Dear Daisy,

I read your article on purchasing the correct size of bedla and am just wondering if you have any information or advice on how to determine what cup size I am or should buy?

–          Unsure

Dear Unsure,

There are two ways to find out your cup size.

The first is to go to a store that sells bras and be measured by a sales associate.  If you choose to go this route, which I encourage you to do, remember that often the expensive specialty shops give their staff more extensive training on determining sizes than the department stores do and that you are welcome to be measured at several different stores if you want a second or even third option.

If you would prefer to measure yourself at home here is the formula you will need to use.  If possible enlist a friend’s help with this as it is very hard to get accurate measurements on yourself.  You can take these measurements in a plain comfortable bra or bare chested whichever you feel more comfortable doing.  (Do not wear a sports, push up or minimizer bra for this as they can change the measurements you will get by several inches.)

1. First standing relaxed measure your chest under your arms just below your breasts.
2. Add 5 inches to this measurement if it is an odd number and 4 inches if it is an even number.  This total is your band size.
3. Next measure your chest around the fullest part of your breasts.  You may want to do this in several different bras as well as without a bra to get an accurate average as your size may vary depending on how much push up a bra has in it.
4. Now subtract your first (chest) measurement (after you added the 4-5 inches to get your band size) from the new (bust) measurement.
5. Use the difference between your first and second measurements and the chart below to determine your bra cup size.

 

Bra cup size chart:

0” larger than measurement = AA

1” larger than measurement = A

2” larger than measurement = B

3” larger than measurement = C

4” larger than measurement = D

5” larger than measurement = DD or E

6” larger than measurement = F

 

I often suggest that if you are smaller than a B cup consider purchasing a B cup bedla with the correct or close to correct band size, and have it professionally stuffed to fit.   Often bra’s smaller than a B cup do not have sufficient impact to look good on stage and a B cup is often much easier to find and/or re-sell later if you decide you want to.  NEVER purchase a bedla with a cup size smaller than your own.  If you are in doubt, it is always better to get a cup size a little too big than it is to find out it is a little too small.

 

 

Dear Daisy,

I am wondering if you have any suggestions for cleaning my belly dance costumes.  I am always afraid of damaging them and would love some advice on a safe way of keeping them fresh.

–          Curious

Dear Curious,

Cleaning costumes depends on the type of costume and what material went into the construction.  Most non-beaded skirts, pants, and tops can be hand washed separately in cold water and then hung or laid flat to dry.  Always check first for colour fastness if your costume may have come from overseas (especially Egypt or India) as many foreign dyes are not colour fast and will run.

If your costume has bead work and sequins you may still be able to hand wash it by placing it in cold water and gently swooshing it back and forth.  Always test a small hidden spot for colour fastness first though.  When hand washing, use only very gentle liquid soap as powders can be hard to rinse out and can leave white residue.  When you have finished washing your costume do not wring it out simply take it straight out of the water, lay it on or wrap it in a towel and gently squeeze out the extra water then hang it or lay it flat to finish drying.  If you lay it flat remember to turn it over to make sure each side gets a chance to dry properly.  If the costume is stretchy or very heavily beaded do not hang it as it can stretch while the fibres are weak from being wet.

I don’t recommend dry-cleaning costumes with plastic beads, sequins, rhinestones or specialty fabrics.  They can melt with the dry-cleaning chemicals making a horrible mess of your costume.

If you do not want to risk washing or your costume is not colour fast you can either purchase a sport style, bacteria killing, fabric de-odorizer or mix 1 part alcohol to 1 part water in a spray bottle.  Very lightly mist the inside (only the inside) of your costume making sure not to get any spray on the sequins or beads.

Another option is to lay your costume inside out in the full sun for a few hours; often this will be enough to freshen things up.

To help maintain your costumes freshness, never pack them in plastic.  Always make sure to air them out after every use and then pack them in a breathable container or garment bag.  If there is any moisture in your costume you can find yourself with a bad case of mildew next time you go to wear it so make sure it is completely dry every time you put it away.

-Daisy

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