Cindy Johnson, co-owner of SOL, has more than 20 years of experience fitting bras.   Passionate about lingerie, her goal is to make bra buying easy and fun.  Read below to find out some of her bra tips.  If you have further questions, please send an email to info@SOLlingerie.com and one of our professional bra fitters will respond to your questions within 3 days. 

1. What is the most important thing to look for when buying a bra? Band size. It is the most important aspect of bra buying . More than 80% of the support of a bra comes from the band. When buying a new bra, it is critical that it be comfortably snug on the loosest or middle hook, and does not ride up the back.
   
   
2. My straps always fall down. What can I do? Believe it or not, one of the main reasons that your straps fall down is because your band size is too BIG. When the band stretches out, it starts riding up your back, causing the straps to fall down. Your instinct is to tighten the straps; don’t. Try tightening the band instead. If you are already on the tightest hook, it may be time for a new bra, or perhaps you’ve been buying bras that are too big around to begin with.
   
   
3. What is the best color bra to wear under a white shirt? To make your bra invisible under your white shirt, choose a bra that closely matches your skin tone but keep in mind it doesn’t need to match perfectly. Many shades will work.
   
   
4. How does bra sizing work? Bra sizing is extremely complicated. A bra size is always made up of 2 independent components: the band size (32, 34, 36…) and a cup size, A, B, C, D… My staff is trained for over 6 weeks before they are ready to fit a customer on their own. My suggestion is to visit a specialty store and have a professional bra fitter guide you to your correct size.
   
   
5. How should I care for my bras? You want to wash your bra EVERYTIME you wear it. Believe it or not, the more often you wash your bras the longer they will last and keep their shape. You also never want to wear the same bra two days in a row (unless you’ve washed it).
   
   
6. How many bras should I have? I suggest having 7 bras. If you have one for every day of the week, you’ll only have to do laundry once a week.
   
   
7. Do I have to wash them by hand? If you have time to hand wash, great. But if not, delicate cycle in the washing machine is fine, as long as you are hooking the backs and putting them in a lingerie bag. We recommend Forever New Lingerie wash because it is a gentle, citrus based soap that gets your lingerie really clean. Most importantly, NEVER put them in the dryer.
   
   
8. How long will my bras last? If you have seven good bras that you are washing frequently, your bras will last about a year to a year and a half. Bras are your hardest working item in your wardrobe, they do not last forever.
   
   
9. How much do I need to spend on a good bra? On average a good quality everyday bra will cost somewhere between $50-$100 dollars.
   
   
10. What is the difference between a contour bra and a padded bra? A contour bra is simply lined with a modesty panel, just thick enough to create a shape and hide your nipples. A padded bra has additional padding designed to make you look bigger than you really are.
    
    
11. What can I do to hide my nipples? My first comment always is, don’t worry about it! We all have them! Yet I do understand some women’s need for a modesty panel. Contoured bars are a great solution. If contour bras do not give you enough support or shape, DIMRS are reusable nipple covers that can be used with any bra.
    
    
12. I have a large chest. What is the best type of bra for me? Bras that have seams and lace are going to offer the best shape and support. They will lift you up and out, giving you more of an hourglass shape, making you look smaller and thinner.
    
    
13. I like to wear minimizer bras to make my chest look smaller. Do you sell those? Technically, I don’t sell minimizers bras because I think they make women look bigger, not smaller! How? Because if you squash your boobs down, the breast tissue has to go somewhere, which is usually out and down, making you look wider and more square. Instead, if you choose a bra that has seams and lifts your chest up and out, you will have a more defined shape that accentuates your waist making your overall appearance look smaller.
    
    
14. I love how pretty lacy bras are, but when would I wear them? Figuring out how to wear a beautiful lacy, colorful bra is easier than you think. Start out by wearing those bras anytime you would wear a black bra. Anytime you are wearing dark clothing, layers or heavier weight tops you can wear a pretty lace bra.