Last month I went along to an event to promote French lingerie brands put on by Lingerie Francaise, and if there is any nation that do lingerie well it’s the French. It was a real eye opener and  not just because there were some gorgeous ladies prancing about in their undies!

The French have a different approach to lingerie. It’s very much about beautifully well-crafted garments and lace and padded bras are just not as popular as they are with us Brits. In fact, I spoke to many of the brands there and it was suggested that British women and French women even get dressed differently in the morning. According to one expert, a French woman chooses her outfit and then picks the best bra to go with that outfit… most British women, put on their underwear and then proceed to put their outfit over the top. It’s a subtle difference, but you can see that it would make a difference to the overall look and body confidence.

Chantelle, one of the gorgeous brands I had the pleasure of speaking with have provided their top tips below for finding the perfect bra…

  • If your bra rides up your back or if you can slide your hand down the strap it’s a clear sign it’s too big!
           
  • Your breasts should be sitting half way between your elbow and shoulder when your arms are down flat
           
  • When buying a new bra it should fit comfortably on the loosest hook. Even the most expensive bra will lose some elasticity through lots of machine washes so this will also give you the ability to tighten it later on
     
  • Hand washing underwear is best but if you must machine wash, use a small underwear bag for that extra protection!
           
  • If you’ve got for the 4 boob look going on then the cup size is way too small!!
           
  • The bridge of the bra should sit comfortably on your rib cage so ladies if there is a large gap between the bridge and your body then chances are the cup is too small!
            
  • When you lift your arms up in the air the bra should stay put, if it moves with you it’s a poor fit

Chantelle say: Don’t be mistaken that just because all the bras in your draw are one size, that that is the size you are! or that because you have been one size all your life you are still that size.  Along with everything else our bust changes in shape and size and you should ideally get measured every six months.