Are You Wearing the Right Size Bra?

After months are not wearing a bra, women across America are begrudgingly putting a bra back on as they head back to work. And many are surprised by how uncomfortable their bras fit. But, what if the problem isn’t the bras but rather that women are wearing the wrong size bras? Statistics suggest that 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. No wonder they are so uncomfortable!

Your True Bra Size May Shock You

The truth is many women have an idea about bra sizes, but they are often wrong. For example, many women assume a C cup is big and an A cup is small. As Wirecutter explains, “When trying on sports bras, one of our testers was surprised to find that a 34JJ bra fit much better than the 40H they thought would fit—that’s a difference of two band and cup sizes.”

Moreover, women tend to get one bra size stuck in their heads and that is what they always wear, but just like clothes sizing, it varies from brand to brand. Women should pick the bra by how it fits rather than the size.

How to Tell If Your Bra Fits Correctly

Sometimes women get stuck wearing their same everyday bra until it falls apart. Imagine how awful that would be if that every day didn’t even fit correctly? Instead, you want to make sure your go-to bra fits you correctly and comfortably. Use these bra fitting tips as a guide:

• Your bra band should fit snuggly but comfortably on the loosest setting. As the bra stretches over time, you need to be able to tighten it. If you can stretch the band far from your back, you need to go down a band size.

• The band should not ride up. It should stay in place even when you lift your arms.

• The straps should not dig in or fall off your shoulders.

• Wirecutter says, “For underwire bras, the gore (the center piece joining the two cups) should lie flat on the center of your chest. If it’s floating off your body, your bra may be either too big or too small (you can look for other fit signs to determine whether to size up or down), or you may just need to try a different style or brand.”

• As far as the cups, you shouldn’t be spilling out. That means the cup size is too small. In contrast, gaping or wrinkling is a sign the cup size is too big.

For the Best Fit, Get a Professional Fitting

So, let’s say you haven’t had a bra fitting in more than a decade or since before you had kids. It’s time. As breastfeeding mothers are well aware, your boobs do change. That means your bra size changes, too. This means you need to get a professional bra fitting done. I know many women think this is a form of torture, but bra fittings have evolved from the days when a Victoria’s Secret fitter would measure you with measuring tape.

Recently, I had a professional fitting at Soma. And my mind was blown. Soma uses a smart bra to accurately find your bra size. Real Simple explains, “[The] new SOMAINNOFIT new smart bra uses copper fibers that connect to Bluetooth technology that then sync to a smartphone app, giving you specific measurements all while you’re wearing the bra.” Upon entering the fitting room, I was given a SOMAINNOFIT bra. Once I had the bra on, the bra fitter scanned the tag at the back with her mobile device to find my perfect size.

If you don’t have a Soma store near you, you can order a bra and measure yourself at home. Additionally, online stores such as Third Love, offer online tools like a Fit Finder to help you find the right bra for the size and shape of your breasts.

Want to Look Your Best? Hire a Personal Shopper.

The dressing room. We’ve all been there struggling to decide if the outfit we tried on looks good. Even if it “seems to fit,” we aren’t quite sure if the style is right for us or for where we plan to where it. Or, us modern gals standing alone at home in front of a mirror looking at the outfit we ordered online. Does it work?

Shopping for the perfect outfit can be challenging – even for those of us who love to shop. It’s hard to be objective with your own wardrobe. How many of us have clothes in our wardrobe that we want to love, but know in our heart of hearts just don’t look good on us?

Want to look your best? Hire a personal shopper. A talented personal shopper will solve all the problems above. She will go above and beyond to find clothing that works for your body, your style, your life, and your budget.

Saves You Time & Energy

If you are a working mom, then your shopping time is limited. If you are a stay-at-home mom, then you have to take the kids with you to the department stores. Neither works very well. That’s where a personal shopper comes in. When you work with a personal shopper, she knows your size and shape, as well as your fashion needs, and she does the shopping for you.

I know the trend now is to order online and return, but this also takes up a lot of time and energy. Yes, you get to avoid going to the stores with kids in tow, but you still run the risk of ordering and returning several things because, let’s face it, it never really looks the same in person as it does online.

