MarieSue lingerie Blog

Over 80% of Irish Women Wearing the Wrong Bra Size
A study conducted by Irish lingerie retailer, Marie Sue Lingerie, has found that over 80% of Irish women are currently wearing the wrong bra size. The findings could mean that a staggering 1.7M female adults* in Ireland are wearing bras which not only cause serious discomfort, but also result in the dreaded saggy boobs or ‘four boobs’ phenomena.
“What most women forget is that the shape of our bust changes many times throughout our lifetime. Factors like putting on or losing weight, pregnancy, menopause and the ageing process can change the shape of our breasts. After women experience changes in their body shape, they change their clothes size, but never think of changing bra size. Many women get fitted once, maybe twice, during their lifetime. We recommend that women get fitted with a qualified bra fitter twice a year” says Susan Alsybury, co-founder, Marie Sue Lingerie.
The side effects of an ill-fitting bra, are not just visual. Consistently wearing the wrong bra size is uncomfortable and can result in chronic back, neck and shoulder pain, as well as hindering good posture.
“We constantly meet women who think that uncomfortable bras are one of the crosses they have to bear. It’s only when they get fitted correctly and start wearing bras suited to their individual body shape that they realise it doesn’t have to be that way”.
As well as not getting professionally fitted on a regular basis, Ireland’s biggest bra crimes, according to the Marie Sue Lingerie study, include :
1 Wearing a bra that hurts

A bra should not hurt or feel uncomfortable. If it does it generally means that the bra is too small in the cup, resulting in wires resting on the bust tissue and digging in.
2 A saggy bust
Sad to say many Irish women are still walking around with a bust resting on their belly, generally caused by wearing a bra where the back is too big. The back of your bra should not ride up and should run around your body in a straight line.
3 The ‘four boob’ cleavage

Try your bra on with a t-shirt and look in the mirror. If you have a bulge over the top of the cup of your bra, then the cup is too small for you.
4 Wires sticking out from your body

Wires should sit flat against your skin and should completely encompass your breast tissue. If the wires sit out at the side or from the centre of your chest, then the cup is too small.
“At Marie Sue Lingerie we’re on a mission to educate women about how a good fitting bra should look and feel. While we believe we’re making progress, the results of our survey are not entirely surprising and the vast majority of Irish women are still wearing the incorrect bra size. We want women to learn the basics about buying the right bra for their size and body shape so they will pass on this knowledge to the important women in their lives – sisters, daughters, mothers and friends” says Maria Byrne, co-founder, Marie Sue Lingerie.
Marie Sue Lingerie is one of Ireland’s leading lingerie boutiques. Based in Carlow, it stocks Ireland’s largest range of foundation wear and hosiery outside of Dublin, as well as leading lingerie brands, bridal lingerie, maternity, swimwear, nightwear and specialist mastectomy wear. www.mariesuelingerie.ie stocks Ireland’s largest range of bra cup sizes (AA – K) available online.

Marie Sue Lingerie is owned and run by lifelong friends Susan Alsybury and Maria Byrne, both expert fitters in lingerie, maternity and mastectomy wear.