Underwire Poking You Closer to Insanity?

Oh, you are not amused? I see. Your underwire must be poking you again. What? Stabbing you, you say?

Yes, we’ve all experienced an annoying underwire poking or pinching various parts of our body. It quickly turns into the Tide stain commercial. You know the one where the stain on the guy’s shirt does all the talking at the interview. Once we notice it’s poking, it quickly takes center stage.

It’s no mystery. Not all underwire is created equal my friends! My clients will attest to that. They had no idea that wearing a bra with an underwire could be comfy until they came in for a fitting.  Stop letting your wire hog all your attention. There is no reason to let it drive you over the edge. Nor do you have to settle for “that’s just the way it is.” It’s not. 

A well-fitting well-cared for bra will last and all you’ll remember is how beautiful and supported you felt!

The simple explanation is that the bra has not been fitted properly. The band is too loose, too tight, the cup isn’t big enough, the cup is too big, the proportions aren’t working. Any or all of these can cause the wire to poke you and dig in sensitive places like armpits, ribs, tummies, underboob, sideboob, etc. Gaining or losing even a few pounds can alter a bra you bought a couple weeks ago to start acting up! (A professional fitter can help with that)

Another culprit is style. It is not working FOR or WITH your body. Likewise, underwires that poke or drill into those aforementioned sensitive places can be too short, too tall, too shallow, too wide, etc. The style should work WITH your body, not try to force your body into a fit model’s shape. The style should work FOR your body by supporting your breasts in a way that is the most naturally supportive position for you. That way the bra can lift, shape, support and separate in a way that works best for you! Again, don’t put so much pressure on yourself if you are shopping solo. Let your expert fitter handle this for you. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 

It is also quite a possibility that the bra hasn’t been properly laundered. I cannot stress enough that washing machines and dryers misshape and even break the underwire and compromise the fibers and construction of bras. They are engineered to do a job for a sensitive part of your body, but they are still delicate. Treat them with care. The gentle cycle and the lingerie bag are the biggest farces in laundering your delicates. It’s like thinking your nipples won’t stick out in a padded bra…

Accustomed to hooking the bra in front and spinning it around? Bad news. This warps and twists the underwire causing the wire not to lay flat against the body. This causes the wires to poke at places on our beautiful delicate bodies. Additionally, spinning your bra when you put in on causes them to pop out or break AND compromises the structure and elasticity of the bra overall. If you can hook in back, do it. If not, maybe there is someone at home just dying to help you  Still going to put it on it front…cool. Only you know what’s best for you. Just know that this method of putting on your bra is the culprit if you have an uncomfortable fit. You can expect to replace your bras more frequently.

Another suspected cause of wire pokes is that the bra has expired. Yep, this is a thing. On average, bras have a typical lifespan of about six (6) months. A few variables can shorten or extend this timeline, but overall there’s a 6-month average. This is a garment you wear almost every day without fail for many hours at a time. Regardless of care practices or how many bras are in your daily rotation, each bra develops its own wear pattern and breaks down over time. Like the soles of your shoes. Elastics become less resilient,  affecting fit and causing movement. The underwire casing may become compromised, and pressure points on your body may become sensitive over time to the redundant wear pattern.

With proper care, a well-fitting bra in a style that works with your body and preferences won’t cause you much grief over its lifespan. The most memorable thing about your bra should be how beautiful you felt in it!

Schedule your fitting today for the freedom you deserve!