The One Hack You Need To Make Your Bra Comfier

If it were up to me, I would never wear a bra again. If it were up to my back, I'd have a bra surgically attached to myself at all times. Finding ways to make your bra more comfortable has been a godsend in my life, though. It turns out that the number one hack I've discovered to make your bra more comfortable comes well before you're ready to trash the offending brassiere after a particularly pesky session. It comes when purchasing said bra, because a properly-fitting item should never actually make you feel uncomfortable.

The truth of the matter is that if you have a bra in the right size — both in cup and back — for your body and breasts, discomfort from that bra will be minimal. It's a tough road, of course. Nobody said standing face to face with all the bras you've collected over the years and breaking up like this would be easy.

No matter how many underwires have stabbed you, how many straps have twisted, or how much elastic has dug into your skin, your bras have probably been there through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now it's time to bid many of them a final farewell. Because upon learning your real measurements, I truly do insist you get out there and buy new products in your actual size. I'm speaking from life-changing experience here, guys.

Smooth Balconette Bra, $37, Lane Bryant

Luckily, many underwear stores, and some clothing stores as well, offer bra measuring as part of their services. You can even pop into your local Victoria's Secret and let the staff help you find the bra size you truly are.

But if you're unable to go to the mall for the momentous occasion of understanding your breasts and what they want from you, then measuring your bra size at home is pretty simple, too. Just check out the video by fit and style expert Jessica Wells and Soma Intimates below for more help with the task. As she said, about 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. And that needs to change.

If you're not financially or emotionally ready to give up on your old boob houses, however, there are smaller ways to adjust the sizing of your bra without having to throw them all away.

Bra extenders, for instance, are available at most places that sell underwear and will, obviously, extend the length of your bra's band size if you're finding your pieces are digging in tightly. After all, getting the right band size for your bra is, IMO, the most important part of having your bra fit perfectly.

Fashion Forms 3 Hook Bra Extenders, $12, ASOS

Even if the eventual replacement of all your bras has to happen over time — who could actually afford to buy more than one bra at once, anyway? — keeping sizing in mind is the key to keeping your bust and bras comfortable.

Bras aren't like most clothing. They're not the kind of thing you can squeeze into a size smaller of because that cute little number was on sale and you couldn't resist. We're talking about your boobs here, and they deserve your time, money, and attention to detail.

Images: Andrew Zaeh/Bustle (1); Courtesy Brands