Bra Fitting – What A Difference It Makes

A perfectly fitting bra is like a best friend – it lifts you up, is always supportive and never leave you hanging. But here’s the thing – with so many brands, sizes, styles, colours and cup shapes available, too many options can quickly become your worst enemy when deciphering the best fit for your bust. Enter Taryn Palacios – The Bra Guru, who will swiftly end the ordeal we call “bra shopping”. After giving birth to her two sons, Adriano and Alessandro, Taryn admits that she was flabbergasted at how much her body had changed. ‘After having children, my bust and cup size was totally different – it was crazy!’ she exclaims. ‘I couldn’t find anything decent in an E cup, which is what I needed at the time. For a couple of months I felt I was never going to find my perfect fit and that I’d just have to make do with my uncomfortable, badly fitting bras’, Taryn confesses. ‘How silly I was back then!

After a few months of non-stop back pain and wires poking into my ribs, I thought to myself ‘I can’t live like this anymore!’, and I was prompted to start the Bra Guru, my very own bra fitting studio in Johannesburg’. Prior to The Bra Guru, Taryn operated in the events business, however, that does not suggest that she was a stranger to the correct bra fitting. ‘My mom had a close friend who worked as a bra fitter and in many ways, she shaped me into the fitter I am today. She taught me so many tips and tricks!’ she says. ‘When I opened my studio, I planned to use the knowledge she gave me and start something totally different. I now offer women professional bra fitting services in a private, comfortable space with a selection of imported bras in different sizes and styles from which to choose. I believe bra fitting is meant to be a wonderful experience. I encourage all women to treat themselves to a fitting’.

The Bra Guru stocks several imported and local brands of bras which includes everything from seamless everyday styles to elegant lacy lingerie in cup sizes A to K. ‘The Primadonna collection is my favourite – it’s simply exquisite!’ Taryn says. ‘It’s super-luxurious and there’s a style for everyone,’ she adds while showing us one of the magnificently detailed, silky soft bras in a minimalist nude shade. ‘Then there’s the Corin, which is the ultimate T-shirt bra. It’s essential for most outfits and is a really ‘healthy’ bra to wear. It’s made with spacer foam, which is gentle on your breasts’

Five Super Surprising Bra Facts

1. If you fasten your bra on the last set of hooks, your back band isn’t properly fitted

Bra Fitter

Taryn Stresses that your bras back band does about 90% of your bras job, so it’s important that you get properly measured to make sure that you’re correctly fitted to the correct back band size. ‘A simple way to tell if your bras back band is too big is to see if it fits well when it’s fastened on the first set of hooks. If you’re wearing your bra on the last set, it’s not your perfect fit,’ Taryn explains. ‘And if you’re constantly pulling your bra down your back or if it shifts up and down all day long, that’s another big indication that your bra is way too big for you!’

2. Painful straps are a sure sign that you’re in the incorrect size or style

Bra Fitter

Taryn explains that when you’re in a well-fitted bra, you should hardly feel your straps at all. ‘If you’re aware of your straps, it may be a warning sign that your back band size is totally wrong or that the style isn’t working for you’, she says. ‘Also, if you’re a heavier cup size, you should stay away from thin straps completely – they’ll just dig into your shoulders…ouch!’

3. The perfect bra collection doesn’t need to have more than five bras at a time

Bra Collection

Taryn inspires women to concentrate on developing their bra collection with quality above quantity. ‘This is so important – good quality bras may cost you a little more, but excellent structure and support will only boost your confidence and self-esteem!’ she says. ‘We all deserve to feel as well as look our absolute best in a supportive bra, so in my judgment, getting less but better far surpasses getting more for less’, Taryn includes. That’s right – the perfect bra collection doesn’t mean a drawer full of different styles…’The ideal collection actually doesn’t need to have more than five bras at a time. Once you discover your favourite style, you may want it in five different colours!’

4. Pokey or painful wires are often an indication that you’re wearing the wrong cup size

Cup Size

‘Many women complain about painful wires,’ Taryn says. ‘In most cases, this is because they’re wearing the wrong cup size and the wires are now poking or probing their delicate breast tissue,’ she elaborates. ‘It’s absolutely essential that you get your cup size correct to make sure that your bra wire is sitting flush and comfortably against your rib cage.’

5. There are certain moves you can do to make your bra fit better once you put it on

Putting On A Bra

Once you have your perfectly fitted bra in hand, you need to know how to fit yourself into it properly. Taryn explains, ‘After putting your bra on, you need to adjust your breasts into cups to make sure they’re in the right position, which is with your nipples in the centre’. So how exactly do you do this? ‘The best way to do this is to lean forward into your bra, fasten the hooks at the back then scoop your breast tissue up and away from the wire. It’s as simple as that!’

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