The “Science” Behind Your Bras

We know that lace and frills and special trinkets can add to a bra’s cost, but have you ever really thought of what it takes to build a bra? It’s an incredibly complex and complicated garment to manufacture, and even more so as innovations and new fabrics are introduced. Sometimes it can seem hard to justify spending a good amount of money on a bra, but ShopNTL wants you see why you are paying that much and the immense benefits you may find by spending a little bit more on a bra every now and then. We want you to know what goes into making a bra and what parts of a bra can do for your body, your posture, and even your health.

Bohemian Romance Plunge Push Up Bra by Montelle Intimates

How a bra is made of course differs from style to style. For a bra maker, there are a lot of challenges. Women’s breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and as we all know if we’ve ever done a self exam, they are rarely ever symmetrical. Bra makers also know that they need to build strong, durable bras with the right support to last a variety of activity levels per day. They have to couple this with pretty fabrics and patterns in sexy silhouettes that will appeal to women.

Bra cups differ depending on the amount of shape needs to go in the bra. This is where manufacturers will play with seaming and fabric. How the cup will be cut will also depend on the amount of stretch within the fabric and in which direction it moves. The direction matters because it’ll determine how the bra lifts your breast, which will change with the design of the bra. Next, your bra needs a frame; like a foundation of sorts. This frame will hold the cups and meet in the centre to hug your breasts. Sometimes you’ll find a bra without a frame – essentially, without an underwire. You’ll make your choice in which bra you want depending on the amount of support you need. Underwires are usually made with metal, but innovation has led to other more flexible materials that move better with the body. And remember, innovation means a greater cost.

Lace and Roses Underwired Bra by Naturana Exklusiv

Your straps will help keep your bra in the proper place, and have to have the right amount of elasticity to not only be comfortable, but move with your body. This means that they will stretch over time, so manufacturers have to consider what they can use to keep the elasticity in tact for as long as possible. You’ll see sliders on the straps that’ll help you adjust your straps as they move, as well as hooks to secure your bra in place. These hardware pieces can break, so once again, the material is key.

So as you can see, in building a bra, there are a lot of factors that manufacturers have to constantly grapple with, while keeping in mind material, changing shapes, trends, and so much more.

For more information on the parts of the bra, here are some related Bra Doctor Bog posts:

Lingerie Language Decoded Part 1: Parts of Lingerie

Anatomy of a Bra

Lace High Apex Underwired Bra by Eva Lingerie

There have been some mixed reviews on how important it is to wear a bra. In our opinion, it’s essential, especially when you get into larger breast sizes. Consider this scale when trying to decide whether or not you need to wear a bra. These are just a few weight scales we found here and there are so many more examples.

An average C cup woman’s breasts weigh the equivalent of two oranges, a D cup weighs the equivalent of two pork chops, and an E cup weighs the equivalent of 8 rolls of toilet paper. As you can imagine, the bigger the breast, the more they can weigh. It may not seem like a lot, but consider that you’re carrying these on your back and shoulders every single day. Why not use a bra to take some of the “heavy lifting” off of you? That’s what they’re for! Women with large breasts often complain about back problems, and an ill-fitting bra is always part of the culprit. Other benefits of a bra include the improvement of posture, better circulation, strengthening of breasts, and reduced pain.

How did learning more about the science behind your bras help you in justifying prices of lingerie? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Share with us in the comments below, or reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also pin your favourite #ShopNTL bras from our Pinterest board, and learn more tips and tricks from our YouTube channel.