Summertime fashion got you all hot and bothered? We hear you; sometimes, dressing in this weather can be downright impossible — especially when it comes to matching a bra with that favorite skimpy frock, whether it be strappy, strapless or halter.
Fortunately, we’ve got the answers for this summer wardrobe conundrum.
We took three New York women — wearing their old bras — to bra-fit stylist Jenn Matthew at the lingerie store Intimacy (1051 Third Ave; 646-395-3885) to get them measured, lifted and into their dresses. The store carries sizes from an A cup to a K cup — yes, a K cup — and even has free on-site tailoring to achieve that perfect fit.
So how did these ladies solve their sartorial challenges? Read on to find out!
PHOTOS: THREE WOMEN SOLVE THEIR SUMMER BRA PROBLEMS
THE HALTER
Maura, 46, musician
* The problem: “I have trouble getting a good push-up bra that fits,” says the songstress. “I love halter and backless dresses but don’t have a good halter bra, so I haven’t been wearing them. Instead of wearing a dress I love, if I didn’t have the right bra I’d pick another dress.”
* The expert says: “Her bra was too big for her, the band and the cups.” Instead of support, Maura was getting lost in the fabric and padding. She needed something tighter and contoured to her body.
* Bra size before: 34C
* Bra size after: 32C
THE STRAPLESS
Britta, 20, senior at Cornell
* The problem: “If I wear a strapless dress, my boobs always look saggy. And if I wear a strapless bra, I’m always fidgeting and look like a 3-year-old fidgeting with my dress,” says the communications major, who says she went from an A cup to a C cup two years ago after starting birth control. “I was flat like a 12-year-old boy before. Now I avoid strapless dresses for that reason.”
* The expert says: Her bra was much too loose. “It was too big in the band and too small in the cup. She wanted cleavage and things to be pushed up, but there was no support to do that.”
* Bra size before: 34C
* Bra size after: 30D
THE ONE-SHOULDER
Simi, 30, VP of sales and marketing at Tramp clothing
* The problem: “After I stopped breast-feeding, my boobs look smaller and seem to hang low. And I usually avoid backless dresses, as I do need to wear a bra with all these jiggly nibblets,” she says. “Plus, there’s the back-fat issue.”
n The expert says: Childbirth will drastically change your bra size, since the volume of the breast tissue changes. “When cups are too small, you get underarm fat. When it’s too loose, you get back fat. The band of your bra has to be low and firm.”
* Bra size before: 34B
* Bra size after: 34D