When it comes to finding the right bra, even the most proficient shoppers often despair.
And, according to a survey carried out by
Bravissimo, there are seven different ways in which they can go wrong.
Four in five women admitted to suffering from one of the problems, nicknamed ‘booby traps’, every day.
The most common, experienced by 41 per cent of the 1,000 women surveyed, is the ‘side boob’, in which the cup underwiring sits on the breast rather than on the ribcage, causing overspill at the side.
And more than a third admitted to experiencing the ‘quadraboob’, in which breasts spill over the top of a too-small cup, creating the impression of four breasts.
Photo:What a boob! Britney Spears often suffers the dreaded Quadraboob
The survey, carried out by lingerie firm Bravissimo to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the bra, found many women hadn’t had a proper fitting in two years.
Many wear bras that are too small because they cannot find attractive ones in larger sizes, or are unwilling to admit that their breasts are larger than DD – the biggest size in many ranges.
Bravissimo is now launching an online ‘boob school’ to teach women how to choose a well-fitting bra.
A spokesman said: ‘We’d noticed that there were a number of booby traps women were falling into, normally because they’ve never experienced a proper fitting and they simply don’t know how to spot the signs that their bra is no longer giving them the support they need.
‘By identifying the seven classic bra faux pas and launching Boob School, we’re hoping that women everywhere can become more knowledgeable about what makes a really good fitting bra.’
Ladies with larger assets experiencing more problems finding a properly fitted bra and dealing with the challenges of having more to handle in the first place.
The Quadraboob was the biggest pitfall for ladies with a larger bust, with 53 per cent of women who were above a GG cup size falling prey.
Photo:Falling into that old booby trap: Christina Hendricks suffers a multitude of sins like the Ledge and Side Boob
The survey found 41 per cent of us suffer from the Side Boob, where wires in the cup sitting on your boob rather than your ribcage.
The High Rider, where the back of the bra rides up, affects 39 per cent, while a third (36 per cent) get the dreaded Quadraboob, where the bust spills over the top of the cup, giving the impression of four boobs.
The Big Stand Off, where the front of the bra doesn't sit flat on the sternum between the boobs affects almost a third (28 per cent) while the Super Drooper affects a quarter (26 per cent) who aren't getting enough support, creating the illusion of saggy boobs.
Another quarter who buy bras that are too big, 24 pr cent, suffer from the appearance of Saggy Cups where there's too much fabric.
Photo:Not their breast effort: Denise Welch's cups are a tad small as she's getting some Side Boob, and Super Drooper Lyndsay Lohan isn't supported
The Ledge is created with over uplift, transforming your boobs into something that resembles a ledge, and it affects 12 per cent (including voluptuous Christina Hendricks).
Although all the faux pas identified could be avoided by wearing a good fitting bra, only one in five women said that they were extremely confident that they were wearing the correct bra size.
This is unsurprising, as the study also identified several reasons why women continually experience such uncertainty about their bra size.
Over a two year period, three quarters (77 per cent) have lost or gained weight, 62 per cent have changed their clothes size, 17 per cent have gone through the menopause and 10 per cent have had a baby, all potentially impacting upon their bra size.
HOW TO GET THE RIGHT FIT
1. The strap around your body should be firm but comfortable.
When you stand side-on at a mirror, the strap that runs around your body should be horizontal and should not ride up at the back at all.
2. The wires at the front should lie flat against your rib cage and should not dig in, rub or poke out at the front.
3. Your breasts should be enclosed in the cups and you should have a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends and meets your bust.
4. You shouldn't have any ridge or bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even if you are wearing a balconette style or lower cut shape.
Perfect fit? You should have a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends and meets your bust
After this lady got fitted by a professional she discovered her true, completely different, correctly fitting size
Four fifths own more than five bras, but less than half wear more than five bras regularly.
Jo Lee, Buying and Marketing Director at Bravissimo, comments: 'We'd noticed for some time that there were a number of booby traps women were falling into, normally because they've never experienced a proper fitting and they simply don't know how to spot the signs that their bra is no longer giving them the support they need.
'By identifying the seven classic bra faux pas and launching Boob School, we're hoping that women everywhere can become more knowledgeable about what makes a really good fitting bra, so they feel more confident about their bra size now and into the future and our brilliant British boobs can finally get the treatment they deserve!'
In response to the findings, Bravissimo is now launching the world's first Boob School to help other women avoid falling into these booby traps, in a bid to help women feel brilliant about their boobs.
Boob School will talk to women about their boobs, give advice on what they should be looking for in a perfectly fitting bra by following their simple lessons online, via a Facebook app or in store.
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