With warm weather already beginning to tease upstate New York, we’ve been getting a lot of questions and concerns about back flab at the shop lately. It’s an issue that every modern woman struggles with, and it preoccupies some to the point that they feel they have to settle for wearing a bra much too big around just to avoid any lines on their back.
From a bra fitting perspective, back flab is something to recognize, minimize, and accept. Even the tiniest 28-band woman will experience a degree of underarm bulge when she straps an elastic band to a naturally fleshy part of her body. It doesn’t necessarily mean that her bra is too small– it’s just the way stretchy fabric hugs the body. In our culture of smooth-out and suck-in, we often lose sight of the fact that it’s okay to have soft spots, and that, like it or not, everyone does.
The first thing to check when you experience back flab is the positioning of your bra on your back– is it riding up toward your shoulder blades, pushing the skin in all sorts of unflattering directions? Try a bra with a smaller band. If you’re wearing the correct band size, try loosening the straps and adjusting your bra so that the back is even with the front.
If nothing seems to work, all is not lost– we continually shop the market for the best bras to satisfy every need and desire our customers have, and we have a few tricks up our sleeve that will minimize the back flab effect.
Exhibit A, the Alicia Support by Anita:
Alicia underwire bra by Anita
This little number ranges in size from B to H cup and features a nice wide band and leotard back. The band comes up nicely underneath the arm to conceal and streamline. It’s also made of a soft microfiber with a small amount of stretch for comfort. Alicia has long been our top seller, and anyone who has ever put it on can tell you why– comfort, lift, and smoothing.
The next weapon in our war-on-back-fat arsenal is Le Mystere’s Tisha bra with lace:
Dream Tisha with lace by Le Mystere
Tisha can be intimidating at first glance because of how molded it is, but this bra actually provides great lift, shape and streamlining. The feature that makes it one of our go-to styles is the construction of the band. It’s full-coverage in the cup, which leads into a wide band containing a single piece of plastic boning sewn into each side called a “stay.” This piece slenderizes while the generous band covers the soft underarm and back area. The lace is a pretty finishing touch, and it won’t show through clothing. Tisha has been featured on Oprah as one of her favorite bras, and it’s not hard to see why– it works on anyone from C to H cup and 32 to 42 band!
Smaller-busted women, there is a back-flab-reducing option for you as well. Spanx makes a great molded cup bra with a wide, seamless band and straps. This style works best for cup sizes A to C in 32-36.
Spanx's Bra-llelujah
These are just a few of our favorite anti-back-flab styles available at the shop. Different styles will work for different shapes and sizes, but the important thing is not to let the fear of bra lines spoil your t-shirt and sleeveless weather days. In Rochester, they’re too few and far between!
As always, we look forward to the opportunity to find a great solution for any undergarment-related issue you may have!
Recent Comments