1. Red and sore shoulders because bra is too small or too tight. 
2. Marks on skin around shoulder and back area after bra comes off.
3. Sliding straps – once when I was on camera, I was horrified as I reviewed the segment to see my white bra strap hanging off my shoulder! I had no idea and that strap was so distracting that I’m sure the viewers concentrated on my ill-fitting bra rather than my segment topic! 
4. Excessive sweat in cleavage, which can be a problem here in Phoenix.
5. Lumps and bumps under clothing. My personal bra brigade began when a good friend of mine gave me two birthday bras! She could tell that I was wearing the wrong lingerie and since I was doing on-camera work, she decided to do me a favor with an honest gift! I was amazed what a difference the right size bra really made, both underneath my clothing and on the outside appearance.

To solve these size issues, I will start with the first bra shopping S, which is size. Do not measure yourself. You won’t get an accurate measurement because as you pull the measuring tape around your chest, your back will bend in and the sizing will be inaccurate. Instead, get measured by a pro once a year.  Victoria’s Secret store employees will measure you for free and give you a personal measurement card to keep in your wallet. I also found the saleswomen at Nordstrom to be very informative. I had never before asked for a bra-fitting consultation and what a difference it made. I highly recommend it. The three components of bra sizing are the band, the cups and the straps. 

• Band size is your ribcage size.
• Cup size is your breast size and it is relative to the band size.
• As the band gets bigger, the “U” of the cup size increases in width.
• If you go up in band size, then you may need to go down in cup size.
• Straps are meant to support the band, not the entire bra. 

For example, if you were once a 36 B, but today’s shopping trip finds the B cup fitting, but the bra is riding up in the back, then the 36 band size is probably too big allowing room for the bra to ride up. So, now you try on a 34 B, but that B cup may be too small for the decreased band size, so to your surprise, you leave with a perfect fitting 34 C. Kind of confusing, I know, but knowing this makes all of a difference. 

When it comes to size, I think it is worth it to pay a little extra and go to a boutique or department store that has bra experts on hand ready to measure you and take the guess work out of band vs. cup size.

Be sure to wear a non-padded bra and a form fitting t-shirt so that you get an accurate measurement.  If you always wear padded bras and a padded bra is what you intend to purchase, then it makes sense to get measured in your usual padded bra.

The t-shirt will enable you to see the outline and true curves of each different bras you try on. And how about those hooks? Do you know which one is the right one to clasp? Start with the outside hook because as bras stretch through time, you will want to hook the next one in to accommodate the stretch. 

Something else that I learned the hard way is to avoid the generic dressing room bra boxes. These boxes house bras for trying on, but these are also the same bras everyone else has put on. I did that at one well-known chain lingerie store and bought the same size and style of the one I tried on.

However, it didn’t fit properly once I got home. The bra I tried on was stretched from the women putting it on before me and every piece of garment is made differently.  Save yourself a return trip to the store. Try on the bra that you are considering buying, not a replica.

Give yourself the support you deserve
Support is the second “S” of successful bra shopping and by support I mean fit.  To test band size, make sure that the band is snug, but that you can fit one finger underneath it. 

Next check the cups. If the cups pucker, the bra is too big. If your breasts spill out of the bra, then you need a bigger cup. The under wire should fit perfectly around the breasts instead of poking into your bust. If this happens, then you need a larger cup. 

Don’t ignore the straps even though they are not part of the sizing equation. If your straps are picking up too much of the support duty, then the band is not the right size. Straps are sort of the band’s personal assistants meant to assist in support. The band has the job of holding the bra up. To test your straps, slide the straps off your shoulders so that they rest on your arms. Your bra should remain in place and stay up. The cups may flap down, which is fine, just be sure that the band keeps the bra in place. 

Now for my favorite part of this report, let’s go shopping. Read on for the experts’ picks of what bra works best for the three “S”‘s – your size, your support needs and your style – both bra style and your current life style.

Let’s talk style- your bras and your lifestyle
Ask yourself three questions before you strike out and shop:
1. What is your right size (remember to get measured by a pro).
2. What kind of support are you looking for and what does your lifestyle demand? Are you nursing? Are you looking for a first bra for your teenager?  Since you are sticking to your New Year’s resolution, are you in the market for a good fitness bra? 
3. What kind of bras does your current wardrobe warrant? Take an inventory of your closet. Check for sexy styles, form fitting tees, etc.  Different bras are made for different styles. With your answers in mind, now you can take a look at my top picks for bras that fit into different categories.

Wacoal Petite

Victoria’s Secret Sexy Little Things

Powerback ($38.00)

Double Dry Action ($31.00)

Buy your pregnancy/nursing bras during the 4th month of pregnancy. Doing so will give you the support and flexibility needed and can help prevent stretch marks as well.

Purses can also be ordered this way through a business called Lill Studio at www.1154lill.com. Celebrities that include Vanessa Hudgens and Carrie Underwood love Lill purses. Members can shop by price or style, so for the many of us on budgets, you can ask the site to only show handbags that are $50 and under. Like the tennis shoes, these individualized purses take up to four weeks to receive. I enjoyed selecting my purse since the site offers a wide variety of styles and designs.

I also signed up for the free daily email called Vital Juice Daily that enables me to start my day with helpful and healthy news. Daily information is gathered by the site’s approved experts and cover topics like replacing your morning orange juice with mangosteen juice and how acupuncture can help to combat allergies. Other information I liked included how to make a homemade exfoliating body scrub by mixing two equal parts of brown sugar and olive oil.

Another interesting feature is the suggested shopping list which organizes recommended healthy foods under categories that include dairy, protein, beverages and more. For those of us trying out health food stores like Sprouts, this list gives shoppers a good head start. There is even an article about organization, so you don’t have to hire an expert to get your house and life in order! Check out this site for the latest in overall health and well-being tips.

Listen to that Desperate Housewife & Get Screened for Free

Dress Like The Celebs With a Marcia Cross Staple: THE SUN HAT

Another piece of advice you can take from actress Marcia Cross is to wear a hat. Sun hats are stylish and attractive.

SunGrubbies sells a variety of sun protection wear for men, women and children. The brown hat pictured here also comes in pink and white and sells for $30.00. Another star that loves the SunGrubbies hat is Oprah. She features this product on her Oprah’s O List.

Put Your Shades On

Cancer can happen in and around your eyes, too. I was shocked to discover that I have a mole on my eyeball that has to be closely monitored! Boy, was I glad that I have regular eye checkups because I wear contacts.

NOW… TAKE YOUR SHADES OFF & CHECK YOURSELF OUT