson. It's quite simple to do, and you may be surprised to find out you are not wearing the correct size. You will need to take 3 measurements, in front of a mirror, with a cloth measuring tape while wearing a bra.

First measure underneath your bust, where the band of your bra is. Check yourself in a mirror to make sure the measuring tape is parallel with the floor. You don't want to be able to fit a finger between you and the tape, but you don't want the tape digging into your flesh either. Write this measurement down, if it's an odd number add 5, if it's an even number add 6. That is your band measurement.

Next measure in the same manner, but above your chest--so that the tape is actually running under your underarms. This number should be the same as your band number. If it's not the same, you should remeasure your band size, you may have let the tape droop.

Now measure the fullest part of your bust--again making sure to do so in a mirror so you can be certain the tape is parallel with the floor. When you hold the measuring tape together, there should be enough slack in the tape, that it will slip off your bust. If not, then you are holding the tape too tightly. Now, subtract this number from your band number. Each inch difference is a cup size. If you are larger than a D cup (4 inches), it's important to remember that each inch is one cup, because different companies use different sizing once you get past the D cup. (but I'd like to talk about that another day).

When you use this method, you realize that you can't adjust the band size w/out it affecting the cup size. It's important to measure yourself everytime you are going to buy a new bra. An inch difference in you band size can greatly affect the cup size.

I'd like to post more on the subject tomorrow. But if anyone has any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them.