The Single Most Important Style Tip A Stylist Never Told You

Colder temperatures are right around the corner which means one thing in fashion…it’s time to break out the sweaters. Blocking yourself from the cold weather in a chunky cable knit sweater is one of the best things about Fall fashion. However, the key to pulling off a successful sweater OOTD is making sure that everything under it is nice and smooth. Most sweaters are unstructured which means this unforgiving garment will put all humps and bumps on full display.

That’s why I’m going to share with you the single most important style tip that most stylists never even mention. And that is…that your bra is the most important part of your outfit! It creates a foundation that will make or break your entire look. Would you build a house on no foundation? I’m hoping you said no because the same thing applies when it comes to building an outfit. Yes, your ivory cashmere sweater will look great this Fall but it won’t if it looks like you have four breasts instead of two! Although, women are spending $16 billion annually on bras, yes $16 BILLION, but only 20% are buying the correct size and style. These numbers alone prove that the bra is one of the most neglected garments that women wear. Most of us just throw a blouse over it and go (guilty as charged). As little girls we can’t wait for the day that we have to wear a bra. Only to find it to be a burden as we grow up. But learning simple tips on bra basics will make you fall in love with the bra all over again. Why? Because a well-fitted bra will help you look slimmer, can improve your posture, and make that Fall sweater look as stylish as you intended it to! Simply having a handle on the basics will step up your bra game up to another level. Follow these tips on making sure the girls are high and mighty this Fall!

Know Your Size

“How do I know if I’m wearing the wrong size?” Some tell-tale signs are: top & side spillage, the need to adjust when you move around, they fall out of the bra when you bend over, strap marks on your shoulders and underboob are just a few signs. You can solve this problem by popping into most lingerie stores and asking a sales girls to measure you. It’s usually free of charge. But if you want to avoid that, here is an easy way to measure yourself.

Bra-less or in a non padded bra, take a soft measuring tape and go across the back and under the arms, across the breast. Make sure it’s straight and snug. This will give you your bust size.
Then wrap the tape measure around the area right under your breasts and this will give you the band size.
Take note of both numbers.
To calculate out your bra size, take bust size and round up to the nearest whole number. Then, subtract your band size from your rounded-up bust size. Add approximately one cup size for every inch difference. For instance, if you have a 36″ bust size, and a 34 inch band size, that leaves you with a difference of two inches. Which indicates a B cup. The difference calculates your cup size.
We asked, Jennifer Pierre, the CEO of lingerie company, Jennifer Pierre Signature Collection, her thoughts and here are the tips she shared:

Know The Care Instructions

Sometimes U.S. and international sizes are a little bit different. So, let’s say if you had a size of a U.S. 34C, in European, it’d be a 75C, so, that’s the difference. The cups will always stay the same, but the sizes and the numbers would be a little bit different. So read the bra tag and learn how to wash it. Can you iron it? What can you do? Can it go in the washer? And, those type of things. So, if you ever see a little bowl with a hand in it, that means it’s only washable hand wash. So, only hand wash. Don’t put it in the little netted bags in the washer, because it’s going to get messed up. The next one is the triangle. No bleaching or starching. So, none of those ingredients in a bra. Just wash your bra, cold water, nice and good, won’t shrink, no metals will come out of it. The next thing is, if it has a iron with a slash over it, no ironing your bras. And, mostly, a lot of bras have that, unless it’s a type of corset, or a nightgown that’s not silk but a different material or cotton that you can iron, because some materials on a bra are so delicate, they’re not made to be ironed. The circle with the X is “No Dryer.” It’s not good to put a bra in a dryer, because all the wires will start to pop out everywhere, and the bra will be done, or you have to sew it every time to make sure a new wire doesn’t pop anywhere.

Keep The Straps Up

First you want to make sure, that your bra cup and your band width are two different sizes. Bra cup, band width, with the length. So, the first thing you want to understand is that your breasts support 10 percent of the weight. So, every time you wear a bra, it will always weigh it down. So, you want to make sure you got the right adjustable bra straps. Second, you want to make sure that your bra cup is not too big for you. Want to lean over sometimes when you’re in the fitting room, and fill in the cup of your bra to make sure it’s in properly. If it’s not sitting properly, it’s not a good fit for you, and you might want to get a smaller cup.

Choose the bra style that enhances your outfit.

patrisyu –freedigitalphoto.net

Demi – half cup, with wide set straps and horizontal bust line. They are sexier but provide less coverage. Looks great with tanks, camisoles, and low -cut tops/dresses.

stock photo – freedigitalphoto.net

Balconette – low-cut, with straps that are set wider which makes the chest and shoulder more exposed. This style goes best with low cut tops and dresses.

stock photo – freedigitalphotos.net

Front Closure – have hooks and eyes, on the front rather than at the back. They lie flat against the skin so they look great with t-shirts, shift dresses and form-fitting styles.

Minimizer – Compresses and shapes the breasts. Makes breasts look a cup or two smaller. They provide flu coverage and look great under most styles.

stock photo – freedigitalphoto.net

Underwire – have a wire, metal or plastic, running under each cup to provide rigid support to the bust. Looks great with most materials and styles.

3 Emergency Quick Fixes
- If you in need of an instant racer back style bra. Simple take anything that will pull the straps together like a rubberband, twisty tie, or even a safety pin. Pull the two straps together in the back and secure it with whatever tie you have chosen. It will give up an instant life and no straps will be showing your racer back!
- If you’re bra is too big and there’s no time to get a new one. You can make the bra a size or so smaller by twisting the bra at the front where the cups meet and then putting it on the regular way.
- Use clear tape to keep straps up. Secure the bra strap to the top strap if you can.
So we’ve given you the basics: make sure you have the right size, follow the care label, ways to keep those straps together, bra styles that suit common things you wear and quick emergency fixes. Now, you’re all set to go. This ultimate tip will allow you to slay in whatever fashion you have planned for this Fall!

What tips would you add?