How to choose a sports bra
Choosing the right sports bra is just as important as wearing the right shoes. You love to be active. But to feel comfortable and stay motivated, you need the right bra.
If you don't take this choice seriously, chances are you will waste a lot of money and time. How many sports bras have you bought over the years? Do you use them once or twice, and do they end up in the back of the drawer? What do those dollars-and that time-mean to you?
Where to Shop
You should shop from a source that really knows about the sports bra, provides many style options, and encourages you to shop, try, and compare until you find your favorite.
The wider the selection of bras, the better your chances of finding what's right for you.
This is a very personal garment. We aren't all 34Bs. We don't all love underwires. Some of us insist on no-bounce control; some of us do not care.
Finding the right bra style for you is not easy. What's right is based on:
1. Your personal preferences
and
2. Your body structure
Your Personal Preferences
Some of the bra decision is about what you prefer-what are your priorities:
- All-day wearability?
- Easy on-and-off? (Are you a pull-on or a wrap-on woman?)
- Separation with support?
- Ability to skip the tee shirt?
- Front closure?
Of course, those are just a few of the possibilities.
Within these preference parameters, your bra should be prescribed based on your body structure and the intensity of your activity.
Your Body Structure
Are you a D-cup sized woman with a narrow rib cage and a long torso who likes to run but hates to bounce?
Then you should wear a style that shapes your bust line (not a compression style), offers an adjustable band and shoulder straps in a non-stretch fabric for a high rating of no-bounce support or "restricted vertical movement."
(I call this the bra's RVM® rating, and all the RVM ratings are on my site, x-chrom.com).
Obviously, the choice of a bra will take some thought. And it can be tough to find the right place to shop. Try asking for a style that shapes your bustline from the young man behind the counter at Sportmart®!
Some useful suggestions:
- Decide what bra factors are important to you.
- Pick one or two must-haves and go from there.
- Learn and accept your size.
- Take your measurements. Most problems with poor-fitting bras are about wearing the wrong size. Accept yourself. If you've always wanted to be a C cup, but you measure out a B (or vice versa), get the B size, not the size you wish you were.
- Check out my web site: http://www.x-chrom.com
The site is full of the facts you need to find your sports bra soul-mate.
What else should you know?
During my last nine years of research, I found one typically overlooked point that may be very important to you. Did an instructor ever say to you, "If you remember one thing, remember this?"
Here it is.
There are certain bra styles that are highly recommended if your body is going through or has gone through a special event (such as pregnancy, nursing, or breast surgery). If you have a special need like these, be sure to consult an expert in bra fitting. These circumstances require styles with special functions and fabrications. Getting the right style for you will have a huge impact on your comfort level.
You can measure yourself, but getting measured by a professional can really help. If you are in the Chicago area, feel free to get measured at X-chrom.com. Call to make an appointment. If you can't make it to the far west side of the city, let us know and we'll try to come to you.
Your Trusted Sports Bra Source ~ We Support Every Body
