Why the Right Bra Is a Business Essential
By Shannon Kate Murray, Founder & Editor of High Flying DesignI didn’t expect to be writing about bras again - not since my earliest blogging days, back in 2014, when I’d post about body confidence and the search for lingerie that actually fit.
Back then, department store changing rooms left me frustrated and deflated. I’d browse the cute, sparkly styles I saw in magazines and on the Victoria’s Secret runway - then try on bras in my size that looked nothing like them. What did fit was functional, beige, and - to teenage me - super ugly.
So I’d buy two at a time and wear them until the wires poked through, just to avoid going back.
Fast forward to this year - 2025. I walked into Bravissimo expecting to downsize to a 32DD. I left wearing a 32G - with a completely new understanding of fit… and a quiet confidence I hadn’t even realised I’d been missing.
Support Isn’t Just Physical - It’s Psychological
When your body feels supported, your brain feels supported. Your focus sharpens. Your nerves settle. You stop fidgeting with your clothes or wondering if anything’s moving that shouldn’t be.
You just get on with your day.
Whether you’re pitching your business, leading a client call, recording a podcast, or speaking on a panel - physical comfortable helps you show up with clarity and confidence.
And for so many women, that starts with a bra that actually fits.
Confidence, Reclaimed - One Strap at a Time
I used to think you just tightened the straps and got on with it. I didn’t know about scoop-and-swoop techniques, or that a well-fitting underband should be straight and level around your body. I didn’t realise some brands run bigger in the cup, or that certain styles support breast tissue differently depending on your shape.
No one had ever taught me.
And when we don’t understand something - especially something tied to our bodies - we tend to blame ourselves.
In high school, my boobs were what made me stand out. I hated it. They were what got noticed - not my ideas, not my personality, but my body. Boys would make comments. I learned to hunch my shoulders. To hide. To wish them away.
So it’s no wonder so many women grow up feeling disconnected from this part of themselves. It’s no wonder we say we “hate” bra shopping - when, really, it’s never just about the bra.
It’s about how we’ve been made to feel in our own skin.
How we’ve internalised shame for something we never chose. How we’ve been sold sizing systems that don’t fit us - and mirrors that reflect everything but the truth.
It’s Not Just You. The Industry Wasn’t Built for You.
Traditional sizing methods can be wildly inaccurate. Studies suggest that up to 81% of women are wearing the wrong bra size (that’s 8 in 10 of us 👀) - not because we’re doing anything wrong, but because the system is.
Many brands still base sizing on outdated +4 models - fit assumptions that don’t reflect real bodies.
Add in inconsistent sizing across brands, minimal education, and limited representation - and it’s no wonder most of us walk away confused.
Worse still, the industry’s narratives have often been rooted in shame. Bigger-busted women have been sexualised or ignored. Smaller-chested women were told to “boost.” And mid-sized women? Often made to feel invisible.
Wearing the Right Bra Can Shift How You Show Up
This isn’t about vanity. It’s about visibility.
The right bra can change how your clothes fit. How your posture feels. How present you are in your own skin.
It can stop you second-guessing your outfit. It can help you focus on what you’re saying - not how you look saying it.
That day in Bravissimo’s fitting room (they’re gorgeous, by the way), I stood taller. My shape looked different - more defined, more me. Replaced were the old memories of feeling too big and not enough all at once. Now? I was just a real 29-year-old woman - one who moves her body, tries to eat well, and is building the business of her dreams.
I stopped thinking of my body. I wasn’t distracted. I wasn’t adjusting or wondering if I looked “right.”
I just felt… ready. Ready to show up.
Business Lessons from the Bra Aisle
So here’s what I want you to know:
You are not hard to fit.
You do not have to settle for “good enough.”
You wear a bra nearly every day. It deserves to fit well - and yes, you deserve to feel good (even cute) in it, whatever your size.
The tools exist - the knowledge, the brands, the experts - to help you feel held.
And when you feel held? You move differently. You speak differently. You lead differently.
Just like running a business, this is about more than getting the foundations “right.” It’s about choosing support that reflects who you are - and who you’re becoming.
Because confidence doesn’t always come from mindset work or affirmations.
Sometimes, it comes from a well-fitted bra.
Try This
Curious about your own fit?
Learn what a good fit really feels like: Your bra should feel supportive, not restrictive. The band should sit straight and level, the cups should fully contain your breast tissue (no spillage or gaping), and the straps shouldn’t be doing all the work.
Book a bra fitting with a specialist: In-person fittings are available at Bravissimo, Boux Avenue and Rigby & Peller. Prefer to stay home? Try ThirdLove’s online fit quiz.
Look for brands that specialise in fit and comfort for your size:
For smaller busts: Pepper, Lulalu, The Little Bra Company, Boux Avenue
For mid-sized busts: ThirdLove, Love, Vera, Negative Underwear, Bravissimo, Boux Avenue, Rigby & Peller
For fuller busts: Panache, Elomi, Freya, Curvy Kate, HSIA, Bravissimo, Boux Avenue, Rigby & Peller
Not ready to shop? Start by asking: Do I feel supported - physically and emotionally - in what I’m wearing every day?
Awareness is the first shift.
Support isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
In business. In life. And in what we wear every day.
Candice Swanepoel on the 2014 Victoria’s Secret runway - the year Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, A Great Big World, and Neon Jungle lit up the stage.
So the next time you’re preparing for a pitch, pressing publish, or simply trying to stand tall - don’t underestimate the quiet confidence of a bra that fits.
It’s not just underwear.
It’s a mindset shift.
And you deserve to feel that held - every single day.