Finds Better Fitting & More Flattering Clothing

Have you ever studied yourself in the mirror and couldn’t tell if the outfit you had on worked for your body? One of the best things about a personal shopper is that she knows which clothes will look the best on which body types. She’ll be able to pick outfits that are better fitting and more flattering by accenting the best parts of your figure and downplaying the parts of your body that make you more self-conscious.

Knows What is Trending

Fashion trends come and go. Even if you try to be fashion-savvy, it is hard to stay on top of what is trending and what is not. But, for personal shoppers, this is their job! They have to know the latest fashion trends in order to style their clients. With a personal shopper, you will never have to worry about wearing something out of style.

Values Fashion

Personal shoppers love fashion and have studied it. For example, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, which I put to use as a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus. It’s not just some job department stores give to just anyone – you need a keen eye for fashion and plenty of experience.

Not As Expensive As You Think

Lastly, I know many women hesitate to work with a personal shopper because they think it will be too expensive and view it as something only the 1% does. This isn’t true. Personal shoppers know how to work with all budgets. Plus, isn’t it better to spend money on a personal shopper who buys you the right clothes rather than wasting money on clothes that don’t work?

Why You Need to Reduce Your Closet in 2020

You may be surprised that as a personal shopper and a fashion lover and shoe addict, I am telling you that you need to reduce your closet in 2020. But I have very good reasons. And, they are reasons that do not go against my love of having beautiful clothing, purses, and shoes in my closet. If you want to go into the next decade feeling lighter and freer, then you need to reduce your closet in 2020. This is why.

Less is More

It is easy to get caught up in wanting to have it all – that’s what society teaches us. But, instead of embracing a “more more more” lifestyle, try to remember less is more. Let’s think about this idea and our closets. What is more attractive? A closet that seems to explode when you open the door because there is too much stuff or a clean and organized closet where you can easily find everything you are looking for? See? Less is more when it comes to closets, too.

A Capsule Wardrobe is Easier

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of essential clothing items that can be worn in multiple ways by mixing, matching, and accessorizing. When you simplify your closet to a smaller number of essential items, you will find it is easier to get dressed and ready to go in the morning. Plus, it will help you stress less because you will know you look good and feel good since you have chosen the key pieces of clothing in advance for this purpose.

Times are Changing – Don’t Get Stuck in the Wrong Decade

You can still be fashionable if you embrace the idea of a capsule wardrobe for each season. You may even be more fashionable. By reducing your closet to key clothing items that don’t go out of fashion, you won’t find yourself wearing something no longer in style. Think about your closet. Are there clothing items that are “so last decade” or even further back? If so, it’s time to say goodbye. You don’t want to carry decades worth of clothing baggage into the next one.

Quality Over Quantity

Rather than stuffing your closet with a bunch of cheap clothing items, choose to purchase fewer, more expensive items that will last longer. A closet that has a few quality clothing items is much better than one overflowing with stuff that will fall apart after a few washes. Take time to get rid of the clothing items in your closet that look cheap or already show wear.

Because It’ll Bring You Joy

If we learned anything towards the end of the 2010s, it was that we should care about what brings us joy. And, according to Marie Kondo in her book Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up, cleaning your closet will bring you joy. By removing the items in your closet that do not spark joy, your closet will begin to make you happy rather than overwhelmed.

10 Back to School Clothes Shopping Tips

We are currently enjoying the last few days of summer vacation – I hope you are, too! As summer draws to a close, it means it is time to go back to school shopping. After having kids in school for a few years now, I have learned some key things to do to make back to school clothes shopping more successful. I hope these tips help you just as much as they helped me!

Review the School Dress Code

Before you do any back to school clothes shopping, you absolutely must review the school dress code – especially if your school does not have uniforms. This is so important. There is nothing worse than shopping for all the clothes just to find out they do not comply with the dress code.

Check Sizes in Advance

Another mistake you want to avoid is buying the wrong size clothes. Or buying new clothes when your kids really don’t need them. If your child is still wearing the same size, look over the clothes to see if they are still in good condition before you spend a bunch of money on clothes your child will outgrow sooner rather than later.

