There is a correct way to put on a bra and this is how you do it

Back to bra school, people...

We can tell what lingerie you buy based on where you live
(Image credit: Rex)

Back to bra school, people...

By now, we're all savvy to how often we should get bra fittings, or how we should wash our lingerie, and even how to tell if we're wearing the wrong bra size. But it turns out we've still got a lot to learn when it comes to wearing our favourite underwear.

You see, most of us probably aren't putting our bras on properly. Yep, there's a correct way that doesn't just involve slipping your arms in the straps and fastening the hook.

According to POPSUGAR, there is a technique that is called the 'scoop and swoop', which is particularly handy for women with big breasts, but can work for all cup sizes.

It involves manually manoeuvring the whole breast tissue in the cup of the bra. So, start by putting your arms through the straps, then bend over so that the breast falls into the cup, and fit the underwire just beneath it. Fasten the bra shut, then pull the bra away from your body a bit, so you can fit your hands in to gently scoop the breast fully in the cup, by pulling it inwards from your armpits.

This way the bra actually fully supports all your breast. This can also avoid what is known as tissue migration, where breast tissue moves towards the underarms due to lack of proper support.

In any case, it's always good to have proper support, which will also help alleviate certain issues such as backache. Plus, an outfit is always more flattering (not to mention comfortable) if your underwear fits properly.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.