'Bras should be worn in like a new pair of shoes'

THE Little Bra Shop may be small, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with a friendly welcome and guaranteed one-to-one service. The shop on Yarm High Street has been providing a free bra-fitting and measuring service since 2007 and just been short-listed for a coveted national award in the Stars: Underlines Best Shop Awards.

A recent survey showed that 80 per cent of women are believed to be wearing the wrong sized bra, but owner Tracy Campbell believes the number could be even higher. “We believe it’s now more like 95 per cent and from a bra fitter’s point of view that is quite scary,” she says. The mistake a lot of women make is getting measured in one shop and assuming the size will apply to every other shop, but styles, shops and brands vary hugely.

Tracy has lost count of the number of customers who have come in complaining of a bad back caused by wearing a wrong size bra.

One 17-year-old she came across was going to hospital for physio because of back, neck and shoulder problems. “She was wearing a 34D, and when we measured her she was actually a 30FF,” says Tracy. “We asked her to start wearing her right size bra and let us know how she got on and she came back into the shop and said her problems had gone.”

It is such a widespread problem that Tracy and her team have visited factories such as Tetley’s and offices such as Barclaycard and Stockton Borough Council, offering employees a free bra fitting during their lunch break. They have also fitted many women with breast cancer and the nurses at James Cook Hospital. "Wearing the wrong size bra can cause major problems and if you’re in a factory working all day and already suffer from back, neck and shoulder problems, a wrong sized bra won’t help,” she says.

Tracy, who also does home visits, opened the shop after struggling to find the right-sized bra for herself. “I could never get bras to on the high street,” she says. “I said to my husband (now her business partner), if I feel like this, how many other women in Teesside must feel the same?”

The shop stocks brands such as Fantasie, Freya, Fauve, Triumph, B Tempted and Panache. Customers are offered a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of wine and guaranteed personal service with Tracey or one of her team - Julie, Jackie, Gemma, Rachel and Francesca - all of whom trained at the Bra Fitting School, at Eveden, in London.

So what’s her top tip for buying a bra?

“If you’re over spilling in the cup of your bra and have got the ‘four boob look’ going on, that means your bra cup is too small,” she says. “If your bra doesn’t sit flat in the middle of your chest, your bra cup may be too small, and if you feel the band of your back riding up and you have to keep pulling it down, your bra is too big on the back. The more anchored you get your bra on your back, the more lift and support you will get in the cups, giving you a much better shape, more confidence and better posture.” Any wire has got to be situated right off the breast tissue so it doesn’t dig in.

Tracy says a new bra should feel "comfortably snug" and should be worn in like a new pair of shoes. “Don’t wear it for the whole day. Put it on for a few hours, then take it off,” she says.

Tracy recommends a fitting every six to nine months, every three months if you’re losing weight loss programme or on medication. “We have lots of ladies who come to us, who are on a weight loss programme or may have even had surgery and a gastric band fitted and we recommend they call in every eight to 12 weeks to make sure their bra is still anchored at the root of the bust,” she says.

The shop sells a range of styles from plunge bras and strapless bras to sports bras. There is also a selection of mastectomy and maternity bras, as well as bridal wear, loungewear and swimwear and other essentials such as Padded Bum Pants, lingerie tape and classic Paris hold-ups. The best sellers are the T-shirt bras, which start at £30. “I think people think that because we’re a little boutique in Yarm we’re going to be expensive, but our prices only go up to around £45,” says Tracy.

The staff recommend the Elle Macpherson Intimates collection for women with a slightly smaller bust and the Anita & Amoena range for ladies who have had breast cancer and are looking for lovely lingerie with a good fit. The shop also offers a "wish list" service for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries where customers can leave a record of what they like, along with their size. “It’s ideal for partners who never know what to buy,” says Tracy. “We’ll sometimes guide the husband. If he picks up something we know his wife won’t like, we’ll say, ‘to be honest, I think you should be looking more at this…’ You can tell what a lady likes by what she’s always bought.”

While thongs have taken something of a back seat, sales of control pants are going through the roof, thanks to their miracle smoothing effects. The Freya Deco shape strapless longline bra and Elomi Curve Thigh Shaper briefs are popular as are the Fantasie Elodie Briefs.

Although customers are getting curvier and cup sizes bigger – the most popular now is F, FF and G – ultimately, it’s posture and confidence that count. As Tracy points out: “When you’re in the right size bra and wire, it can totally transform your outfit.”

The Little Bra Shop
25 High St, Yarm, TS15 9BH
T: 01642-737068; W: littlebrashop.co.uk