Talking to your mother about lingerie is often like walking through a minefield.
Mother: "Kaisa hai?"
Aarohi: "It's fine."
Mother: "Sahi hai, toh iss size ke do aur le aayungi."
Aarohi: "Thik hai, but it feels a little tight around the shoulders."
Mother: "Arre, thoda tight toh rehta hi hai."
This is a typical conversation in many Indian households when it comes to buying bras. And if there’s a sizing issue, the default solution? "Thik hai, ek size badha ke le aayenge."
But Did you know that 80% of women wear the wrong bra size?
For most of us, our journey with lingerie starts with the lessons passed down from our mothers—who themselves rarely venture beyond their tried-and-tested choices. As we grow and explore better options, we may upgrade our bras, but our mothers? Not so much. Convincing them to switch can feel like trying to change a deeply rooted tradition.
Let me share my experience.
I recently asked my mom why she doesn’t wear padded bras. Her response? "Woh toh bulky breasts ke liye hota hai na." I smiled and explained that padded bras offer better support and a more flattering shape, regardless of size. Intrigued, I asked her what size she wore. “34B,” she replied confidently. To be sure, I used a bra size calculator—and to my surprise, her correct size was actually 34C.
It turns out, like many women, she had been wearing the wrong size for years. Despite this, she wasn’t comfortable going to the store to buy new lingerie, so we decided to order online.
When the new bras arrived, I thought that would be the end of the story—but no! It took weeks of convincing before she even considered trying one on. Then, one day, I noticed she looked a little different.
"Are you wearing the new bra?" I asked. She nodded sheepishly. Victory!
To my delight, she admitted it felt better and more supportive. She even confessed that the only reason she tried it in the first place was that all her old bras were in the laundry.
This funny, yet real, journey highlights how challenging it can be to get our mothers to let go of old habits. But, with a little patience (and some laundry luck), even they might come around to the wonders of a well-fitting bra.
After all, it’s never too late to upgrade to comfort and confidence!
