A certain adage in our local language (Kinyanrwanda) says that, ‘no matter your looks, what you wear reflects your character,’ oops! Well, am not calling for any debate which I cannot definitely chair.

Some of us look up to celebrities for fashion ideas. Please be warned not to swallow everything wholesale. What may work for them might not work for you.

But, what I am emphasising here is that bras have a lot to do with the woman’s personality and style. Whether you are dressed for a formal event or just at home, where many go by the concept of, "who cares!”, when you get the bra wrong, you ruin your looks.

Call it a bra, but here we shall call it a breast enhancer! It’s awful when a grownup woman dares to go bra-less. Fine, there are those with small breasts, but in any case women and grownup girls should wear bras for decency.

In the past, our foremothers used to go braless, and this was not an issue to the society, but as the world advances, things change too, and so does the fashion industry. Today, women and girls tend to worry awfully about their breast appearance.

"To my feeling, women are a lot more critical about their looks than men see them,” Tom Ngarambe says, adding that, "For me, it’s all simple, if I like a woman, I’ll accept her bust as they come, from non-existent to oversized ones.”

Whatever the case, wearing a bra is essential for all women. However, according to fashion experts, nearly 75% of women wear the wrong sizes! Most women wear bras that are too small for them.

Buying the bra that is right for you is not easy either, but the most important factor is to know your exact size. Today, bras have become the hottest style, and they are designed in different attractive colours to win over the market.

We see sports bras, full coverage bras, and padded bras. There are also maternity support and nursing bras designed for nursing mothers. There are many considerations you have to take into account when choosing a bra to wear with your outfit.

Wear a black bra with white or transparent dresses, because it’s easy to destroy a great outfit by wearing the wrong colour!
However, some blouses and dresses have no shoulder straps whatsoever. You may be able to wear strapless bra.

Beatrice Mulisa argues that when considering wearing a tight shirt, you should wear a seamless bra. After you have decided on your choice, if a bra still does not fit quite well, try on a different size.

No matter your size, you can always get one that perfectly fits. Wearing a bra in the wrong size can be really dangerous and cause pain in the shoulders, back and sometimes in the neck.

"It’s all about the fit, and the fit will depend on a lot of things,” Christine Mugwaneza, says, adding, "The size and shape of your body is, of course, primary.”

Mugwaneza emphasises that if you are a small or medium-breasted woman, a compression-style bra will offer support and comfort. Or if you prefer, you can choose a bra that offers encapsulation for shaping as well as support.

"If you’re a larger-breasted woman, you may find encapsulating styles that separate and support your breasts more comfortable and more supportive than compression bras,” advises Mugwaneza.

For most Rwandan women and girls, bra wearing is not a necessity for their breasts’ sake, but worn for cultural reasons and style.

"My first bra was a bikini, padded and about two sizes too large for me, but I was so proud and felt so chic!” says Judith Kabera.

Bra-wearing has been linked to breast cancer in a study done by Sidney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer. They found that women who wore a bra 24 hours a day had a 113-fold increase in breast cancer incidence compared to women who wore bras less than 12 hours daily!

The same study also suggests that the effect may be due to the fact that most women just wear the wrong size bra that is too tight somewhere. No one has done any studies investigating how well the bra fits and a possible link to breast cancer.

"I’m aware about the dangers of wearing bras often, but I feel immoral or indecent going braless,” says Justine Muteteri, 30.

At SundayMag, we’ll suggest you wear the right bra, a bra that fits and is comfortable.

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