How Many Bras Should You Own?

This is a question I get asked a lot and you may be surprised to know that there is a little science to the answer. We wear our bras anywhere between 8 and 18 hours every day and in that time the elastic in our bra heats up to our body temperature; especially around the band where it is in greatest contact with our skin. Heat causes elastic to expand and stretch farther. When you take off your bra the elastic begins to cool down and the fibers in the elastic start to contract back into a shorter state. It takes about 36 hours for elastic to cool down completely so ideally you want to give your bras 2 days rest between wears.

Considering how crucial your bra's elastic is to your fit and longevity it's worth looking after by washing and drying your bras correctly and by allowing them rest between wears. Here's a general breakdown of how many bras you need to maximize their longevity:

From Left to Right: Profile Perfect, Lucy Black and Leopard Dessous

Everyday Bras
There is no hard-and-fast rule about what an everyday bra is. It's any bra that keeps you supported during your daily activities and that works with your wardrobe. For lots of women their everyday bra collection is one light coloured bra, one dark coloured bra and a bra with a lower neckline that can be worn with lower necklines. Three is the minimum number of bras you should have for everyday wear to give your bras the best chance at lasting as long as they can. If you have more and rotate them on a 4 or 5 day basis then they'll last proportionally longer. If you wear the same bra every day then it will probably only last about 4 months, if that.

Sports Bras
The number of sports bras you need depends on how often you exercise, what you do and for how long. If you work out three times a week doing more or less the same level of activity for about an hour then you only need one sports bra. If you do a high-impact sport one day and a low level yoga class another day you may need two different bras; one designed for impact and one designed for flexibility. If you work out every day and sweat a great deal or exercise for more than an hour then you're going to need two or even three sports bras. Be sure to wash your sports bras every week as the salt from your sweat can break down elastic quickly.

From Left to Right: Evie Strapless, Tango Cherry Plunge, Enell Classic Black

Solution Bras
If your wardrobe requires you to have a strapless bra then you can probably just invest in one unless you need a specific colour. In the summer you may find that you want a couple of strapless bras that you can add to your everyday rotation. Plunge bras or wide balconette styles (think heaving bossom!) may not be something you wear every week but are useful to have for a favourite dress or event. These bras aren't essential but can add more freedom to your wardrobe choices.

Colourful Bras
I don't think that colourful bras should be an option, they should be a standard in your bra drawer. If you love colour then your everyday bras may all be colourful ones. However, if you have a basic everyday bra wardrobe then I highly recommend treating yourself to a colourful bra that you wear at weekends because it can lift your spirits to wear something that is fun and different. It can help you see you and your breasts differently.

I hope this helps you work out whether your bra wardrobe and habits are helping you get the most out of your bra budget. xx

Why Some Bras Will Never Fit You

Lots of women will say they know their bra size but can never find a bra that fits. Two things are usually going on here; either they really don't know their size (most commonly their band is too big and causing the bra to move around) or they keep trying on the same style of bra. The shape of your bust and the density of your breast tissue means that some bra styles simply will never fit you. Don't despair though, knowing which styles work for your breasts and give you the look you're after the easier it will be to find the right bras.

Related Article: How age affects your bra fit.

Lots of women have only ever tried on bras at big lingerie retailers like La Senza and Victoria's Secret. They try their correct size (rare for the full bust women in these places but not impossible) and find that the bras don't fit them. The problem here is that the majority of bras in these stores are molded styles and despite all the colours and trims, they are all based on just a few design patterns. If this pattern of molded cup doesn't fit your shape then it doesn't matter which size you try on, it will never feel quite right.

Molded Bras Aren't Your Only Option
It's important to break out of a one style trap and try several different styles of bra in your size so you can figure out which ones feels the best and gives you the shape you're after. I know that molded cups are so popular because they offer a smooth look under t-shirts and disguise your nipples but you can get these benefits from other styles too.

Delphi is a seamed bra with the discretion of a molded cup

Most seamed bras have flat, discreet seams that aren't noticeable under clothing. Some seamed bras are made of light foam material that disguises your nipples like a molded cup but aren't as rigid so fit to your shape better (Delphi and Medina are great examples of this style).

Related Video: How Seams Affect Your Bra Shape

Which Bra Styles are Available for Full Busts?
It's a good idea to try out bras in lots of different styles (make sure you know your size range first). Here are the most common full bust styles:

Full Cup Bras have full coverage so they come up higher on your breasts and tend not to emphasize your cleavage. This style gives a lot of stability and many women choose to wear this style during the day when they are busiest as the support is comfortable and reliable.

