Twitter user Brittany Packnett sent many people into panic mode Thursday when she shared a set of instructions for “how to put on a bra” from lingerie brand ThirdLove.
“MY WHOLE POST-PUBESCENT LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE,” she tweeted into the hearts of the thousands who responded to her tweet, likely because they were experiencing the same shock she did upon seeing the instructions.
ThirdLove’s three tips instruct users to clasp the bra in the back, hook the bra on the loosest hook (THE HORROR) and tighten the straps every other month.
“I’ve been putting on my bras wrong for twenty years,” Packnett wrote.
Packnett’s photo sparked a strong reaction on social media, from people who were experiencing this earth-shattering realization at the same time or people who also experienced some type of bra-related epiphany after many years of wearing one.
So, is it true? Have we all been doing it all wrong? According to Ra’el Cohen, ThirdLove’s head of design, we have.
And there’s a good reason to reconsider your strategy.
“Most women I talk to are wearing a band that’s too large for them,” Cohen told HuffPost. “Basically, if you wear a brand new bra on any other hook than the loosest, you’re probably in too big a band size.”
Uh, what? Our minds are blown. But Cohen’s explanation makes a ton of sense.
“When you put on a brand new bra, the fabric is brand new, it has all of its elasticity,” she said. “When you put it on the loosest hook, it should feel snug on your body. Because after you wear it for about a week, you’ll start to feel it’s a bit more stretchy. If you wear it on the loosest in the beginning, that allows you two more adjustments as the bra stretches out. You are basically getting more life out of your bra.”
We’re on board with making our bras last longer, but why does it matter that we fasten the clasp in the back, rather than pulling off the front-clasp-and-spin move?
Luckily, Cohen said that doesn’t matter quite as much.
“You can definitely do both ways,” she said. “People have their preference. It’s more ideal to clip in the back because when you clip in the front and shimmy into it, it’s hard to get it exactly lined up in the center, and your wire could be slightly off to one side. So if you’re going to clasp in the front, just make sure the bra is completely centered on your body.”
Noted.