Types of Bras

There are many types of bras available on the market. It has been estimated that about 75 to 80% women do not wear a proper fitting bra. Selecting a bra is a simple process provided you are aware of the different types available.

The most sought after bra is the push up. These bras have padding in the cups or contain silicone insertions to give shape to the breasts. Ideally suited to facilitate and show off plunging necklines, these bras are a fashion statement and are used to lift the breasts and give them a unique shape. Some of these bras are half-cupped and are best suited for a bare-minimum covered look.

The sports bra is designed to give adequate support to the breasts during hectic physical activities. There are different sport bras for different sport activities. These bras can be for low, medium or high impact activities. Low impact activities include yoga, hiking and cycling. Medium impact activities involve brisk walking, skiing and inline skating; while aerobics, running, and mountain hiking fall under high impact sports.

Nursing bras provide comfort to nursing women and expectant mothers. They are designed to make feeding a comfortable experience. They have flaps and can be opened and refastened easily. The best nursing bras have comfortable shoulder straps to give adequate support to the breasts. Nursing bras with underwires may seem tempting but are best avoided because they can constrict milk producing ducts.

The training bras or first bras as they are called are a preschooling experience for young girls who have started to develop breasts but are not yet ready to wear standard size bras. Again, bras with underwires don’t make sense because young girl’s breasts have not yet developed.