Buying Bras

Howdy Readers!  How are you doing today?  Bummed that it's back to the salt mines again for you?  Aw, it ain't that bad.  At least your getting paid, right?!  And what better way to spend those hard earned dollars than on lingerie?

perfect71ps asked me recently for some advice on purchasing a bra.  Now, let me start by prefacing this advice with the warning that I am no expert at all.  I can only tell you my own observations and things I've found out in the short time I've been a bra buyer.  Also, take it with a grain of salt as I have my own tastes and you yours.  OK that being said, lets get to the advice part of things, shall we?

The first thing I would suggest would be to buy the bra in person.  That way you can feel the materials and get a good idea of it's build quality and the textures of the materials.  You can also eyeball the cup sizes as well and know whether it will fit you or not.  If you're gutsy (more so than me, for sure (although that ain't saying much)), you can ask the sales woman if you can try it on right there in the store.  As I've said, I'm not into the humiliation aspect of this fetish so this does not appeal to me, but it may you.

Another good thing about buying in person is that sizing seems to vary wildly.  I'd suggest measuring you chest and writing down what you find.  You want to measure your chest just under your "breasts", the area directly beneath your pectoral muscles.  Try and keep the tape measure or string level around your back as well, as if you were cutting a cross section through yourself, straight across.  This will give you an accurate measurement.  Oh, and round up to the next even number.  This is your band size.

Next do the same measurement, but around the fullest part of your chest, just above where you just measured, most likely right around nipple height.  Keep that tape measure straight!

Next subtract the smaller measurement from the larger and you will get your cup size.  Each inch of difference is one cup size, so if you measured 38 and 36, then that's 2 inches difference.  2 inches would be two cups sizes, so you'd be a "B".  If it's one inch , then you're an "A".

Make sure the shoulder straps are adjustable.  Most are, but I've run across some nighties and such that weren't.  This is important because the straps will really help you get a customized fit for your body.  They help get the cups to fit properly or at least much better anyway.

As for material, this will be a preference thing on your part.  I personally, want a bra that's thin and light.  I don't want a thick foam pad between my nipples and the silky nylon material.  I have sensitive nipples and enjoy playing with them through the bra, so the foam is definitely something that impedes my pleasure.  I also find the foam to be aesthetically displeasing to my eyes and often it has a rubbery odor that I don't like as well.  I also hate feeling a woman's breasts through a foam bra...yuck!

I look for bras that are labeled as unlined.  This means that the bra will be thin and light usually.  Many bras of this type are often called bralettes.  Bralettes often have an extra lacy bit of material below the cups, wrapping around the body.  You can also try a bandeau style bra.  These are without shoulder straps, but I find that the "vee" shape of a man's body causes the bra to slide down to the abdomen without the help of shoulder straps.  Your body may be different, but I tend to stay away from bandeau style bras for that reason.

Lastly, expect to pay a good amount for a really pretty bra.  When and if you find one that meets your tastes in design and style and it fits you well, pay for it.  Don't wait for a sale or think you can come back and decide later, because bras often are just made in a limited quantity and once that exact bra is gone, you won't find it again.  Bras are ofter expensive too, so do expect to pay a tidy sum for the one you fall in love with.

I think that pretty much covers it, but if I missed anything, drop me a comment and I'll try and adress it in a later post.

Happy (bra) Hunting!