Clear the Closets

Next, go through your child’s closet and clear any clothes he or she has outgrown or clothes that are not in good condition. This is a great way to see what you really need to buy versus what you don’t. For example, your child may have plenty of jeans but not enough socks (since they somehow always disappear).

Donate the Excess

After you have cleared the closet, donate the items that no longer fit your child. If you are looking to make some money from your child’s outgrown clothing, then head to your favorite consignment shop. Or, donate the clothing to an organization with a mission you support.

Give Yourself Time

We are getting really close to the back to school shopping deadline. Give yourself plenty of time to shop so you avoid rushing. If you wait until the last minute, you will wind up spending more than you want and purchasing things you don’t need.

Do It Online or Go Kid-Free

When it comes to back to school clothes shopping, try to do it alone. It is much easier to shop for back to school clothing when your kids aren’t with you since they will want everything they don’t actually need (such as accessories) and having them with you will take so much longer. Better yet, take your list of sizes and clothing needs and shop online at your favorite retailer!

Set a Budget

Next, be sure to set a budget before you start to shop. We all spend quite a bit on back to school shopping, so budget accordingly. Having a budget will help you decide which items you should pass on and which ones are worth it.

Take Advantage of Sales, Discounts, and Coupons

You can find some excellent back to school shopping deals. Stock up on the coupons by signing up for emails from your favorite stores. You will get emails alerts about sales and coupons you can use when shopping.

Shop Overstock Stores

I love doing my back to school clothes shopping at overstock stores like T.J. Maxx. I can purchase my girls designer goods at great prices, ensuring they look fabulous and I have money left over for school supplies.

Off-Season Merchandise is Your Friend

Finally, go ahead and stock up on off-season merchandise. Guesstimate your child’s size next summer and purchase a few key pieces (such as swimsuits) while they are on clearance. If you shop wisely, you will either have clothes in the right clothes for next year or clothes you can consign and make your money back on.

Shop Well – Not Cheap

It’s no secret that I love to shop. I love it so much that I recently became a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus – you can see all the fun I’m having with this new gig and all my favorite looks on my Insta @inrachelstyles. As I have grown older and wiser, I have learned the secret to shopping for shoes, purses, and clothing. Shop well- not cheap.

When you are young and living paycheck to paycheck, it is so easy to fall for fast-fashion and snap up everything for your closet from stores like Forever 21 and H&M. Now hear me out – you can find some good looks at stores that sell cheap clothing. But, the problem is these clothes do not last, and people can tell they are cheap.

Instead, it is much wiser to shop well rather than cheap. I’d much rather spend more money on clothing that is well-designed, well-made, and long-lasting.

Longer Lasting Clothing

When you shop cheap, you are simply looking at the price tag when you should be factoring in the number of times the item will be worn. Fashion experts refer to this as the cost per wear equation. As Glamour explains, “The simplest version of that math is dividing the price on the label by how many times you think you'll wear the item.” Glamour also has a cost per wear calculator on their site for easy use.

What you will likely discover is that you end up spending less money in the long run on higher cost clothing this way. For example, the cheap shirt you purchased may only be able to be worn a few times before it shows wear and tear, whereas the high-quality coat you purchased is worn for several years.

Higher Quality Materials

The reason the more expensive products typically last longer is that they are better made. Rather than being mass-produced at fast speeds (resulting in less than the best seams, embroidering, and such), these products are developed with better materials, such as natural fibers like silk and wool, in a less demanding amount of time.

Better Resale Value

Women change out their closets pretty regularly as fashions change. Therefore, it is important to consider the resale value of your clothing when you purchase it originally. For example, you will likely get pennies (if anything) for that shirt you purchased at Forever 21, but you can earn a nice chunk when you resell high-end designer goods.

Less is More

Finally, it is wise to embrace the notion that “less is more.” Wouldn’t you rather have a few, high-end, well-made, designer goods than a bunch of cheap items that fall apart easily before the next season? I know that matters to me. It is easy to get caught up in the idea of “more, more, more,” but if it gets in the way of looking good and feeling good, that’s a hard pass for me. Less is more, ladies, less is more.