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This is the new way to measure your chest to choose a bra, and get it right!

ROCÍO MENDOZA Madrid

Now that a calculator to find the perfect bra size has gone viral on the Tik Tok social network, it confirms that getting the aforementioned garment right was, has been and is an intergenerational headache. Surveys on this issue indicate that seven out of ten do not use the size that corresponds to it. Either by excess or by default, neither the support nor the forms -even sometimes the fabrics- are the ideal ones and the consequences go beyond mere discomfort.

The calculator that promises to end this situation and that returns its verdict with just three measurements and a couple of personal data is called 'A Bra That Fits' (ABTF). One might think that it is one more, that digital tools to achieve the same objective abound on the network. But the truth is that this method makes it unique.

Although it was created in 2010 by a young intimate fashion designer, Freda Zelvey, it was not until a few months ago that it was catapulted to fame through social networks. The person in charge was the model Alexandra Madison, who posted an entry about the new way of measuring ABTF and the details to take into account in the shape of the chest to choose the right garment. Madison spoke in his entry about the sizes, the base, whether it is projected or not, the volume, the fall... The figures speak for themselves about the success of the post: 33.5 million views.

None of this was taken into account in the classic measurement of the bust. The size is only usually deduced by two parameters: the contour of the torso below the breasts and the contour at the same height but including them. Depending on the result, the size and cup were established by consulting a table of equivalences. The numerical size is dictated by the contour of the torso and the cup (from A to G) to the volume of the breast itself. But female diversity doesn't seem to fit into just two parameters. And this is what 'A Bra That Fits' takes into account to get it right.

Thus, to deduce the height, the tool asks the user a series of questions about their gender or their age and asks them to take more measurements than the two mentioned. This calculator, which is making thousands of women discover that they were not wearing the ideal bra (according to the comments in its Reddit thread), also asks that you pass the tape measure around your bust in various positions: standing, lying, leaning forward... However, an algorithm makes a more accurate calculation, taking into account more postures to calculate the actual volume.

It also takes into account other influencing circumstances, such as the gender assigned at birth (so it asks) and if there has been cosmetic surgery. And it is that the breast develops and settles differently after hormone therapy or a breast augmentation operation. From the comments of the users, it can be deduced that the majority of the women used less cups and more contours than they were entitled to, the creator of the 'app' points out in its user manual. After doing the test, and buying a garment online with the calculator as the only reference, we found that the tool is surprisingly accurate.

Of course, in an exercise of honesty, the creator of the application specifies on its website that, although it is not the most common, it can fail. This is due to very specific characteristics in the shape of the chest and torso that can occur in some people.

The tool

Unconventional

The address to consult the calculator is abrathatfits.org. It is not necessary to download an application as such to the mobile phone, but it works as a web.

Multipostural measurement

The contour of the trunk (not counting the breast) is measured tight, loose and very tight. Then the chest is surrounded standing, lying down and leaning forward.

Gender and Surgery

The calculator asks for the gender assigned at birth to the person making the measurement. The forms change with hormonal treatments and breast augmentation surgeries.

All the equivalences

World The calculator is in English, but it calculates in all sizes (European, French, English, etc.) which also tend to add confusion when choosing.

healthy possible.

How does it turn out to be the perfect garment then? «Ideally, it should 'embrace' the chest without squashing it and that it covers the entire breast without pinching any part. Otherwise, the consequences can range from suffering injuries from rubbing to alterations in the shape of the breast”, explains Dr. Nélida Grande, a specialist from the Spanish Society of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery Medicine.

Good support of the breast is one of the three pillars of its care so that it does not fall more than what age and other factors, such as hormonal factors and lactation, dictate. Dr. Grande notes "the lack of knowledge" of women in general about this premise and the lack of information to correct it properly. Nor are there, mind you, good salespeople with knowledge to advise on the purchase, "except for very few traditional corset shops that, moreover, are disappearing," Grande assesses.

As for the age at which good restraint should be considered, he advises between 12 and 14 years of age, around puberty, even before it if the girl's constitution so requires. Never allow room for it to be loose. «It is good, when the chest is not very big, to leave it free to sleep or punctually at home. But you have to start using this garment soon, ”explains the specialist.

In subjection, concrete, the practice of sport deserves a separate chapter. Doing it without a specific garment, which reinforces twice and avoids the impact when running or making sudden movements, is essential to protect the 'Cooper's ligaments'. If these give way due to the weight, it is impossible to recover the tone.

Along with support, avoiding weight changes is the second most important care that a woman's bust should receive. This is the only way to prevent the skin from losing consistency and elasticity. By caring for this, "with good daily hydration -continues Grande- and avoiding toxins such as coffee and alcohol that damage it" it will be possible to keep the breast healthy until hormones and age rule.