Most women wear wrong bra size
A bra, short for brassiere is a form-fitting undergarment designed to support or cover the wearers breasts, says Wikipedia. But did you know that Wikipedia estimates that up to 85 percent of women globally may be wearing a wrong size?
It goes without saying that a brassiere is an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe. The wrong size means that a woman will walk around slouching. This also comes with side effects including; a constant backache and marks on shoulders.
The right size can transform any woman. Her walk is more refined and confident. She walks with her head held high.
It, therefore does not come as a surprise that one woman who is in the business of selling lingerie often finds herself eyeing and analysing the many women that she comes across. Her first instinct in most instances is to notice that a woman is wearing the wrong size. In a bid to empower others with the right size, she often finds herself chatting up with strangers and asking them to come in for consultation at her shop located in Block 6. The would-be clients always leave her place transformed forever.
The woman is none other than Oabona Matlhape. Matlhape is the owner of Poise Lingerie.
Her passion for selling bras was inspired by seeing how women were struggling when it comes to buying the much needed clothing item and finding the right size that is ideal for their bodies.
Matlhape who was trained by the UK based company, Charnos observed that there is a shortage of big cup sizes locally. This means that big breasted-women who need big cups are often left in the lurch and forced to resort to buying the wrong sizes.
Locally, the biggest bra size is D/E. Poise Lingerie specialises in big cups namely 28-46M, which is the biggest size. Poise Lingerie sells an array of bras for every day use.
These include; moulded t-shirt bras, non-wired for nursing mothers and expectant women, as well as strapless bras.
When shopping for a bra, she points out that one should always ensure that the band and cup size accommodates the breast. Having been in this business for a while, she observes that common problems include; women being unaware that they can be measured to get the right size.
Over-spilling is another problem that she has noticed. “Know your size.
One should also get measured, and the measurement is done under the burst and over burst or nipple level with a measuring tape,” she says. “If you wear a bra with these measurements, the bra should be smug without spillage,” she advises.
She cautions that when buying a bra, a band size is also very important to note. The wrong band size will see a bra riding up. “It is supposed to be correct in order to support you,” she says.
For women with big cups, she recommends that the straps should be wider with resistance. One of the clients that she recently came across was a woman who was even considering going for breast reduction surgery, but changed her mind after finding the right bra size. “Her life was transformed after she found her size. She was even refusing to take it off,” she says.
So how many bras should one have? According to Matlhape, five to six bras will do the trick - a basic one, a sports bra and a lingerie bra.
Those with big cups, however, should buy a bra every six months.
A total no-no is repeating a bra too often. “Always wash your undergarment as much as you can. Ensure that if you are washing it in a machine, you use a pillow or a bag specially made for that,” she cautions. Poise Lingerie is on Facebook and Instagram.
Prices range from P400-P800. For those who wish to hear more about bras, and what not to do, Matlhape is part of the upcoming Women’s Etiquette Expo that will be held at Grand Palm.
