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Over 50 percent of women are wearing the wrong sized bra.

Like many people, much of my time over the past couple of weeks has been spent trying to find the ‘perfect gift’ for everyone on my list. I’m actually doing pretty well, considering I have been booked with every manner of work and family obligation imaginable for what feels like months on end.

My travels landed me in a well known lingerie chain trying to find something nice for my wife. Lest you say ‘well that’s only a gift for you then, isn’t it?’- I will preface by saying to all of you cynics that she actually made some specific wardrobe requests this year- so HA!

In any case, I have witnessed at least two men, trying to explain their spouse/girlfriends sizes in very subjective terms (one actually did reference fruit!) in an effort to purchase something close to the correct size. This experienced reminded me of something which I referenced in my book, and which I think warrants some attention right about now…

Ladies, you are probably wearing the wrong sized bra.

In 2002, while I was preparing materials for a draft manuscript, my practice performed an informal study of 150 women in my practice, and that of a friend of mine who works in a large hospital practice. In the study, I asked female medical students who were taught the correct techniques for bra sizing from ‘fitting experts’ at a major department store and a lingerie specialty store- to measure this sample of our patients.

Surprisingly, more than 50% of the women in the study were wearing the wrong size bra, and of those over 70% had a somatic dysfunction (a problem with the mechanics of the spine) at or near the level where their bra crossed over their bra.

Furthermore, when questioned ahead of time, most women were confident that they were wearing the correct size, and most had a favorite brand which supposedly got their size more ‘right’ than other brands. Many women were fitted in their late teens, and basically stuck with the same size since then.

I strongly recommend getting a fitting from someone who knows what they are doing. Many department stores have fitting ‘events’ where several manufacturers send expert fitters.

Men, if you are shopping for lingerie for your wife or girlfriend perhaps include a fitting in the gift- then you can give her a gift which will last much longer. Of course, gentlemen, if you are buying lingerie for yourself, proper fitting is probably not as critical.

Hope the holiday season is treating you all well!

Best,

Andy