Bra Fitting 101

As boudoir photographers we see a lot of undergarments.  A LOT.  Soooo we have an pretty good idea of what works best for photo sessions and what doesn't.  The number one problem that we see with lingerie is FIT!  8 out of 10 women wear the wrong bra size.  If something is not fitted properly it doesn't give you the support you need in the right places.  You either have a muffin top or your bottoms are loose and baggy (which is not flattering in the least!).  Your cups runneth over and (heaven forbid) there's the dreaded back fat, or there's a canyon sized gap between the bra and your breast. The most common mis-fit we see is items that are too small.  Trust me, I get it, we all want to fit into that smaller number or size!  The problem is you're doing yourself a disservice.  If your clothes don't fit you properly, then you end up looking larger than you actually are due to the bulges. Something for small chested ladies to look out for is if you want to get a bra with padding to give the ladies an extra perk, make sure the cup size is correct!  Often times ladies come in with stiff, padded bras that are slightly too big so when the breasts settle down into the cups there is a gap between your breast and the bra.  This is especially a problem during a boudoir session when we shoot from angles above your head.  Honestly, padding isn't necessary and a lot of times you will end up looking sexier just wearing a bra that goes with your natural shape (we can help with cleavage, trust me ;)

"Another issue with fit that we see is just a basic all around wrong size bra. If ladies aren't wearing their proper bra size then their boobs are not getting the right amount of support. Often we help a woman go down a bandwidth size and go up a cup size. Sometimes even a few cup sizes. One clue that your bra isn't fitting right is that your band is sliding up your back. Huge no no." - Bonjour Lingerie

I highly recommend heading over to Bonjour Lingerie in New Orleans on Magazine St.  Their selection varies from practical to super sexy, as well as super sexy practical!  The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable, they can get you fitted in the right lingerie with ease.  If you are planning on doing a boudoir session, don't skip this step!  Tell them you're doing a Breathless Boudoir session and you'll get a discount.

This video shows a simple tutorial to follow on sizing yourself.  You can visit the website HERE for more information. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoqXCnYOwCI?rel=0&w=640&h=360]