What You Wear Underneath Matters: How the Right Bra Can Boost Your Body Confidence by 30Seconds Beauty

You know the saying, "clothes make the man?" Well, clothes can definitely make the woman, starting with what's underneath your clothes. The wrong undergarments can make you uncomfortable – or worse. How many times have you found yourself adjusting your bra straps all day long? Talk about a confidence killer! Who has time for that? Feeling body confident may be as easy as starting with the right foundation. 

Proper-fitting bras can make you more than comfortable; they can help boost your confidence. That's because when you feel your best, you carry yourself differently. You walk into a room and you own it.

The Right Bra and Body Confidence

According to an article in The New York Times, eight out of 10 women (80 percent!) strap their boobs into a bra that doesn't fit right. That means there's a lot of uncomfortable women walking around out there. But it goes beyond comfort. Wearing the right size bra can give your body confidence a boost.

"It doesn't matter how cute your clothes are, if you're sagging and dragging, you will look frumpy. Wearing the wrong size or old, stretched-out foundation garments will make you look older and heavier than you truly are," says fashion designer and image consultant Teresa Washington. "Remember those hot pin-up babes from the 50s and 60s? They made sure they never left home without a girdle." And a proper fitting girdle, for sure.

Here's what to think about and some common problems when bra shopping:

The Right Fit

• Rocking too much side-boob or boobs spilling out of the top of your bra can make shirts that fit you perfectly look like a wardrobe malfunction. Tame that spillage by purchasing a bra one cup size larger.

• We all need our space sometimes – but not at the top of our padded or underwire bras. That gape or wrinkling in the cups means you need to go down a cup size. Check your bra straps to make sure they're tight enough.

• When your band rolls up (not talking about being at a music concert here!) or folds when you move, there can be two reasons why: your bra is too big or too small. To find out, run two fingers under the band along your back. Too tight? Size up. Too loose? Size down.
  

• Feel like you're wearing shapewear or a corset from the 1800s in your bra? Bras are designed to loosen and shape to your body as you wear them. But if your bra still feels like a torture device after multiple wearings, consider buying one size up.

• Bras should not cut or dig into your back – and definitely not create rolls of skin on your back. If your bra usually fits fine, make sure you're on the loosest hook setting, not the tightest.

• Does your bra look like the St. Louis arch on your back? Bra bands should run flat – and comfortably! – along your back. Bands that arch toward your neck mean you need to go down a band size.
  

The Right Style

Bras come in all shapes and styles, from plunge bra necklines and molded foam cups that give you shape and definition to extra side coverage that eliminates some of the problems above. Look for bras like WingWoman by Knix, the latest wire innovation that gives you shape without compromising on comfort. Knix has pioneered the use of patented bonding technology to create seamless, chafe-free (who wants to chafe?) designs and fabrics with support structures built right into the bra.

Photo: WingWoman Contour Bra by Knix

When you sport proper-fitting, comfortable bras, you'll radiate that on the outside. Ladies, it's time to feel more comfortable in your own skin and live life unapologetically free! Free of judgment. Free of self-doubt. And free yourself to be yourself – in the right size and style bra!

Main image and first and fifth images in article body courtesy of Knix.

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