Sports Bras
The sports bra was influenced by its male forerunner in support underwear, the jockstrap, which inspired joggers
Hinda Miller and Lisa Lindahl to create the sports bra almost thirty years ago by sewing two of the elasticized pairs
of briefs together. Initially referred to jokingly as the Jockbra, which quickly became the famous Jogbra brand,
the concept then, as it is now, was to eliminate the intrusive wayward straps, remove the harsh abrasions and rid us
of the burden of the bounce.
Today, Nike and Adidas aren't the only ones who make provisions for this line of sportswear, with other brands such
as Royce perfecting the science and Berlei releasing their high impact shock absorber range in 2000, with their
infamous advertisement featuring Anna Kournikova.
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Modern Materials for Sports Bras
Advances in design, not least in synthetic material, have come on leaps and bounds from basic cotton manufacture.
Lycra sports bras are the popular choice because of its elasticity and its use by professional athletes, while materials
such as polypropylene are held in high regard for excellent absorption. Some sports bras are designed to appear as
imitative crop tops, worn as a single layer, while others are made to be worn as traditional underwear.
Comfort & Performance Underwear
Sports bras have become almost the antithesis of lingerie. Whereas the latter's sole purpose is to look effortlessly
beautiful, and as such produce reflect that beauty on its owner, the former sometimes has even more pressure to perform
than its wearer, such is the demand placed on it. Sports bras often go unappreciated because they are simply regarded as
adapted underwear. In truth, they are just as vital in sport as, say, shin pads or crash helmets; items made to offer
protection to muscles, bones or organs most vulnerable to injury. One of the sports bra's key roles is to prevent damage
to chest ligaments that are normally prone to stress in exercise, so choosing the right design should be of high priority
for those with a drive to keep trim.
Motion Control Sports Bras
With all that in mind, it has still become a bone of contention when choosing comfort over figure or vice-versa.
Women have complained of high impact sports bras becoming overly-restrictive, while those with a smaller cup size are
often left with an unflattering shape for the sake of compression.
Firstly, it's important to know what your real bra size is (see Advice Centre),
then think about what impact level you require - most physical sports require high impact bras, while less demanding
activities need just low or medium impact designs.
Next, be ready to invest - if you're at the gym, in the park or hitting the asphalt for the most part of your week's
spare time, you'll need a set of high
impact sports bras to keep working through the laundry and you need think about
replacing them once they lose their stretch. Finally, be sure this design is going to do its best to compress while
keeping motion in control, and that the breathing isn't affected.
This all boils down to one key point: as we're all different, you need to consider your own needs when selecting
the sports bra that's right for you rather than listen to advocates for one brand or another from anyone else.
If you've tried others before, think about where they might have restricted you, as well as what they were doing
well for you. If you've taken up a new activity, think carefully about the physicality and how you'll need to perform.
Then think about how you'll perform at your very best.