Serenade is a full cup bra because it encases the whole breast

Molded Bras have either a rigid or soft cup (they both seamless, the rigid cups are usually a little thicker). Molded bras can be very supportive and give a lovely shape. Just be aware that rigid cups can't bend to your shape, your breasts have to form to the shape of the cups rather than vice versa.

Profile Perfect is a soft molded cup so the cup can form to your body more easily

Vertical Seamed Bras combine the best of both worlds; the flexibility of the softer cups with the support and shape of seams. Vertical seamed bras can give lots of lift and accentuate cleavage.

A vertically seamed bra like Medina gives you lift and accentuated cleavage

Balconnete bras have a wider neckline and are lower at the front than a full cup bra. They are often seamed with three or four sections to give your breasts shape and support. An ideal solution for lots of women who want support without too much material or bulk.

A balconette bra like Lucy gives you the support of seams with a less full cup and wider neckline

Before you decide that bras simply don't fit you make sure you have explored all the options that are out there for you. Besides the ones listed above there are plunge, strapless, multi-way, wirefree, sports bras, nursing, mastectomy and vintage styles like cone bras. The style of bra can make a huge difference to your comfort, for example, if you're short, look for bras with straps that are fully adjustable (like Lucy from Cleo) or if you have sloping shoulders look for styles with the straps closer together (like Dessous Neon from Claudette). Your bra should be working with you, not against you.

If you have a particular question about which styles are right for your body you can email your details to support@butterflycollection.ca or use our Free Size Consultation. xx

Big Boobs Equals More Confidence - Unless You Actually Have Big Boobs Apparently!

Gossard recently commissioned research with Manchester University to study the correlation between enhanced cleavage and improved confidence. The research is for the launch of Gossard's Super Egoboost bra which gives small busted women a larger cup size and more pronounced cleavage. The research measured actual physical signs of confidence and found that women wearing the Super Egoboost displayed more confidence:

1. Smiling - which represents positive emotion and signals confidence increased dramatically by 73 per cent when the women were wearing a push up bra. 
2. Averting gaze and breaking eye contact - normally associated with low confidence - decreased by 41 per cent. 
3. Self-comforting hand movements such as stroking of the chin or wiping the forehand, which is a signpost to low self confidence, decreased by 64 per cent during the trial. 

One Rule for Small Boobs, Another for Big Ones
It's fascinating to me that small busted women feel more confident with a larger bust when I know that a lot of big busted women feel less confident because they're busty. Why is there such a disconnect between the two? If this research were true for all women then we busty girls should be overflowing with confidence when in reality some busty women go to extreme measures to hide their shape.

Control and Options
I wonder whether there's something empowering about having the option to be big or small busted that is unique to smaller breasted women. If you're a 34B then you can choose to be small busted and demure or you can whack on your ultra boosting push up bra and rock an hourglass figure. Do busty women tire of only ever being busty?

Why do lots of naturally busty women feel like the woman on the right and not the one on the left!?

Why Aren't Busty Women More Confident?
I meet women every week who don't like being busty and it always makes my heart sad. I truly believe that not having adequate bra support (physically and emotionally) from an early age undermines the confidence necessary to fend off the ignorant comments busty women inevitably experience at some point. It's such a shame that busty women who haven't been emotionally supported can't enjoy being busty and just ignore the moronic stereotypes and jibes - it's all just jealousy!

Wearing the wrong bra for a long time doesn't help either; it doesn't just wear down your shoulders it wears down your happiness. How are you supposed to feel happy, let alone confident, when you're in pain and your boobs move independently of you?

Being in the right bra gives you back control over your breasts

The Right Bra and Confidence
I know that when I'm in a bra that I love I feel even more positive about the clothes I wear over the top and about the way I look. Wearing the correct size and style of bra for you won't solve your confidence issues over night but with time it will give you a degree of control back over your body and that is an empowering thing.

Let's face it you can't compare a foam-filled bra with the natural tissue that makes up your beautiful and natural boobs; a push-up bra isn't subject to the laws of gravity! I'm a firm believer that when you put good stuff in, good stuff comes of it, so start a new relationship with your breasts and get them into the right bra for you and your life. More than just your confidence can improve.

Are you someone who has made the journey from hiding your breasts to feeling confident about your shape? I'd love to hear your personal story xx