Are you wearing the right bra size?

I’d never been for a bra fitting in my life. Well, I’d never had to bother, see, because I’m one of those ‘pear-shaped’ people. You know, small top half and big bottom half? Or as some might put it: all bum and no boobs. So I didn’t think there was much point.

For the last 15 years I’ve just settled on wearing the same bra size I picked out from M&S in my late teens. Basically somewhere around the 34B mark. But I was a bit slapdash, and really it depended on what was in stock. If they didn’t have a 34B, I’d get the 32B, or on really bad days, maybe even a 34A and so on.

It turns out, luckily, that I haven’t been too wrong in my estimations, because when I popped into M&S to find out what size I really should be, it was somewhere in the middle at 32B. But what I didn’t know is that bra sizes can vary a whole lot, depending on where you shop.

The other day I went to the lingerie department at Selfridges for a bit of a splurge, and was measured by Sabrina, who works for the Eveden range. She asked me what bra size I thought I was, and when I told her (convinced I had it spot on), she said “Hmmm, I don’t think so...” and set about pulling out her tape measure. The next moment I had the shock of my life, because with Eveden’s range I’m actually a rather voluptuous sounding 28DD.

“28DD!!” I squealed! “I’m not flippin’ Jordan!” Because, girls, I am not a superwaif who has had a boob job. I do not resemble a beanpole with two balloons. But I was beginning to learn a valuable lesson: there can be a large discrepancy in sizes between different bra manufactures. You could even be a different size in each and every range that you choose to buy from.

Eveden uses a different way of measuring ladies to M&S for example, where most of us probably learned that an A cup equals pancakes, while a double D equals whoppers. Instead at Eveden, which owns the ranges Freya and Fantasie, your cup size isn’t down to the actual size of your boobs, it’s their shape. Sabrina explained: “Some women might be a bit fuller on the top part, while others might be more full around the bottom part. Some might be perfectly round, others a bit triangular, and that all affects the cup size.” So there are many factors at play here that I was utterly unaware of.

Two minutes later Sabrina was back with a pretty chiffon number I wouldn’t have even considered wearing before. (Well, I thought they must be designed for other people because they always looked a bit weird on me). She put it on and hey presto, it looked smashing! I felt really feminine and after we tried on a couple more I was slowly convinced that she had, in fact, got my size right. I just couldn’t believe how much bra sizes can vary and how I might have been buying the wrong size so many times because I’d always guestimated what I should be.

I’m not alone. According to new research, 80 per cent of us are wearing the wrong bra size.  And with most of us spending on average £200 a year on bras (that’s nearly £12,000 in a lifetime, girls) then clearly we’re damaging our bank balances for nowt. But more importantly than that, we could be damaging our health too.

Owning a correctly fitted bra can change your entire body shape, while ill-fitting bras can make you look shapeless, damage confidence and cause bad posture. Not to mention causing back and neck pains, scarring under the breasts and much more.

Says This Morning’s resident Dr Chris Steele: “Most women think they know their correct size, yet 80 per cent of women are, in fact, wearing the incorrect bra size, throughout their lives. Breasts change in shape and size, not only over the years but also during the month, with hormones affecting the breast tissue especially during the week before your period.

“If at any time you feel that your bra keeps riding up your back, your back hurts, your straps keep falling down or you’re falling out of the cups, then you have an ill-fitting bra. Everyone’s body is different, that’s why you should consider getting fitted by an expert, to ensure you get the correct size and style to suit your body shape and cup size.”

So I learned a valuable lesson today – and one I wished I’d learned sooner. It really is worth taking a couple of minutes out of your life to be measured-up properly every time you try a new lingerie range, as your underwear will fit so much better, really boost your confidence and make you feel much more sexy.