The Benefits of Teaching Bra Fitting and Breast Health at Schools

As young girls grow, they experience some changes in their bodies that they may not completely understand.  Most often they turn to their moms and ask a lot of questions such as menstruation, growing breasts, and the need to wear a bra. It has been a tradition that mothers guide their daughters when it is time to buy their very first bras.  However, most moms find it difficult to provide daughters with the proper guidance especially bra fitting.

To address this problem and other bra-related issues including wearing the wrong size, breast cancer concerns, and embarrassment at a sensitive age, the Derby High School in England has announced that guidelines on bra fitting and lessons on breast health will be taught to its students.  The lessons will target girls from 11 to 14 years old. 

To be included in the lessons are breast anatomy, types of bras offering the best support, the variations in measurements and cup sizes among brands, and breast health, etc. These lessons are expected to be incorporated in the Personal Health and Social Education (PSHE) lessons once or twice a year. Teacher Karan Hopkinson will lead the giving of this essential know how to students of the school, and she is currently preparing her materials to teach bra fitting classes.  These materials, which include a mannequin, are reportedly to be teen-friendly. After the lessons, the kids are expected to possess skills in measuring themselves, finding their sizes, and selecting bra styles that provide the best support according to their needs.

While bras are used for support and comfort, often they become the source of pain and some health issues. Most women are brought up to believe that a simple cup A, B, C, and D or DD is the only factor involved in cup sizing, which is not true. Women experience their back bands riding up, straps sliding down, and pains on their backs and shoulders. Some women, in their effort to correct these issues, cram themselves into too small cup sizes, or select a band size that is too large. You just can’t correct a wrong with another wrong.

Hopefully the students who will be attending these bra fitting guidelines and breast health classes will be able to avoid the above issues.  They will know their actual bra size, allowing them to outfit themselves with bra styles that increase comfort, rather than irritation.  The properly fitting bra will not require constant readjustments, nor create unsightly lumps.  These students will be like professional fitters in determining the band-to-cup size ratio that they should be wearing.

Of course, there are some people who do not agree to this idea of the Derby High School, saying it is a waste of time, and that the guidance about bra fitting is the responsibility of mothers. However, as mentioned above, not all mothers are equipped with the ability to teach their daughters about the subjects of bras and breasts.  So, if you are always on the Internet, you will find many advices to adult women to find a professional fitter at the bra boutiques to find their right size.  So, why wait for these girls to turn into adults before they become knowledgeable in bra fitting?