Ladies - get thee to a bra fitter!

For about ten years now, I've been wearing a certain size bra. I'm not sure where this size came from, but I've always been it - occassionally a cup size up, occassionally a size down. We've all heard time and time again that a huge percentage of British women are wearing the wrong size bra, and seen Gok Wan grabbing women's breasts and stretching their bra straps to demonstrate what's a good fit, but personally I've always taken this with a pinch of salt. After all, surely we know our own bodies better than some strange lady wielding a measuring tape? However, I recently, I decided to get fitted, out of curiosity more than anything else, and also because I'd bought a few bras recently that I found uncomfortable.

And so it was I found myself in John Lewis Oxford Street yesterday evening while a nice American lady looked at me aghast when I told her what size I was wearing (I was still wearing an overcoat and jumper at this point). When stated the size she thought I was, again before measuring, I all but laughed out loud. And then she quickly measured me. And then she brought me that size bra to try on. And lo and behold, it fit, like a very well-fitting bra. The bra she brought me, coincidentally, was a Gossard bra exactly the same as one I bought recently in my 'old' size, which really brought it home to me. Much tighter, much snugger, much more comfortable and above all it just looked so much better.

I almost had one of those emotional Gok Wan changing room type moments. Without giving too much away, my new bra size is an amazing four inches smaller and two cup sizes bigger than I thought. I really was (and still am) in absolute shock - I'm actually thinking of going to Marks and Spencers tomorrow to get a second opinion, but actually, the evidence is all there in the fit.

If you're in any doubt about what bra size you are, or even if you are quite confident you're wearing the right size but have never been measured, I urge you to go to a fitter - they're in most department stores and specialist lingerie shops now. Ill fitting bras are associated with various ailments including back pain and postural problems according to the British Chiropractic Association. And you never know, you might have an excuse to buy yourself a whole new underwear wardrobe.. Agent Provocateur does have a pretty good sale on at the mo..!