7 bra mistakes you might not know you're making

Comfortable lingerie definitely amongst the top 10 things that savvy office ladies should spend on. What’s next is to make sure that you’re actually caring for these delicates well, to make them worth the splurge.

Unfortunately, there are common mistakes that we don’t even know we’re making when it comes to handling, washing and caring for your bras.

Uta Witting, the Triumph Head of Design Asia, shares more about lingerie shopping and care tips to know, based on these seven common mistakes that women tend to make when it comes to these delicates.

1. You’re always buying bras in the same size

Do get professionally fitted and measured for your bra size at least once every six months, otherwise, you could just be wearing the wrong bra size without even knowing it.

Your bra size does fluctuate as you might just lose or gain a bit weight due to your hormones, which in turn affects your bra size.

The shop assistants at speciality stores will be able to recommend suitable styles for you, based on your bust shape and size too.

2. You often shop for bras from new brands online that you’ve never tried

Just like the size of clothes you shop for, bra sizes do vary from brand to brand; they aren’t really as uniformly standardised, as much as you think they might be. So it’s best to try the different styles on in-store if you can, before buying it.

Besides getting the size wrong, you also risk buying a bra with an uncomfortable fit when you shop from an unfamiliar brand.

3. You rub or squeeze your bras when you wash and dry them

You know the drill: Either hand-wash your bras or put them into a washing bag, at a gentle cycle when you machine wash them. But you still risk ruining your bras when you do all that right and then decide to rub them vigorously, wringing and squeezing your bras in misguided attempts to dry them.

So handle them gently and always air dry your bras; clothes dryers will stretch your bras out of shape.

4. You’re hanging your bras by the cups or straps

This too will distort and damage the shape of your bras by stretching them. Uta advises hanging the bras at the centre band (see the illustration above), so that the water will drip out naturally when you air dry your lingerie.

5. You forget to put your bras back in shape, after washing them

Make sure to shape your bras after you’ve washed and dried them. Smoothen the shape by gently brushing your fingers in an outward motion over the fabric from the cups to the back band.

Even when you think you’re doing everything else right, this vital step you’re missing can still make your bras go out of shape.

6. You picked a white bra to wear as your ‘invisible’ bra

Contrary to popular belief, a white bra is not the best ‘invisible’ everyday bra; this is why your bra is still showing under your dress or shirt.

To find the best bra for you that’s close to a ‘nude’ shade for you, shop for bras in the colour that best matches your skin tone.

7. You keep your old bras for too long, without buying new ones

Yes, bras do have their use-by dates, especially if you’re wearing the same few bras weekly. You should shop for these bras as often as you get measured and fitted for your bra size; which is an average of six months or so, depending on how often you wear and re-wear the same bra.

This article was first published in Her World Online.