A common misconception among women is that it doesn’t matter how they put on their bras, as long as the size is right and they get it on! Most women do not pay attention to the way they wear their bras, simply hooking them on in the morning and they’re out of the door.

In fact, knowing how to put on your bra is as important as  Getting the Right Fit . Putting your bra on the right way will help you ensure that your breasts are filling the cups properly and you are comfortable the entire day.

Step 1
•Slip your arms through the bra’s shoulder strap
•Bring the bra up so that the band is just under your breast

Step 2
•As you clasp the band in the back, lean forward slightly to place your breast into each cup

Step 3
•Clasp the bra on the loosest hook first. See if it is comfortable in this position. If it needs to be tighter, go onto the second hook and so on.

Step 4
•Stand up and adjust the shoulder straps over your shoulders.

Step 5
•Adjust the straps so they share the task of holding up your breasts.

Step 6
•Move your breasts around with your hand until they are fully in the cup.

The Straits Times Urban reported that 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong bra. You could be one of them, here is why you should be concerned.

Research by the University of Portsmouth has found that wearing the wrong bra can irreparably stretch fragile ligaments and damage the breast.

An ill-fitting bra can cause a myriad of problems for the wearer, including:

•Pain to the back, neck and shoulder
•Red marks and irritation over the shoulder and chest
•Breathing problems
•Skin Problems
•Circulatory problems

A bad fit can also lead to problems that perpetuate muscle pains. The British School of Osteopathy found that ill-fitting bras might cause breathing difficulties, irritable bowel syndrome (constipation) and digestive problems because of the constriction of the ribcage.

Recent research has also uncovered the connection between bras and cancer. While bras do not cause breast cancer per se, ill fitting, tight bras aggravate the problems associated with breast cancer and help cancer growth (Singer & Grismaijer, 1995). The main reason why bras, especially tight bras, are detrimental to breast health is because they restrict the lymph flow in the breasts, leading to possible toxin accumulation and cancer growth.

Digging Straps
Sign: Shoulder straps feel too tight and leave an impression on the skin.
Reason: The band size is too big and the cup size may be small, so the straps have been tightened by the wearer for necessary support.
Aah! advice: Get a bra with a smaller band size and bigger cups or opt for a bra with wider padded shoulder straps.

Bumpy Fit
Sign: Breasts bulge over the top of the bra.
Reason: Cup size is too small.
Aah! Advice: Get a larger cup size.

Seeing Double
Sign: Cups dig intothe breasts, creating the effect of having four breasts instead of two.
Reason: Either the Cup size is too small or you are wearing your bra the wrong way.
Aah! Advice: Try the scoop and place method as advised in our guide to wear a bra the right way. Make sure you have placed the breasts comfortably in the cups so that your nipples are front and center and facing forward. If you get a Bumpy Fit now as mentioned above you need to get a larger cup size. If not, you were just wearing your bra incorrectly.

Back Cleavage
Sign: Skin/fat bulges over the top and bottom of the band.
Reason: Band is too tight
Aah! Advice: Simple! Get a bra with a larger band size.

Baggy Cups
Sign: A gap between the cup and cleavage. Can be seen over a fitted top.
Reason: Cups are too big and the breasts do not fill them out adequately.
Aah! Advice: Get a smaller cup size.

Slipping Straps
Sign: Shoulder straps keep slipping off
Reason: Improper adjustment of the straps, or a large cup size or improper bra style.
Aah! Advice: Adjust your strap length first to make sure that they do not slip, if it’s the tightest you could get and the straps still slip off, or if they do not slip off but dig into your shoulders and leave an impression after being worn for a couple of hours, you need to get a bra with a smaller cup.
If this bra used to fit earlier and the straps have only recently started to slip off, it could be either because the bra is now old and the shoulder straps have lost their elasticity or because your cup size has decreased.

Back Band Rise
Sign: The back band rides up and is not parallel to the floor
Reason: Band Size is too big
Aah! Advice: Adjust hook and eye closure to tighten fit, if this does not work, get a smaller band size